Page 80 of A Dangerous Heart
The three of them stood for a moment in silence, side by side, staring at the cans. A light breeze whispered through the pines. Isaac held the gun at his side.
Isaac needed to give Eli the words that had been running through his mind for days. He was afraid he would fumble, the same as Eli with his belt, but he needed to say them. He’d come full circle. God had sent his brothers and Clare at the right time to talk sense into him and save him from himself.
“I’ll always have your back, Eli.” He paused for a deep breath. “You ever need me, I’m there. No matter what. I’ll ride for days, over mountains, through the prairie. I’ll fight alongside you if need be. I’d take a bullet for you, son. You never have to ride alone. You’re a McGraw now, if you want to be.”
Their eyes locked. Eli nodded, a solemn understanding passing between them.
Isaac spent the next hour demonstrating the art of the quick draw. Ben was determined, but with his still-weak leg and the gun in his small hands, his aim was cockeyed, and most of his bullets flew past the cans and into the trees. Eli approached the lessons with silent resolve. Isaac was amazed that Eli managed to strike one of the three cans by the end of their session.
Maybe with practice, Isaac’s aim to be a good father would hit the mark too, at least some of the time.
“You’re looking so much better, Kaitlyn. Your face is fairly glowing,” Rebekah said as she turned a crispy browned chicken leg in the cast-iron skillet.
Clare had to agree. Kaitlyn’s color had returned along with her vigor, though she had to let out her dresses.
“I’m looking forward to eating your fried chicken again,” Kaitlyn said as she set a bowl of corn on the table.
Clare filled a basket with slices of bread. Isaac and the boys had returned to the cabin without a single fish but full of smilesand the smell of gunpowder. Fortunately for them, David had arrived from the main house, sweaty and breathless, with an invitation to supper.
Ed and Rebekah had made a surprise appearance from town, so the whole family was present. Pans shuffled and plates rattled in the kitchen as extra chairs were brought in and pushed around the table. While Rebekah arranged the chicken on a platter, Clare placed the breadbasket on the table, then turned from the table and skirted around Tillie. Serving meals at the McGraws was like falling into the steps of a familiar dance. One that Clare got to be a part of now.
Tillie slid into the seat, and the boys rushed in, taking their places on the bench on one side of the table. Ed, Isaac, and Drew pulled out chairs for their wives to sit on before settling themselves into their own chairs. Nick was the last man to mosey into the kitchen. A lone chair sat empty next to Jo at the table.
“Looks like you’re the last man standing,” Ed commented, the double entendre causing smiles, smirks, and a few giggles from around the table as Nick took his seat.
“None of our mail-order bride ads went as expected,” Rebekah said, her mouth pulled up in a one-sided smile for Ed in the chair next to her.
Ed leaned over and kissed her cheek. “No, but they did end up bringing us love.”
Clare’s breath hitched. It still surprised her the way these McGraw men said the loveliest things.
Rebekah cast a cheeky glance at Nick. “When are you going to place an ad? I can help you write it. Maybe even get you a discount,” she teased.
Isaac grinned at Clare. She returned his smile as warmth filled her chest. He flashed his green eyes at Jo. “Maybe you should have Jo and David write it.”
David’s head jerked up. “No way. I’m not getting talked into writing those stupid letters again. Just look at what happened last time.” He ducked his head, as red-faced as he’d been when he’d run to their cabin.
But the look in Isaac’s eyes caused Clare’s own face to burn. His satisfied expression said he was more than pleased with the outcome of their mail-order marriage.
It’s God’s providence.
She heard Anne’s whisper in her mind and smiled, knowing that somehow, Anne could see her now.
Nick cleared his throat and unfurled a napkin with a flourish, like a fancy waiter, before setting it on his lap. All eyes turned to him. Except for Ben’s. His attention remained on the platter of chicken in front of him.
“Thank you for your offer, but I’ve already got it handled.”
“You do?” Jo and Kaitlyn asked at the same time. They looked at each other with surprised grins.
“No, he doesn’t. He’s just trying to put us off,” Rebekah protested.
“He’s a cunning one all right.” Isaac studied him through narrowed eyes. “However, he never says anything he doesn’t mean. What’s your plan, Nick?”
Nick lifted his chin and steepled his long fingers. But he kept his lips sealed tight.
“He’s not going to tell us,” Clare said. He liked to tease and provoke a bit. But she was thankful he hadn’t given up on Isaac. Or her. She caught the twinkle in Nick’s eyes when he looked at her. She smiled at him, warmed by their special bond.
“Of course he’s going to tell us, or I’ll pull out one of the letters we still have,” Rebekah threatened with an impish grin.
