Page 55 of A Forgotten Heart
A dangerous gleam shone in Isaac’s eyes. “I sure can.”
Ed plunked his coffee mug down on the table. “Good. We should get going.”
The other brothers started to stand.
Nick guzzled the rest of his coffee and stood along with them.
The brothers stilled, all of them refusing to look Nick in the eye. When Isaac finally did look his way, regret shadowed his face.
Oh. Nick wasn’t invited. A sick feeling rolled in his stomach.
Drew reached over and put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “We need you here.”
Sure they did. They just didn’t want Nick to slow them down.
“Someone has to watch over our families,” Isaac added.
Nick shrugged away from Drew’s hand. “They don’t need me here. Clare is a sharpshooter.”
Ed, the conflict avoider, was already out the door.
Drew scratched his eyebrow. “You’re injured, Nick. The one Quade would target because you’re?—”
“Weak?”
Isaac’s stare hardened. “Hurt.”
“I’m healed enough to ride.” The dull ache in his head belied the words.
How many times had he, the youngest, watched his brothers ride out without him?
Drew reached for his coat on the peg. “Nick?—”
Nick gave in with bad grace. “I get it. I’ll stay behind.”
Isaac looked like he wanted to say something.
Nick didn’t need his brother’s pity. “I’ll go saddle up your horses.”
He spun to make his exit, but as he did, a shadow moved away from the kitchen doorway.
Fantastic. How long had Elsie been listening?
He stomped through the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with Elsie, who stood at the stove.
He’d almost reached the back door when Elsie murmured, “The gravy is ready. Do you want?—”
“Later,” he growled as embarrassment heated his cheeks. Even the morning chill couldn’t cool his temper.
With pent-up energy flowing into his arms, he shoved the barn door open. Searing pain permeated his shoulder all the way down to his hand.
He bit his lip to stifle a pained holler.
Bracing his shoulder with his other hand, he crumpled into the support beam, inhaling deeply.
If he couldn’t handle opening the barn door, what made him think he could help round up Quade? He must be a fool. Hewasthe weakest. He hated the thought.
When the pain subsided to a dull anguish, he saddled his brothers’ horses and led them to the front of the house.
