A Delivered Heart

by Brenna Welles

"But they clearly never wanted me here to begin with," Allie protested, standing from the bed and going toe to toe with Morris. "Paige had to go behind everybody's back just to reach out to me, to bring me here. She lied to them.”

  His chest relaxed at the sight of irritation and fire in her eyes. He could handle that. He couldn't handle tears.

  "She may have fibbed a little, yes, but I actually agree with what she did," Morris said. When Allie goggled, he added. "Max can be stubborn. I already have no doubt you inherited that gene from him, too. Just give him a little bit to accept this new reality. It's been thrust upon both of you and I think it's fair that you give each other a chance."

  Allie pressed her lips together, stepping around him and walking back toward the window. Morris watched as she hugged herself, the silence between them stretching.

  "Would it help to know that Max has always wanted to know you? Since he knew about you, that is." Morris didn't know if he was helping or hurting the situation, but he knew he would want to know if he were in Allie's shoes.

  After a few long moments, Allie's shoulders straightened. Then she turned, the determined look on her face almost making Morris smile. But he bit his tongue, not wanting to dissuade her decision.

  "I'll stay, then," she said. She looked toward her luggage. "I think I'll unpack first, then try again."

  "That sounds like a good idea. Maybe change into something a little more comfortable," he said. He gestured toward a door on the wall adjacent to the large windows. "This is the en-suite. There's a shower and a bath if you want to wash up." Then he turned to leave the room.

  "Morris," Allie said, stopping him in his tracks. He looked back to her. A soft, heart-achingly beautiful smile adorned her lips. He found it difficult to breathe. "Thank you."

  He wasn't quite sure what she was thanking him for, but he tipped his head her direction before turning and leaving the room.

  Morris stood still in the hallway, desperate to catch his breath.

  Oh, he was in so much trouble. But he couldn’t worry about that now. Instead, he needed to head downstairs and get everybody's heads on straight.

  The kitchen was in an uproar when Morris entered it. He could hear them arguing as he descended the stairs, grateful the sound didn’t carry all the way down the hall to Allie's room. Hopefully, everything would be resolved before she came back down.

  "What were you thinking?" It was Rhett, Paige's older brother. "You know Dad didn't want this to happen and now you've gone and totally mucked it up."

  "Rhett, please," Eleanor Greene, Max's wife and mother to Rhett, Paige and Jason, the youngest.

  "Oh, and you weren't just as curious?" Paige snapped. "Don't tell me it wasn't making you just as miserable, seeing Dad looking so sad at times and wondering if he was thinking about her.”

  "I don't appreciate being speculated about as though I weren't standing right in front of you," Max's deep, stern voice filled the room.

  Sucking in a deep breath, Morris strode into the room. At once, five pairs of eyes focused on him. Cam leaned up against the wall next to the back door, by all accounts enjoying the show. Morris narrowed his gaze at him, in particular.

  "Anyone want to explain why Max's eldest daughter asked me to take her back to the airport?" he asked. The downtrodden look on Max's and Cam's face was enough to confirm that Morris had been right. While Allie was a surprise, she certainly wasn't unwelcome. People were more upset with Paige's actions than they were at Allie's presence.

  "Oh, please tell me you've persuaded her to stay," Eleanor said. Then she leveled a stern look at Max and Cam as well. "You've frightened the poor girl. This was not her fault at all. None of it. Shame on you."

  Morris had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. But Eleanor's words had the desired effect on them all. Even Paige looked chastened.

  "She's washing up and changing into something a little more comfortable. To be completely fair, it was the view that convinced her to stay," Morris said with a wry grin. "I think it would be best if you all had a nice family dinner, start over."

  "I agree," Eleanor said, already donning her apron. "And you're staying of course."

  "Oh, but—"

  "No buts. You helped Allie so much today and I'm sure it would help her feel more comfortable. If you need help with getting chores done on your ranch, Rhett and Paige can help you first thing in the morning."

  "But, ma—"

  She leveled a glare at her two children. "Morris is doing this for you. Least you can do is return the favor. It's good neighborly behavior. Now, Paige, wash up and help me with the potatoes. Rhett, Max, dear, set the table. Cam, you're welcome to stay, too."

  Instead of going to the dining room to set the table, Max headed straight for the refrigerator and pulled it open. He grabbed a bottle of beer, holding it aloft to Morris.

  "Max!" Eleanor cried.

  "My long lost daughter just showed up out of the blue. Give an old man a break." Then he turned back to Morris. "Want one?"

  Morris nodded. If he were going to make it through the next meal, he was going to need it.

  Rhett and Cam took over setting the table as Max and Morris headed out to the back porch. A cool breeze greeted them, the last dregs of winter.

  Taking a seat on one of the wooden benches Max had made years ago, Max heaved a heavy sigh. "How was she?" he asked after Morris had settled.

  "Upset. Discouraged." He took a swig of the beer. Max merely twirled his bottle between his hands. Morris doubted he would even take one sip. "But still hopeful, I think."

  Max rubbed a hand over his face. "What a mess. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen. She was probably perfectly happy with her life in New York."

  "You don't know that," Morris said. From what he had gathered of her so far, he would doubt that was the case at all. "Give her some credit. Who would drop everything to visit a family that was previously unknown to her at a moments notice unless she wanted to?"

  The question went unanswered. They sat in a comfortable silence for long moments, watching the fading light in the sky, each lost in their own thoughts. Morris could just catch the hint of frogs off in the distance.

  "I don't want to fail," Max whispered. Morris wasn't even sure the statement was meant for him, or if part of the man's prayer had escaped.

  "You won't," Morris reassured him. "You have two sons and another daughter that can attest to that."

  Max shook himself, as though Morris' words brought reality crashing back down around him. "Let's eat, shall we?" Max stood and walked back into the house, beer bottle unopened.

  Morris followed, shaking his head at the abrupt change in demeanor. Max headed straight for Eleanor, wrapping his arms around her from behind and whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Morris' heart warmed at the sight, Eleanor's face melting into a happy smile as she squeezed his arms back. Morris slid out of the kitchen, not wanting to bother the two of them.

  He deposited his beer bottle on the dining room table, at the same spot he always sat. The only difference being, there was an extra place setting next to his. No doubt, that's where Allie would be seated.

  Looking up the staircase, he wondered if Allie was ready for what this family might have in store for her.

  ____________

  Allie sat on the bed, cleaned and dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a comfortable sage green sweater. Her feet were bare, a pair of brown flats sitting on the floor nearby.

  The shower had helped. They always did. And the view from the bathroom, as breathtaking as the one in the bedroom, hadn't hurt any either. Though the setting sun had faded beneath the horizon, Allie could still admire the view of the mountains from the window. If she had been in the city, she would have been highly uncomfortable with such a large window taking up most of the wall, with a porcelain claw-foot tub sitting right up against it. The shower and toilet were situated much further from the window. Still, she wasn't sure if she had the courage to attempt a bath anytime soon, despite the fac
t that she hadn’t seen a soul outside.

  She had found an unexpected ally in Morris. To think, she had been half afraid of him at the airport. When she had discovered Max had no idea she had been coming to visit, she felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head. Suddenly, Dr. Cameron Beckett's behavior toward her made much more sense. Her first instinct had been to run, to leave a place she was clearly unwanted.

  How could Paige do this to her? To Max? Allie shook her head. No. Remember what Morris said. Paige had only wanted to help the both of them. Paige saw what Max had wanted. And she had thought it fair to let Allie. But Allie really wished Paige had just been honest with her.

  Didn’t she?

  If Paige had been honest, the decision to come would have been a lot harder to make. And Allie knew herself well enough to think she might not have come at all. She had never been one to make waves. In the end, maybe Paige had done the right thing for everyone.

  Lord, please give me strength.

  A knock sounded on her door, and Allie stood from the bed, slipping her shoes on.

  Morris' charming smile met her when she opened the door. Her heart gave a lurch before racing in double time.

  Get a grip!

  She straightened her shoulders against the sensation, hoping Morris didn't notice her flustered appearance.

  "Dinner is just about ready if you'd like to come down. Start over." Morris' eyes were kind, helpful. Supportive. Allie couldn't help but feel herself drawn into their blue depths.

  She nodded, more in an attempt to break eye contact than actual agreement. She knew she should go down and try again, but she was still so afraid.

  "Like ripping off a band-aid, right?" she tried to joke. It fell flat between them.

  Morris' huffed a soft laugh anyway. "Something like that."

  He extended an arm, needlessly reminding her of the direction she needed to go. Shutting the door behind her, Allie walked down the hall, Morris close behind. At the top of the steps, Allie could hear the voices of the others, hearing Paige's and a lower, more masculine rumble. She couldn't tell if it was Max or Dr. Beckett. Or maybe somebody new. She had noticed a few people heading their direction once Max had discovered who he had run into outside of the stables.

  She hadn't stuck around long enough to figure out who they were.

  Now, Allie stood frozen at the top of the stairs, panic warring within her. In the safety of her bedroom, she could believe that everything would be alright, that God had brought her here for a reason, even if everybody else had rejected her. She just had to be brave enough to take that step forward, to face everybody again. To face rejection again.

  A warm hand rest against her upper back, startling her from her spiraling thoughts.

  "It's going to be fine. And if it's not, which it won't be, I'll be there."

  Allie nodded, not daring to look back at Morris. Instead, she found what little scrap of bravery she had left and grabbed onto it with both hands, not letting go.

  Besides, if it didn't work out, she could always go home.

  She descended the steps, not stopping until she reached the very bottom. She glanced back at Morris, who nodded his head forward, indicating the direction she should go. In her upset state earlier, she hadn't exactly taken note of every room in the house.

  Stepping through the entry way and receiving rooms of the house, Allie followed her nose toward what sounded like the dining room or kitchen. The voices she had heard up at the top of the stairs grew clear as she neared.

  "If you would like to take over managing the finances of this place, then by all means. Be my guest, Rhett!" It was Paige, and she sounded more irritated than Allie could remember.

  Who was Rhett?

  "You know I have no interest in doing that. I was simply making a suggestion..." the deeper masculine voice she heard earlier said. So, that was Rhett.

  "You can take your suggestion back out to the barn with the animals."

  Allie entered the dining room cautiously, feeling as though she were entering a war zone. A large dark dining room table stood dead center in the room, surrounded by eight matching chairs. Their lines were simple and elegant, minimal. Allie appreciated the style choice, having a dining set very similar to this one in her own apartment. It was beautifully set with classic white dishes and clear glasses filled with ice water. Light blue place mats cushioned each plate, providing protection while still allowing the natural wood to peak through. A fresh vase of wildflowers adorned the center of the table, their heady scent mixing with the aromas of the meal being prepared in the kitchen. A matching sideboard stood off against one wall, covered with a matching blue runner.

  Paige stood by the sideboard, one drawer open as she fished out what looked like serving utensils. Her back was to Allie and another man, who stood on the other side of the table, placing silverware around the plates. He stood tall (where there only tall men in this state?) with the same jeans, shirt, and cowboy boots ensemble. Allie expected to see a cowboy hat on his head, like Dr. Beckett, and was surprised to see his head unadorned. However, the deep, nearly black hair on top of his head was tousled enough to let Allie know that he probably had been wearing a hat earlier that day.

  The man stopped what he was doing and turned to face Allie. She saw the same green eyes, only darker. This man could be the tall, dark and handsome version of her sister. If her sister had been a man.

  Is he my half-brother?

  Allie forced a smile on her face, knowing it probably looked as fake as it felt. Still, the man returned it and gave a brief nod.

  "Welcome," he said, his voice gruff and hard. It didn't feel very welcoming, but it had been a sight better than anything anybody else had given her so far.

  Paige whipped around and promptly dropped the serving utensils on top of the sideboard, rushing to Allie.

  "Oh, I'm so so so sorry," Paige prattled on, gripping Allie's upper arms lightly. "I know. I threw you, all of you, into a terrible situation and you'll probably never forgive me. I have so many excuses and reasons for why I did it, but it doesn't matter. Just know that I never meant for you to get hurt. If I had known that would happen, I wouldn't have done any of it."

  Allie's head spun, but she got the gist of what Paige was saying. And a tight knot of tension beneath her ribs eased.

  "It will all be fine," Allie said, giving Paige the first true smile. "I understand why you did what you did. And I hope I'll be thanking you for it before too much longer."

  Paige smiled in relief. She pulled Allie in for a hug, tight and hard. "We all got a stern lecture from Morris, so we will all be on our best behavior from now on.”

  Allie's ears turned red. Morris had stood up for her? She turned toward the entrance of the dining room, but Morris wasn’t there. A brief stirring of panic fluttered her stomach. She hoped he hadn't left.

  "And now, let me introduce you to my brother, our brother. Allie, this is Rhett. He's the oldest of us, so he has the typical older sibling syndrome. Hopefully, you can whip him into shape, with you being the actual eldest."

  It wasn't until that moment, staring at a man so much taller than her, that Allie realized she really did have siblings. She not only had a sister, but now she had a brother. And she was the eldest!

  "Ha," she managed weakly toward Rhett. "I have no idea what it's like being a sibling, let alone the eldest. So. You won't hear a peep from me. Deal?"

  Rhett's lips quirked up at one corner. "Deal."

  "Hey!" Paige protested. "Already ganging up on me? I see how it is. Just wait until I tell Jason about you two."

  "Jason?" Allie asked, looking back to Paige.

  "The youngest," Rhett supplied, his voice a comfortable drawl. "Arguably the smartest of us. But that was before we met you."

  Allie smiled, the action coming more and more easily to her now that she was in conversation with Paige and Rhett. "I can't wait to meet him," she said.

  "He's away at college right now," Paige offered. "Stud
ying agriculture."

  "Oh," Allie said, disappointed that she might miss him this visit. "That's practical."

  Rhett shook his head. "Yes, of course. But he has this grand notion of buying up his own plot of land someday and starting his own farm."

  "And that's bad?" Allie asked.

  Paige glared at Rhett. "Of course it's not. Rhett just doesn't agree with him. Thinks he'd be better off going to get his law or medical degree."

  "Even business would be better," Rhett supplied.

  "Not for Jason," an older voice said, startling the three of them to turn toward the far entrance into the dining room.

  Max stood just inside the door, looking as though he were waiting for permission to enter. Paige walked back toward the sideboard and picked up the serving utensils.