But, oh, her skin had been incredibly soft. Her eyes luminous, the deep, true green of mysterious forests, drawing him in, making him forget who and what they were.
He’d always fancied himself as a stand-in big brother. Someone to tease her out of her introverted shell. Protect her from guys with questionable intentions. He’d always seen her as young and innocent. Vulnerable. The little sister he’d never had.
Seeing her as an alluring, intriguing young woman wasn’t natural.
“Tom Leighton.” His old friend pulled him into a back-slapping hug. Josh hadn’t aged in the years he’d been gone; he still wore his wheat-colored hair short and had a neat goatee. “Hard to believe you’re here. I’ve missed you, brother.”
“I should’ve written.” Beyond Josh’s wagon, the middle O’Malley son was swinging his wife to the ground. He’d been surprised to hear Nathan had married the O’Malleys’ neighbor, tomboy Sophie Tanner. She certainly didn’t look like a tomboy anymore. “Only now that I’m here do I realize what a mistake not writing was.”
Josh’s hand remained on his shoulder. “If I hadn’t known where you were going or why, I would’ve been tempted to come searching for you.”
Jane gasped. Pivoting, Tom saw the tremor in her hand as she lifted it to her throat. Anguish pinched her features.
“You knew where he was all this time and didn’t tell me?” Her gaze hit upon Tom’s and skittered away. “N-not just me. The entire family has been worried.”
Josh shifted his stance. “I’m sorry, Jane.”
“It’s not his fault,” Tom said. “I discussed my decision to go to Charles’s ranch with Josh. I asked him to keep it quiet.” Not thinking straight after Megan’s refusal—he’d been one big mass of hurt and disappointment—he hadn’t stopped to evaluate the rightness or wrongness of his actions. “I’m the one to blame.”
He resisted the urge to touch her, something that up until a few minutes ago had been as instinctive as breathing.
Nathan and Sophie approached. Tom had no choice but to greet them both, noting Jane’s swift departure out of the corner of his eye. Josh trailed her to the cabin, delaying her at the steps. She was upset and, as in the past, all Tom wanted was to hold her until she wasn’t anymore.
It struck him again that things had changed. She had changed. And maybe so had he.
Nathan lifted the Jersey cow’s lead rope. “We heard your niece is with you. Thought a milk cow might come in handy. This here’s one of our best producers.” He rubbed between her ears. “Her name’s Belle.”
“Let me get my wallet and settle up with you.”
“No need. Consider her a welcome-home present.”
He hadn’t forgotten the O’Malleys’ generosity or their stubborn natures. Arguing the point was useless. “I appreciate it, Nate. Thank you.”
“I’ll get her settled in the barn.”
Tom sighed. He hadn’t cleared out any of the outbuildings yet. Making Clara feel comfortable in her new home had been his top priority, and he hadn’t made much progress on that front. “You won’t reach it without a machete.”
“So lend me one.” He shrugged.
“Wouldn’t you rather pass a pleasant Sunday afternoon with your wife?”
Arm linked with Nathan’s, Sophie smiled. “He’s promised to take me fishing later. For now, I’m going to help Jane. Good to have you home, Tom.” She bussed her husband on the cheek before slipping away.
Silver eyes sparkling with good humor, the other man drawled, “Don’t be stubborn, Leighton. We’re family, got it? And family helps each other out. Now, point me to the tools.”
Tom complied. He expected Jane to leave right away. Instead, she and Sophie carted buckets of water to the porch and began scrubbing the windowpanes, conversing in low voices so as not to disturb the still-sleeping Clara. She did avoid looking at him, however. Having kindhearted Jane upset with him was not a pleasant experience.
With company around, he’d have to wait to try and smooth things over.
While he, Josh and Nathan attacked the overgrown vegetation around the barn entrance, more O’Malleys arrived—the men’s parents, Sam and Mary, who were like a beloved aunt and uncle to Tom, and the youngest son, Caleb, who brought his wife, young sister-in-law and adorable eighteen-month-old son, Noah. Everyone pitched in. And there, in the midst of the sweaty, backbreaking work, surrounded by these people he considered family, he acknowledged how much he’d missed them all. Missed this town.
Despite the grief and turmoil that had spurred him home, he was glad to be back.
Leaning his scythe against the barn wall’s weathered boards, Josh motioned for Tom to follow him to the stream. Resting a knee on the grassy bank, Josh submerged his handkerchief and mopped his face and neck.
“How did Jane seem to you yesterday?” Josh said.
Scooping up water with his hat as he’d done earlier, Tom reveled in the cold shock of it as it slid down his head and beneath his shirt collar.
“Distressed.”
He wouldn’t soon forget that encounter. Her breathtaking beauty. The fact she’d come close to fainting in his arms.
Josh tunneled his fingers through his hair, a disgusted noise gusting out. “The ceremony was a disaster of epic proportions. I’m not surprised she took off.”
“Who’s the lout she was supposed to marry?” Anger at an unknown stranger bloomed inside. Not many men were worthy of Jane. She deserved someone truly special, someone who’d recognize her true worth and cherish her gentle spirit. Not someone who lied to her, humiliated her in front of the entire town.
“Newcomer named Roy Crowley.” He stood.
“You allowed her to get engaged to a man like that?”
“She didn’t ask my permission. Besides, he struck me as a solid, responsible man. Treated her well. Everyone approved of the union.”
Her misery fresh in his mind, Tom clenched his fists. “She must be devastated.”
“Jane’s not one to confide in me, but I got the sense she wasn’t as invested as she ought to be.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, she didn’t have the look of a young woman in love.”
Turning so that he had a clear view of the cabin, Tom crossed his arms and sagged against the tree base. She wasn’t hard to spot, what with that shining red hair and cool mint-green blouse. At the moment, she and Sophie were emptying the bed mattresses of the old and no doubt moldy corn husks.
Was Josh’s assumption true? Tom hoped so. If she didn’t love the guy, she wasn’t suffering more than bruised pride. Marrying for convenience’s sake was a practical solution if one was facing financial difficulties or needed a spouse to help with farm chores. But Jane and her family weren’t struggling with either. Why would she agree to such a union?
“Time for bed, birdie.” Tom folded back the freshly washed quilt and patted the mattress. “Hop in.”
Taking a final sip of her water, Clara plunked the cup on the table and climbed onto the bed pushed up against the main room’s wall. The same one he and his brother had shared when they were young. Here on this farm, the memories were everywhere. Inescapable. At least at the ranch, there hadn’t been anything to remind him of the good times. Nothing to resurrect futile yearning for what used to be.
Making herself