“It's fine, Noah.” His name rolled off her tongue in such an easy way, those hazel eyes of his so warm and welcoming … Maybe her heart wasn't as safe as she thought. She took another step back. “I saw the carriage roll in earlier.”
“It has a few broken pieces, but it's mendable.” He shrugged a shoulder and gestured toward the hall. “I just finished hitching up the sleigh to fetch the doctor and was wondering if you might need anything for the baby.”
Her heart trembled at his consideration. So simple. And it should have been natural. But it hit her with such force, she folded her arms across her chest as if to keep her heart from weakening into water. “That's awful kind of you, but—”
A sudden slam of a nearby door broke into her words.
“Noah!”
Noah's head shot up, and he stepped in front of her, as if blocking her from some unseen force in the next room. She didn't need to ask the identification of the voice.
His behavior screamed it loud and clear.
George Lewis.
“Noah, where are you?”
Noah turned and placed his hands on her shoulders, bringing his face close to hers, the energy radiating off him increasing her pulse. “It would be better if you stayed out of sight.” He searched her face then released her and disappeared around the corner of the hall.
“There you are,” the voice blasted again. “What's this I hear of you sending workers home early yesterday?”
“George, even you must see how keeping them for a few more hours could have led to worse—”
“We lose money for every hour we reduce production. You know this. Do I need to physically pound it into your head?”
“We would lose more production if a third of our fledgling workforce died in the snow.” Noah raised his volume to match his brother's, refusing to cower.
Kizzie grinned from an inordinate sense of pride swelling in her chest for this man. Of course, she didn't know him a heap of a lot, but witnessing his tenderness and then hearing him stand up to a thickheaded tyrant made her want to cheer.
“I left you to keep the process going, not cost business.” The harsh, deeper voice erupted again. “We can hire more people.”
Air lodged in Kizzie's throat. Had he just dismissed people's lives?
“From where?” came Noah's quick response. “We're having a hard enough time keeping the dwindling numbers we already have. Every person counts.”
So did every hour.
But not at the cost of a life.
A roar sounded with such fury, Kizzie peeked around the corner just in time to see a broad man grab Noah by the suit jacket and jerk him closer. “What about your life? Do you care about that? I have the power to take everything away from you.”
Noah stared back, unflinching. What did Mr. George Lewis mean?
“George!” Victoria emerged from the hallway, her blue gown flying around her, her face ashen. “Let go of your brother this instant.”
George released him with a shove, sending Noah stumbling into a nearby table and knocking a vase of artificial flowers onto the floor with a crash.
“If we don't improve our business, we could lose everything.” George ground out the words, his face red from his forehead to his beard. “We can't lose any time. Father entrusted us with this business.”
“Then perhaps you shouldn't have taken on so much debt to build your new house,” Noah shot back as he righted himself. “No one should live above their means, George. Father entrusted us with making smart decisions too.”
George made to rush toward Noah again, but Victoria's hand flew against his chest to stop him.
“Boys!”
“And what do you have to say about the fire?” George growled as he stepped away from his mother's touch. “Are you covering for your precious poverty-stricken nobodies, or worse, the outcasts you champion behind my back? You know they're all the same. Liars. Tricksters. Just waiting to find a way to take our money. Your softness for them only increases their willingness to take advantage of—”
“Stop this at once, George Lewis.” Victoria's voice broke into the argument again, this time silencing both men.
