Page 34 of If the Boot Fits

She reached up and caught his hand, the small touch carrying the warmth of a full hug. She set the beans aside and shifted in her seat to meet his gaze. “I’m glad you’re getting out, Ash. You’ve been working so hard. It’s good for you to take some time for yourself. Besides . . .” She grinned and a touch of mischief sparked in her eyes. “I could use a break from all that hammering.”

He’d spent the last two days reinforcing the milking shed by shoring up the support pillars and patching up the siding.

“If you think the noise has been bad the last couple days, just wait until I get started on the roof.” He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and chuckled when Mama Bess groaned.

“I might need to pay some social calls when those shingles you ordered come in.”

Asher laid a hand on her shoulder. “I hope you do.” He gave her shoulders another quick massage. “You’ve endured a lot of upheaval the last couple of months. Being forced to move, scrambling to make ends meet, worrying over the boys. That’s a heavy load for these slender shoulders to carry.”

“God has been faithful.” She sagged a bit beneath his hands. “I might wish for the security of a full larder, but I’m learning to trust him for our daily bread.” She crooked her head toward him, her eyes alight with the cheerful enthusiasm that never failed to inspire him to give his best to any task that lay before him. “And since you’re around to watch Fergus for me, I just might start paying those calls tomorrow.”

He chuckled. “Good. Fergus and I will get along just fine. I might even convince him to set aside his stories long enough to learn a few things about carpentry.”

“Just be patient when his attention wanders. You might be able to get him to set down his pencil in favor of a hammer for a few hours, but that won’t stop the stories from spinning through his mind.”

“I know, Mama.” Asher gave her shoulders a final squeeze, then headed for the back door.

Fergus’s stories were a part of who he was, and Asher never wanted him to lose that piece of himself. Yet at the same time, a man had to understand how to navigate the real world, and Asher wouldn’t be much of a big brother if he didn’t prepare Fergus for that side of life.

It saddened him slightly to think about all the things he wouldn’t be around to teach Fergus. Jack, too, for that matter. His middle brother considered himself the man of the house and postured accordingly, but underneath that confident veneer lived a scared twelve-year old kid forced to grow up too fast. Asher knew exactly how that felt, and he’d tried for years to spare his brothers from that kind of pressure. But thanks to Eli Dearing and his rent increases, that layer of protection had disintegrated.

The anger that usually accompanied thoughts of his stepmother’s former landlord didn’t burn his gut with the same ferocity as it had a week ago. More like banked coals than roaring flames. Mama Bess’s acceptance of her new circumstances no doubt played a role in that change. His lack of legal recourse combined with the sweat he’d already poured into making the new house livable had forced Asher to come to terms with the reality of the situation. He couldn’t change what had happened. Couldn’t restore what had been lost. All he could do was help his family move forward.

He urged Bruno into a canter as he left Palo Pinto behind and followed a path winding north along Eagle Creek. The ruins of the old mill came into view, and his pulse picked up its pace.

He spotted a buckboard near the abandoned building but didn’t see Samantha. He slowed Bruno to a walk and scanned the area.

“Miss Dearing? You here?”

She stepped out from behind the stone mill, her smile beaming as she waved and watched him approach. Man, but the woman was beautiful. She wore the drabbest colors he’d ever seen her in, a plain brown skirt with an ivory blouse, yet that smile of hers sparkled like the sun. She ran over to greet him, giving him a front-row seat for the blue of her eyes. The woman could be covered in coal dust, but with those eyes and that smile, she’d still be the most vibrant woman he’d ever seen.

“Mr. Ellis, you came!”

“Did you doubt I would?” Tearing his attention away from her eyes, he concentrated on dismounting, a maneuver that wouldn’t normally require thought, but in his current state of distraction, there were no guarantees he’d not end up with a boot stuck in a stirrup. He’d rather not hop around like a one-legged rabbit while she watched.

“Not really. You strike me as being a man of your word. But it dawned on me this afternoon that riding lessons are rather . . . frivolous compared to the important work you’re doing for your mother.” She picked at the decorative buttons running down the front of her skirt. “I would understand if you felt like your time could be put to better use elsewhere.”

She glanced up at him, and all contending ideas for how he should use his time immediately bowed out of the running. Nothing could compete with being in her company.

He pivoted to face her fully. “Do you want to learn to ride, Miss Dearing?”

She nodded, her eyes alight. “Very much.”

He grinned. “Then let’s get to it.”

That beaming smile returned accompanied by a giddy excitement that had her bouncing on her toes. “Thank you!”

Keeping his pulse in check was going to be tricky during these lessons if she kept looking at him like that.

Thankfully, she broke eye contact and glanced downward, giving him a chance to recover. Until he realized what she was doing. His pulse jumped to full-throttle panic.

She was unbuttoning her skirt.

16

“Whoa! What are you doing?”

“Well, that’s a silly question.” Bent at the waist, skirt placket in hand, Samantha craned her neck in order to peer up at Asher from the corner of one eye. “I’m preparing to ride.”