Alone again, he caught himself grinning like a fool at the doorway. Shaking his head, he picked up the ledger and opened the desk drawer to place it inside—and paused.
The upside down photo of his family sat on the top of a stack of papers in the drawer.
Wade’s smile quickly turned into a frown. He dropped the ledger into the drawer and shut it quickly.
It didn’t matter how much tea she brought him or how thoughtfully she listened to his concerns. Giving away his heart would be a grave mistake. One his father had made.
And Wade refused to fall into that trap.
He’d be kind to her. He’d fulfill his duties as a husband. And he’d have a son. But that was all.
It would be cruel of him to let her expect anything more.
Chapter Ten
Hazel eyed the breakfastdishes, wishing they’d somehow learn to wash themselves. With a sigh, she grabbed hold of the pan she used for washing and headed outside to fill it with water.
She’d taken two steps across the front porch when Wade drove up with the wagon and horses.
Curious, Hazel set the washing pan on the top step and moved toward where Wade was climbing down from the wagon. She reached up and scratched one of the horses on his nose. “Are you going somewhere?”
“We’re going somewhere,” he said with a slightly devilish grin.
Hazel’s heart tripped. Whether it was at the thought of exploring beyond the house and barn, or at the way Wade looked at her, she didn’t know. “Oh?” she managed to say.
“I thought you might like a trip into Crest Stone. Perhaps you could buy jars and keep us in preserves all winter.”
Hazel’s heart lifted at the thought of a little foray into town. “I . . . I’d love to go. But I don’t want to pull you away from your work.”
“The work will still be here. Besides, I need to check with the postmaster to see if any mail has arrived. And I might pay a visit to the deputy sheriff down there, let him know what’s been happening.” Wade crossed to the other side of the wagon and held out a hand.
“Right now?” Hazel looked down at her apron. “I haven’t cleaned the breakfast dishes. Or prepared anything for the noon meal. What will the men eat?”
Wade chuckled. “They got along just fine on cold ham and bread or anything else they could find for dinner before you came along. And the dishes can wait.”
Hazel hesitated. It felt somewhat extravagant, going into town to buy things she didn’t necessarily need instead of tending to her work. But Wade motioned to her, and itwasa lovely day, with the sun overhead and a few white clouds dotting the sky. “All right. Let me get my hat.”
