The Amish Cowboy's Homecoming Page 25

  Isaac didn’t go on, but let the words hang in the air. Settle in John’s mind. He couldn’t get a read on his boss’s expression at all, but he did notice he was pinching his lips in and out, and his forward-leaning posture was definitely on guard.

  “I’m a very busy man, but I reckon I can make time for you this evening—but late when everyone’s retired for the night.” He paused to blow out a long breath, “If it’s that important.”

  “It is, sir. And tonight’s fine,” Isaac said. “Ten o’clock?”

  John didn’t actually grumble before walking away, but Isaac was grateful they had a good relationship before now. Isaac was no coward, but John Zook could be an intimidating fellow, despite the kindness he’d always shown since the day Isaac was hired.

  “Hi,” Grace said as she approached, sounding drained but cheerful.

  “Hi,” Isaac replied, probably sounding the same to her.

  Who knew how long they might’ve remained there if not for the first raindrops falling to the ground.

  “Say goodnight, Grace,” John said. “Don’t want to get stuck in the mud.”

  At the word “mud,” Grace’s eyes went wide, looking at Isaac like they had a special secret—which they did.

  “Guti nacht,” Isaac said.

  “Nacht.” Grace grabbed onto the railing of the buggy, but then stopped. “See you in the morning?”

  “I’ll meet you there.” He nodded at John, who only stared back.

  As they drove away, Isaac was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to think straight until he laid it all on the line before Grace’s father.

  …

  Isaac was a grown man. He had a six-year-old daughter and had come through more trials than people twice his age. So why did he feel about twelve years old when he knocked on the front door?

  Only a few seconds passed before John opened it, holding it wide, speechlessly inviting Isaac inside. Besides a small, battery-operated table lamp by the couch, the rest of the downstairs was dark. Everyone else in the house, asleep.

  “Evening,” Isaac said as he removed his hat. “I really appreciate you giving me the time.”

  “Yes, yes,” John replied. “Have a seat.” Isaac quickly obeyed, but John remained standing. “Uh, you want something from the kitchen? There’s no coffee, though.”

  “I’m fine.”

  John grumbled something under his breath then glanced away, slowly rubbing his palms together, a gesture Isaac recognized as a stalling tactic of his own. Seemed his boss wasn’t exactly sure where to start, either.

  Finally, though, John took a seat in the armchair across from him. A picture suddenly appeared in Isaac’s head…that early morning he’d come there to find Grace asleep on the couch, his daughter safe in her arms. The nerves making his hands shake practically dissolved.

  “I think you know why I’m here,” Isaac began.

  John ran a hand down his beard. “Could be.”

  Isaac sat up straight and leaned forward. “After nearly two months, I’ve grown very fond of your…family—I respect you a great deal. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity you’ve given—”

  “Oh, mercy, son.” John cut in. “Are you in love with my daughter?”

  “I…” Isaac had never felt so tongue-tied in his life.

  “What? Too soon?” John sat back and crossed his arms, an almost amused expression on his face. “You said it’s been nearly two months. Why, I saw Eve across the room at her cousin’s wedding and told everyone in earshot I was gonna marry her.”

  Marry? He’d come there to ask John if he could take Grace on a date. Of course, he knew more dates would follow—he was dead certain about that. And then they’d be officially courting…which usually meant they had strong intentions to…

  Did any of that scare Isaac? No. Was he not already looking forward to every step in that process with Grace Zook? Yes.

  So? Did he love her?

  “Since you’re not willing to admit that yet, how about I rephrase it?” John cocked his head to the side. “Are you here to ask if you can court Gracie?”

  Isaac exhaled, grateful John had let him off the hook. “Jah.”

  “I’m your boss, you know. I could fire you on the spot.”

  A shudder zipped up Isaac’s spine, but after examining John’s expression, he lifted a confident smile. “I don’t think you’ll do that.”

  “Aye.” John leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I don’t think I will, either.” He laced his fingers in and out. “I do have some concerns, though. You’re in Honey Brook temporarily. If Grace is already attached to you, won’t dating make an inevitable separation worse?”

  Isaac was about to reply, but John kept going.

  “You’ve been married before, you have a child—now I’m not saying those are negatives, I’m just wondering how they fit into your plans for my daughter.”

  Isaac nodded, taking note, but didn’t speak, sensing John still wasn’t finished.

  “Grace can be hardheaded. She gets that from me, and she’s got her heart set on something I’m still not sure I can fully support—you know that.”

  John paused and looked down at his hands, giving Isaac a chance to recall the conversation he and John had had all those weeks ago at the medical clinic. He’d confided in Isaac that he was worried about Grace continuing with horse training. He hadn’t said it flat-out then, but Isaac suspected John would be perfectly at ease if his daughter gave up her passion and settled down. He’d be retiring soon, and he’d either shut down Zook’s Horse Training Farm, sell it off, or pass it on to a member of the family.

  Isaac suspected Grace hoped to keep the business—despite the rarity of women owning companies.

  “You’ve thought all of this through, I assume,” John said, lifting his eyes to Isaac’s. “And more so, I reckon.”

  Because of Isaac’s overall confidence, he sometimes wondered if people supposed he always had everything figured out. In this case, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

  “Those same questions have been keeping me up at night. But I truly care about your daughter, and she cares for me.” Isaac wondered if he should elaborate, but then thought it better to keep it basic. “We’ve grown very close; we trust each other. When the time comes, I’m sure we can figure it out.”

  “I have little doubt,” John said, nodding. “But there’s the money, too. I hired you to do a job and plan on paying you exactly what you’re worth—though the final decision will be on Travis.”

  “Oh?” Isaac asked, his mindset suddenly shifting. “I wasn’t aware Travis would be involved.”

  “He wasn’t at first. We’ve spoken a few times…he wanted updates on Sin. He’s mighty impressed—so impressed that he intends to endow quite a bit of money to the lead trainer. Publicity, too. He’s got all sorts of ideas about cross promotion at the shows and competitions. Sounds high level—career-changing, I’d expect.” He paused to blow out a breath. “I hired you, but I always knew Grace would be a part of it. Though I didn’t know then how big a part she’d become. It’s…different now. There’s more at stake. I hope you understand that.”

  Isaac could almost feel the waves of concern rolling off his boss. He felt them, too. He and Grace were a partnership now—if solely for this one project. And if Travis was willing to endorse only one of them…

  John was right. There was a lot more at stake. But what could be done?

  After another long moment of thought, Isaac ran a hand through his hair. “I do understand. And frankly, I don’t think I’d have it any other way. Your daughter’s changed my life.” When he looked at John, he felt even more at ease when he saw that he was smiling. “It puts her and me at a greater impasse,” Isaac continued. “But we’ve been at one from the beginning.”

  “Well, you’re a good man, Isaac King. And I thi
nk I’m a better person from knowing you. I know my sweet Gracie will be safe on a date with you.”

  “Thank you,” Isaac said, not having expected such praise when he’d first entered the house. He enjoyed talking with John—always had. But when his boss rose to his feet, Isaac knew their conversation was over.

  “Travel safely,” John said, opening the door. As Isaac was about to leave, John reached for his arm. “It’s about time you asked to talk to me about her.” He grinned. “I was wondering what took you so long.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  It seemed the fates were against Grace taking that long-anticipated buggy ride with Isaac. When she’d said goodbye to him after the barn raising, feeling those little wet drops from heaven, it didn’t stopped raining for three days.

  Grace was grateful they had a big barn and an oversized stable with plenty of room to entertain the horses during the rainy days. Every morning, afternoon, and evening, she made sure to walk each one up and down the aisle, practicing liberty with those who’d yet to master it.

  Her two little sisters, accompanied by Sadie, helped give Cincinnati, Honey Pot, and Lord Byron horsey makeovers. Leah was a whiz with the clippers, while Jane and Sadie took turns practicing their mane-braiding skills.

  “It’s about time we give these stalls a good deep clean,” Grace said. The mere suggestion of working rather than playing scared the little girls away, leaving only Grace and Isaac in the stables.

  “Did you know that would happen?” Isaac asked, using a pitchfork to haul out the old sawdust from Cincinnati’s stall.

  “I didn’t think it would be so easy,” Grace admitted, getting a broom so she could sweep off the bare mats. “Should’ve thought of it three days ago.”

  Isaac laughed. “And I figured it was only horses you have power over.”

  “I feel sorry for Sarah. She’s the one who’ll have to deal with all the muddy little boots and dirty dresses after they’re done splashing in the puddles outside.”

  Isaac was quiet for a moment, concentrating on his work. Grace couldn’t help taking the opportunity to observe—from afar. His shirtsleeves were pushed up above his elbows, showing tanned skin, dark arm hair, and big muscles. Once she felt her mouth go dry, she quickly looked away.

  “I, uh, was thinking of trying a new hay for the fall,” she said, going back to her sweeping. “I read about a nice grass-alfalfa mix, but it comes all the way from Cortez, Colorado.”

  Isaac looked up, leaning on the pitchfork. “Decker Hay Farm?”

  Grace blinked in surprise. “I think that’s the name. How in heavens did you guess?”

  “They’ve got a great reputation, though I’ve never used them before. A bit extravagant for plain folks.”

  “That’s true. But I might suggest it to Travis Carlson when he comes for Cincinnati.” She held her breath, waiting to see Isaac’s reaction.

  It was a subject neither of them had spoken of in quite a while: the day their training the intelligent Morgan would be over. Grace didn’t want to bring it up, but wouldn’t they have to talk about it sometime?

  Seemed Isaac didn’t want to discuss the real issue, either. “That’s a good idea,” he said, going back to work, clearing out the old straw and sawdust even faster. “You should tell him.”

  Grace waited to see if he would say anything more, but he seemed fixated on his task.

  “Jah, I will, then.” Her heart felt mopey as she went about cleaning the stalls, moving the horses in and out, making sure to spend quality time with each of them. Their conversation was pleasant like it always was, but Grace had come to expect more.

  Had something changed Isaac’s mind? Or was he, too, feeling down at the thought of ending their partnership?

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  Grace looked toward where Isaac was, three stalls over. “About what?”

  “About Travis.” He jammed his rake into a bale of hay. “The money he’s going to pay for training Sin.” He removed his straw hat and tossed it onto a chair. “Honestly, I don’t like even thinking about it, but I can’t help it now.” He paused and gave her a long look.

  Grace felt her shoulders relaxing some. At least they were finally talking about it.

  “I know you’re hoping to be able to afford the operation for your mother,” he said. “I want that for her, too. And you know I need the money and connections to make a better life for Sadie.” He raked both hands through his hair, looking mind-weary. “Believe me, I’ve been over it a hundred times.”

  “So have I,” Grace said, wanting to take a step toward him, maybe reach out for his hand. Maam needed the surgery so badly now, and they’d have to scrape together every penny for that. But it made Grace want to burst into tears when she thought of Isaac having to move back in with his in-laws.

  “I just wish…” he began, but paused to blow out a breath.

  “Wish what?”

  He looked down, running a hand over his forehead. “I have a little money saved. I wish I could pay for Eve’s surgery myself and then—”

  “Isaac King!” Grace cut in. She was about to reprimand him for even thinking of using his hard-earned money for anything besides his own future. But then the sheer kindness of his words touched her so tenderly, all she could say was, “You’re the most generous man I’ve ever known.” After a moment of thought, she added, “In the end, though, it’s not up to us. Not really. My father will decide on the money. He’s seen how we’ve been training together. I’m sure it will be fair.”

  Isaac gave her the same long look as before, his mouth halfway open, but then he shook his head and glanced away.

  “Isaac,” she said. “We’ve known this from the start.”

  “Jah,” he said, picking up the rake again. “But there’s something you don’t know. Travis and John have spoken recently about a change in the compensation deal, then John talked to me.”

  “Daed talked to Travis?” After Isaac nodded, she went on. “And…and my father spoke to you about it privately, without me?”

  After a quiet moment, Isaac nodded, a strange look in his eyes.

  Grace tried very hard to keep her initial reaction from feeling left out, or even betrayed. But really, shouldn’t she be an equal member of the partnership? She looked at Isaac, ready to pepper him with a million questions. But she stopped, realizing repentance shone in his hazel eyes, not any kind of manipulation.

  She took in a deep breath for preparation, then blew it out slowly. “Okay. What did Travis say?”

  Grace stood right where she was as Isaac told her about the opportunities the “lead trainer” was going to receive from Travis. The advertising and promotion. The money…that both of them desperately needed. Daed had been more than hinting that he’d be retiring soon—he’d even mentioned wanting to spend more time with Maam in the near future. This could be Grace’s only chance to make the kind of training farm she’d always dreamed of.

  “What did you tell my father?” she asked when he’d finished.

  “I told him I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “You mean, you want to be in competition with me?”

  One corner of his mouth pulled back. “I told him it’s a complication, but if I’d never been brought here…” He paused and dipped his chin. “I never would’ve met you.”

  As he looked up at her, a pleasant little flutter settled in Grace’s stomach. Her breaths were heavier and slower, her own lips curling into a smile.

  After weeks of trying so hard to get along and respect each other, they were at odds again now—each out to win a single prize. But it was different this time. Grace had feelings for Isaac, very strong ones. And she’d be out of her mind if she didn’t recognize how much Isaac cared for her.

  Should their mutual attraction make this easier?

  Or harder?

 
“I have an idea,” Isaac said, raking up a pile of used straw. “How about you let me do all the training the next few days. You handled so much of it while I was working on the barn raising.” He shrugged. “Sound fair? You know, to sort of even up our time?”

  For another uncomfortable second, the suspicious side of Grace was on high alert. Was Isaac trying to “even up” their training sessions so he would be in a better position to get Travis’s endorsement?

  Even considering that felt wrong to Grace, and a shiver of shame ran up the back of her neck. Isaac would never do something like that—to her or anyone. She’d never met a man with more integrity.

  After a few quiet moments between them, Isaac walked over to her. “We’ll figure it out,” he said, then reached out and ran a finger over Grace’s forearm. The touch sent a tingle all through her body, reminding her how much she liked and respected this tall, strong, good man before her. Trusted him with everything.

  “Stay for supper?” she asked, unable to stop from smiling, forgetting the huge obstacle in their way.

  “I shouldn’t,” he said. “I’ve been letting Sadie stay up late all week. She won’t want to wake for school tomorrow if I don’t get her back on a schedule.”

  “I understand,” Grace said. And somehow that made her like him even more.

  “Tomorrow, then?” he asked, rolling down his sleeves.

  Grace nodded. “Tomorrow.”

  …

  The loud bang shot Grace nearly out of her bed. Another flash of light, then an even louder crash. When had the storm rolled in? Last night, it drizzled, but not even the Farmer’s Almanac had mentioned a thunderstorm.

  She sat up in bed, listening, trying to gauge when the next flash of lightning would strike. It hit hard and close. In the silence afterward, she heard a sound from outside that sent her flying out of bed. She grabbed her dressing gown, throwing it on over her long nightdress as she ran down the stairs.

  Her bare feet were muddy by the time she got to the stables. She grabbed the battery-powered lantern that Daed always kept in his office and turned it on. A few of the horses were making a fuss, but most of the whinnying was coming from Cincinnati. For all Grace knew, this was his first experience with torrential weather.