“I’d like to start looking at diamond rings for Lenny,” he said.
It only two seconds before someone in the car squealed, and it sounded very much like Shiloh.
“I told you he was in love with her,” April said, like she’d won a bet.
“This is ex-cit-ing,” Arizona sing-songed.
Brandon ducked his head, his smile coming easily to his face. “Yeah, I mean, maybe not right away, but what I do want to do right away also requires money.” He blew out his breath. “Lenny used some of her lumber-money to buy a bigger tank for the greenhouse and garden area, but she needs a well in order to have water in her cabin, and enough for all the livestock she wants. I’m wondering?—”
“Yeah, we’ll sponsor the well,” Duke said.
“It’s not a sponsorship,” Brandon said quickly. “It’s a loan. Lenny will repay you.” After a pause he added, “It might take some time, but she’ll have water in the meantime—water that she needs for the crops and animals she needs to earn that money.”
“We would’ve done it on day one,” Arizona said. “No loan required.”
Brandon loved his family more than ever in that moment, and he said, “I know you would have.”
“As soon as we get back to the rental house,” Zona said, “I’ll call LeRoy and see what he’s got. When do you think you’ll be back at the homestead?”
“Probably Monday,” he said. “If not Monday, then Tuesday.”
“I can’t imagine he’ll be able to come in the next couple of days,” Arizona said. “So I’ll try to schedule it for sometime next week when you’re there.”
Brandon’s heart gave a nervous flutter, but he nodded resolutely to himself. “Okay. Let me know.”
“Are you going to tell her?” Duke asked.
Brandon sighed, another sigh of the century. “I don’t know,” he said. “If I do, she might shoot me down and I won’t be able to talk her into it, and if I don’t, she might kill me.”
He chuckled, but he wasn’t really kidding. “I’ll figure it out. Thanks so much, you guys. Love you, and have fun on your vacation.”
Choruses of “Love you, Brandon,” and “Wish you were with us” came through the line, and then the call ended.
Brandon sank onto the couch and looked up at the ceiling. “What do I do here, Lord?” he asked. “Tell her? Or just do it…and ask for forgiveness afterward?”
35
When Lenore’s phone made the bubbling, crackling sound, her heart dropped into the soles of her boots.
Brandon.
She already knew what he wanted. Even if she ran inside right now, put on the only dress she owned—the same one she’d worn to church every Sunday for the past month—and drove with the gas pedal to the metal, she still wouldn’t make it to church on time.
His text read:You’re not coming to church today?
She’d texted him an hour ago, when it still made sense for her to be awake and him not to be. She just didn’t want to go to church today, for a variety of reasons.
But now, her thumbs flew across the screen.I managed to get the skid steer yesterday about noon,she said.Remember? I sent you that picture. Anyway, because the hardware store isn’t open on Sunday, I basically get a day free. I want to utilize it to the best of my ability.
He, of course, could work twice as fast as she could in the skid steer. But that didn’t need to be said out loud for both of them to know it was true.
All right,he said.I miss you. As soon as Dawson hears if they’re coming home today or not, I’ll let you know.
Okay,Lenore said.Miss you too.
She tucked her phone in her back pocket and faced the yawning sky. “He doesn’t have to know all of your insecurities upfront,” she told herself, though part of the reason she didn’t want to go to church today was because she had to wear the same dressagain.
He’d say no one cared and no one but her paid attention to what she wore, but Lenore was a woman, and sheknewother women noticed. And judged.
