AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s so funny?” he asked, glancing at the crowd Ben was looking at.
“Aaron.” He nodded in his direction. He was standing by the door, the light from the moon shining in from the crack where he held it open. “He thinks no one knows his ma is over there trying to pull him out of the bunk house by his ears.”
“Is she not wanting him to go?”
“No. She thinks Aaron is abandoning them when they need him most. Noah broke his leg the week before you got back in town and he can’t do everything he usually does.”
“Does Noah not have anyone else to help him?”
“Yeah, Nathaniel, Sophie Ann, and Keri are all there but Noah doesn’t want Sophie Ann and Keri having to do all those outside chores and the ones indoors as well so that would just leave Nathaniel. Aaron thinks he’s more than old enough for the responsibility since he was only ten when they moved in with Noah and he handled the chores by himself when he had to.” Ben leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “If you want my opinion, I think the only reason Aaron wants to go is to get away from Betsey.”
Memories of Ben’s sister chasing Aaron around the school yard filled his head. “She’s not still sweet on him, is she?”
“Of course.” Ben threw him a lopsided grin. “And truth be told, I think he’s a bit sweet on her too but you’ll never get him to admit it.”
Aaron shut the door and leaned against it for a moment before turning and crossing the room, shaking his head with every step. When he reached his bunk, he sat down and blew out a breath. “Do they teach mother’s how to lay on the guilt so thick it makes you sick to your stomach?”
Ben laughed. “No clue. I barely remember mine.”
“I remember mine,” Jesse said. “And they don’t set out to make you feel guilty. You bring that on yourself because you know they’re right and you’re wrong.”
“So you’re saying I should stay home?”
Jesse shoved a stack of shirts into his saddlebag, not caring about the wrinkles they gathered crammed in there so tight. “I’m not telling you to do anything. That’s your decision to make. It’s not my pa and little brother I’m leaving behind to do everything.”
“Now you’re going to lay the guilt trip on me, too?”
Jesse laughed and hooked the buckle on his bag and sat it aside. “How would you feel if it were Nathaniel running off, leaving you to do everything while Noah is laid up?”
“And your brother is only eleven,” Ben reminded him. “You might have done the chores at that age but you had Noah to do the hardest part plus, the farm wasn’t nearly the size then as it is now.”
Aaron stared at them for long minutes before cursing under his breath and snatching up his bag. “I hate both of you. I hope it rains every day you’re gone.”
Jesse and Ben shared a laugh as Aaron stomped from the bunkhouse, slamming the door behind him.
“He’ll thank us when we get back.”
Jesse doubted that but didn’t say anything. Ben crossed his feet at the ankles and closed his eyes, putting an end to their conversation. Just as well. Jesse wasn’t much in the mood to talk anyway. He was quite happy to spend the evening in silence, recounting the things that had gone wrong since he got back home.
He’d spent countless hours going over every detail of how things would progress once he returned to Willow Creek and so far, the only thing that had gone like he expected was Alex putting her fist upside his head. He smiled at the memory and stood, crossing the bunkhouse and putting the noise behind him as he went outside.
The moon was nearly full and a few clouds lingered in the sky. The wind caused a soft rustle to the tree branches as he headed across the yard, no destination in mind. The silence he wanted was short lived. Laughter grew louder as he neared the house.
He paused and glanced in the window. It looked as if the whole Avery clan was gathered inside. Tristan and Morgan stood near the cold fireplace talking while a few kids ran back and forth. Holden and Colt stood near the window. When they turned and took a step apart, Alex came into view. She was smiling but he knew every smile the girl had and that one was forced. She was putting on a front for some reason.
An arm came into view and was slung over her shoulder. Hugh Jacobs’ face appeared as if by magic seconds later. Jesse gritted his teeth and turned away. Maybe being a coward for two months wasn’t such a bad idea. It would give him time to accept the fact that the girl he’d worked so long to have didn’t want him in return. He’d have to find a way to shift his feelings where she was concerned or be doomed to suffer a broken heart forever.
Seven
Her nervousness was goingto give her away. Alex stood on the porch trying to calm her racing heart. She hid the irritating shake in her hands by crossing her arms over her chest and tucking each hand into the material of the oversized shirt she’d put on over her dress.
Laurel and Landon stood near the porch railing watching the activity around the ranch. The sun was just beginning to rise, the sky filled with muted shades of pink, purple and orange. A warm breeze swirled through the trees and the smell of freshly turned dirt filled the air, the anxious cattle kicking up dust as a few of the cowboys were already trying to gather them closer to the house.
The evening before had been filled with laughter. She’d felt like a kid again as her entire family had gathered in the parlor and spent hours reminiscing about the past. Her uncle Colt had told stories of his time as a paid outlaw secretly and her uncle Tristan had recounted what it felt like to get caught up in the rush of gold fever.
It had been one of the best nights she could remember.
Well, it had been until Hugh appeared at the door. He’d gone back on his word and showed up uninvited and announced they were getting married to her entire family. There were congratulations all around and she’d smiled through clenched teeth and hoped it looked sincere.
