angry voice behind them, it wasn’t far from the truth. Isaac stood in the doorway, his face full of rage. Hetty backed toward the porch railing, unsure what had caused such a fiery outburst.
“Hey, brother. Nothing is going on,” Elias said. Hetty noted a touch of humor in his voice.
“It didn’t look like nothing to me. What are the two of you doing out here alone at night?” Isaac moved closer to Elias, his fists clenched and his jaw tight.
“We were just talking, Isaac. Relax.” Elias slapped his brother on the shoulder. He turned to face Hetty, still frozen against the porch railing. “Good night, Hetty. And thank you.” Elias winked at her and walked inside the house, leaving Hetty alone to face his angry brother.
Isaac turned his eyes toward Hetty, unable to control the fury he felt seeing his brother with his arms around her. “Did you do something with him?”
Hetty was surprised by the accusation, and she felt her own anger begin at the notion that anything inappropriate had happened on the porch. “Excuse me?” she said, her eyes wide with shock.
Isaac moved closer to her. “What were you doing on the porch this late at night with my brother?” His words pierced her.
“We were talking.” Hetty maintained eye contact, not wanting him to think——even for a moment—that she had done something wrong.
“Just talking?”
“Yes. I came out to enjoy the fresh air and he happened to be returning from using the necessary. That’s it.” Hetty’s words held confidence. She knew she had done nothing wrong.
“Then why were you two touching?” Isaac’s anger was not diminishing.
“We weren’t touching like you think. We were hugging. A friendly hug, that’s all. Elias is my friend, Isaac.” Hetty said as she maintained her stance.
Isaac knew he was being somewhat irrational. But he couldn’t contain the anger he felt when he saw his brother with his arms wrapped around Hetty. And he couldn’t deny the full force of the jealousy that bubbled under his skin when he saw how comfortable the two of them looked together, alone, under the night sky.
“I thought…I thought that you and I…” He paused. “Listen to me, Hetty. Whatever you say it was doesn’t excuse the fact that it was inappropriate. You work here. You work for this family. I admit you’ve done a lot for my mother, but I won’t have you crossing lines. Are we clear?” A feeling of regret immediately washed through him.
Isaac felt Hetty recoil at the harshness of his words. This was not the man he was. He wanted her to know the kind man who’d listened to her in the early morning hours. He wanted her to see the man who was grateful for her help with his family. Not the man in front of her – so full of anger. He didn’t want to be the irrational man he’d just shown her, but seeing her hugging his brother sent fire through his veins.
“I understand...sir,” she said quietly.
Isaac turned on his heels and retreated to his room. What had come over him? He immediately regretted every word he’d just spoken to the woman he was falling for. He knew he couldn’t undo what had just transpired on the porch, and he wished he’d just controlled his anger. But maybe it was for the best. He didn’t want to develop feelings for Hetty, and he pretty much just ensured that their relationship would remain strictly professional.
chapter seven
The morning of the Wheeler apple festival dawned with grey clouds and bitter cold moving through the air. Hetty prayed the rain would hold off and the festivities would not be interrupted. She’d been so busy the last couple days making sure everything was set for friends and neighbors to descend on the farm. She and Lottie had spent hours walking through the orchard placing baskets at different locations so the men harvesting the apples could move at a good pace. She’d worked with Elizabeth to plan a setup for the food and drinks the neighbors would bring with them. Chairs
“Hey, brother. Nothing is going on,” Elias said. Hetty noted a touch of humor in his voice.
“It didn’t look like nothing to me. What are the two of you doing out here alone at night?” Isaac moved closer to Elias, his fists clenched and his jaw tight.
“We were just talking, Isaac. Relax.” Elias slapped his brother on the shoulder. He turned to face Hetty, still frozen against the porch railing. “Good night, Hetty. And thank you.” Elias winked at her and walked inside the house, leaving Hetty alone to face his angry brother.
Isaac turned his eyes toward Hetty, unable to control the fury he felt seeing his brother with his arms around her. “Did you do something with him?”
Hetty was surprised by the accusation, and she felt her own anger begin at the notion that anything inappropriate had happened on the porch. “Excuse me?” she said, her eyes wide with shock.
Isaac moved closer to her. “What were you doing on the porch this late at night with my brother?” His words pierced her.
“We were talking.” Hetty maintained eye contact, not wanting him to think——even for a moment—that she had done something wrong.
“Just talking?”
“Yes. I came out to enjoy the fresh air and he happened to be returning from using the necessary. That’s it.” Hetty’s words held confidence. She knew she had done nothing wrong.
“Then why were you two touching?” Isaac’s anger was not diminishing.
“We weren’t touching like you think. We were hugging. A friendly hug, that’s all. Elias is my friend, Isaac.” Hetty said as she maintained her stance.
Isaac knew he was being somewhat irrational. But he couldn’t contain the anger he felt when he saw his brother with his arms wrapped around Hetty. And he couldn’t deny the full force of the jealousy that bubbled under his skin when he saw how comfortable the two of them looked together, alone, under the night sky.
“I thought…I thought that you and I…” He paused. “Listen to me, Hetty. Whatever you say it was doesn’t excuse the fact that it was inappropriate. You work here. You work for this family. I admit you’ve done a lot for my mother, but I won’t have you crossing lines. Are we clear?” A feeling of regret immediately washed through him.
Isaac felt Hetty recoil at the harshness of his words. This was not the man he was. He wanted her to know the kind man who’d listened to her in the early morning hours. He wanted her to see the man who was grateful for her help with his family. Not the man in front of her – so full of anger. He didn’t want to be the irrational man he’d just shown her, but seeing her hugging his brother sent fire through his veins.
“I understand...sir,” she said quietly.
Isaac turned on his heels and retreated to his room. What had come over him? He immediately regretted every word he’d just spoken to the woman he was falling for. He knew he couldn’t undo what had just transpired on the porch, and he wished he’d just controlled his anger. But maybe it was for the best. He didn’t want to develop feelings for Hetty, and he pretty much just ensured that their relationship would remain strictly professional.
chapter seven
The morning of the Wheeler apple festival dawned with grey clouds and bitter cold moving through the air. Hetty prayed the rain would hold off and the festivities would not be interrupted. She’d been so busy the last couple days making sure everything was set for friends and neighbors to descend on the farm. She and Lottie had spent hours walking through the orchard placing baskets at different locations so the men harvesting the apples could move at a good pace. She’d worked with Elizabeth to plan a setup for the food and drinks the neighbors would bring with them. Chairs
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