Page 18 of A Forgotten Heart (Wind River Mail-Order Brides #5)

M orning came, and the sleepless night had left Nick sluggish and hungry.

He crossed the threshold to the kitchen, then froze at the sight of Elsie standing at the counter and rolling out biscuit dough. Alone.

Where was everyone else? He blinked hard to make sure he wasn’t still dreaming.

Last night, he’d fallen into a restless sleep, thoughts of forgiveness and second chances spiraling through his head.

Now, watching Elsie fidget with the roller in her hands, he waited for the sharpness of his anger to return. But it didn’t.

He just felt resigned.

“Good morning.” The quiver of Elsie’s smile said she wasn’t sure he’d return the greeting.

Last night’s talk with Isaac had put things into perspective, but where did that leave Nick? Was being friends even an option?

He slid his hands into his pockets, his shoulder paining. “Morning.”

Her attention flitted about the kitchen as she kept rolling the dough.

Rubbing his pulsing shoulder, he tore his eyes away and scanned the room. The kitchen appeared extra clean. She’d obviously been busy this morning. How long had she been up?

Nick made for the coffeepot on the stove, even though it put him near Elsie. But if they were to continue as friends, he could be close long enough to get coffee.

As he poured, he could smell the lavender soap she’d used to wash up competing with the coffee’s earthy aroma. It did strange things to his stomach.

When he passed by, her hand cutting away the dough stuttered.

The early morning hush over the house resounded around them. She didn’t look at him. It reminded him of those first hours at the clinic. Just the two of them.

She’d avoided his gaze then too, but at least now, Nick understood why.

He cleared his throat. “Did you, ah, sleep well?”

She kept her focus on her hand as she cut circles in the dough. “As well as I could stuck between Jo and Tillie. Jo wasn’t so bad, but Tillie, she?—”

“Holds an entire conversation in her sleep. Yep.” Nick smirked as he took a sip.

She blinked up at him. For a moment, her nose wrinkled. Then she scooted around him to collect the skillet next to the cookstove. “I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I came down here to see how I could help.”

By preparing his family a meal. “No one expects you to do all of this.”

The skillet clanged as she pulled it from under the counter and onto the stove. “It’s the least I can do.”

She began to slice the bacon. He knew how stubborn she could be and left her to it when he heard the murmur of his brothers’ voices from the dining room. Without a glance toward Elsie, he made his escape.

Around the table, his brothers leaned toward each other, speaking in low tones. Ed’s head shot up as Nick entered, his words trailing off. All three went suspiciously silent.

Ed spun a coffee mug in his hand, and Drew took a sip from his.

“What’s going on?”

The momentary silence was stifling.

Ed and Drew glanced at each other sideways. Isaac leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Nick’s got the most strategic mind out of all of us.” He kicked out an empty chair. “Have a seat. What do you think Quade will do next?”

Nick had been so caught up in his feelings for Elsie that he hadn’t given Quade a thought since they’d left town.

He sat, not much liking that his brothers hadn’t waited on him.

Isaac tipped his head toward Ed. “Ed thinks Quade will wait for one of us to come into town and ambush us again, but I think he’ll hole up at his main house.”

Nick set his coffee on the table. “We know Quade lost most of his hired hands when everything went down with the Barlow Gang. And Isabella is straitlaced. He wouldn’t go back to the main house, not if she’s there asking questions.”

“So he would stay in town,” Ed said.

Nick thought for a minute. “Not unless he’s acting alone, which he likely isn’t. He’s probably hired guns since Elsie saw him shooting at us. I bet he barricaded himself in one of his smaller homesteads.”

Isaac looked grim. “We don’t have enough deputies to search all of Quade’s holdings. With just us, it’d take days.”

Nick pointed to the star pinned to Isaac’s vest. “Can’t you deputize more men? Just until he’s captured. Fogelson would help. Charlie Hastings too.”

A dangerous gleam shone in Isaac’s eyes. “I sure can.”

Ed plunked his coffee mug down on the table. “Good. We should get going.”

The other brothers started to stand.

Nick guzzled the rest of his coffee and stood along with them.

The brothers stilled, all of them refusing to look Nick in the eye. When Isaac finally did look his way, regret shadowed his face.

Oh. Nick wasn’t invited. A sick feeling rolled in his stomach.

Drew reached over and put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “We need you here.”

Sure they did. They just didn’t want Nick to slow them down.

“Someone has to watch over our families,” Isaac added.

Nick shrugged away from Drew’s hand. “They don’t need me here. Clare is a sharpshooter.”

Ed, the conflict avoider, was already out the door.

Drew scratched his eyebrow. “You’re injured, Nick. The one Quade would target because you’re?—”

“Weak?”

Isaac’s stare hardened. “Hurt.”

“I’m healed enough to ride.” The dull ache in his head belied the words.

How many times had he, the youngest, watched his brothers ride out without him?

Drew reached for his coat on the peg. “Nick?—”

Nick gave in with bad grace. “I get it. I’ll stay behind.”

Isaac looked like he wanted to say something.

Nick didn’t need his brother’s pity. “I’ll go saddle up your horses.”

He spun to make his exit, but as he did, a shadow moved away from the kitchen doorway.

Fantastic. How long had Elsie been listening?

He stomped through the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with Elsie, who stood at the stove.

He’d almost reached the back door when Elsie murmured, “The gravy is ready. Do you want?—”

“Later,” he growled as embarrassment heated his cheeks. Even the morning chill couldn’t cool his temper.

With pent-up energy flowing into his arms, he shoved the barn door open. Searing pain permeated his shoulder all the way down to his hand.

He bit his lip to stifle a pained holler.

Bracing his shoulder with his other hand, he crumpled into the support beam, inhaling deeply.

If he couldn’t handle opening the barn door, what made him think he could help round up Quade? He must be a fool. He was the weakest. He hated the thought.

When the pain subsided to a dull anguish, he saddled his brothers’ horses and led them to the front of the house.

Drew and Kaitlyn stood on the porch, hands entwined. He whispered something to her, his brow tight as he rested a hand on her belly. He bent and kissed her, gentle and slow.

Nick could see Ed and Rebekah through the front window, embracing. Isaac and Clare were barely visible around the corner of the house, saying a private goodbye.

All three of Nick’s brothers had found their perfect matches, had families to fight for. Another way they’d left him behind.

He’d thought to try again—that’s why he’d asked Merritt to help him find someone. But thinking about courting someone who wasn’t Elsie put a bitter taste in his mouth. Was he kidding himself? Was he destined to be alone?

Nick averted his gaze but caught Elsie watching through the front window. Their stares collided, and his heart thumped.

She let the curtain drop back into place.

A hand fell on Nick’s shoulder, and he startled.

Isaac took his horse’s reins from Nick’s hand, but before he stepped away, Isaac’s eyes flitted to the window, then back to Nick.

“Second chances, little brother.”

Then Isaac mounted and motioned for the brothers to follow him.

They took off at a canter down to the road, leaving Nick standing by himself in their wake.

Elsie dried the final dish and stacked it on top of the other clean ones on the counter.

Nick was pushing himself too hard. If he didn’t come in from the barn soon, he might hurt his shoulder. Or head.

Elsie looked out the window, like she had probably a hundred times within the last hour. She considered going down to the barn to check on him. Knew he would not welcome it, even if he’d smiled at her earlier.

His brothers had been gone for two hours, and Nick hadn’t been inside since. He’d skipped breakfast.

The house had grown quiet. Clare and Eli had returned to Isaac’s cabin to gather a few things plus additional ammunition. For the worst-case scenario, according to Clare.

Just the thought of worst-case frightened Elsie.

Kaitlyn had looked tired, so Rebekah had sent her upstairs to rest while she helped occupy the kids in the living room.

Which left Elsie to clean up breakfast. And worry about Nick.

With a sharp sigh, she started to turn away from the window but froze. Nick had finally emerged from the barn, carrying a load of firewood.

Surely he hadn’t chopped it.

Even from a distance, she could see the stiffness in his gait.

He was upset about being left behind. She knew that from what she’d accidentally overheard earlier this morning.

And she didn’t know how to make it better.

Wood clattered against the outside kitchen wall as he stacked it.

She held her breath, waiting for him to come inside.

And waiting.

Something must be wrong.

With a huff, she moved to the door before she could change her mind.

Cold air sliced through her dress as she marched across the back porch to where he stood with one arm against the wall next to the woodpile.

He knew she was there. She could tell by the way his shoulders went even more tense. But he didn’t turn to face her. Or say anything.

Elsie rubbed her arms, partly to stave off the wind and partly to keep herself from reaching for him.

She blinked. “Would you come in already?”

He slowly turned his head and eyed her.

The greenish hue underneath the flush on his cheeks made her pulse fly.

“Last night, you were willing to eat the beans you hate to keep from hurting Kaitlyn’s feelings. But you’ve got no compunction in bossing me around.”