Chapter Fourteen
“I can’t thank you enough for your help,” Garrett sighed, feeling the exhaustion of the day settling deep into his bones.
Dean, with his lips drawn into a grim line, just nodded as he shut the paddock gate and secured it.
“Well. What are friends for?” Dean said, his tone matching the grim look on his face.
For a moment Dean just stood there with his gaze fixed on the pasture beyond, as if not sure what to say.
It was late into the night, and after spending the majority of the day having little luck rounding up the cows himself, he had finally ridden over to Dean’s ranch and asked for help.
Despite the way they’d left things after the wedding, Dean was quick to lend a hand and a few of his ranch hands, and now all the cattle were safely back in the paddock.
“I, uh…” Dean started to say. He stopped, still lost for words.
“Those kids of hers do this?” Dean asked after a moment’s pause, raising an accusatory brow.
Garrett grimaced as he nodded.
“Makin’ trouble I see,” Dean sighed, shaking his head, “Just as I feared.”
“It was an accident,” Garrett replied, calmer now that all his cows were back where they were supposed to be.
Guilt gathered in his heart as he thought of how harshly he’d spoken to Hannah, and how a young man like Isaac had to be the one to put him in his place.
He was ashamed of how he acted. Even with the cattle loose and the bad news he’d gotten at the courthouse, he had no right to lose his temper like that.
God, forgive my temper, and make me forgiving like you. Show me your patience and love, he silently prayed.
“They don’t know their way around the ranch fully yet. It’ll take time,” Garrett added, “But they’re trying. They all are.”
Dean only grunted.
“Well, guess I should head on home,” he said after a moment of awkward silence. “See you tomorrow?”
Garrett’s head shot up in surprise.
“You’re coming back?” He asked.
Dean scoffed.
“We had it planned, didn’t we?” He asked with a smirk. “Unless you want to brand and castrate those calves yourself.”
“No, no,” Garrett quickly replied, “I would love the help. I just… after the wedding… I didn’t think you would come around much anymore.”
Dean frowned, then looked at the ground as he sucked his teeth and kicked the toe of his boot into the dirt.
“Yeah, well, just because I don’t approve of your new wife doesn’t mean I’m going to stop being your friend,” Dean grumbled. “We still look out for each other, right?”
“Right,” Garrett quickly agreed, and despite the awful nature of the day, Garrett relaxed.
“Alright then, see you tomorrow,” Dean said, tipping his hat to Garrett before he walked back to his horse.
“See you tomorrow,” Garrett called to him, and in the dim light of the moonlit sky, watched his friend ride off.
After Dean disappeared into the night, Garrett heaved a sigh and turned to the house.
The porch lamp was lit, casting a soft, welcoming yellow glow into the darkness.
Though how welcome he would be, he was unsure.
He’d left things with Hannah in an awful state, and he wouldn’t blame her if she kicked him out as soon as he tried to walk in. Still, he had to try.
Gathering his courage, he walked toward the house and let himself in, bracing for an argument or chaos.
Instead, he walked into peaceful silence and the delicious smell of fried chicken.
His stomach growled loudly as he followed the tantalizing scent to the kitchen, and his heart did a funny little flip at what he found.
At the table, next to a lit candle and a plate laden with scrumptious-looking food, was Hannah.
A slow smile spread across his face as he took her in.
She must have tried to wait for him and had fallen asleep in her chair with her arms and head resting on the table.
He walked over to her quietly and gently caressed a strand of her loose raven hair away from her smooth cheek. For a moment he just stood there, taking in her long lashes, the small slope of her nose, the curve of her cheeks; the plumpness of her lips. She truly was beautiful.
Garrett couldn’t help but graze a knuckle over her smooth cheek once again, and this time, as he did so, a soft sigh escaped Hannah’s lips as her lashes quivered, then lifted.
Slowly, with head still resting on her arms, she lifted her brilliant blue eyes to his, and her lips curved into a tentative smile.
“Hello,” she said, her soft voice still thick with sleep.
“Hi there,” he rasped, his heart beginning to throb. “Were you waiting up for me?”
Hannah’s smile grew as she stretched and slowly sat up.
“I tried,” she said with an adorable grin, “I wanted to make sure you got your supper. You have to be hungry after all you did today.”
“Starving,” Garrett agreed, then took a seat beside her and reached for his plate. “This looks amazing, thank you.”
“I’m sorry it’s cold,” Hannah replied.
Garrett just shook his head as he picked up a piece of chicken and bit into it. He closed his eyes and moaned as the flavors of juicy chicken and still crisp skin exploded on his tongue, and without even swallowing the first bite, he took a second one.
“Hannah,” he said with his mouth full, “This is incredible.”
Her smile beamed, making his heart skip a beat.
“Better than porridge?” She teased, and he laughed.
“Much better than porridge,” he agreed. “Thank you so much.”
He finished the chicken leg with a quickness, then picked up the fork to try the stewed beans. They were seasoned with salt, onions, and pork fat. They were… perfection.
“So, so good,” he murmured between bites.
They settled into a comfortable silence as Garrett attacked his food with ravenous hunger, savoring every bite, down to the last hunk of bread he used to sop up the juices on the plate.
“You have no idea how much I needed that,” he said, pushing back his cleaned plate. “This day has been so hectic.”
The words were out of his mouth before he thought of how they would affect Hannah, and he turned just in time to see her smile fade and her head bow.
“No, no,” he said quickly, reaching for her chin. Gently, he tilted her head up until she once again met his eyes, and his heart spasmed painfully as he saw the hurt there.
“Hannah, I owe you an apology,” he said sincerely.
“This morning I had to go to town to deal with something, and I was still upset by what I found out when I got home and saw the cows were loose. I shouldn’t have said what I did to you, and I definitely shouldn’t have yelled it.
I haven’t made time to teach you or the children how the ranch works.
Mistakes were bound to happen, but that’s my fault, not yours. ”
“It’s alright,” she rasped.
“No, it’s not,” he quickly replied, shaking his head. “It’s not, and Isaac was right. I should never talk to you like that. I deserved to be put in my place, and tomorrow, I’m going to thank him for speaking up.”
Garrett watched as the hurt in Hannah’s eyes slowly shifted to appreciation, and sighed in relief as he watched her smile return.
“I forgive you,” she said, “But I need to apologize, too. I was trying to teach Rebecca about the chickens, and I didn’t have my eyes on the boys.
Isaac was trying to protect him, but it was Jacob that accidentally let the cows out.
He was left alone while Isaac and I were busy, and that should have never happened. ”
Garrett shook his head, his lips forming into a lopsided grin.
“I can’t imagine how you would be able to keep an eye on them all unless you kept them in the house, and that wouldn’t be right.
They live on a ranch now, with plenty of open space.
They don’t deserve to be cooped up all day.
And I forgot the most important thing. The thing that the very man that left me this ranch taught me, when you’re learning something new, mistakes are bound to happen. That’s how we learn.”
Hannah’s rigid shoulders sagged in relief as she smiled at him again.
“He sounds like an incredible man,” she replied.
Garrett nodded.
“He was. He taught me everything I know about this ranch, and he would have been ashamed of how I acted today. But I’ll be better from now on, I swear it.”
“I believe you,” she said softly.
She reached out to him tentatively, as if she were about to take his hand.
Then at the last second, she started to pull away.
Garrett quickly caught her hand before she could lay it in her lap, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
She gave his much larger hand a squeeze in return, making his heart skip another beat.
They fell easily into a quiet, comfortable conversation after that, but their exhaustion from the stressful day had them leaning toward one another until Hannah’s head was resting on his shoulder and his arm was around hers; the touch feeling warm and natural, as if they’d always been so familiar with one another.
“We should get some sleep, don’t you think?” He said after Hannah fell silent.
She didn’t answer.
“Hannah?” He whispered, looking down at her.
A soft smile formed on her face as he found her sleeping soundly against his shoulders, and cradled her closer.
“Definitely time for some sleep,” he whispered.
He rose to his feet with her in his arms, careful not to wake her, and carried her back down the hall to her room.
“Wait,” she murmured as he laid her down; her eyes still closed. “The dishes.”
Garrett chuckled softly as he drew the blanket up to her shoulders.
“The dishes can wait until morning. Sleep now,” he whispered back.
Hannah murmured something he couldn’t quite make out, then her head lolled to the side on her pillow, and she was gone.
Garrett couldn’t help the way his smile widened as he gently stroked her loose strands of hair from her face, feeling completely and utterly content despite the awful, hectic day he’d had.
For a long while he just sat there on the edge of her bed, content with watching her sleep so peacefully.
Eventually though, his body grew heavy and his eyes began to struggle to open every time he blinked.
He wanted so badly to lay down right there, right next to the kind-hearted woman that was his wife, yet he forced himself to his feet.
To sleep next to her was a right he felt he had not earned yet- but he would.
“Goodnight, Hannah,” he whispered softly into her ear, and before he could help himself, he brushed a kiss against her forehead; his heart nearly leaping out of his chest when she let out a soft sigh and smiled in her sleep.
Watching her do so only made it harder for him to leave, but even so, he willed his legs to carry him out of her bedroom.
Instead of heading to the barn though, as he usually did, he laid down on the floor in the front room.
Feeling a burst of gratitude as he got comfortable, Garrett drew his hands to the back of his head, looked up at the ceiling, and began to talk with God.
“I’m sorry for the doubt in my heart this morning, Lord,” he whispered.
“Today was a hard day. But through the toils, Your blessings came through. Thank You, God, for all You taught me today. Please, though, keep watch over us. Help me protect this place against those that would try to take it from me. Through You I know all things are possible. Please forgive me for my trespasses, and continue to lead me in the path You have made for me. In Your name, Lord. Amen.”
With the blessing spoken, the last of Garrett’s strength faded away, and he fell quickly into a deep, dreamless sleep.