Page 31 of Resilience on Canvas

“It makes perfect sense for him to be scared. How would he know forsurethat Henry felt the same way? He can’t up and kiss him out of nowhere. What if Henry rejected him?”

“Well, so what?” Joe said, his brows creasing.

“Youknowhow most people feel about men being with other men.” Rose took the kettle off of the stove. “Robert might think that Henry will run him out of town.”

Joe scrunched his nose. “Oh. Right.”

“Think before you speak, sweetheart,” Rose teased.

Joe stuck his tongue out at her, and Rose retaliated in kind before filling three mugs with hot water. Henry continued strumming his fingers on the tabletop.

“Well, so, maybe I’ll... tell him how much I like him?” Henry said, but the moment the words tumbled out of his mouth, it felt like someone had stuck his organs in a blender.

No, he couldn’t never tell Robert. Not unless he really knew that Robert felt the same way.

Rose hummed like she was thinking this over. “I wouldn’t. What if helikesyou, but he isn’thappythat he likes you? And so, when you tell him, he winds up being mad that you evenknowthat he likes you? Or that you know that he likes men? Maybe he’s not interested in risking it. He could take it out on you for being the one to broach the subject.”

Henry could see that happening. Robert wasn’t the most levelheaded person.

“God, why’s this so convolted?” Joe said, smacking the table half-heartedly.

“Convoluted,” Rose corrected with a chuckle.

Joe loved learning new words, but he rarely ever remembered them right. Rose had come from a family with means before she was forced out of her home. She’d had a bunch of tutors when she was a kid, and as such, she knew a lot of words. Words that Joe wanted to know, too. Rose found it charming that her husband tried to pick them up here and there. Truthfully, Henry found it plenty charming himself.

Rose finished stirring in the honey. Afterward, she set two mugs on the table, one in front of Henry and one in front of Joe, and then turned back to fetch her own.

She said, “And it’sconvolutedbecause it’s easier for people to be hateful than to embrace the fact that some people aren’t like them. People are egotistical. They have trouble conceiving that someone may not have the same desires as they do. It’s how the world is. At least, it’s how it is right now. Even in the city, I couldn’t behonestwith most people. I had to keep Emily to myself.”

“So, what’s poor Henry supposed to do, then?” Joe asked.

Rose heaved a sigh and sat in the free chair to Henry’s left. She took a sip of hot water. Cradling the mug in her hand, shetap-tap-tappedthe ceramic with one of her long, unpainted nails.

“I think you should wait to see if he’ll ever initiate something, but...” She reached out and touched Henry’s cheek with her palm, and he leaned into it, relishing the platonic intimacy. Her hand was still warm from the mug of hot water, and the heat provided some comfort. “But be careful with that beautiful heart of yours, Henry. Try not to fall for him.”

“Try not to fall for him?” Joe repeated with a light scoff. “Henry has liked Robert foryearsnow.”

“Yes, but only from afar,” Rose said. “Falling in love with a projection of who you think someonemight beis wholly different from falling in love with a person for who they truly are. Becausethatkind of love risksrealheartache. And it’s painful. Trust me, I know.”

Henry nodded and said, “I’ll be careful. At least, I’ll try to be.”

When Rose took her hand away, she sighed in an overly exaggerated manner and said, “Goodness, you reallyarelike a baby bunny sometimes.”

Joe snorted a laugh, and Henry frowned. A baby bunny! How cruel! But, oh, hell, it was true, wasn’t it? Henry took his mug into his hands and blew on the hot honey water. He wished he could figure out hownotto be a little baby bunny sometime soon. Because even though Henry had just promised Rose that he’d keep his heart safe, he still wanted to help Robert and his family. It would take courage to help them. Henry would try his best not to fall in love with Robert along the way, but, oh Lord, he’d sacrifice his heart if need be. He’d sacrifice plumb near everything for Robert Davis.

Wanting to change the conversation topic, mostly because trying to figure out how to handle the situation with Robert was making his head spin, Henry brought up the farm.

“How’re you two fairin’ with the, uhm, the crops and such?”

Rose said, “It’s horrible. Our well is running out of water.”

Joe chimed in. “We keep having to figure out whether to water those couple of crops that’re still hangin’ on, or whether we can stretch it a bit more. And, of course, we need water ourselves too.” He shook his head. “I think we might need to leave soon.”

“Leave?!” Henry spluttered. “Do you mean leave Oklahoma?”

Joe nodded sadly. “Right.”

Rose reached for Joe’s hand. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry it might be coming to that.”

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