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It was a big step for her to not just stew in the annoyance, letting it fester until it was full-blown anger. Quietly, she hoped Bennett would notice. Hazel didn’t like that he often saw her as a child. Mostly, she didn’t like the realization that many of her fitful reactions were that of a child.
It was time to outgrow that little girl afraid of being trapped and abandoned.
The phone on the table next to her Sherlock Holmes book vibrated again, reminding her that she’d not yet answered Hunter’s message. She scanned the text from Hunter again.
I came down to town this morning—I’m sorry I didn’t stop to see if you wanted to go. It’s a long story—and I don’t want to talk about it. But Bennett has permission to start work on the Elliot house. I thought I’d help. You want to come?
For a moment Hazel wondered why Bennett hadn’t told her that he was going to start on the house. But she’d seen him with the kids last night—he was exhausted and overwhelmed, and Nathan was going to push him to the end of his patience and beyond. Hazel would bet on that. A little bit of grace from her was certainly required.
Look at her, not overreacting!
She smiled a congratulatory grin to herself as she picked up the phone to answer her brother.Yeah, I’d like to help. Spare me the long ride to town on horseback?
He replied promptly.On my way.
As she gathered her shoes and flannel-lined denim jacket, Hazel thought about how much easier it was to get to town and back now that the road was passable and Hunter had a truck. Pops had been stupid-stubborn about not using the old access road or owning a vehicle. Stuck in the old ways, clinging to them like they’d be his salvation.
Sort of like his granddaughter . . .
Ironically, Pops had used the road to get his alcohol fix. Hazel didn’t know who his supplier had been, but by the evidence of bottles she’d found, she knew he had one.
Stubborn and hypocritical. Ouch.
Hazel punctured the air with a huffy breath. “Fine. I admit it. I’m too stubborn for my own good.”
Scout yipped an applause bark. Moose eyed her from the corner, a gentle look ofThat’s fine. Practice . . .
“Okay, Moose. I know. I’ll get there.” Eventually. Probably. Maybe she’d be able to admit faults out loud to others—like Hunter. Or Bennett.
It was hard! Living alone had locked her in some tight habits—one of which was a total disregard for others.
Yikes.
Another was a complete lack of trust.
There, her chest twinged as her mind couldn’t help summoning the image of Bennett’s gorgeous, gentle blue eyes. So full of love. And begging her to love him back.
“I do love him back,” she told Moose, as if he were the one she needed to answer to. In a way, the dog was. Bennett had become Moose’s person, and since the day Hazel had rejected Bennett’s proposal, things hadn’t just been strained between Bennett and Hazel, they had been off between Hazel and Moose too.
Or maybe Hazel was slightly nuts. Could this be normal—this anthropomorphic relationship she had with her dogs?
Whatever. She and her dogs had a connection—whether other people thought that was weird or not didn’t matter.
Hazel returned to the discussion at hand. “And I do trust Bennett.”
Lying on the floor, his chin tucked between his paws, Moose merely looked up at her, raised his eyebrows, and then huffed as he looked away.
He was calling her bluff. Dogs didn’t lie. They didn’t fight dirty. They didn’t accuse without cause.
Which left Hazel with the uncomfortable truth: she didn’t trust Bennett. Not with her whole heart. She believed he loved her . . . for now. Believed that he wanted a life with her . . . at the moment.
Forever?
Hazel wasn’t sure she believed in that sort of promise. Not like she didn’t think people stayed together for their whole lives—she’d watched her grandparents stick it out. But a love that lasted, that made a lifelong commitment a joy and not a prison?
That was the problem. Promises came with tethers. There couldn’t be freedom in a lifelong commitment. Could there? It just couldn’t be guaranteed, at least. People changed—usually for worse.
Goodness, that sounded harsh, especially when she laid it up against Bennett’s sincere proclamation of love. And it made her feel awful when she replayed his understandably angry response to her accusation that he was after her land.
