“I suppose. There wasn’t much left to hold together.” Bitterness seeped into his words and pressed against Hazel’s heart.
She laid her hand on his, as she’d done before. This time, he didn’t hesitate to thread her fingers through his own. She relished the warmth of their palms pressed together.
With a dash of courage soaring through her, Hazel held his gaze. “You can tell me things like this. A husband ought to be able to share his thoughts with his wife without fear of coloring her opinion of him.”
Something softened in his eyes. “I don’t hold a particularly high opinion of myself, Hazel. I wouldn’t expect anything more from you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I see a man who did what he needed to do to protect his grieving father and to sway his brother from going astray. A man who’s built a ranch from nothing. And a man who trades in loyalty and respect with those who work for him. Even if he is reticent to accept kindness and love from others.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. Hazel became acutely aware of the birds singing in the trees, the lazy babble of the creek, and the snorting from one of the horses as Wade traced her face with his eyes.
“I don’t expect any of that from you,” he finally said.
“I know.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “But here I am. And I’m giving it to you despite your best efforts otherwise.”
“I don’t deserve any of it.” His words sounded as if they’d been raked across the stones at the bottom of the creek.
“You do.”
His eyes narrowed just slightly, and when he raised his free hand to trace the skin along her jaw, Hazel couldn’t help but close her eyes. His touch seemed to ignite something deep inside her. Something that made her want to stay perfectly still and fling herself at him at the very same time.
From behind her, one of the horses stamped and snorted again. Wade dropped his hand and Hazel’s eyes fluttered open.
Wade had already risen and was checking on his horse. “He hears something.”
Hazel stood too, her heart racing now for an entirely different reason.
They stood there for what felt like an eternity, silent and watching the trees across the creek. But nothing appeared.
“Might have been a deer,” Wade said in a voice that Hazel didn’t quite believe. “We ought to be getting back anyway.”
She nodded, wishing they could sit here by the creek all afternoon. But life carried on without them, and if she didn’t return soon, the men would have nothing for their supper.
Hazel barely felt the ache in her legs and back on the ride home. All she could think about was how there was so much more to Wade Pierce than he’d initially shown her.
And all she wanted was to learn more.
