little girl. About how much she respected Jed for raising her on his own.
“Her momma left less than a year after she was born. We haven’t heard from her since.”
Clarissa’s heart hurt, but she didn’t want to encourage the conversation. It was Jed’s to tell if he wanted. If she stayed long enough to hear. Paul Dillon somehow understood.
“I’m telling you now because the girl’s got a tender heart, and I’ve seen eyes like yours before. If you’re going to leave, it might be best to do it sooner rather than later.”
Anger sparked through Clarissa, even though he was simply giving voice to what she’d been thinking.
She felt the red splotches on her cheeks and wished she could tamp down anger as well as she could other emotions.
But then Paul shocked her.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should leave. Those eyes I’ve seen before were mine. If you want to talk about it one day, let me know. I will say there’s nothing God can’t forgive.”
Clarissa’s anger turned to an ache for the impossible. She didn’t look at Paul, didn’t say a word. Curiosity warred with the knowledge that Paul Dillon was way too astute and the need to push him away because of that fact. She didn't say what she was really thinking, that maybe God could forgive, but she wasn't sure she could ever forgive herself.
In the end, Clarissa was saved by a loud whistle as Jed strolled into the barn looking more relaxed than she'd ever seen him after a morning of working chores and checking fence line for damage from the storm.
Mackenzie didn't stop the horse, but she did smile and wave as she called out, "Daddy!"
"Looking good there, Mack."
Clarissa's heart did a little flip flop as Jed moved closer to her side to watch his daughter. Goodness, the man looked like he'd stepped off the pages of a Stetson cologne magazine ad. The way he smiled at her left her breathless.
"I'm surprised she didn't get you on Blue."
"She tried. I resisted," Clarissa said, and then she focused her eyes on Mack and her pony, told herself not to look at him because what she was feeling was too confusing.
It ended up not mattering too much since Jed turned to his dad to talk about the minimal problems they'd found. Fortunately, they'd moved the trees out before the tornado. Insurance would hopefully take care of any losses.
His words made the gulf between their worlds that much more obvious. The Dillons were wealthy, they were a family that took care of one another, they were people who worked the land. Clarissa didn’t know anything about that kind of life.
"You going to be ready to head back to town soon?" Jed’s question interrupted her thoughts.
Clarissa wasn't sure she was ready to face the loss, to see how bad things were. Seeing it might make the decision she teetered back and forth on very real.
"I guess I don't have a lot of options."
"You're welcome to stay here with us as long as you need to," Jed's father said, and Clarissa smiled at his kindness, surprised by the sincerity of his words.
"Can I go, Daddy? Pretty please. My hair bow's still in, and I'm not too dirty." Mackenzie pulled the horse to a stop in front of them.
"Not today, Champ. It's too dangerous in town.”
Mack scowled, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she turned to Clarissa and spoke with the innocence of a five-year-old. “I’m gonna pick you some flowers, Clarissa. You’re my bestest friend, and I love you.”
Clarissa didn’t say I love you back, even though she was tempted.
It was terrible. For some reason, Clarissa had thought having so little would make finding its utter destruction easier. She was wrong. Standing in the middle of torn lumber, she searched for small items. All she could find was her toothbrush, which was just so strange.
"It's all gone." Clarissa said the words while standing in a pile of rubble, torn clothes and the broken light that had graced her living room. Even her beat up alarm clock was gone. She'd lost
“Her momma left less than a year after she was born. We haven’t heard from her since.”
Clarissa’s heart hurt, but she didn’t want to encourage the conversation. It was Jed’s to tell if he wanted. If she stayed long enough to hear. Paul Dillon somehow understood.
“I’m telling you now because the girl’s got a tender heart, and I’ve seen eyes like yours before. If you’re going to leave, it might be best to do it sooner rather than later.”
Anger sparked through Clarissa, even though he was simply giving voice to what she’d been thinking.
She felt the red splotches on her cheeks and wished she could tamp down anger as well as she could other emotions.
But then Paul shocked her.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should leave. Those eyes I’ve seen before were mine. If you want to talk about it one day, let me know. I will say there’s nothing God can’t forgive.”
Clarissa’s anger turned to an ache for the impossible. She didn’t look at Paul, didn’t say a word. Curiosity warred with the knowledge that Paul Dillon was way too astute and the need to push him away because of that fact. She didn't say what she was really thinking, that maybe God could forgive, but she wasn't sure she could ever forgive herself.
In the end, Clarissa was saved by a loud whistle as Jed strolled into the barn looking more relaxed than she'd ever seen him after a morning of working chores and checking fence line for damage from the storm.
Mackenzie didn't stop the horse, but she did smile and wave as she called out, "Daddy!"
"Looking good there, Mack."
Clarissa's heart did a little flip flop as Jed moved closer to her side to watch his daughter. Goodness, the man looked like he'd stepped off the pages of a Stetson cologne magazine ad. The way he smiled at her left her breathless.
"I'm surprised she didn't get you on Blue."
"She tried. I resisted," Clarissa said, and then she focused her eyes on Mack and her pony, told herself not to look at him because what she was feeling was too confusing.
It ended up not mattering too much since Jed turned to his dad to talk about the minimal problems they'd found. Fortunately, they'd moved the trees out before the tornado. Insurance would hopefully take care of any losses.
His words made the gulf between their worlds that much more obvious. The Dillons were wealthy, they were a family that took care of one another, they were people who worked the land. Clarissa didn’t know anything about that kind of life.
"You going to be ready to head back to town soon?" Jed’s question interrupted her thoughts.
Clarissa wasn't sure she was ready to face the loss, to see how bad things were. Seeing it might make the decision she teetered back and forth on very real.
"I guess I don't have a lot of options."
"You're welcome to stay here with us as long as you need to," Jed's father said, and Clarissa smiled at his kindness, surprised by the sincerity of his words.
"Can I go, Daddy? Pretty please. My hair bow's still in, and I'm not too dirty." Mackenzie pulled the horse to a stop in front of them.
"Not today, Champ. It's too dangerous in town.”
Mack scowled, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she turned to Clarissa and spoke with the innocence of a five-year-old. “I’m gonna pick you some flowers, Clarissa. You’re my bestest friend, and I love you.”
Clarissa didn’t say I love you back, even though she was tempted.
It was terrible. For some reason, Clarissa had thought having so little would make finding its utter destruction easier. She was wrong. Standing in the middle of torn lumber, she searched for small items. All she could find was her toothbrush, which was just so strange.
"It's all gone." Clarissa said the words while standing in a pile of rubble, torn clothes and the broken light that had graced her living room. Even her beat up alarm clock was gone. She'd lost
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