Chapter 7
7
L awson sank onto the kitchen stool and blew out a deep breath.
“Coffee?” his dad said as he entered the room.
“Absolutely,” Lawson replied.
“Long day, huh?” Dad pulled out two coffee mugs and poured the hot liquid in both.
Lawson accepted the mug Dad held out to him. “The longest.”
“Longer than that time the cattle got out at sunup, and we didn’t catch them until after dark?”
Lawson laughed. “Well, nothing is longer than that day. But then again, at least that was normal. I’m used to looking for cows. I’m not used to being away from home running and hiding from a storm.”
Dad nodded. “I’m sure that was a scary experience. From the images we saw on the news, I’m glad you are still with us. But it sounds like you acted quickly and did the right thing. Especially taking care of Harper like that.”
“Thanks. And thanks for letting her come here. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Dad clapped a hand on Lawson’s shoulder. “You absolutely did the right thing. We are here to help others in need, and it definitely sounds like she is in need.”
Lawson put his head in his hands. “Yeah. I’m not sure what the next step is. But at least she has a place to stay while she figures it out.”
“Maybe you have something to figure out together,” Dad said, flashing a grin.
Lawson felt his cheeks flush. “I don’t think so.” Even if he wished they did. “She’s not interested in a cowboy.”
As Lawson sipped his coffee, he heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. Turning, he saw Harper standing there, looking exhausted and vulnerable. "Hey," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mind if I join you guys?" Lawson's heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. "Of course," he replied, gesturing for her to come in. As she entered, he couldn't help but notice how lost she seemed without her usual confidence. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and reassure her that everything would be okay. Instead, he offered her a seat at the table and poured her a cup of coffee. "Thanks," she said, taking a sip. "I really appreciate you guys taking me in like this."
Dad smiled warmly at her. "You're welcome here anytime, dear. You're part of the family now." Harper's eyes glistened with unshed tears at his words, and Lawson felt a surge of protectiveness wash over him. Whatever happened next, he vowed to be there for her every step of the way.
He wanted to tell her that right then. But at that moment the front door loudly banged open as it slammed into the wall. Lawson knew that meant one thing. Tiny footsteps came pounding through the kitchen. Before he could look up, a small boy’s arms wrapped around him as his little body crashed into Lawson. Lawson chuckled as he put his arms around the boy. “Hey there, Dillon.”
“Hey, Uncle Law,” the boy yelled excitedly. “Wanna see my new trick? I can do a cartwheel.”
Lawson didn’t have time to respond as the boy placed his hands on the floor and kicked his feet high in the air and crashed down on all fours. “Ta da!” he shouted.
“Wow, cool,” Lawson said, acting very impressed.
Sawyer and Katie entered together. “Dillon, we don’t need to do cartwheels in grandma’s kitchen. Save that for outside,” Sawyer told his son. He carried their one-year-old daughter in his arms.
Katie was close behind him, her arms full of clothes. “Hey,” she said. “I brought these for your friend.”
Lawson stood and took the clothes from her. “Thanks. This is Harper,” he said, nodding in her direction. “I don’t know if you two met at the event.”
“Oh yes,” Katie said, “we did! I just didn’t put two and two together that she was the friend.” Katie, her arms empty now, moved forward and wrapped Harper in a hug. “I’m so sorry about your car and belongings. I hope the clothes will fit, and we will do whatever we can to help you out.”
Harper looked taken aback. “Thanks,” she managed.
Lawson moved down the hallway, his arms loaded with clothes. “I’ll take these to your room.”
Harper nodded and followed him down the hallway.
Lawson tried to watch her facial expression, but he didn’t know her well enough to determine what it meant. Was she normally this quiet? Maybe after she felt more settled, she would warm up to them. Then again, the Macklin crew could be a little overwhelming. It was the sheer number of them. Would Harper be okay with that? She had mentioned she was used to being on her own most of the time.
Lawson cleared his throat as he dropped the clothes on the bed and turned to face her. “Do you need anything else?” he asked. Even as the words tumbled out of his mouth, he wasn’t sure he could get whatever she needed. He didn’t have much knowledge about what a woman needed to shower and spend the night. But his mom could help.
Harper bit her lip as if she wasn’t sure what to ask for.
Suddenly he remembered something he had heard his mom say. “Mom keeps the bathroom stocked with shampoo and soap and stuff. There are towels in the cabinet under the sink.”
“I’m sure I’ll find everything.”
“Alrighty then,” Lawson said. “I’ll leave you to it.” His shoulder brushed hers as he walked by, and he paused for the slightest moment. He sighed before he moved again and walked out of the room. He wanted to reach out and put a hand on her arm, tell her everything was going to be okay. But the way she had responded to hugs from his mom and sister-in-law, he wondered if she would accept a touch from him.
And even more he wondered if, for her, everything really was going to be alright.
Harper stepped out of the guest bedroom and took a deep breath. She felt so much better after the shower. Katie’s clothes fit her perfectly, and she slipped into a pair of jeans and a button-down flannel shirt. At least Katie was a ranch girl, so the clothes felt like something Harper would own herself. She found a hair dryer under the sink and dried her long strawberry blonde hair. There was even some moisturizer in the drawer that she put on her face. She didn’t have any makeup to put on, not that she wore much of that anyway.
After one final glance in the mirror, she decided she looked good enough to walk out the door and spend the evening with a group of strangers. Especially when they knew she was here because she had literally been through a storm.
She made her way back to the kitchen, but she could already hear the voices from her room. Not her room. Just the guest room where she would stay for a couple of days, she reminded herself. But Lawson had called it her room. Maybe it was the same way he would say it was her room at a hotel, but his words made it feel like she was at a real home. Maybe even a home she could get used to. But that was ridiculous. She wasn’t going to be here long. She just needed to gather herself and get back on the road. She pushed all those thoughts aside as she entered the kitchen.
“There you are,” Lydia Macklin said by way of greeting. She gasped quietly as she put her hand to her mouth. “Oh Harper, that outfit looks lovely on you.”
Harper felt her cheeks burn as every eye in the room turned to her. She tugged on the end of the shirt. “Thank you. It’s Katie’s,” she said, even though she was pretty sure everyone already knew that.
“Well, of course. Katie is our resident fashion expert,” Lydia said.
Katie waved a hand in the air. “I don’t think I’ve worn that one since before my last baby. It looks great, Harper. You can keep it.”
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I’ll return it as soon as I can get to a store and buy some new clothes. I’m afraid most everything I own lives in my car.” Her breath caught in her throat at the words. It was true. Now that her car was gone, so was everything else. How was she going to recover from this?
“I would love for you to keep it. But I’ll be happy to take you shopping tomorrow.”
Sawyer piped up. “Oh, well if you do, make sure you keep the shopping for Harper. The last time you went shopping with Grace, you came home with a new wardrobe for every member of our family.”
Katie smiled as she lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I can’t help it if you still have shirts from your high school days. It was time for new clothes.”
Everyone laughed.
“Let’s talk more about that after we sit down. Is everyone ready to eat?” Lydia asked.
Nods and grunts of agreement filled the room.
“Alright then,” James Macklin said. “Let’s bow for prayer.”
Harper’s heart skipped a beat as everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes. When was the last time she had stopped to pray before a meal? She closed her own eyes and was sure she could hear a pin drop for several moments before James spoke.
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this day. Thank You for our family gathered here, and for Harper who has joined us. Thank You for keeping her safe during the storm. Please be with her as she navigates what to do next.”
Harper felt warm all over as she listened to the words. The words of the prayer felt familiar, but still strange and distant. When she started traveling, she hadn’t made the time to find a church every Sunday. Being in a different town so often made that difficult. She used to watch a church online, what was the name of it? It had been so long she couldn’t remember.
She was sure the Macklin family went to church every Sunday. Lawson probably was on some kind of leadership committee and helped out on Sundays. Inwardly, she sighed. No, even if it were possible for her to be interested in him, he would never want to be with someone like her. A wanderer and a person who couldn’t remember the last time she prayed.
When Mr. Macklin said, “Amen,” all the adults and children echoed the word after him.
The women started a line in the kitchen, and everyone began to fill their plates. Sierra hooked her hand through Harper’s arm and pulled her toward the food. “Come on. It’s ladies first.” She pushed Harper in front of her to scoop chicken and rice with fresh vegetables onto her plate.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Sierra said. “I know it must have been terrifying.”
Harper nodded as she swallowed to push down the lump in her throat. “Yes,” was all she could manage to say.
“Well, you’re here now, and if there’s anybody who knows how to take care of someone who’s been through a rough time, it’s the Macklins. Lydia will be thrilled to have the company. The boys are working all the time now with calving season. The other wives and I try to come by and visit when we can. And of course, we’re here for dinner.”
“You eat dinner together every night?” Harper’s eyes grew wide.
Sierra shrugged. “Yep. There are times when one or two can’t be here because of a commitment, or we have a sick kid or something. But Lydia cooks every night and everyone comes if we are able.”
“Wow,” Harper said. “That’s…” She didn’t know how to finish the sentence.
Sierra’s eyes softened as she smiled. “It’s special,” she said.
Harper felt that twist in her stomach again. It was special. But it was family who did everything together, and that was something that Harper didn’t have anymore. And she didn’t know if she ever could again.