Page 84 of Love’s Silver Bullet

“Tonight?” Sheridan stifled a yawn. “After Jake stomped on my hopes and dreams, Grace, I’m not sure I have enough energy left to plan anything but sleep.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Sher,” Grace said as she plopped back on her pillow with a chuckle, “I promise that the first step—and the most important one—doesn’t take any energy at all.” Wiggling deep under the covers she reached to take Sheridan’s hand, giving her a light squeeze. “We pray.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

“So, chiquita …” Sophia peeked up beneath sooty lashes as she slowly peeled an orange while she, Grace, Kathy Jean, and Sheridan finished the roast beef sandwiches the orphanage cook had provided for their lunch on the back porch of the St. Mary Louise Orphanage. “Have you seen him yet?”

Sheridan glanced up, her appetite suddenly fading away along with the shrieks and laughter of the children playing in the backyard. She shot a furtive glance first to where Jake was giving rides on Midnight through the woods behind the orphanage for Sister Fred’s ‘Riding Reward” program. Her gaze then shifted to Miss Cramer and a few of the sisters who sat at the other picnic table Jake and Blaze had built for Sister Fred, and she expelled a quiet sigh. She wasn’t particularly interested in talking about Clay Morgan at the moment, but figured it was inevitable with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show back in town. Her mouth took a twist. And Sophia’s relentless badgering that Sheridan needed to move on from Jake.

“Seen who?” Grace’s eyes flicked from Sophia to Sheridan and back with a crimp in her brow.

“Clay Morgan,” Kathy Jean whispered as she leaned in, obviously not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation during their lunch break from tutoring.

“Clay Morgan …?” Grace repeated with a pinch above her nose, peering at Sheridan through a squint. The scent of her banana mingled with that of Sophia’s orange and fresh sawdust from the brand-new back porch Jake and Blaze also built the entire length of the orphanage. “The beau that came to see you several times at your Aunt Marie’s? The one who wouldn’t take no for an answer?”

“Si.” Sophia sucked on an orange slice with a secret smile. “The one whose heart she broke like Jake broke hers.”

Sheridan silently winced, her guilt still tender over using Clay to make Jake jealous in the first place. “Yes, Clay was rather persistent when he arrived in New York, but he quickly understood that Jake and I had a commitment,” she calmly explained to Grace before turning to arch a brow at Sophia. “And I seriously doubt I broke his heart, Sophia Lopez, because Clay Morgan can practically have any girl he wants.”

“Except you.” Sophia popped an orange slice into her mouth with a smirk.

Grace sent Sheridan a wink as she peeled her banana further down. “Mmm … that sounds familiar.”

Shaking her head with a smile, Sheridan popped the last of her sandwich in her mouth and swallowed it whole. “And, no, Sophia Lopez, I haven’t seen him yet, nor do I expect to because I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to see me either.”

“Mmm … how sure?” Sophia studied the slice of orange in her hand as if it were one of the frog specimens with which she taught the children biology.

Sheridan paused with a scrunch of her nose. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

A noisy sigh blasted from Sophia’s lips as she leveled a firm look at her friend. “It means, chica, that when Chet came over last night, he told me Clay would like to see you. And, since he who shall remain nameless only wants to be friends, I think it would be good for you to see hi—”

Sheridan was shaking her head before Sophia could even finish. “No, ma’am. My heart is sore enough right now over Jake, Sophia. The last thing I want is to even think about another man right now, so please don’t encourage it.”

“Whoops.” Sophia tugged on her lip with a guilty look. “Too late.”

Sheridan blinked, stomach bottoming out. “Oh no, Sophia—what did you do?”

“Well, when Chet said that Clay wanted to see you”—she gave a little shrug—“I may have … sort of … mentioned he could see you after tutoring the children this morning …”

A weak groan trailed from Sheridan’s lips as she put her head in her hands. “Sophhhhia … why on earth did you do that?” She peered up with pleading eyes. “I’m in no frame of mind or heart to deal with another man right now.”

“But that’s just it, chiquita,” Sophia said with a thump of her fist on the table, black eyes sparking with anger over the heartache Jake had put Sheridan through. “You are in the frame of mind and heart because you need to realize Jake is not the only bull in the barn. And Jake,” she emphasized with a stern jut of her jaw, shooting a narrow gaze into the woods where Jake just disappeared, “needs to realize that too.”

Jake. Sheridan froze. Was here. Which meant that … Jake. Clay. Together. Sheridan shot up so fast, she shivered the table, Maggie’s words coming back to haunt.

“Jake swore he was going to bash Clay’s head in for even looking at you.”

“Oh my goodness—I have to go—now!” Sheridan hands shook as she fumbled cleaning up the remainder of her lunch.

Grace stilled her with a gentle hand. “Maybe not,” she said slowly with a questioning tip of her head. “Maybe this is part of the plan we prayed for regarding yours and Jake’s friendship.” Her lips suddenly curved in a faint smile, the calm in her gray eyes somehow calming Sheridan too. “You know, iron sharpening iron?”

Sheridan stared, suddenly aware that Grace was right. Jake was being a mule about opening up to Sheridan regarding his past, but another jolt of jealousy might be just the leverage she needed to coerce him to confide in her at last.

The sound of horse hoofs from the street in front of the orphanage suddenly broke the tension in her chest, and sucking in a deep draw of air, Sheridan sat back down and finished gathering the remains of her lunch. Releasing a slow exhale, she glanced toward the woods once again before she gave everyone at the table a shaky smile. “Then let the games begin …”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

“Gee, Mr. Jake,” eight-year-old Buster Bixby said with a gap-toothed grin over his shoulder, “if I’d known this was going to be this much fun, I would have studied a whole lot harder, a whole lot sooner!”