Home of Her Heart (Hearts of the War Book 2)

by Shanna Hatfield

  None compared to the way Delaney roared into town. Heedless to national speed limits, rations on gasoline, or restrictions on rubber, she made the trip to Pendleton in six minutes flat. She’d cut two corners, scared the daylights out of the milkman, and nearly toppled a section of fence in the process. He’d closed his eyes when she skidded into town, frightening four drivers at a busy intersection.

  The experience brought back memories of riding on the bus in China with the lunatic driver.

  Klayne had braced one hand against the dashboard and the other on the door, wondering how much damage he’d sustain if he were forced to jump out of the careening car. Not that he would exit it with Delaney and his baby inside.

  Even if she didn’t want to talk about the precious little life that was a result of their intense, undeniable love, pride swelled in him each time he looked at her. Together, they’d created something, someone, who he prayed would be the best of them both, be better than both of them.

  “Is there a fire we’re going to?” he asked as she honked the horn, ran a stop sign and took a corner on three wheels. Impressed with her ability to keep the car on the road, he clenched the dashboard with a tighter grip.

  “The principal called. Ryatt didn’t show up at school. I put him on the bus this morning. What if he ran off, Klayne? What if he…” Tears brimmed in her eyes, as they so frequently did these days and she pressed her lips together to hold back a sob. If something happened to Ryatt she’d never forgive herself. He was all she had left of two people she’d loved and adored.

  “Okay,” Klayne said, cringing as Delaney barely missed hitting at car in an intersection and continued zooming down the street. He was surprised she hadn’t been pulled over for endangering lives with her reckless driving.

  A relieved sigh escaped him as she slammed on the brakes in front of the school and parked with one tire on the front lawn. Before Klayne could get out to help her, she was already waddling toward the door.

  He had to hurry to catch up to her, open the door, and follow her to the office.

  A round-faced woman with a ready smile glanced at them as they walked inside. The smile melted off her face and she offered them a sympathetic look. “Oh, Dee! I just can’t believe Ryatt would disappear like that. We’ve questioned the students in his class as well as those who rode the bus with him. They all say he got off the bus here at school but no one recalls seeing him after that. He must have slipped away then.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Johnson.” Delaney took the woman’s outstretched hand and held it in her own as she glanced around. “So he hasn’t returned?”

  The woman clucked her tongue and appeared quite distressed. “I’m sorry, dear, but no one has seen him.”

  “We’ll find him,” Delaney said, releasing the woman’s hand, then clasping Klayne’s. She needed his strength and support right then, even if she refused to admit it. She turned and headed to the car.

  “If you were Ryatt, where would you go?” Delaney asked, knowing Klayne had plenty of experience from years of escaping orphanages and foster homes.

  “The first place I always headed was the train depot. I’d hop on a train and ride it until I got caught.”

  She cast a horrified look his way and he held up his hands in a placating motion. “I’m sure Ryatt isn’t planning on leaving town, though. Unless…” He remained silent for a moment. “Do you think he’d try to make his way back to Portland?”

  “He might. He’s been talking about missing Petey and the farm,” Delaney said, leaning her head against the top of the steering wheel. The large, warm hand of her husband settled on her back and rubbed in comforting circles. “I just can’t imagine he’d do that, though.

  “Is there a place around here that’s special to him?” Klayne asked.

  Delaney raised her head and stared at him, sifting through her thoughts. “There’s one place. Mac took him there a few times…” She started the car, bumped over the curb as she turned around and raced through town.

  Just to be sure Ryatt wasn’t trying to make his way to Portland, they stopped at the depot. The ticket agent assured Delaney no little boys had come in looking for a ticket and he’d keep an eye out for him in case he did wander in.

  While she inquired inside the depot, Klayne walked along the tracks, looking for places where someone might jump onto a train car undetected. He found two bums hiding in a little culvert and ignored their whispered curses for him to leave them alone as he passed on by. Ryatt had no experience in stealing onto a train and he doubted the boy would try.

  Convinced Ryatt wasn’t there, he guided Delaney back to the car.

  She sped out of town driving west for a mile or so then headed south. “A few times when Mac, Carol, and Ryatt were visiting, Mac took them for a ride up in the hills. They’d pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it.” Delaney slowed and turned onto a dirt road. The car jounced and swayed as she drove over ruts and washouts. At one point, Klayne’s head bounced off the roof of the car when she hit a large hole filled with powdery dirt. Before the car could stall, she zoomed through the hole and continued following the trail upward.

  She gasped as the baby kicked in protest of the rough ride. Pain sliced across her abdomen, but she ignored it and kept both hands on the wheel. A trickle of sweat rolled across her forehead and into her right eye.

  Klayne brushed it away and settled his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay, Delaney? You look a little pale. Do you want me to drive? Do you want to turn back?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. The only thing that matters right now is finding Ryatt.” The glare she tossed at Klayne dared him to argue. Wise man that he was, he remained silent.

  Delaney finally topped a hill and drove around a large outcropping of rocks then stopped the car. On a large boulder, alone, a little figure sat with knees drawn up to his chin as he looked out at the valley below them.

  “Give me a minute with him,” Delaney said, placing a hand on Klayne’s arm. “Please?”

  “Go ahead,” he said, getting out of the car and leaning against the door.

  She felt his eyes following her as she picked her way across the rocky ground and sat down next to her nephew. “Ryatt, what on earth are you doing out here and how did you even find this place?”

  “Dad used to bring us here. Remember?” Ryatt said, turning his head so his cheek rested on his upraised knees. “I just… I needed to feel close to him and Mom today.”

  Delaney settled her hand on his back, not knowing what to say. How did one comfort a child who had lost his whole world? “I do remember, Ry. You had some fun times here.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes before Delaney patted the boy’s back. “Ry, it’s not okay for you to run away from school. The teacher was worried, the principal was worried.” Ryatt gave her a disbelieving look. “Okay, Mrs. Jenner was concerned by your absence. But I was scared sick something had happened to you. I can’t lose you, Ryatt. You’re all I have left of two of the best people I ever knew. You’d break my heart if you left.”

  Ryatt sat up and pointed toward the car. “But you have him.” He glared at Klayne.

  “I thought you liked Klayne, sweetie,” Delaney said, pulling Ryatt into a hug made awkward by her protruding belly.

  “I do like him. He’s funny and nice, and he never hollers if I mess stuff up. He’s a good guy, Aunt Dee. Petey would say he’s a straight arrow, a real hero, and I’d have to agree. If you had to marry someone, he’s the right fella for the job.”

  Delaney hid a smile. “Then what’s the problem? Why did you get so upset when you saw us this morning? I know you used to see your mom and dad kiss.”

  Ryatt shrugged, refusing to answer.

  “Come on, Ry. You can tell me anything,” Delaney encouraged, turning his face so he looked up at her.

  Tears welled in his eyes and he snuffled, then brushed his sleeve beneath his nose, as though he could scrub away his emotions.

  “What is it, baby?
What’s wrong?” Delaney drew him closer and removed his cap, feathering her fingers through his tousled hair.

  “I don’t want you to die, Aunt Dee! I don’t want you to die!” Ryatt burst into gut-wrenching sobs that caused Klayne to cover the distance between them in a few strides. He sat down on the other side of the distraught child and gave Delaney a confused glance, uncertain what to do to make things better for her or the boy.

  “I won’t let anything happen to your aunt, Ryatt. Honest I won’t,” Klayne said, placing a hand on the child’s slim shoulder.

  “But it will! You’ll both die, just like my mama and daddy!” Ryatt pushed against Delaney and would have run off, but Klayne grabbed him around the waist and pulled him onto his lap. The boy struggled against him for only a minute before his tense body sagged and he clung to the big man, sobbing out the grief he’d quietly tucked away since his parents died.

  “We won’t die, Ryatt. We won’t,” Delaney said, crying right along with her nephew. “Why do you think we’re going to die?”

  “That’s what happens when you love someone so much, like Mom loved Dad. You love Klayne like that. He’s a soldier. All soldiers die in the war. And when he dies, you’ll die, too, just like Mom.” Ryatt gasped for a breath and looked to his aunt, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I don’t want you to die, Aunt Dee. I don’t want Klayne to die! I hate war!”

  “Shh, shh,” Klayne said, rocking the boy back and forth, unsure what to do to calm or comfort him. He had no experience with children, but he recalled many times he’d wished there had been someone to hold him as he held the grieving child, someone to wipe away his tears and assure him all would be well. “Ryatt, look at me,” Klayne ordered.

  Ryatt sniffled and finally raised his gaze to Klayne’s. Klayne smiled at him and brushed the mussed hair away from the boy’s face then wiped away the tears from his cheeks. “Listen to me, son. I’ll be going back to active duty soon, but because of the wounds I received, I’ll stay right here in Pendleton, training others to do the job I no longer can. I’m not going back into battle and I’m not going to die. You have my solemn promise that I’ll do everything in my power to keep your aunt safe. Do you think I’d break a promise?”

  The boy shook his head and snuffled. “No. I could take your word right to the bank.”

  Klayne smiled again. “I’m glad you think so.” He moved so Ryatt sat upright on his knee. “You know, Ry, you were right when you said I love your aunt Delaney so much I’d die for her, die protecting her. But I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep us all safe. Can you promise me something, though?”

  Ryatt looked up at him with adoration and trust, curious.

  “Will you promise to never run away again?” Klayne smirked at Delaney. “If you do and I have to ride with your aunt driving like a crazy woman, I might die of fright right there in the car.”

  Ryatt’s eyes widened then he grinned. “I promise!”

  Delaney released a choppy laugh. “My driving wasn’t that scary.”

  Klayne winked at Ryatt. “I’ll tell it to the world, it most certainly was. I bet you can find indents in the dashboard where I clung for dear life.”

  “I’m gonna go look!” Ryatt jumped off his lap and ran over to the car while Klayne helped Delaney to her feet.

  “Thank you for that, for being so good with him,” Delaney whispered as they watched Ryatt open the car door and examine the dashboard.

  “He’s my nephew, too. The poor little guy just needed to let out some of his grief and worries.” He gave her a pointed look. “He might not be the only one.”

  Delaney sighed and turned away from Klayne, glancing out over the valley below them. “I forget how beautiful it us up here.”

  Klayne slid his arms around her, his clasped hands resting just above the mound of her stomach, and stepped close behind her. “It is a beautiful place. I can see why your brother liked coming up here. Maybe in the spring, we could bring Ryatt and the baby here for a picnic.”

  “He’d like that,” Delaney said, leaning against Klayne, absorbing his strength. Without success, she tried to recall all the many reasons she’d pushed him away, but couldn’t think of one. Perhaps it was time to tear down the walls she’d built around her heart in his absence and let him in. Or at least, open the door a crack.

  “We better get back to the ranch. Dill will be worried, too,” Klayne finally said. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head then moved back. When she turned to face him, he merely took her hand in his and led her to the car.

  Klayne assisted her in the passenger side. “If you don’t mind, I’ll drive home. Another ride like that one and I’ll look like old Marvin Tooley.”

  Ryatt giggled as Delaney slid onto the seat next to the boy. Klayne closed her passenger door then took his position behind the wheel.

  Klayne looked from Ryatt to Delaney. “Is it true Mr. Tooley is over a hundred years old?”

  “No one knows for sure, but Dad said he was a cranky old coot when he was a boy.” Delaney gave Ryatt a reproving look. “And don’t you dare tell anyone I said that.”

  Ryatt rolled his eyes. “I won’t, Aunt Dee.” He took Delaney’s left hand and Klayne’s right hand and placed them together. “Thank you for coming to find me.”

  “Just remember, no more running away,” Klayne warned. He kissed the back of Delaney’s hand then started the car. “It’s okay if you need to cry sometimes, Ryatt, and it’s okay to be sad and miss your parents. You don’t have to bottle all that up inside and wait for it to explode.”

  “Like when you shake a bottle of pop? Me and Petey did that one time at his house. The cap flew off and broke a plate his mother had hanging on the wall. Good golly, it was something to see with Dr. Pepper foaming all over the kitchen floor. We thought we were in for it, but Petey’s dad came in and said he wouldn’t miss the ugly plate at all, but he did make us mop the floor.” Ryatt glanced up at his aunt. “Me and Petey saved up our money and bought his mom a new plate, a pretty one with roses painted on it.”

  “That’s my good boy,” Delaney said, ruffling his hair before setting the cap back on his head.

  She glanced over at Klayne and smiled, mouthing, “thank you,” to him.

  In spite of the rough start, perhaps this family still had a chance.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Delaney sent Ryatt up to get ready for bed after he finished his homework. Klayne had helped him with his history lesson while Delaney hand-stitched a tiny little sleeve into a dress for the baby.

  Klayne hadn’t questioned why she seemed so convinced it would be a girl, but he enjoyed watching her create the tiny pink garment.

  Now that harvest was over and the cattle they had out in the hills had been rounded up and brought in closer to the home place, she seemed intent on preparing for the baby. The one time he’d asked about when to expect it to arrive, she’d tersely answered it was due in November and stalked off.

  Perhaps the softening in her attitude he’d sensed recently would provide the opportunity for him to attempt, again, to get to know his wife better.

  In truth, Klayne was growing weary of trying, but he wasn’t one willing to give up without a fight. Every inch forward he’d gained with his wife had been a battle of wills, determination, and just plain stubbornness.

  As he went over details of the Civil War with Ryatt, Klayne kept glancing over at Delaney’s long fingers, no longer slender, but swollen from her pregnancy. They still looked elegant to him even in their rough, work-reddened state. She appeared lost in her thoughts as she stitched delicate rosebuds across the front of a little dress.

  Klayne had never seen something so small, so sweet, and wondered about the baby who would fit into such a bitty little garment.

  “Is that right, Klayne?” Ryatt asked, staring up at him with an eager look on his face.

  “Yep, you got that last one right, Ry. Good job,” Klayne said, reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair.

  “Finish you
r milk and cookies then head up to get your bath,” Delaney said, smiling at Ryatt.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Ryatt said. He stuffed the last bite into his mouth of a new type of cookie Amy’s folks recently started carrying in their bakery. Several soldiers stationed in Pendleton had requested the cookie that had bits of chocolate and chopped nuts in a sweet vanilla dough. Amy said the cookies were rapidly growing in popularity and had sent home a few dozen with Delaney and Klayne when they took Ryatt in for a treat on their way home that morning.

  Klayne helped himself to another cookie as Ryatt gathered his homework into the bag he carried to school.

  The boy glugged the last of his milk then ran up the stairs, seeming lighter in spirit and heart than he’d been since the loss of his parents.

  Klayne glanced around, expecting Dill to make his way into the kitchen, but the house remained quiet other than the sound of Ryatt running water upstairs. “Where’s your dad?” he asked, turning to look at Delaney.

  “He said the worry of the day wore him out. He went to bed about half an hour ago.” Delaney held out the dress she’d embellished and wrinkled her nose.

  “What’s wrong?” Klayne asked, rising and moving to stand behind her chair.

  “I’m not particularly talented when it comes to sewing. It’s mostly because I wouldn’t sit still long enough to learn.”

  Klayne wiped his hands along the sides of his jeans and reached out to the feel the soft cotton fabric in his fingers. “I think it’s perfect.”

  Delaney tipped back her head and glanced up at him. “You’re kind to say that. It’s far from perfect, but if I don’t get a few garments made, this baby of ours will wind up without a thing to wear.”

  Klayne released the fabric and bent down, kissing Delaney’s cheek. “I highly doubt that. Tomorrow, I’ll go up to the attic and see if I can find that trunk your dad mentioned. Do you need a crib or anything for the baby?”

  “Everything we need should be up in the attic. I thought I’d turn the room across the hall from yours into a nursery. I just painted it last year and no one uses it now. It was the room Mac and Carol always…” Her voice faded and she blinked to dispel the tears threatening to trickle down her cheeks.