Page 11 of A Dangerous Heart
But she had traveled hundreds of miles to marry a stranger.
He took the two steps up the porch stairs, cracked the door open, and stepped inside. Drew followed, crowding in behind him. Inside, Clare stood with Kaitlyn in the hall, smiling one of her charming smiles and inspecting his grandmother’s cross-stitch that hung in a wooden frame over the row of hooks near the door. A Bible verse they’d all had to memorize.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
He’d once believed that—that God was directing his steps. But God had abandoned Isaac. Or Isaac had gotten off the path somewhere.
Clare turned to Kaitlyn, eyes shining. “Your family must believe in the providence of God.”
“Oh yes. It was God who sent me to Drew and the children.”
Clare’s voice softened. “I can’t help but think that maybe those letters that got sent are kind of like the story of Abraham sending his servant to fetch a wife for his son Isaac.”
The statement was so preposterous that Isaac sucked in air when he should have swallowed.
Drew stepped near and gave him a couple of slaps on the back, then removed his hat and dropped it over one of the hooks.
Kaitlyn smiled at Isaac’s discomfort, but in a flash, she turned green and excused herself to run upstairs.
Clare’s cheeks turned pink. Her eyes followed Kaitlyn up the stairs, then turned to Drew.
“She okay?” Isaac asked.
Drew ran a hand through his dark hair, releasing a sigh, but then his expression changed. The corner of his mouth lifted, and a gleam sparked in his eyes. “She’s in the family way.”
A beat of envy struck Isaac, followed by a piercing sadness. He hadn’t known. He would be an uncle again, and he hadn’t noticed. He’d been here. Home. But not truly engaged with his family.
Drew let out a sharp breath. “That’s why I can’t go back to town. Kaitlyn won’t be able to go on roundup. We’ll be short a cook.”
Clare hovered nearby.
“I can cook for you,” she volunteered. “The boys would love to ride out on a roundup.”
“No.” But Isaac’s quick refusal went unheeded.
Drew’s eyes had a considering look in them.
Clare barely glanced in Isaac’s direction.
“I’ll accept payment,” she said to Drew. “If I’m not to be married, I’ll need to figure out what to do next. And I’ll need money.”
Frustration boiled in Isaac’s gut. Drew was the oldest brother. The one who felt responsible for the entire family.
How had Clare known just what to say so he would feel responsible for her too?
Isaac tried to catch his brother’s eyes, shook his head. But Drew only sent him a regretful glance.
“My children created this mess. The least we can do is try and set things right.”
Chapter 3
Aggravation mounted as Isaac whirled the roping loop over his head for the third time. His head pounded, and even his teeth ached. The dusty sweat on his open shirt chafed against his sunburned skin. The headstrong steer he’d chased up a ridge bawled, the sound grating on his last nerve. But what had really stuck in his craw the whole day? Running into Clare Ferguson at the crack of dawn before he could even drink his first cup of coffee.
The rope snapped, and relief flooded through him as it slipped over the animal’s horns. The steer made a final attempt to escape, but with a tug of the rope, it became docile. Isaac’s shoulders ached and his eyes burned. He blinked as the memories of the morning encounter flooded back.
He had rounded the corner of the chuck wagon and almost bowled her over. The unexpected surge of attraction took him by surprise. He’d caught her shoulders in his hands to keep her upright. Despite the drab work dress, she looked fresh and pretty in one of Nick’s old cowboy hats. A nervous smile played on her lips, but her eyes drew him in as she greeted him with a surprised “Good morning.”
“’Scuse me” was all he could manage. He tried to maneuver around her, but she sidestepped in front of him. Their gazes locked.
