had he acted so foolishly? He attempted to fit the pieces together, but then remembered her final words.
It really didn’t matter what he felt. Dani wasn’t the least bit interested.
Chapter Eleven
T ears streamed unchecked down Dani’s face as she rocked on the porch and stared off into the distance, a half-eaten piece of peanut butter pie on the wicker table beside her. How could God allow this to happen? Mama Beth believed in Him, and had most of her life. Is this how God repaid her faith?
The sound of a diesel engine approaching raised her head, and the gravel popped and crunched as Steve’s shiny new Ford truck pulled into the driveway. Just great. She scrambled to wipe away tears, unready to face him, especially with the tell-tale signs of her prolonged crying jag. After last night’s scene, she had no choice but to keep a cool distance between them. And he must never know how his kindness affected her.
He sauntered, cowboy-style, onto the porch, his hat pushed back on his head, an apology in his eyes. “Hi, lady.”
She returned his greeting then looked away.
“Where’s Mama Beth?” Steve reclined his lanky frame against the porch post and crossed his legs, his tone friendly.
“Napping.” She forced her gaze on the flower beds, but his scrutiny put her already loaded nerves on high alert.
“She okay?”
Her aunt handled the situation better than anyone, a source of puzzlement to Dani. “You know how she is. She’s acting the same as always.”
A tender smile touched Steve’s face and he shifted. One boot scraped against the wooden floor planks. “That woman’s got unshakable faith.”
“And for the life of me, I can’t understand why!” The words shot out of her mouth as bitterness slithered inside and coiled around her heart. “How can she continue to trust in God when He let this happen?”
A descending whistle sounded from his mouth, his lips puckered. He adjusted his hat and directed his gaze her way. “Feel like going for a ride? Might clear your head.”
She hugged her arms to her waist and hunched in the rocker, already feeling guilty about her outburst. So much for playing it cool. The thought of being alone with him made her uncomfortable, but she had to get away, even if only for a few minutes. “I’ll be right back.” After jotting a quick note to Mama Beth, she hurried out to the truck where Steve waited.
A few minutes later they were on the open road. Dani pressed the button to lower the window, and fresh air whooshed through the opening, tugging her curls from the band that held her hair in a pony tail. She’d have a mess to untangle later, but at this point, she didn’t care. Instead she relished the cool wind in her face, blowing away her cares like tufts of silky fiber from a cottonwood tree.
Except for the soft music streaming from the radio, they rode in silence. Steve must have sensed her desire for peace, for he remained quiet. The warmth of the sun loosened her tense muscles, and the fresh air and beauty of the countryside eased her anguish. She closed her eyelids and leaned back. His suggestion to go for a ride had proved to be a good one. Her spirit calmed and righted itself, like a buoy after a storm. Now if she could only make sense of her growing attraction to the man beside her.
She glanced over at him. One elbow rested on the door, and his fingers cupped his chin in a thoughtful pose. His right arm draped the steering wheel. For the first time, she glimpsed the gray circles beneath his eyes. He hadn’t slept well either. The realization tugged at her heart. Dani rolled up the window part way to close out the wind noise. “Thank you, Steve. This is just what I needed.”
“Me, too.” A half-smile curled his lips, his voice kind. “Feeling better?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Talk about it? Well, that was a first. Had a man ever asked her that question before? And no, she didn’t want to talk about it. She
It really didn’t matter what he felt. Dani wasn’t the least bit interested.
Chapter Eleven
T ears streamed unchecked down Dani’s face as she rocked on the porch and stared off into the distance, a half-eaten piece of peanut butter pie on the wicker table beside her. How could God allow this to happen? Mama Beth believed in Him, and had most of her life. Is this how God repaid her faith?
The sound of a diesel engine approaching raised her head, and the gravel popped and crunched as Steve’s shiny new Ford truck pulled into the driveway. Just great. She scrambled to wipe away tears, unready to face him, especially with the tell-tale signs of her prolonged crying jag. After last night’s scene, she had no choice but to keep a cool distance between them. And he must never know how his kindness affected her.
He sauntered, cowboy-style, onto the porch, his hat pushed back on his head, an apology in his eyes. “Hi, lady.”
She returned his greeting then looked away.
“Where’s Mama Beth?” Steve reclined his lanky frame against the porch post and crossed his legs, his tone friendly.
“Napping.” She forced her gaze on the flower beds, but his scrutiny put her already loaded nerves on high alert.
“She okay?”
Her aunt handled the situation better than anyone, a source of puzzlement to Dani. “You know how she is. She’s acting the same as always.”
A tender smile touched Steve’s face and he shifted. One boot scraped against the wooden floor planks. “That woman’s got unshakable faith.”
“And for the life of me, I can’t understand why!” The words shot out of her mouth as bitterness slithered inside and coiled around her heart. “How can she continue to trust in God when He let this happen?”
A descending whistle sounded from his mouth, his lips puckered. He adjusted his hat and directed his gaze her way. “Feel like going for a ride? Might clear your head.”
She hugged her arms to her waist and hunched in the rocker, already feeling guilty about her outburst. So much for playing it cool. The thought of being alone with him made her uncomfortable, but she had to get away, even if only for a few minutes. “I’ll be right back.” After jotting a quick note to Mama Beth, she hurried out to the truck where Steve waited.
A few minutes later they were on the open road. Dani pressed the button to lower the window, and fresh air whooshed through the opening, tugging her curls from the band that held her hair in a pony tail. She’d have a mess to untangle later, but at this point, she didn’t care. Instead she relished the cool wind in her face, blowing away her cares like tufts of silky fiber from a cottonwood tree.
Except for the soft music streaming from the radio, they rode in silence. Steve must have sensed her desire for peace, for he remained quiet. The warmth of the sun loosened her tense muscles, and the fresh air and beauty of the countryside eased her anguish. She closed her eyelids and leaned back. His suggestion to go for a ride had proved to be a good one. Her spirit calmed and righted itself, like a buoy after a storm. Now if she could only make sense of her growing attraction to the man beside her.
She glanced over at him. One elbow rested on the door, and his fingers cupped his chin in a thoughtful pose. His right arm draped the steering wheel. For the first time, she glimpsed the gray circles beneath his eyes. He hadn’t slept well either. The realization tugged at her heart. Dani rolled up the window part way to close out the wind noise. “Thank you, Steve. This is just what I needed.”
“Me, too.” A half-smile curled his lips, his voice kind. “Feeling better?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Talk about it? Well, that was a first. Had a man ever asked her that question before? And no, she didn’t want to talk about it. She
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