Page 81 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
The sound of a car had her looking toward the driveway where it split to go either to the house or here. It was Sawyer’s pickup. He saw them and headed their way. Birdie was seatedbeside him, and with them was Ally. The door opened, and his two blue heelers got out, both barking in excitement.
Benny rushed over, and they started sniffing each other, but their tails were wagging.
“Hey there, you two.” Leah bent to pat heads. Hudson joined in the love session. “What are you doing here?”
“We came to have a look around your sheds, as we didn’t get a chance to do that at the worker bee,” Sawyer said.
“That’s where she’ll be putting her kiln one day,” Hudson said.
The problem was, Leah talked to her nephew because he was the only one in the house, but in doing so, she told him things she didn’t want him to share with anyone, but she hadn’t thought to tell him that.
“Pardon?” Birdie said.
“Where’s your kid?” Leah asked, attempting to change the conversation.
“Home alone. We want her to get used to that,” Sawyer said.
“With Robyn,” Birdie said, punching her husband in the arm. “So, about the kiln comment?”
“Aunt Leah is really good at pottery. She makes all kinds of stuff and worked for this place that let her use their kiln in Philadelphia,” Hudson said.
Leah didn’t sigh, but it was a close thing.
“Even more reason to clear out the barn,” Sawyer said. “Between the pottery and the growing, you’ll have a money-making business in no time.”
“How do you know I’m any good?” Leah asked.
“Are you?” Sawyer asked.
“Maybe” was all she was willing to concede. “And I don’t need any help. I can do this. You’ve helped me enough.”
“I thought we’d been through all this already?” Sawyer said. “We want to help some more, so let us.”
“It’s a pride thing,” Birdie said. “Leah likes to battle away on her own because that’s what she’s always done. She also hates it when anyone wrestles that control away from her.”
“I’m standing right here,” Leah said, feeling uncomfortable at the truth of those words.
“In Lyntacky we help people who need it,” Birdie added. “Like we’ve already told you, but clearly you need to hear it again.”
“You want to introduce me to your chickens, Hudson?” Ally asked. “Do they have names? Ours have names, and I think that’s important because they lay better.”
They’d gotten the chickens from Tripp Lyntacky. He’d just turned up with them, saying he had spares, so she might as well have them, seeing as they had the coop already set up. He wouldn’t take payment and even left a large bag of feed. Tripp had then spent an hour settling them in and teaching Hudson how to care for them.
“My second point—” Birdie said.
“Oh goody, there’s a second point,” Leah muttered.
“—is that your nephew needs people he can turn to if you’re not around. Becoming familiar with us will ensure that happens, Leah.”
Her friend’s words hit home, and she was also nobody’s fool and knew that Hudson, unlike her, needed people in his corner. He’d get that with them. Birdie was right.
Swallowing down the sting of pride, she nodded.
“Well, hallelujah.”
“You’ve already spent a day here working, Birdie. I can accept help when it’s needed. But the barns I can work through slowly, so right now, there really isn’t a lot to do.”
“I’m going into the coop with Ally, Aunt Leah, to name the chickens, seeing as Pickle has a name,” Hudson said. “Benny, you stay here and play with Ted and Sylvie.”
