Page 63 of The Payback Adventure
She loved Henry.
Elisabeth never thought she could feel this way about anyone, not after Toby. She hadn’t wanted it to happen. She hadn’t been looking for love but found it with Henry.
He made everything in her life seem brighter. Better. He showed her how much she had been missing out on by keeping herself closed off. He’d unlocked her heart and her soul.
So many changes. Good changes.
She didn’t know what the future held, but she knew she didn’t want to return to how things had been before Henry came to the farm. She couldn’t, and neither could the kids.
He placed his arm around Abby. “Let’s practice world capitals before your bedtime.”
“I know them all.”
“But I don’t.”
Elisabeth moved out of the doorway and waited for them in the hall. Waited and hoped. Perhaps he would want her and the kids. They deserved to be happy as much as anyone else.
Henry greeted her with a smile. “You’re home.”
Elisabeth nodded. “To a clean house. How did that happen?”
“We helped Henry,” Abby said. “He didn’t think you should come home to chores.”
“Thanks.”
“And we had a party like they had inAlice in Wonderland.” Her eyes twinkled with excitement. “Did you see your unbirthday cake?”
“I did,” Elisabeth said. “I like the pink icing.”
“That was my idea. And Caitlin’s.” Abby grinned. “We used my Easy-Bake Oven to cook them.”
“I had Sam standing by with a fire extinguisher just in case,” Henry joked.
Elisabeth laughed.
“Oh, and Manny called,” Abby said, heading into her bedroom.
“Manny said his mother is doing better,” Henry said.
“That’s great.” Elisabeth was happy for Manny and his family but also confused at the mixed emotions churning inside her. She was relieved to finally hear the news she’d been waiting for and guilty for hoping he would stay away longer. “Did he say anything else?”
“Manny will be back next week.”
Next week?
That was so soon. For her and the kids and Henry… What would he do? She started to ask but stopped herself. The answer was written in his eyes.
Henry hadn’t said the words, but she had no doubt he would be leaving the farm. Just as she knew he would but had hoped with all her heart that he wouldn’t.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I’m leaving.
A few days later, Henry sat at the kitchen table. Ten thirty in the morning and the kids were at school. He and Elisabeth had accomplished enough work on the evergreen blackberries to earn a coffee break. Talk about teamwork. Quite a change from his first day on the job. But thinking about the beginning reminded him of the end.
His official adventure would end in three days—a full month on the berry farm—but he wouldn’t depart until Manny returned. Henry kept telling himself that was good enough. Elisabeth didn’t need two farmhands. Not with winter approaching and money so tight. But the turmoil inside of Henry surprised him. He never thought he would feel this way when the day to say goodbye arrived.
That time was drawing near. He’d even emailed Frank,using the free computer at the library, to keep him from showing up as originally scheduled.
