“Mark, calm down. Heath is fine. You can see for yourself.”
“He’s not fine!” Mark said scathingly, his wild eyes roving over them. “He’s crying.”
“He was fine just a moment ago,” Layla said, trying to keep her voice calm to not upset the baby any further. Still in an awkward position on the stairs, Layla unwound the sling that supported Heath. As she took his tiny legs from the wrapping, Mark snatched the child.
“Mark!” Layla shrieked, both frightened and shocked by his behavior.
“Layla,” Mark thundered in return. “You left! You just took my son, and you left.”
Layla stammered, her mouth agape. He was shaking with fury, and she wanted to calm him in some way, but her words were failing her.
“You disappeared, Layla. I didn’t know where you went, and I didn’t know if you were coming back. And,” He took a deep breath. Then, he hissed at her, “YoutookHeath with you.”
Before Layla could defend herself, footsteps sounded behind her. She stepped off the porch stairs as Jack was practically running in their direction, his arms pumping at his sides.
“Boss,” he said, slightly out of breath. “Everything all right? The boys and I could hear you and Layla shouting down in the stables. I told them I’d come and check on you.” He glanced at Layla, Heath, and Mark.
“We’re just having a spat,” Mark said crisply. Heath cried out once more, so Mark patted Heath gently on the back. When he looked back up at them, the anger still flashed in his eyes.
“Maybe that’s my fault, Boss,” Jack said, ducking his head. “Layla told me she and the baby were heading into town this morning. I was supposed to pass on the message, but I forgot once the day got rolling. We had that issue over at the barn with the cows—” Jack stared down at his boots. “Sorry.”
Mark’s expression was still hard, and Layla couldn’t believe it. Without waiting for him to yell at her again, Layla hitched up her blue cotton skirts. Mark was still blocking the door. She might have considered pushing by him, but because he was holding the baby, she didn’t dare risk jostling him. Instead, she took off around the back of the house.
When she got to the kitchen door, she rushed inside. Blinded by the tears stinging her eyes, she raced through the kitchen and the dining room. She went straight to her bedroom and threw herself on the quilted bedspread. She bawled, the despondency coursing through her with each racking sob. She had let Mark down again, and she didn’t want to do that. She only wanted to see him happy.
Chapter Fifteen
Enormous waves of guilt crashed over him after what transpired between himself and Layla. The following day, he apologized to her, and while she thanked him for his words, things were strained between them. They only spoke when it was necessary, and Mark found that he missed the pleasant sound of her voice. He usually enjoyed it when she asked him about his workday or explained what she and Heath did during the afternoon hours. Her distant manner was his doing, so Mark tried to think of a way to remedy the situation.
On Saturday morning, a brilliant idea came to him. As he was out in the barn milking the cows, Billy, one of the ranch hands, approached.
“Mr. Flint?” Billy asked timidly. The tall brown hat he wore wobbled slightly as he spoke.
“Yes, Billy,” Mark replied, peering at Billy in the corner of his eyes.
“Some of the boys and I were wonderin’ if we could knock off early today.”
“Really?” Mark said, giving up on his chore. He arched an eyebrow and looked at Billy darkly.
“Yes, sir,” Billy said. The young ranch hand gulped nervously and fidgeted from one foot to the next. “We were hoping we’d be able to take in the annual town fair. I hear the supper’s pretty good up there, and I was lookin’ forward to gettin’ a piece of chicken or two. The boys and I … Well, we were—”
Mark stood abruptly, nearly kicking over the bucket of milk next to his boots. He reached down to steady the pail. “Go on ahead, Billy. Tell the rest of the crew they can have the rest of the day if they want, too.”
Billy blinked, stunned by Mark’s quick agreement. “Well, why, thank ya, Boss.” The young man hitched up his trousers and turned away quickly. Mark imagined the man was eager to get out of there, just in case Mark changed his mind. But he wasn’t going to.
Wiping his hands on his trousers, Mark gathered up the half-full pail of milk.Maybe I should ask Layla to the fair, Mark thought and strode in the direction of the house with a surge of hope.
***
“You know,” Layla began as they rode away from the house toward the fair, “I’m so glad you suggested going out today. My father and I always went to the Willow Lake Fair. He said it was the one day a year it was all right to close the store because no one would be interested in buying his wares that day. They’d have a much larger selection at the fair.”
Mark nodded his head as the buggy bounced beneath them. Though it was only a short ride into town, he thought it would be a good idea to get the buggy ready since he was bringing both Heath and Layla. When he’d invited Layla to go to the fair, she grinned happily as she agreed. As soon as he’d mentioned heading into town to participate in the celebration, Layla scurried from the room.
When they came downstairs, Layla and Heath were dressed in festive attire. Heath wore his large sun hat, but he also had a bright blue tunic. Layla dressed in a similar blue shade, but her dress had large white buttons running down the front.
Now that she was speaking amiably with him again, he was glad he suggested it.
“Did you ever buy anything special at the fair?” Mark asked, hoping Layla would keep chatting as they rode.
