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jogging the remaining distance. When she approached the barnyard, it was deserted. None of the teenagers were there, and she didn’t see Carly or Nathan.
    She went toward the barn to check it before going to the house. As she neared the barn, she heard murmurs coming from inside. Entering, she found Nathan talking with his horse, Thunder.
    “You didn’t tell me you’re a horse whisperer,” she said.
    He jerked back and swung around, holding the saddle. His surprise quickly vanished to be replaced with a frown. Without saying anything, he turned and hefted the saddle onto his gelding.
    She closed the space between them. “I’m sorry I was late. Wait till—”
    “That’s okay. You don’t owe me an explanation. It’s not as if you’re an employee.” The tight thread in his voice underscored his anger.
    Susan marched the few steps to him and clasped his arm to rotate him toward her. “I had a blowout.”
    “Why didn’t you call? I’d have come to help you. After all, you’ve been helping me for the past month. Is it okay for you to help others, but not for us to return the favor?” Shrugging from her grasp, he proceeded to finish readying his horse to ride.
    Her own anger surged through her. She pivoted, deciding to leave. She charged out of the barn, only to be reminded her car was about six miles down the road.

Chapter Eighteen
    Story:
    “Daddy, Susan is walking toward the road, limping. Isn’t it too far for her to walk home?”
    Susan is walking? To Hope? Where’s her car? She mentioned a blowout…
Nathan thrust the reins into Carly’s hand. “Tie Thunder to the post and get Jersey ready. I’ll find out what’s going on and be back in a minute.”
    He hurried from the barn, coming out into the sunlight, its brightness causing him to blink repeatedly as he searched for Susan. When his gaze latched on to her, almost at the highway, he spurred himself even faster.
    What did he just do? He didn’t even give her a chance to really explain. But he knew what he’d done. He’d been trying to shut her out before she did that to him. His wife’s rejection had left a deeper mark on him than he’d realized.
    “Susan, wait up.”
    She kept walking. Didn’t even look back at him. He didn’t blame her. He’d been wrong, fluctuating between worry that something had happened to Susan and anger that her visits to the farm weren’t as important to her as they were to him. There. He’d finally admitted that he looked forward to seeing her, having her around. And it had nothing to do with the help.
    “I don’t blame you for being angry. I’d be mad at me, too.” He fell into step next to her, slanting a glance toward her face.
    A face devoid of emotion with eyes staring straight ahead. He surged forward, spun around and began walking backward. “Let me explain, Susan.”
    She came to a stop, her glare drilling into him. Emotions flooded her expression, with fury dominating in the end. “Get out of my way.”
    “Nope.”
    She peered off to the side, her arms folded across her chest, her breathing hard and rushed. “You are a…” Her lips pressed together, but no other words came out.
    “An idiot?”
    “I didn’t say that, but now that I think of it, most definitely. What just happened in the barn? What are you so afraid of?”
    Words that described how he felt about her jammed in his throat, and no matter how much he told his mouth to say them, he couldn’t get them out.
    “Never mind. Your silence speaks loud and clear.” She pushed past him and kept limping away.
    Why am I so afraid to take that first step? Lord, help.
    With her back ramrod straight, she lengthened the distance between them. Sweat popped out on his forehead, a rivulet rolling into his eye and stinging it.
    “When you didn’t show up today, it reminded me of the day of the hurricane, when my wife didn’t show up.”

Chapter Nineteen
    Story:
    Nathan’s words shivered down Susan’s body. Although downright hot at ten