Travis took one look at him and laughed. “You are definitely screwed, my friend.
~ ~ ~
The next day, Will returned the novels he’d borrowed from the Swan Library and checked out two more. They helped pass the time in the long evenings when he was too restless to sleep. He picked up a loaf of bread, some snacks, and various canned products he could easily prepare so as to reduce his dependency on Amy. After last night, he definitely needed to spend less time with her. There was way too much at stake.
Later, he perused the pups Travis’s shepherd had whelped and found himself drawn to a sturdy little male with the coloring of the mother. He lifted the small dog up and set him in the wooden crate his buddy had lined with an old blanket. He thought they’d get along just fine, but before he had a chance to leave, an undersized off-colored pup latched onto the cuff of his pants and tugged.
Travis chuckled and picked it up. “She’s the runt of the litter but one tenacious girl. She fought her way through the boys to suckle. I expect now she’s eating dry food she’ll gain a few pounds.”
Will reached over and took the puppy from his friend and smiled. The dog had more black hair than the others combined, and her feistiness reminded him of his partner. He eyed the male in the crate in indecision. Then he thought of Thomas and smiled. The boy should have a dog of his own. There was no doubt in Will’s mind the little tyke would form an attachment to whatever pup he brought to the farm and be heartbroken when he took it with him in the fall.
He placed the runt in the crate with the male dog and said to his friend. “Amy’s little boy would love a puppy.”
“She’s all yours, but don’t you think you should check with his mom first?”
Mind made up, Will lifted the crate. “Nah, I’ll deal with it later.”
Travis smirked. “I’d like to be there when you do. I have a sneaking suspicion she’ll have a thing or two to say to you, and I hate to miss it. No doubt you’ll end up in the doghouse. Oh, but then, I forget . . .” He slapped Will on the back. “That’s where you already live, isn’t it?” Travis chuckled all the way to the truck.
Will ignored his friend and headed for the vehicle. He silently agreed with his buddy. Amy would blister his ears when he showed up with two dogs instead of one.
Chapter 20
Amy returned to the farm with mixed emotions after work. She’d come to terms with her attraction to Will even though she’d said never again after her divorce from Rob. There was absolutely no comparison between the two. Rob was self-centered, dishonest, and disloyal. He’d screw over his brother if he’d benefit from it, not to mention his tendency to get violent when he drank, whereas Will was honorable, loyal, hard-working and would risk his life for his best friend. Yet, she sensed his reluctance to engage on any emotional or physical level and wondered if it had only to do with his wounds or if there was more to it.
She swung into the driveway to find Will exiting the barn with not one puppy but two following in his wake. Oh no, was her first thought, followed by I’ll kill him as the next. She knew without asking who the second dog was meant for, and although it warmed the cockles of her heart that he thought to do such a sweet thing for her son, he should have checked with her first. She could barely keep food in their mouths as it was without having a dog to feed. Not to mention, she’d be the one taking care of it.
Thomas let out a squeal that almost pierced her eardrum when he spotted the pups.
“Look, Mommy, Mr. Will’s got two doggies.” Thomas held up his index and middle finger at her.
“I see,” was all she could think to say, not wanting to crush his hopeful expression.
“Hurry, Mommy. Let me out. I want to see them.” He stood up in the seat and pressed his nose to the window.
Amy sighed and leaned over to unlock Thomas’s door and open it for him. In two seconds he’d slid to the ground and his little arms and legs were pumping like a steam train chewing up the distance between the truck and the puppies following in Will’s wake.
Will bent and grasped Thomas before his body slammed into him and lifted him high in the air, then set him down among the wiggling puppies. Leaning over, he gently picked up the smaller of the two animals and carefully placed it in Thomas’s arms.
Amy couldn’t hear the words Will murmured to her son because the loud crack of her heart bursting open deafened them to her.
Her son’s response came through loud and clear.
“For me, Mr. Will? For me?”
She wiped the tears that formed in her eyes with the pads of her fingertips, before striding across the lawn to greet the boys and the new pups.
Red suffused the edge of Will’s collar, and his guilty expression spoke volumes. It was almost comical the abashed expression on the tough Marine’s face. Rob would have simply told her if she didn’t like it, lump it, and then strode off to avoid a confrontation, but Will stood his ground awaiting his scolding.
“See, Mommy.” Thomas brought the puppy he held closer to her. “She’s really soft.”
She glanced from Will to her boy and then to the cute ball of fur he cuddled in his arms and knew the battle was lost. She squatted next to Thomas and rubbed the dog’s furry head. “Yes, she is. What shall we name her?”
“Tom?” Her son beamed at her.
“Since we already have two Toms, I think maybe we ought to pick a girl’s name since it’s a she. Don’t you?”
Thomas glanced up at Will as if seeking his advice, and Will nodded reassuringly.
“Otay,” her son responded but seemed lost to any names he could select. “What shall we call her?”
“I’ll tell you what, why don’t we think about it and we can decide over dinner?”
Thomas nodded. “Can I stay outside and play with the doggies?”
“Not now, I need to put dinner on.”
“I’m going to take the pups to the barn,” Will interrupted. “If it’s all right with you, Thomas can tag along, and I’ll bring him in when I come up to the house for supper.”
“That’s fine. Dinner should be ready at six.” Her tone clearly stating she’d not finished with him yet.
With a tight-lipped smile, he nodded, took Thomas’s hand, and they strode back to the barn, the puppies following in their wake.
As she watched them go, Amy wondered what was she going to do with the man? He was driving her to distraction in more ways than one.
Once dinner was ready, Amy set the meal on the table while the boys washed up. She poured Will his coffee, and he pulled her chair out for her. Ah, she thought, the little ordinary routines that make up the fabric of our lives. She never would have considered the years during the war to have been a simpler time, and yet her life now felt infinitely more complex. She felt ages older and wiser than she had three years ago. It was amazing how much could change in such a short period of time.
She spooned some green beans onto Thomas’s plate then passed the bowl to Will. “All right, you want to tell me how it is we now have two dogs rather than one?”
With a sheepish expression, Will told her how and why he brought the other puppy. “I thought it would be tough on the little guy if he grew attached to mine, and it would be difficult when we left.”
The thought of Will leaving didn’t set well with her. Although he hadn’t been there long, he already felt part of the family, and she knew he’d take pieces of their hearts with him when he left. She clamped down on her emotions. She hoped in time he might rethink his decision and that maybe she could convince him to stay through the winter.
“That being what it may . . .” She swallowed tightly. “For now, we have a dog to name. What did you decide to call the male?”
“Shep.”
Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Very original.”
“I thou
ght so.” His mouth twitched at the edges.
“Any thoughts on a name for the female?”
“Shepherdess?” he said drolly without blinking an eye.
She burst into laughter and shook her head at him then fell silent. Will’s grin lit up his entire face erasing the grimness she hadn’t quite realized he wore as a mantle. She’d never seen him carefree and lighthearted before. She could only imagine what he must have been like before the war.
“No?” he questioned.
“Try again.”
“Your turn.”
“How about Molly?”
“Has possibilities. Shall we ask Thomas?”
Her son at the sound of his name glanced up from the food he’d been pushing around his plate.
“Shall we call your new puppy, Molly?” she asked him.
Thomas glanced from her to Will and back to her. “Mol.” He nodded and smiled at them. “Mols.”
“Molly it is.” She beamed at her son. “Now let’s finish our dinner, and get you cleaned up and ready for bed, we have to get up early again tomorrow.”
She stacked the dishes in the sink while Will drank his coffee and had several helpings of the pie her mother had sent home with her.
“Do you mind waiting while I put Thomas to bed? I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”
The pained expression on Will’s face was almost comical—a deer caught in headlights would be an apt expression.
It took longer than usual to get Thomas cleaned up and settled down. All he could talk about was his new puppy and pester her as to when the dog could sleep in his room. When she returned to the kitchen she was disappointed to find Will gone, but at least her dishes were washed and neatly stacked in the sink.
Not so fast, Will Henderson. She grabbed a sweater from the hook by the back door and flicked on the outside light. You’re not getting off that easy.
Chapter 21
Will sat propped against the head of his bed reading the Farmer’s Almanac, both puppies curled asleep at his side. He didn’t welcome the sudden knock on the door. Amy was driving him to distraction. He knew what she wanted, and he didn’t have it to give. The best he had to offer was companionship, and he didn’t think it enough. With a sigh, he rose and limped to the barn entrance, maybe he could head her off there.
“Yes.” He frowned, hoping to discourage her.
“You didn’t wait,” she said pointedly.
“I needed to check on the dogs.”
“You could have come back.”
He crossed his arms and remained blocking the doorway. “What’s so sure fire important that it can’t wait until tomorrow?” When she didn’t snap back at him, he knew something was wrong. He stepped back to let her in, then returned to the tack room and placed the puppies back in the crate. “Sit.” He nodded to the chair. When she sat docilely, his concern jacked up a notch. “What’s wrong?”
“The reason I wanted to speak with you after I put Thomas to bed is it concerns his father, and I don’t like to speak ill of the man around his son.”
“I’m listening.”
“Rob came by the diner today and said he wanted to pick Thomas up from my mother’s tomorrow while I worked, and that he would bring him back to the farm after dinner.”
“No worries, I’ll stick close by.”
“Um, actually what I wanted to ask is if you would stay out of sight.”
Now that was unexpected, he thought she’d want just the opposite. “May I ask why? It’s not as though he’s unaware of my working here.”
“He does but knowing it and seeing it are two different things. I’m not sure how he’ll react if he actually sees you here. I think it’s best to avoid a confrontation is all.”
“Why?” he said grimly, not liking the conclusion he was drawing. “Then you’re not afraid of him?”
Her turbulent eyes shifted away from his gaze to somewhere over his left shoulder. “No, not really, I’m used to his behavior.”
“Which is?” He raised a brow.
“Um, I guess you could say difficult.”
“Difficult, hmm, I’d say that’s a mild word to describe your ex. How about a belligerent son-of-bitch? Pardon my language.”
Her tense expression eased, and she gave him a tight smile. “No pardon needed. I believe I’ve used those same words a time or two.”
“Okay, we agree on something. But, help me out here. Why would you want me out of sight? I’d think a visible presence would deter his more volatile reactions.”
“I’m afraid it will more likely set him off, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” She refused to meet his eyes.
“By anyone do you mean your ex or me?”
The guilty flush that heated her cheeks left him in no doubt who she meant. Will wasn’t sure whether to be flattered she wanted to protect him or pissed she thought she needed to. He went with the latter. Having his manhood questioned by anyone would have stung but coming from a slip of a girl like Amy was a double shot. “Fine. I’ll do as you ask,” he said sharply, “but not because I think he’ll get the better of me. He’s a coward and a bully, and he’s not going to pick a fight he can’t win. Make no bones about it, bad leg and all, he doesn’t stand a chance. And now that you’re done insulting my manhood, I think it best you take your little behind back to the house.”
“Will.” Amy stood and put her hand on his arm as her soulful eyes searched his. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yeah, you did,” he said gruffly, her warm fingers infusing heat into his arm wreaking havoc with his senses. “And you best leave, before my insulted manhood reasserts itself in ways you didn’t bargain for.” That being said he stood and pushed her across the threshold then shut the tack room door behind her.
Will spent the rest of the evening sparring with the air, twisting and turning on his feet. He sure as hell hoped the bastard took a swing at him. He had something to prove, and not only to Amy.
Sunday began with sunshine, but as the afternoon wore on clouds rolled in and rain hovered in the air. He finished his work in the fields early so he could be back to the house when Amy’s ex arrived. He’d stay out of sight as he promised, but not where she expected. After washing up and dressing in clean clothes, he went to the back side of the house and took a seat on the steps within earshot of the driveway should he be needed. He cracked his knuckles in anticipation and waited patiently, something he’d done a lot of during the war.
About thirty minutes after Amy arrived home, he heard a vehicle drive up and Thomas’s exuberant voice calling to his mother as he ran to the steps. The front door opened and snapped shut as Amy stepped out onto the front porch to greet her son.
“Missed you, Mommy.”
“Missed you, too,” he heard Amy respond. “Why don’t you go in and get washed up.”
“I want to go see Mols first. Can I, Mommy?”
“Maybe later after your father leaves.”
“But I want to show him my new puppy. Pweeze.”
“I said, not now.”
“Oh, come on,” the boy’s father replied, undermining Amy’s authority. “Thomas, come show your dad your new dog.”
Will heard Thomas’s little feet patter back across the porch and a few minutes later he saw the ex and the boy strolling toward the barn. Thankfully, he left the pups out and closed the door to the tack room. The last thing he wanted was the bastard nosing through his stuff.
“Wait.” He heard Amy’s panicked voice as she sped after them, disappearing into the barn.
He knew she thought him hiding there, but she was about to be surprised. As he approached, he could hear raised voices.
“I thought he only worked here. What’s he doing living in the barn?”
Damn, Rob must have o
pened the door to his room.
“That’s none of your business. You don’t live here anymore, remember?”
“Only because you stole it from me.”
“I think you need to leave before you upset Thomas.”
“You going to make me?” Rob sneered. “Your gimpy farmhand’s not around to rescue you now, is he?”
Will clenched and unclenched his fists at that comment.
“He’s more a man than you can ever hope to be.”
Amy’s feisty remark brought a grin to his face.
Thomas’s cry wiped it back off. “You let go of my mommy or I’m going to get Mr. Will.”
That was his cue. He stepped forward, swung the barn door open, and locked eyes with Rob who quickly let go of Amy’s wrist. Without taking his gaze from the snake, he said to her. “Take Thomas and the pups to the house.”
“Will,” she pleaded.
“Now.” His voice brooked no argument. “Your ex and I need to have a friendly little chat, and I don’t think your son needs to hear it.”
“Thomas,” Will said, his voice deceptively soft. “Can you take Shep and Mols to the house for me and give them some water?”
“Otay, Mr. Will.” He picked up a wiggling puppy under each arm and struggled outside.
“You need to go with your son, Amy.”
She glanced outside then back to Will, a torn expression on her face.
“Go,” he said gruffly. “I’ll be fine. You need to be with Thomas.”
Once she left, Will blocked the exit by taking a wider stance then shifted the brunt of his weight to his right hip. “Now what was that name you called me?”
Chapter 22
Amy rushed outside to catch up with Thomas. She took both puppies from her son and hurried him along to the sandbox behind the house in full sight of the barn, but out of hearing distance should there be any yelling. She placed Shep and Molly in the sand and told Thomas to keep an eye on the pups and not to let them out of the box.
When The Geese Fly North Page 10