11. Clint
11
CLINT
C lint propped his elbows on the table and watched as Nora and his mom chatted about Thanksgiving dinner. They’d already decided who would cook which dishes and planned for a feast to feed an army.
Nora blended into his family as if she’d always been a part of it, and she had. His mom loved her like her own daughter, and his dad had reminded him more than once over the years to look after her. As if he needed a reminder to care about the person he loved most in the world. It was ingrained in his DNA.
To his left, Clint’s dad went back and forth with Nora’s dad about the awful hay season and the increased prices. The summer drought was still taking its toll on them, and winter hadn’t even kicked into gear yet .
Nora laughed at something his mom said, throwing her head back and slapping her hand on the worn table. The joyful sound warmed his chest from the inside out.
Man, he’d missed Nora. He’d gotten through their time away by counting down the days until she came back. Hollis and the guys did their best to take his mind off her, but Nora wasn’t a woman he could ever forget.
Clint stood and picked up a few empty plates. If he didn’t find something to do, he’d get caught staring at Nora.
He also needed a chance to think. He had to find a way to talk to Hank alone and figure out who those men were and what they wanted.
Well, Clint knew what they wanted. He needed to know how much. He knew his dad would be having a come-to-Jesus meeting with Hank about the gambling, but Clint needed to know how to settle up the debts so Nora wasn’t in danger.
Clint put the plates in the sink and headed back toward the table for more, almost running into Nora. She had plates stacked in both hands and leaned back when they almost collided. He saw the moment she lost her balance and reached out to grab both of her arms.
“Whew. Thanks. I thought I was a goner,” Nora said as soon as she was firmly planted on her feet again .
“I’ll take those.” Clint took the dishes from her and headed back into the kitchen.
“I’ll clean up. You can go hang out,” Nora said as she followed him.
“Let’s team tackle it. Then we can head back to your place. Hollis is bringing his truck, so we shouldn’t have to make too many trips.”
Nora put the dishes in the sink and started washing. “Thanks again for all you’re doing. I don’t think I could do this without you.”
“You’ll never have to find out. I got your back.”
She handed him the first rinsed dish. “Are you drying?”
He picked up the dish rag and got to work. “I got it. Are you feeling better about everything now?”
Nora didn’t look up from the dish she scrubbed. “I am. This isn’t the way I imagined coming home, but I’ve decided we’ll make it through this. I had a talk with Dad about the betting. He agreed to go to a group meeting in Cody. I don’t know what else to do. I’m terrified he’ll do this again.”
“Maybe he’ll win next time,” Clint said.
Nora lowered the dish she was washing and gave him a side-eye. “Are you kidding me?”
“Relax. I’m just trying to lighten things up.” He dried a few dishes before speaking up again. “I wish there was a way I could assure you it won’t happen again, but the truth is we’ll never know. It’s going to be a battle he fights daily. ”
Nora nodded, resigned to the truth, even though it wasn’t pretty. He joked that she always saw the negative or the possibility of failure, but she was a realist. It had always been his goal to help her see the bright side, and he’d do his part to watch out for her dad. She didn’t have to do it alone.
Clint’s dad peeked his head into the kitchen. “You two okay in here?”
“Um, yeah. I don’t think the dishes are dangerous,” Clint said.
“Just checking,” his dad mumbled before disappearing back into the dining room.
Clint shook his head. “Geez, he’s still checking up on us like we’re kids.”
Nora chuckled. “To be fair, you gave him plenty of reasons to keep an eye on you.”
“When? I was a good kid!”
“Yeah, except every time I slept over with Caroline, and you got caught trying to sneak into her room in the middle of the night.”
“We were like ten. All I knew was my friend was sleeping over, but she was in the other room. It didn’t seem fair.”
No wonder his dad had slept with one eye open. Back then, Nora was just his friend. Now, she was so much more. He hadn’t known anything about love at ten, but after fifteen years and thousands of days spent by her side, it was as clear as day .
Nora handed him the last plate. “I kinda thought the same thing.”
“I’ve never been good at staying away from you,” Clint said.
She propped her hip on the counter. “You didn’t have a problem the last eight months.”
“Not true. It was torture. Have I mentioned lately that I’m glad you’re home?”
Nora hung her head. “Home looks a little different now.”
“Does it really?” he asked.
She looked up, and her gaze met his. Their parents laughed in the next room, and a grin spread on her lips. “Actually, it hasn’t changed that much. All of my people are still here.”
“Always will be.” Clint tossed the rag onto the pile of clean dishes. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Moving whatever is left after tonight.”
He propped his arm on the counter beside her and leaned in. “Let’s go for a ride in the morning.”
Nora looked up at him and cocked a brow. “I have way too much to do to go for a joy ride.”
“You need to move Ash to our stables anyway. Plus, you’ve been working nonstop since you got back. When was the last time you went for a ride?”
Nora looked at the ceiling as she pondered his question. “A really long time ago.”
Clint lowered his head and leveled her with a stern look. “Tell me being on the back of a horse isn’t as good as therapy.”
Nora didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she held his stare for a few seconds.
Then she glanced at his mouth before jerking her attention back up. Her eyes widened the slightest bit, and her breath hitched.
Whoa. That was one way to kickstart his heart. Resting to running in one second flat.
Was she feeling the shift between them too? Had her friendly feelings turned into more the way his had?
He could say it. He could lay it all on the line and tell her he wanted to be more than friends. He wanted to hold her when she needed a shoulder to lean on. He wanted to share her burdens. He wanted to be her shield and teammate through life.
But something was holding his mouth shut. He’d never been afraid of anything in his life, but being rejected by Nora terrified him.
“So, you’ll meet me at sunrise?” he asked.
Nora bit her lips between her teeth and nodded.
Clint didn’t try to fight the grin that spread over his face. “It’s a date.”