bootlaces. She too felt as though she had accomplished something special.
Evelyn placed her hands over Rebecca’s and showed her how to walk Jake through the course. After the first pass, she let Rebecca do it on her own. After three mostly successful trips, Evelyn knelt beside the smiling little girl who was stealing her heart. “You were wonderful, sweetheart.”
Rebecca pulled at the front of her dress and rocked onto the outside edge of her shoes. “I like Jake.”
“He likes you, too. That’s why he’s sniffing your pocket. He wants a treat.”
Rebecca’s expression fell. “I don’t got one.”
“I do.” She reached in her worn shirt pocket and pulled out a small apple. “Do you remember how I showed you to feed him?”
Rebecca’s nod was full of enthusiasm. “Like this,” she said, making her hand flat.
“That’s right.” The apple dwarfed Rebecca’s hand. “Don’t let him nibble your fingers. It hurts.”
Rebecca giggled and turned eagerly to Jake.
When Evelyn stood to remove Jake’s halter, she saw Radford leaning against the fence watching them with an odd, lonely expression on his face. Dread pulsed through her and her stomach flipped. Dear God, she prayed silently, don’t let him spoil Rebecca’s happiness. Don’t let him crush the first rays of confidence that light her eyes.
Not wanting Rebecca to overhear in case Radford was upset, Evelyn slipped the bridle off Jake and pointed to the railing near the barn. “Would you hang this on that fence rail for me?”
Rebecca proudly grasped it with both hands, held it to her chest, and walked away, her hair bouncing softly against her back.
Evelyn lifted the saddle free and walked to the opposite side of the paddock where Radford stood, silent and watchful. She parked the saddle over the railing, resting her hand on soft leather. “I thought you’d rather have her with me than wandering off alone. I noticed you weren’t outside with her.”
“I was watching, like you suggested.” A light shadow of whiskers dusted his jaw and lent a rugged edge to his handsome face. His gaze held Evelyn’s, probing, searching, seeming to look right into her soul. “It’s not Rebecca who’s afraid, is it?” he asked quietly. “I knew that’s what you were trying to tell me yesterday, but I didn’t want to hear it. You were right, Evelyn. It’s my own fear I can’t get past.”
Evelyn had never heard the despair and regret that filled Radford’s voice, and it fed her guilt for being the cause of his heartache. “I shouldn’t have said those things.”
Radford turned toward the mid-September breeze and raked his hair off his damp forehead. “I was the one who said things I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry about that. When I saw Rebecca on the ground, my heart stopped. I’ve never felt that kind of fear.” His eyes met hers. “Not even in the war.” He sighed and shook his head. “I was angry, too. Only I realized I wasn’t angry with you or Rebecca. It was my own shortcomings I was fighting. It’s hard to admit that I’ve been a lousy father, but I have.”
Evelyn’s gaze shot to his. “You’re a wonderful father.”
“No I’m not.” His eyes sought Rebecca who was busy wrapping the reins around the railing. “But I want to be.” He placed his hand over Evelyn’s, trapping it between his callused palm and the saddle horn. “Will you help me?”
His hard, warm palm felt good and Evelyn wondered if Radford sensed her reaction to him.
“I don’t know how to make Rebecca laugh,” he said, as though giving his final confession, his eyes sad. “I’m failing her.”
Ashamed, Evelyn realized how deeply she’d hurt him with her angry words. “I'm sorry I made you feel this way. I had no idea I would cause so much harm.”
His lips tilted in a sad smile and he ran his thumb across her knuckles. “You know, it’s been months since I’ve heard Rebecca laugh. I can't buy her the happiness you've given her today.
Evelyn placed her hands over Rebecca’s and showed her how to walk Jake through the course. After the first pass, she let Rebecca do it on her own. After three mostly successful trips, Evelyn knelt beside the smiling little girl who was stealing her heart. “You were wonderful, sweetheart.”
Rebecca pulled at the front of her dress and rocked onto the outside edge of her shoes. “I like Jake.”
“He likes you, too. That’s why he’s sniffing your pocket. He wants a treat.”
Rebecca’s expression fell. “I don’t got one.”
“I do.” She reached in her worn shirt pocket and pulled out a small apple. “Do you remember how I showed you to feed him?”
Rebecca’s nod was full of enthusiasm. “Like this,” she said, making her hand flat.
“That’s right.” The apple dwarfed Rebecca’s hand. “Don’t let him nibble your fingers. It hurts.”
Rebecca giggled and turned eagerly to Jake.
When Evelyn stood to remove Jake’s halter, she saw Radford leaning against the fence watching them with an odd, lonely expression on his face. Dread pulsed through her and her stomach flipped. Dear God, she prayed silently, don’t let him spoil Rebecca’s happiness. Don’t let him crush the first rays of confidence that light her eyes.
Not wanting Rebecca to overhear in case Radford was upset, Evelyn slipped the bridle off Jake and pointed to the railing near the barn. “Would you hang this on that fence rail for me?”
Rebecca proudly grasped it with both hands, held it to her chest, and walked away, her hair bouncing softly against her back.
Evelyn lifted the saddle free and walked to the opposite side of the paddock where Radford stood, silent and watchful. She parked the saddle over the railing, resting her hand on soft leather. “I thought you’d rather have her with me than wandering off alone. I noticed you weren’t outside with her.”
“I was watching, like you suggested.” A light shadow of whiskers dusted his jaw and lent a rugged edge to his handsome face. His gaze held Evelyn’s, probing, searching, seeming to look right into her soul. “It’s not Rebecca who’s afraid, is it?” he asked quietly. “I knew that’s what you were trying to tell me yesterday, but I didn’t want to hear it. You were right, Evelyn. It’s my own fear I can’t get past.”
Evelyn had never heard the despair and regret that filled Radford’s voice, and it fed her guilt for being the cause of his heartache. “I shouldn’t have said those things.”
Radford turned toward the mid-September breeze and raked his hair off his damp forehead. “I was the one who said things I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry about that. When I saw Rebecca on the ground, my heart stopped. I’ve never felt that kind of fear.” His eyes met hers. “Not even in the war.” He sighed and shook his head. “I was angry, too. Only I realized I wasn’t angry with you or Rebecca. It was my own shortcomings I was fighting. It’s hard to admit that I’ve been a lousy father, but I have.”
Evelyn’s gaze shot to his. “You’re a wonderful father.”
“No I’m not.” His eyes sought Rebecca who was busy wrapping the reins around the railing. “But I want to be.” He placed his hand over Evelyn’s, trapping it between his callused palm and the saddle horn. “Will you help me?”
His hard, warm palm felt good and Evelyn wondered if Radford sensed her reaction to him.
“I don’t know how to make Rebecca laugh,” he said, as though giving his final confession, his eyes sad. “I’m failing her.”
Ashamed, Evelyn realized how deeply she’d hurt him with her angry words. “I'm sorry I made you feel this way. I had no idea I would cause so much harm.”
His lips tilted in a sad smile and he ran his thumb across her knuckles. “You know, it’s been months since I’ve heard Rebecca laugh. I can't buy her the happiness you've given her today.
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