Page 66 of A Secret Heart
I suppose you were laughing when you read my…proposal to Isaac.
He dropped the fork back into the drawer.
His shoulders drooped as he slid the silverware drawer closed, casting a quick glance back at the happy celebration before he turned to slip out the lean-to door.
Chapter18
From one of the stalls in the barn, Ed pitched a forkful of manure into the wheelbarrow he’d stood in the aisle.
He’d lasted all of ten minutes in his silent cabin, haunted by memories of Rebekah and her admiring gaze fixed on him. From the corner of his eye, he caught the familiar saunter of his brother approaching. What did Isaac want?
“Fine sunset.” Isaac spoke low. He stood in front of the wheelbarrow.
Ed grunted. His brother should have stayed inside for his birthday celebration.
“You didn’t have any cake,” Isaac said.
Ed tossed the next forkful of manure at Isaac’s feet. Missed, but only by an inch.
Isaac’s eyes flashed. He grabbed a pitchfork and stepped into the next stall. “I didn’t ask for a strawberry cake.”
When Ed didn’t respond, Isaac flipped dirty straw over the stall wall. It ricocheted off Ed’s leg. Ed’s shoulders flexed as he tossed another load of manure into the wheelbarrow.
Isaac flipped more straw over the barrier. He was doing it on purpose, but Ed didn’t react.
He tried to ignore his brother completely, focus on the pull in his muscles, the task at hand.
Isaac matched every stroke, filling up the wheelbarrow in double time. “Something eatin’ at you?”
Ed gritted his teeth, felt the pinch of long-standing hurt.
With his next pitch, the fork slipped from Ed’s hand in a clumsy maneuver. All the pressure inside him exploded. He kicked at it, sending it toppling into the pile of clean hay at his feet.
Isaac stilled.
Ed turned away, unable to bear his brother’s scrutiny.
“Unless you’d like to talk about whatever is eating atyou, I’d like to finish this alone.” He grated out the words, his voice rough.
There was a beat of silence.
Isaac growled, “I’m not going to talk about that.”
“Then do you mind?”
“Maybe I do mind.” Isaac stepped into the aisle, and Ed let his anger get the better of him.
He followed, his hands fisting at his sides.
Isaac eyed him. “Did it help last time?”
The bruises from their last fight had lasted for days. Ed deflated. He dusted his hat against his leg.
“Never did work to come against you,” he mumbled. He took in a deep breath, then straightened. “You were always stronger. Smarter. The conquering hero.”
Isaac scoffed. “What are you talking about?”
The utter disbelief on Isaac’s face eased a bit of the tension still tightly strung inside Ed.
