Page 35 of In Honor’s Defense

It had been two days since the Hangers left and Luke moved into the barn. Luke was steadily growing stronger, recovering enough that she didn’t worry about leaving him for a few hours. And since today was Saturday, Nathaniel would be around to check on their patient occasionally. He and Luke got along well. At least, they seemed to. Nathaniel continued to exercise Titan every day and kept up with his chores with few complaints. Things had been progressing so well, Damaris had started to believe that the sullenness and anger were a thing of the past.

Until this morning. The chip had returned to her nephew’s shoulder, and Damaris couldn’t escape the feeling that she was forgetting something—something that would explain the change in his demeanor. But for the life of her, she couldn’t figure it out.

She hesitated over her answer, sensing a trap. “Yes.” She set the coffeepot on the back of the stove to stay warm. She’d take Luke’s breakfast out to him after Nathaniel finished. “I need to pick up some supplies at the general store.”

Nathaniel cut off a slab of pancake far too big for his mouth and shoved it in. His eyes glowed with rebellion. “That all?” The flapjack distorted his words, but she made them out.

“I think so?”

Wrong answer. His eyes narrowed, then dismissed her. He dropped his gaze to his plate and stabbed at his food with a force that would penetrate armor.

What had she forgotten?

“Do you need me to get something for you while I’m there?”

He shrugged. No eye contact. No words. Just a defiant lift of his shoulders that made it clear she’d failed to measure up to some invisible standard. Again.

Why wouldn’t he talk to her? She couldn’t rectify her error if she didn’t know what she’d done wrong.

Damaris blinked as an idea flickered to life. Maybe she should talk to him. He couldn’t guess her needs any more than she could guess his.

Butterflies took flight in her stomach, but she did her best to ignore them as she pulled out a chair and sat next to Nathaniel. Needing to busy her hands, she reached for the platter of flapjacks and forked one onto her plate, then reached for the blackberry jam.

By the time she found the courage to look up at her nephew, he’d finished over half his stack. He was shoveling in food as fast as he could chew. If she didn’t find her courage soon, she’d lose her chance.

She set down her fork, then reached across the table and touched his arm. He jerked away. Not an auspicious start.

Curling her fingers inward, she withdrew her hand a few inches, leaving it to rest on the table between them. “I can tell I’ve upset you, but I don’t know what I’ve done. Whatever it is, I want to make it right. Talk to me, Nathaniel. Please. What have I forgotten?”

“My pa! You forgot my pa.” He shoved his chair backward and lurched to his feet. “You’re so busy fussin’ over Mr. Davenport that you’ve forgotten your own kin. I shoulda known better than to expect you to actually follow through on your promise.”

“Nathaniel, wait!”

But he didn’t. He stormed out the back door, nearly running over Luke in the process.

“Whoa there, partner.” Luke shuffled sideways and grabbed the door before it slammed closed.

“I ain’t your partner.” Nathaniel’s voice echoed from a distance, piercing Damaris’s heart.

Luke made his way inside, taking care to close the back door gently.

Damaris swiveled in her chair, turning her back to him as she quickly ran a knuckle beneath each eye to dry the evidence of her dismay. After a quick sniff, she jumped to her feet and crossed to the stove to fetch his coffee.

“You didn’t have to walk all this way,” she said, desperate to fill the silence. “I would have brought breakfast to you.”

“You already do too much for me. ’Sides, I ain’t gonna get my strength back if I just laze around all day. I plan to be back on Titan by this time next week.”

His words barely registered. Nathaniel’s accusations overshadowed them. Without thinking, she reached into the warming oven to grab Luke’s plate and burned her fingers.

She cried out softly as she snatched her hand back and curled it against her chest. The plate of flapjacks flung from her grip and clattered to the ground, breaking the dish and tossing pancakes onto the floor. Part of her wanted to collapse on the floor with them and let the tears fall, but she’d already let one person down this morning. She wouldn’t compound her error by ruining a second one’s breakfast.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled without turning. “There are some leftover flapjacks on the table. They’re not as warm, but at least they’re not wearing the floor.”

Her poor attempt at humor failed, just like everything else this morning.

Then all at once, he was there. Surrounding her. His tall, broad body so close she could feel his warmth. It stole her breath.

He reached for her hand. “Let me see.”