The Renegade's Redemption. Stacy Henrie

he be an answer to her prayers? If so, she might need to be more specific with the Lord in the future about whom she could and could not put up with for help. Still, with Tex’s assistance, they would likely get the planting done on time. And since she wouldn’t be paying him a wage, she could use that money to hopefully hire someone willing to work for cheap to finish building the larger house.

      She threw him a glance to find him watching her, and suddenly, she needed to know why he’d disappeared that night. If she was going to agree to let him stay on or not, she needed an answer to the question that had haunted her for so long. “Why didn’t you come back, Tex?”

      A puzzled expression settled onto his handsome face. “I did. That’s why I’m standing here.”

      “No.” She shook her head, her heart thrashing faster. Did she want to know the answer? There’d be no unhearing Tex’s response. “I mean,” she plunged on, “why didn’t you come for me like we’d planned?”

      Understanding washed the color from his jaw and he shifted his weight. Would he tell her the truth? Ravena clasped her hands tightly together, hoping she looked more brave and unaffected than she felt.

      “I planned to. But then...” He wiped his hand over his chin. Ravena held her breath. “I realized you deserved far better than me.”

      She released the pressure in her lungs in a soft whoosh, feeling just as deflated. He’d decided she deserved better, but he hadn’t bothered to ask if she felt that way too. “I see.”

      But she didn’t, not completely. Something had happened that night, between the time they’d finalized their plans to elope and Tate showing up at the farm to say Tex had disappeared.

      She considered pressing Tex for more of an explanation, and yet, she couldn’t stomach reopening the old wounds any more than they’d already been. His answer wasn’t as satisfying as she’d hoped...but it didn’t hurt as much as she’d feared either. And really, what did it matter in the end?

      Tex hadn’t come back for her, which meant she hadn’t made the mistake of leaving her grandfather alone. Those were the realities of the past. But she hated that she’d pinned everything on Tex’s word and had come so close to turning her back on the home she’d loved for the man she’d trusted. A man who’d gone back on his promise to be there for her always and come for her that night. A man who stood before her now, offering to help when she needed it most.

      Can I do it, Lord? If Tex stuck around, the past was likely to keep eating at her. But surely she could endure some discomfort over the next few weeks if it made her better able to care for the children—and bring the other four boys to the farm.

      “All right.” Ravena stuck out her hand for him to shake. “I accept your offer.”

      His hand closed over hers. “You won’t regret it, Ravena,” he said, his gaze unusually serious. “I promise.”

      She’d heard those words before. Breaking his hold, she strode toward the house to see how Ginny was coming at starting supper. Everything inside her hoped that Tex would fulfill his promise. Because she wasn’t the only one counting on him this time.

      * * *

      Tex hobbled toward the porch, the sun’s dying rays a fitting backdrop to how he felt. His body, and particularly his healing wound, protested each step. And he’d only been plowing that field for a couple hours. Outlawing wasn’t exactly a life free of activity, but he hadn’t done hard labor like this in years and every one of his muscles was determined to remind him of that fact.

      Opening the screen and then the front door, he entered to the murmur of conversation coming from the back of the house. Mark and Luke had found him in the barn a few minutes earlier, seeing to the horses, and had announced it was time for supper. “And Miss Ravena ain’t partial to latecomers,” Mark warned.

      Tex managed to work up a small smile at the memory of the boy’s words as he moved slowly down the hall. Ravena might run the farm with a steady hand, but she was compassionate too. It wasn’t hard to see how much the children loved and respected her. That was something he could easily relate to—she’d always engendered his love and respect as well.

      Until you abandoned her.

      A tremor of shame and guilt rocked him at the errant thought and stole what little strength he had left. Tex splayed his hand against the wall to hold himself upright. He’d thought he’d suppressed his regret over not coming back for Ravena that night. But being here again and having her ask him earlier about the past was making it harder and harder to ignore.

      Laughter floated toward him, beckoning him forward, and away from the painful past. He hadn’t yet eaten in the kitchen with Ravena and the children. Tex gritted his teeth against his despondency, fighting it back with reminders that he was here to help her now. Surely that was something. Pushing away from the wall, he forced himself to walk instead of limp into the kitchen.

      All of the children were seated, except for Ginny who assisted Ravena in carrying the dishes to the table. The laughter faded as he stepped through the doorway.

      “Smells good,” Tex said, a little louder than necessary. But he was desperate for an escape from the physical and emotional pain battling inside himself. “Then again, it usually does.”

      He noticed Ravena’s cheeks flush pink, though she didn’t change her passive expression. “You’re welcome to take a seat after you wash up.” She and Ginny sat at the table.

      Crossing to the sink, he lifted the pump and began to wash his hands in the stream of water. “What’s for supper?”

      His only response came in the form of a girlish giggle. Tex turned to see Fanny covering her mouth with her hands. The rest of the children were staring down at their empty plates, but they were all fighting smiles.