“I imagine so,” he chuckled.
“When will she leave?”
Harvey pursed his lips. “Probably in the next few days, I would imagine.”
Isabelle nodded, a mischievous glint in her eye. The flirty little smile that touched her lips made his heart and stomach both lurch wildly. He fought to control himself and the emotions that coursed through him.
“Well, please do not think me wicked or too bold, but since you are going to be so busy for the foreseeable future, would you care to accompany me on a ride tomorrow?” she asked.
“A ride?”
Isabelle grinned. “Yes, I was hoping we could just take a ride and you can show me some more of the land out here,” she said. “I can pack a lunch and we can make a day of it.”
Harvey’s heart battered the inside of his chest and as he tried to calm it down, he suddenly felt a swarm of butterflies in his belly battering him just as hard.
“It sounds like a delightful time. And I think you are neither wicked, nor too bold,” he said. “But I don’t think it’d be proper, either.”
Isabelle cocked her head, the grin never leaving her face. “What makes it so improper?”
“Well − I should probably speak with Mark −”
Isabelle rolled her eyes and laughed. “You do realize that Mark is my brother − and not my father − correct?”
“Well yes, but I −”
“And you also realize that I am a grown woman who can make her own decisions?”
It was Harvey’s turn to laugh. “You certainly do have an − independent streak, that much is clear.”
“Then it is my decision who I go riding with. Not my brother’s,” she said simply.
“I’d feel an awful lot better about it if we talked to your brother first,” Harvey said.
Isabelle grinned. “As you wish. And I appreciate you looking after my good name,” she said. “If it will make you feel better, we’ll ask Mark.”
He sighed. Harvey had to admit that he was tempted. Wildly tempted. But the impropriety of it still shook him. He was a man who believed in giving respect and also in respecting tradition. But times were changing.
People were changing. Yes, there were some who might consider Isabelle to be bold and wicked. But he had been around her long enough to know she had one of the purest hearts he had ever seen. There was nothing wicked about her.
But still, he did not know if he could not ask permission of Mark before he did anything some might see as inappropriate with his sister. It was Isabelle’s reputation on the line after all − and he had seen many a woman’s reputation sullied with nothing more than gossip. He did not wish that for her.
“He will go.”
They both turned at the sound of Chenoa’s voice to find her standing in the doorway with Charley in her arms and a smile on her face.
Harvey grimaced. “Chenoa −”
“I said, you will go,” she repeated. “It has been more weeks than I can count since you last allowed yourself to enjoy the company of a good woman.”
“I think you know exactly how long it’s been,” Harvey said.
She nodded. “I do. That is why I say you will go. It is about time you give up the past and focus on the future.”
Harvey’s gut churned at the thought of letting go of Amy. Of moving on from her and leaving her relegated to the dust bin of his personal history. It felt like a betrayal of the highest order. But he looked over at Chenoa and saw the disapproving frown she wore after obviously reading his mind.
“Go ride with Isabelle. Have a good time. Enjoy the company of a beautiful, good woman for a change,” she said.
“I enjoy your company plenty, Chenoa,” Harvey laughed, trying to make a joke of it.
She grinned at him deviously. “As you should, Harvey,” she said. “But there are some things in this world that are unattainable.”
That brought a laugh out of Isabelle who looked like she was enjoying the entire exchange. Harvey realized she had never seen them bantering like this before and was glad she found it amusing.
“Go riding,” Chenoa said.
Harvey cut a glance over at Isabelle and found her looking back at him, a small smile on her face. He grinned and shook his head, noticing the flush of satisfaction on her face and the gleam of victory in her eyes.
“Fine, fine,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender, a wide smile on his face. “We’ll go riding tomorrow.”
“Excellent,” Isabelle said. “Meet in the yard at say − nine tomorrow morning?”
“I’ll be there with bells on,” Harvey replied.
“Please wear more than that,” Chenoa said, eliciting a laugh from all three of them.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“To be true, I did not think you would come with me today,” Isabelle said, unable to meet Harvey’s eyes.
Harvey laughed. “If I was not so afraid of Chenoa, I might not have,” he replied, flashing her a smile. “People in this town talk. A lot. I would hate for your reputation to be tarnished on my account.”
Isabelle smiled briefly. “I appreciate your concern for my reputation. And I should say that Mark appreciated you asking him for permission to take me riding. Not that I needed it.”
Harvey grinned. “Suppose I’m a little old fashioned that way. I believe in bein’ proper.”
Isabelle smiled. For all of her posturing and closely held beliefs, she did enjoy a touch of the old fashioned. She felt that Harvey going to her brother to ask his permission to go riding with her was an antiquated practice, but she was secretly pleased that he put in the effort to do it. She thought it showed that he held her in the same regard she held him. And that pleased her to no end.
They rode in silence along the trail for a few minutes and Isabelle was consumed with her thoughts. She was still stunned by her boldness in asking him to come for a ride today.
Isabelle was not a woman who took chances. She preferred to play things safe most of the time. While she was feisty and would never fail to stand up for herself or what she believed in, nobody could ever call her overly assertive.
She had surprised herself by being so forward with Harvey. She had never done anything like that before. She knew some would call her wanton or say she should be ashamed of herself for being so bold. Some would call her wicked or even a harlot. Or worse.
But something else she could never be accused of being was patient. It sometimes caused her problems but when Isabelle wanted something, she often went after it with a zeal that sometimes also got her into trouble. People expected her to be demure and quite simple because she was a woman. And though she rarely liked to upset the apple cart, she was also never afraid to speak her mind.
Isabelle was determined that she wanted to get to know Harvey better. She also got the sense that he wanted to get to know her better as well but was holding himself back. Whether he thought it was improper or the memory of his wife caused him to deny himself those things he wanted, she did not know.
But Isabelle was certain that if she did not force his hand, they would never have the opportunity to explore whatever feelings that seemed to be blossoming between them. Harvey was a cautious man. He was careful in all things. And if she waited for him to make a move first, she might be old and gray before he actually did. If there was one thing Isabelle had learned about him, it was that Harvey Willerson had mastered the ability to deny himself those things that brought him joy or pleasure.
It made her sad for him. To think that he would shut himself away and stop living his life, denying himself anything he might want was heartbreaking to her. His wife passing was a tragedy. That he lived his life as if he had passed with her was even worse than that.
“So what do you think of the land out here?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
Isabelle took in a long, deep breath of the fresh, crisp air and smiled. She could still smell the aroma of her brother’s orchards on the breeze, as well as the wildflowers and the clean sm
ell of the earth around them.
The land they rode through was filled with trees and bushes, the flowers on the branches a riot of color. Harvey hadn’t farmed this land − he’d just let it grow naturally. A little Garden of Eden out behind his ranch.
“It is gorgeous out here,” Isabelle said. “I did not know you had left some of your land untouched.”
“I like to come out here sometimes,” he replied. “I like to just sit in the quiet of nature.”
“I understand that,” Isabelle said.
She followed him along a path through a thick copse of trees that opened up to a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a pond that was fed by a small creek that ran in from the north. The clearing was ringed by trees and the pond was surrounded by flowering bushes. Bees and butterflies floated from bush to bush. The scene before her was idyllic and brought a smile to her lips.
Harvey dismounted and looked out at the pond. Isabelle could see him visibly relaxing as he soaked in the sunshine and immersed himself in the natural beauty around them. She slid down out of her saddle as well and stood next to him, letting her horse graze alongside his at the edge of the pond.
“It’s so peaceful here,” Isabelle said. “I can see why you come out here to be alone.”
He nodded. “It’s a good spot when you need to be alone with your thoughts.”
She wanted to ask him more about the thoughts he needed to be alone with but she did not think the time was right so she dropped it.
“Are you hungry?” she asked instead.
Harvey flashed her a grin. “Yeah, I could eat.”
“Good,” she chirped. “Because I brought a feast.”
Isabelle moved over to her horse and pulled a rolled blanket off her saddle and laid it out. Harvey moved over and took her saddlebags, setting them down on the blanket and sat down. She started digging in the saddlebags, pulling out containers of food, and laid them out. She pulled out a couple of plates and handed one over to Harvey followed by a napkin and silverware.
“You came prepared,” he laughed.
“Of course I did.”
“And you weren’t kidding. You brought enough food to feed an army,” he grinned.
“Well, I couldn’t have you going home hungry.”
His laugh was soft. “You must have been up all night cooking all of this.”
Isabelle shrugged. “Not all night. Just most of it.”
They laughed together for a minute as Harvey began to dish some food onto his plate. Isabelle followed suit and they were soon munching away happily, a companionable silence between them.
“So, Chenoa is an interesting woman,” Isabelle said. “I really like her. How did she come to work for you?”
Harvey nodded. “Truth be told, I’d be lost without her. She’s helped me keep everything together ever since − well − for the last couple of years.”
Isabelle bit back the questions that rushed to her lips. She had questions of course, but did not want to push or pry. At least, not too hard.
“She seems − sad,” Isabelle said. “She does not seem to smile often.”
“Chenoa has had a difficult life,” he replied. “She lost her husband fairly young.”
“Lost him?”
He nodded. “The wars between the different tribes can be bloody, vicious affairs,” he said. “It was during one of those fights that she lost her husband.”
“That is so sad.”
“It is.”
“And she has never found love again?”
Harvey pursed his lips. “She hasn’t looked for it. She told me once that she was given that great gift and lost it. She doesn’t think she’ll be blessed with it again.”
As he spoke, Isabelle could not help but hear the similarities between Chenoa’s story and Harvey’s own. She wondered if he heard it in his own words − or if he was in denial about it.
“Well, I think that is rubbish,” Isabelle said. “I think she can find love again if she is open to it. I think if we allow it to, the heart can heal and when it does, it will naturally lead us back to love like a horse to water.”
Harvey grinned ruefully. “You sound so sure of that.”
Isabelle shrugged. “I think to love and to be loved is part of the natural condition of humans.”
Harvey’s smile was soft and there was a glint in his eye that made Isabelle look away. She realized she was being less than subtle and was basically communicating her feelings to Harvey without meaning to. Her cheeks immediately flared with heat.
Isabelle could not believe she was being so forward with Harvey. It was so unlike her and she could not believe that she was behaving in such an unladylike manner. That she was behaving in a way her mother would consider scandalous, to say the least.
But she could not deny that sitting there with Harvey felt good. It felt natural and it felt right. It was a feeling she wanted to hold onto and not let go. At least not for a little while longer.
At the same time, she wanted to crack the shell that Harvey surrounded himself with and see what lay inside of him. But she knew if she did that, it might cut their time short, depending on how hard she pushed and how he reacted.
“What do you think?” she asked.
He sighed. “I − I honestly don’t know. I don’t spend much time thinkin’ about the human condition.”
Isabelle swallowed hard and considered biting off her words but told herself if she wanted to get to know Harvey, she was going to have to make him feel safe in opening up. She was going to have to pry around the edges and help him to do that.
“But you were married,” she said softly. “Obviously you believe in love.”
His face darkened and he looked down at his hands, which were folded in his lap. Isabelle could see him debating with himself. His jaw was clenched and his body taut. He looked like he was trying to decide whether to get up and put an end to their day − and her questions − or whether to stick it out and risk opening himself up to her. Isabelle hoped desperately that he would choose the latter.
“Yeah, but she died,” he said, his voice quiet and hard. “I suppose I figure my sense of love died with her.”
“It does not have to be that way.”
He sighed. “No, but it’s the way it is.”
A tense silence descended over them for a long moment and Isabelle picked at some imaginary lint on her skirt. Finally, she cleared her throat and looked up at him, a gentle smile upon her lips.
“From everything you’ve said about her, she sounds like a wonderful woman,” she said.
A wistful look crossed his face. “She was. She was the light to my darkness,” he replied. “Amy was a truly beautiful soul.”
“I am so very sorry for your loss, Harvey.”
His eyes met hers and he nodded. “Thank you, Isabelle. That means a lot.”
“I imagine it has been difficult without her.”
He nodded again. “Chenoa has helped fill in some of those gaps but it’s not the same,” he said.
“I imagine not.”
After a long pause, he sighed. “I just − I miss her, you know? She was my world. We were a good team,” he said. “She kept the house and I worked the ranch. We both loved what we did.”
Isabelle cocked her head. “You say that like it is in the past. Do you not still love working your ranch?”
“Of course. But with Charley, I just feel − well − I’m relying more on my hired hands to work the land for me. Work with the horses,” he said wistfully. “I always like to be close by the house in case something happens with Charley.”
“Chenoa seems more than capable of caring for a child,” she replied. “She seems to really love him.”
“Oh she does love him. Ain’t no question about that. And she cares for him a lot better than I do. She’s gotten more things about raising a child than I’ll ever know,” Harvey chuckled before his smile slipped. “She woulda made a great mother. It’s a shame she has none of her own.”
/> “It is a tragedy,” Isabelle agreed. “But turning back to you for a moment, you need to learn to trust and let go a bit, Harvey. Charley is in very good hands.”
“I know, I know,” he said, a wry grin on his face. “I just − Charley’s the last link to Amy I have, you know? If somethin’ happened to him, I −”
Perhaps it was a bit too bold but Isabelle reached out and put her hand on Harvey’s chest. She felt the hard and steady thump beneath her hand and smiled softly at it. Harvey though, looked up at her with a light in his eyes she could not interpret. Isabelle knew she should probably make her point before it became even more awkward.
A Healing Love For The Broken Cowboy (Historical Western Romance) Page 18
