Page 32 of A Dangerous Heart
Clare turned her face away, hiding a smile. Isaac could well believe it. The kid could be more ornery than the mustang. A chuckle rose in his chest but he managed to keep it down, the corners of his mouth twitching despite himself. Isaac lengthened his stride, regretting that he had decided to walk to the main house today instead of taking the wagon. He tightened his grip on the basket of jam and cornbread, their addition to the family meal, as they climbed a small hill and the homestead came into view. Eli and Ben took off running, leaving Clare and Isaac to walk the rest of the way alone. His gut churned. His brothers would have plenty to say about him and Clare.
We want you to be happy.
He gritted his teeth. They still thought they could fix him. Repair him like the old barn. Pull off the rotted boards, nail some new ones in place, slap on a new coat of paint.
Some things were beyond repair.
Clare moved closer to him and bumped his shoulder. He caught the faint smell of lavender.
“What’s wrong?”
The concern in her hazel eyes gave him pause. He should warn her about his brothers.
“My brothers will be watching us, wondering if I’ve fallen for you yet.” His words tasted as bitter as they sounded in his ears. If she noticed, she didn’t give any sign. Instead, she nodded and gave him a side glance as they passed the barn.
“It’s nice that they love you so much. They just want you to be happy.”
His shoulder muscles tightened. There it was again.They just want you to be happy.“They think it’s just a matter of fixing what’s been broken. Like a wheel or a fence. Some things in life are broken beyond fixing.”
Her eyes went to the mountains in the distance. “The God I read about is mighty. He made those mountains out yonder and parted seas. I don’t think fixing whatever you think is broken is beyond His ability.”
He followed her gaze to the mountains, taking in the grandness of the range. Yeah, the Almighty could fix what was broken in him, but why should He after what Isaac had done?
His throat felt hot and raw.
Before they even reached the house, the door flew open. Jo greeted them with her usual exuberance.
“Hi, Uncle Isaac, hi, Clare.”
Jo eyed the basket Isaac was holding. “What did you bring?”
“Cornbread,” Clare said, giving Jo a smile and gentle pat on the shoulder as she passed over the threshold.
“Oo-ooh.” Jo lengthened the single syllable in a teasing manner. Her lips formed a playful smirk while her brows rose in presumption. “Cornbread is Uncle Isaac’s very favorite.”
Isaac cast a swift glance at Clare. She turned back to smile at Jo, noncommittal. Had she made the cornbread for him? No matter. Jo, normally a tomboy, was behaving like a spinstermatchmaker. Pure mischief sparked from her eyes. He scowled at her.
“Ma’s feeling peaked again,” Jo informed Isaac just above a whisper as they gathered in the small entrance hall outside the steamy kitchen. Roast beef, onion, and joy permeated the room.
“Jo, let them in the kitchen,” Kaitlyn chided, but there was a smile in her words.
After a few hearty welcomes and slaps on the back between the men, everyone took a seat at the table. By the time Isaac, Clare, and the boys had washed up, only two chairs were left empty, side by side. He felt awkward standing behind the chairs and waiting for Clare. She carried a platter of roast beef, carrots, and onions from the sideboard and placed it on the table. He couldn’t help but admire her helpfulness. She’d done the same for him too, at the roundup and at the cabin.
He allowed himself to appreciate her pretty face, flushed pink from the heat of the kitchen, but snapped out of his reverie when he caught Ed eyeing him with an amused expression. Ed could be annoying and competitive, but Clare was right. Ed wanted him to be happy. Especially now that he’d found marital bliss with Rebekah.
“Seen anymore bears up around you?” Nick turned his question to Eli, seated to his left.
Eli flushed and kept his eyes on his empty plate. “No.”
Drew’s posture shifted as he leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on the table.
His eyes locked with Isaac’s. “Can’t hardly think about that incident without a powerful gratitude that Isaac had his gun with him and reacted so quickly.”
The scene flashed before Isaac. A terror so intense that the memory of the event left him feeling unsteady. Truth was, it had been Clare’s quick action that had saved his nephew’s life.
When the silence lasted a beat too long, Clare eased in beside him. “No bears, thank the Lord,” she said with a playful smile. “But there was a wily little squirrel who staked a claim in the lean-to. Poor Isaac had to chase him away before he could get any sleep one night.”
Ed laughed. Drew looked at Isaac. He shrugged it off.
