Page 45 of Fake It Till You Make It

“You made us two?”

“Yep, two apiece. We missed breakfast today. There’reenough calories to get us through dinner. Never make the same mistake twice.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” He gave her a thumbs-up for thinking ahead. Preplanning seemed second nature to the way her brain worked. Not that he told her, but he appreciated her seeing to needs that he’d overlooked. A feminine yin to his increasingly aroused male yang. She sat next to him on the barn’s dirt floor, not the least bit irritated by his armpit twang or the dirt covering both of them.

“You are amazing to watch, Eli.” She kept her eyes forward, avoiding his gaze. For which he thanked the heavens. It gave him a chance to observe her. She counted her chips before squirreling away half of them in a cloth napkin. Eli caught himself smiling, then he frowned when he realized he found her utterly fascinating.

“I recorded several videos of you helping Belle. Bringing a new life into the world is one of the things I loved about working in labor and delivery when I did my clinical rotation. I loved spending time seeing moms with their new babies. The attention they paid to them. How they just couldn’t take their eyes off this little person. It’s beautiful.”

Eli knew exactly how she felt because he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her. Tension, low but building, entered the stall with them. Which was bad. Very bad for a fake partner. This was that awkward silence of first dates that he had no idea how to break. He looked down at his work boots on her feet, chuckling. They looked like clown shoes. When she noticed him staring, she laughed, too.

“I know… they look crazy.”

“Actually, it’s kind of cute. You wearing my stuff.”

She pushed his shoulder, playful. “That’s what partners do.”

“That would be a first.”

“So can I ask you something about Ruth and Phoebe?”

“Sure.”

“Service is pretty small, with limited resources. Are… are they going to be okay? What about food, gas for the car, school clothes. Or if Phoebe gets sick and needs medical care? I mean, they can’t stay at the farm forever.”

Amarie looked to him, compassion for a woman and child she didn’t know written in the softening lines of her face. “Her husband, Bucky—”

“Your mom pointed him out to me at the Bear the other night.”

“Don’t go near him,” Eli reiterated. “When he gets to drinking, which is often,” Eli said through tight lips, “he kicks Ruth and their five-year-old out of his trailer. Flirts with other women. As far as I know, he and Ruth manage to patch things up every time.”

“That’s awful. Why would she do that?” Amarie’s expression tightened, closing off.

Belle’s whinny interrupted their conversation. Eli hopped back to his feet. “I think it’s time.”

Matt had gone into the house to take a rest. Eli knew the old man had to be exhausted running the farm without family to help out, and lonely. He had noticed the sadness darkening his eyes every year Rachel stayed away. Eli had hoped the farmer would’ve shared lunch with them, but when he’d mentioned he was too old to take his meals on the floor, he realized an invitation to his momma’s table would be best.

Amarie rose. “I’ll help.”

“You always this volunteer-y?”

“That’s why I chose nursing. You can help people without them feeling weak or guilty about asking for it. Patients respect their nurses, don’t see them as easy targets forgenuinely enjoying serving others. It’s a win-win. They live to see another day. And I earn a paycheck for doing what I’m passionate about.”

Interesting perspective. One he hadn’t considered. He had grown up with brothers and both parents, they’d helped each other all the time. Weakness wasn’t a word he’d apply to any of them.

“What can I do to help you, boss?”

“Stay out of the way of Belle’s hoofs, I don’t want you hurt in case she kicks. By her head is the safest place. If she tries to get up, don’t let her.”

“Aye, aye, captain.”

“You’re so extra,” Eli murmured. “I actually think your face started to glow.”

Amarie got down on her knees and lifted the mare’s head into her lap, stroking her forehead. “Oh, that’s just my halo.” She laughed. “You’ll need Ray-Bans if you want to stay my partner.”

“It’s not an act, is it? You love helping people.”

“If I needed help, I would want people to rally in support. You know.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’ll pay forward when I really need it.”