Chapter 24
24
Satisfied that all the men on duty were doing a good job, Hardy had decided to stay with the women. He could tell himself that it was because it had been ages since he’d spent so much time around his sister, but it wasn’t the truth.
The fact was that the more time he was in Stephanie’s company, the more he wanted to stay near her. She was calm and quiet and sweet. But she was also good company. And when they’d done things like watch The Love Boat , she’d had a very cute sense of humor that he delighted in.
She seemed to have the same effect on his sister. Little by little, some of the nervous energy that always seemed to surround Bev dissipated. She’d even opened the puzzle and had encouraged them to work on it.
Much to his amusement.
Later, Carter came and offered to take Beverly to town for a couple of necessities. Hardy had then taken Bev’s place at the table and pretended to work on the puzzle though he was really only observing Stephanie.
But then, after Beverly and Carter returned from their errands, Carter asked Stephanie if she’d like to visit the horse barn. “With the rain and such, a couple of them get a bit antsy, especially my palomino Jet. Would you like to pay him a visit with me?”
“Truly?” Stephanie asked.
“I wouldn’t lie about Jet,” Carter teased. “Besides, your company would be welcome. You’ve likely been around as many horses as I have, right?”
“I don’t know if that is true, but I would enjoy meeting Jet.”
“He’d like meeting you. Like I said, he’s not a big fan of bad weather.” He winked.
It took everything Hardy had to keep his mouth shut. Carter shouldn’t be flirting with Stephanie, not even a little bit. But then he noticed that Steph thought Carter’s teasing was amusing. And, more than that, it was obvious that she was eager to visit the horses.
That’s when he realized that Carter had come up with that little errand just for her. An Amish girl would be comfortable around horses. Petting and fussing over Carter’s palomino would give her something to do besides worry.
When Steph went to put on her shoes, Hardy was tempted to remind his boss that the gang member knew Stephanie was on the premises. As if reading his mind, Carter cast him a look that conveyed that he might not have been the soldier Hardy was, but he was far from a fool.
In that moment, he remembered Carter was carrying, and Hardy was reminded that he did have a tendency to underestimate the man. He might have been a trust fund baby, but he was nobody’s fool. He wouldn’t allow Stephanie to either go far or be in danger.
But even though all of those things were true, it was the way Stephanie looked that made Hardy keep his mouth shut. She needed to leave the cabin. She needed an opportunity to forget about everything, at least for a little while. All their problems would still be there an hour from now.
So he kept his mouth shut, but his heart leaped a bit when she walked out the door. Somehow he’d decided that he needed to be her protector. Only him.
Which was as ludicrous as it was untrue. Anyone who had a decent aim and experience with a pistol could do that job too.
But the most obvious reason he should back away was the hardest to swallow. That she was not his girl. Not anywhere close to that. And furthermore, there wasn’t a chance of that happening.
Which pinched. He wasn’t going to lie about that.
“Hardy, what is going through your head?” Beverly asked when he finally turned away from the door.
“Nothing.”
“I hope it’s not what I think it is.”
“Which is what?”
“That you’re developing feelings for Stephanie.”
“Why would that be so terrible?”
“You know why. There are about five reasons I could list off the top of my head, beginning with the fact that she’s Amish and ending with the fact that she is too young for you.”
“I’m aware of both of those things.”
“Are you also remembering that she’s not here by choice? That she’s in danger of being killed or hurt by a gang member?”
“I haven’t forgotten, Bev.” He was also pleased with himself for not reminding his sister that she was the reason he was around Stephanie in the first place.
“Then?” Her voice rose an octave.
“Then if all that’s so bad, you should know that I’d never do anything to hurt her.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm?” Her skepticism grated on him. While he wasn’t perfect, she was acting like he was every woman’s last resort when it came to looking at a future.
“Hardy, I know you think I’m being harsh, but I’m only trying to save you—and Stephanie—heartache in the long run. Her place is not here. Even if she was English—which she is not—the girl has a whole life back in Ohio.”
She kind of didn’t, though. Honestly, the more she described her life, the more it sounded fairly Cinderella-esque. “People can move.” He inwardly grimaced. He wasn’t making sense, and he knew it.
But he was too old to be listening to a lecture from his sister. Especially since she seemed to be happily oblivious to her own issues. So, because he was hurting and he was tired and because she probably needed to hear it too, he lowered his voice. “Maybe you need to think about the fact that I’m not the only one around here flirting with trouble, relationship-wise.”
Dismay, followed by hurt, entered her eyes. “What is that supposed to mean, Hardy?”
She knew. “If you want to play innocent, I’ll play that game too. But I don’t think you’re going to like it, sister.”
“I’m not playing a game.”
“You’re not guilty of imagining that you have a chance with a very rich man who happens to be in the sights of pretty much every eligible woman in two states? If not more.”
She looked away. “What a way to make me feel good, Hardy.”
“You feeling good isn’t going to get you very far when your heart is crushed.”
Hurt flashed in her eyes. “You really don’t think Carter Russell could ever feel anything for me?”
“I think if he did, and he was smart enough to act on it and put a ring on your finger, that would be the smartest thing I’ve ever seen him do. But the chances are slim. And not because you’re you, Beverly. You know I think you’re an amazing person and any man would be lucky to have you.”
“But ...”
“But Carter Russell doesn’t just live a different life, he lives in a different universe. Don’t get me wrong—he’s a good man. A decent one too. He’s also done a lot of things for me. I owe him a lot. But that doesn’t mean that I think he’s the right match for my sister.”
She bumped him against his shoulder. Just the way they used to do to each other when they were walking to the bus stop all those years ago. “What do you think is wrong with us, Hardy?”
“Nothing.”
“Do you think we haven’t had good luck with relationships because we didn’t grow up around one?”
Their father had never married their mom and then landed in prison. Later, he’d died in a fight or something. Their mother had hated to talk about him.
“I don’t know,” he said at last. “Mom seemed to think Dad was pretty worthless and no good. Maybe he was? All I know is that she always acted like she needed a man but could never seem to settle.”
“I wish she was still around.”
“Me too.” He chuckled. “But if she was, she’d probably be giving us all sorts of advice.”
“You’re right. No doubt, she’d be telling us to get married and give her some grandchildren. Which is never going to happen.”
“It might.” Tossing an arm around her shoulder, he added, “Just not today.”
“True. What do you think? Have we talked enough?”
“Probably. There’s no telling what Stephanie and Carter are doing.”
“Hopefully he’s turned them around and is walking her back. She shouldn’t be out too long.”
“Do you think they’ll have anything to talk about?” Carter could be charming, but Hardy didn’t think that would make Stephanie happy. He knew his boss would keep her safe, but he didn’t want her feeling uneasy.
“I don’t know,” Bev said.
He glanced out the window. They needed to return soon. It would be better for all of them if they did.