Page 47 of Her Cowboy Reunion

She opened her mouth to speak, but he shook his head. “I’ve messed up. I’ve done good things, too, but I’m not afraid to own up to my mistakes. I did wrong by you years ago, and I’ve never forgiven myself for that. All this time, it’s sat there, niggling me, and I wasn’t man enough to come to you and say I’m sorry for letting things get out of hand. If I’d been a stronger man, you wouldn’t have been put in that position. It was wrong of me, and I apologize, Liz. Please forgive me.” He wasn’t sure what he wanted her to say, or what he expected, but his action was thwarted by a really cute kid.

“Dad?” Zeke bounded out the side door with all the enthusiasm a new day had to offer. “Miss Corrie said I can carry a special thing for Uncle Sean’s ceremony, like a real important thing with his name on it! Isn’t that awesome? I’ve got to practice marching right now!” He flew down the stairs, picked up a stick, and with the stick held high in front of him, he began a solemn march across the gravel, back and forth.

“That’s perfect, son.” Heath turned back toward Liz.

She wasn’t looking at him.

She was watching Zeke as if her heart and soul were bound in his actions. As she watched, a single tear left a pale gleam down her right cheek. “Liz.”

He reached over to wipe away the tear.

She didn’t let him. She swiped it away herself, and kept her attention on Zeke. “Consider yourself forgiven, Heath. There were two of us involved—”

“I was older…”

She interrupted him swiftly. “Regardless. Plenty of blame to go around. But thank you for your kind words.”

She slipped off the swing and tucked the laptop beneath her left arm. “What about Zeke?”

Her quick and almost curt reaction wasn’t what he wanted, but it was probably what he deserved. He stood and answered her question. “I’d consider it a real favor if you’d help keep an eye on him with me. He’s already told me that he loves Rosie-Posie but he’s never going back there because he likes it when his Lizzie takes care of him. So that’s going to be an interesting hurdle to handle in a few weeks’ time.”

“It won’t be that huge a hurdle.” She indicated the marching boy with a quick glance and a soft smile, a smile that made Heath wish there was room for him in that smile, too. “It’s not like I’m going anyplace, so it doesn’t have to be a standoff. It can simply be a change of venue.”

“How’d you get good at this?” He motioned toward Zeke. “Knowing how to handle kids, how to work with them. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone.”

“That’s easy.” She looked at him this time, the trace of tears gone. “I watched Corrie raise Charlotte and Mel. I saw her take them under her wing, two little girls who would have no memory of their mother, and she just helped them blossom into the amazing women they are today. A part of me has always wanted to be like Corrie. Strong. Courageous. Invincible.”

“Well, it works. You sure are good with him.” He reached out and drew the screen door open for her. “I’m grateful, Liz. When I’m not being a jerk.”

* * *

She wanted to drink in the scent of him. Soap-and-water fresh, nothing fancy. Cotton, just washed. A few hours into the rising heat of the day and that would change, but for now it heightened her senses.

“How about some breakfast, buddy?” Heath called back to Zeke as he held the door wide.

“With my Lizzie? Yes!” Zeke tossed his stick along the edge of the steps and climbed the stairs quickly. “Cookie said he was making oatmeal, and I don’t even like it one little bit, but I think he was teasing because you know what I smell?” He laughed up at them, grabbing a hand from each. “Pancakes! With chocolate chips, I think!”

Zeke’s hand gripped hers. Heath was holding his son’s other hand, and here they were, joined by a child like they were so many years ago, young lovers, impetuous, not looking down the long road of life.

It shouldn’t feel right, but it did, as if the second chance she never thought she’d wanted lay here, right here, in the hills of Western Idaho.

Was she being silly?

One glance toward Heath said maybe not, because he was noting their joined hands, too. And smiling.

“I’m so starvin’!” Zeke pulled them forward, then released their hands. “I’ll race you to the kitchen!” He darted off, knowing he wasn’t supposed to run in the house, but the pancake-scented air was too much of a draw.

Her hand felt suddenly empty, holding nothing but air, and just as she realized that, Heath’s hand covered hers. Clasped it. And then he drew it up gently. “My hand remembers your hand, Lizzie. Like it wasn’t all that long ago. Like it’s here and now.”

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