The Texan's Inherited Family by Noelle Marchand

Author:Noelle Marchand
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-09-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Without hesitation, Helen slipped her hand into Quinn’s grasp. Relief softened his features, prompting a hint of a smile on his lips. She followed his troubled gaze to the wooded hills surrounding the farm. The trees bedecked in sable, orange and yellow leaves contrasted sharply against the somber gray sky. She knew neither of them was truly concerned with the view and merely needed time to gather their thoughts.

The wail of Rhett’s harmonica sounded above the wind, reminding Helen of why she’d gone into the barn in the first place. She’d wanted to find out if the men would play together for the children. She hadn’t been trying to eavesdrop. However, it had been impossible not to hear what Quinn and Rhett were saying as she’d approached the tack room.

Momentary shock had rooted her in place long enough to grasp a full understanding of the situation. Needing time to figure out what she should do next, she’d left the barn only to have Quinn follow her.

She had many questions but didn’t want to make the situation harder for him by asking them. She was relieved when he broke the silence between them, even if his tone was defensive. “I can’t read. So what? Not everyone can. I’ve managed just fine until now.”

If it didn’t bother him that he couldn’t read, he wouldn’t have kept it a secret. She knew that from experience. However, it would hardly help the situation to make him admit his obvious fear and embarrassment. “I know that not everyone can read and write, but why can’t you?”

The question seemed to catch him off guard, so she waited while he mulled it over. She saw the moment he settled on an answer, for his features clouded with pain then resignation. He stopped walking, took her other hand in his and looked her in the eye. His voice deepened in all seriousness and sincerity. “Well, Helen, the truth is...I’m just plain stupid.”

Her mouth fell open. She stared at him, blinked, shook her head. “What? You don’t really believe that.”

“I know it. Granted, I’ve gotten pretty good at hiding it over the years, but I am not a smart man. That’s just a fact.”

“That is not a fact.”

He released her hands to comb his through his close-cropped curls. “Look, you’ve got to accept—”

“No, I don’t, and neither do you, because it isn’t true.” She started walking again. “No, there has to be another explanation.”

He sighed as he caught up with her. “There isn’t. I just couldn’t figure it out.”

“What do you mean? No one just figures it out. You have to be taught. Did you go to school?”

He grimaced. “Yeah, I went a couple of times. That was enough for me. I hated it.”

“Why?”

“After my ma died, Pa couldn’t seem to find the strength or will to take care of himself or his sons, so I was a ragged, dirty little thing when I first started going. The other children picked on me incessantly because of it.

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