A Heart's Blessing - Linda Ford Page 0,7

Laura to worry. Besides, she can’t manage the children and the café on her own.” She waited while he took the scraps to the chickens and tossed them out.

He guessed it said much about her level of pain that she let him do it. “I take that to mean you’re trying to hide your injury from your friend.”

She avoided looking at him.

He puffed out his lips and stared at the trees along the creek. Willow Creek. The name of the town as well. A nice quiet place, he’d been told. A good place to set up business. A place where people would leave you alone. Yet here he was, in the neighbor’s yard, and not just any neighbor. A woman with a little girl, both of whom reminded him so sharply of what he’d lost that he felt like he was drowning in his past. She’d been injured on his premises, which meant he was morally responsible to help her. It was the last thing he wanted to do. After all, he’d come here hoping to live a solitary life, apart from time spent with Cody who wasn’t even in town and talking only to conduct business. He guessed his brother’s visits would be few and far between. “I’m responsible for your injury. I’ll help. Tell me what to do.” It was the reasonable solution.

“If anyone is responsible, it’s me. I went into your place.”

“It’s a place of business. People will come and go without invitation.” Perhaps it was her pain that was making her not understand. “I should have been more careful to put things away.” He said it as patiently as he could.

“I don’t need help.” She tried to take the bucket from him. He held firmly to the handle.

“Do you need some wood brought in?”

Her silence was the answer.

“I could take in a couple of pails of water.”

“We’ll manage.”

The door yanked back. “Aunt Delcie—” Whatever Kent had been going to say was cut short as Miss Morton put weight on her foot, gave a cry, and fell to her knees.

Kent’s eyes widened. He stared at Ryder without blinking. Then tears filled his eyes. “I didn’t mean…”

Ryder put a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You did nothing wrong. Your aunt—” She wasn’t the mother? Who was? And where was she? Not that it mattered. “She’s got a sore ankle. Here, you take this bucket, and I’ll help her inside. Is there a chair nearby she can sit on?”

Kent grabbed the bucket and rushed indoors to drop it by the flour-dusted worktable. He pulled a chair toward the door. “Here’s one.”

Ryder turned back to Miss Morton. “I’m going to help you up and to that chair. I’d suggest you don’t put any weight on that foot.”

She took his hand and allowed him to help her to an upright position. She clung to his arm as he helped her inside where she collapsed on the chair, breathing hard.

Miss Fisher looked at Ryder with surprise than turned her attention to Miss Morton. “I asked if you were all right. You said you were. Is it your ankle?”

Ryder answered for her. “She injured it in my shop. So while she recovers I’ll help over here. What needs to be done?” He looked around. Pots simmered on the stove. Buns filled a basket on one end of the worktable. Next to that were four pies and a baked pudding with a golden crust. Sure beat the can of beans he’d planned for supper.

Miss Morton leaned over her knees. He guessed she would have moaned except she didn’t want to alarm the children.

Miss Fisher’s expression went from shocked to closed. “There’s no need for your help.”

“I disagree. Miss Morton might have injured her ankle even more by pretending it’s all right.”

“I’ll manage.” Miss Morton’s voice quivered.

Why were they both being so stubborn? Shouldn’t they be grateful for help? Unless…“Are you afraid of me?”

Miss Morton sat up. “Of course we aren’t afraid. But we know nothing about you. Surely you don’t think we should trust you in our home.”

She signaled the children to her side and held them tight as if she thought he meant to snatch them away.

“Ma’am, Miss, I mean you no harm. I have no more desire to be involved in your lives than you have. But as Miss Morton said, it’s too much work for one woman, and that’s what it’s down to.”

The two women exchanged looks. Both pressed their mouths into tight lines and looked stubborn enough to resist