what?” He pointed a shaking finger at a shocked-looking Genny. “And you have no call to judge me, lady, so fuck you too. Anyone with a goddamn lick of sense would clean two-month-old horse shit out of a barn.”
Oh, Jesus.
Lee almost slapped his hand across his mouth, but instead he turned and walked away. To be honest, he didn’t walk at all. He ran. Again.
Chapter Six
Genny didn’t know who was more shocked, she or Zeke. The man bore an uncanny resemblance to Lee, but his cheeks and jaw had sharper angles, his expression was more controlled. She looked at the sheriff and watched the play of emotion on his face, from anger to pity to disappointment.
“Damn,” Zeke said so softly, she barely caught it. He met her gaze with an apologetic one. “He isn’t normally such an ass.”
She tried to swallow but her throat had dried up, right along with her courage. She’d had no idea Lee had that much anger inside him. It had flowed out of him like a river, caustic and uncaring who it splashed on its journey.
“He’s got to let that anger go.” She was surprised her voice was so steady. “It’s killing him.”
Zeke’s expression lost its controlled coolness and the aching vulnerability of a brother came through. “I know, but I can’t seem to help him.”
Genny decided two things. First, she liked the sheriff a lot. Anyone who looked after family, who showed love for a brother like that, was a good person, and she trusted her instincts. Second, she was going to chip away at that anger inside Lee until it exploded into a million pieces.
She took Zeke’s arm. “Let’s go inside and have a bit of refreshment, Sheriff. I think we could both use some.”
He looked down at her, his scrutiny probing and a bit disconcerting. After what seemed like more than enough time to evaluate her trustworthiness, he nodded.
“A refreshment sounds perfect.” Zeke squeezed her hand beneath his. “My wife, Naomi, would like you.”
“I think I’d like any woman brave enough to marry a Blackwood,” she quipped.
Zeke threw his head back and laughed. “You are perfect for him.”
Genny wanted to tell him she had no intention of keeping Lee and she wasn’t perfect for him. The words never left her mouth though because she knew Zeke was right. As scary as it was, he was right.
After they settled inside, Genny felt a bit nervous, as she had when Lee first came into the cabin. The brothers were big men and the room small—they filled it with their broad shoulders and long legs. Zeke sat at the table and watched as she sliced some bread and poured water from the pitcher.
After she set the food on the table, she slid into the chair and took a deep breath. “Tell me.”
Zeke didn’t need further prompting. “He’s been hurt so badly, I wasn’t sure he would survive, and I don’t just mean the wounds from the war.”
“I’ve already seen them.” Genny hadn’t shied away from his physical or emotional wounds, there was no reason to. She was as damaged on the inside as he was, truth be told.
Genny wasn’t sure what Zeke was going to reveal to her about Lee, but she knew the key to understanding why he was so angry was finding out what happened to him. What was it that put him on the path to self-destruction?
Zeke nibbled on his bread, staring down at the crumbs on the tin plate as if maybe they were going to tell him something. Genny was patient, Lord knew she had to be with Henry for a husband and Sophie as a daughter. If she were being honest with herself, Genny could be as difficult as Sophie at times. This, however, wasn’t one of those times. She recognized that Lee was suffering, that the fury she’d heard spewing from his mouth was more than just anger. It was laced with ancient pain and new pain, and another dark emotion she couldn’t quite identify.
“Lee and I,” Zeke began, “we’ve obviously always been brothers, but it wasn’t until the war and after the war that we acted like brothers.
Oh, Jesus.
Lee almost slapped his hand across his mouth, but instead he turned and walked away. To be honest, he didn’t walk at all. He ran. Again.
Chapter Six
Genny didn’t know who was more shocked, she or Zeke. The man bore an uncanny resemblance to Lee, but his cheeks and jaw had sharper angles, his expression was more controlled. She looked at the sheriff and watched the play of emotion on his face, from anger to pity to disappointment.
“Damn,” Zeke said so softly, she barely caught it. He met her gaze with an apologetic one. “He isn’t normally such an ass.”
She tried to swallow but her throat had dried up, right along with her courage. She’d had no idea Lee had that much anger inside him. It had flowed out of him like a river, caustic and uncaring who it splashed on its journey.
“He’s got to let that anger go.” She was surprised her voice was so steady. “It’s killing him.”
Zeke’s expression lost its controlled coolness and the aching vulnerability of a brother came through. “I know, but I can’t seem to help him.”
Genny decided two things. First, she liked the sheriff a lot. Anyone who looked after family, who showed love for a brother like that, was a good person, and she trusted her instincts. Second, she was going to chip away at that anger inside Lee until it exploded into a million pieces.
She took Zeke’s arm. “Let’s go inside and have a bit of refreshment, Sheriff. I think we could both use some.”
He looked down at her, his scrutiny probing and a bit disconcerting. After what seemed like more than enough time to evaluate her trustworthiness, he nodded.
“A refreshment sounds perfect.” Zeke squeezed her hand beneath his. “My wife, Naomi, would like you.”
“I think I’d like any woman brave enough to marry a Blackwood,” she quipped.
Zeke threw his head back and laughed. “You are perfect for him.”
Genny wanted to tell him she had no intention of keeping Lee and she wasn’t perfect for him. The words never left her mouth though because she knew Zeke was right. As scary as it was, he was right.
After they settled inside, Genny felt a bit nervous, as she had when Lee first came into the cabin. The brothers were big men and the room small—they filled it with their broad shoulders and long legs. Zeke sat at the table and watched as she sliced some bread and poured water from the pitcher.
After she set the food on the table, she slid into the chair and took a deep breath. “Tell me.”
Zeke didn’t need further prompting. “He’s been hurt so badly, I wasn’t sure he would survive, and I don’t just mean the wounds from the war.”
“I’ve already seen them.” Genny hadn’t shied away from his physical or emotional wounds, there was no reason to. She was as damaged on the inside as he was, truth be told.
Genny wasn’t sure what Zeke was going to reveal to her about Lee, but she knew the key to understanding why he was so angry was finding out what happened to him. What was it that put him on the path to self-destruction?
Zeke nibbled on his bread, staring down at the crumbs on the tin plate as if maybe they were going to tell him something. Genny was patient, Lord knew she had to be with Henry for a husband and Sophie as a daughter. If she were being honest with herself, Genny could be as difficult as Sophie at times. This, however, wasn’t one of those times. She recognized that Lee was suffering, that the fury she’d heard spewing from his mouth was more than just anger. It was laced with ancient pain and new pain, and another dark emotion she couldn’t quite identify.
“Lee and I,” Zeke began, “we’ve obviously always been brothers, but it wasn’t until the war and after the war that we acted like brothers.
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