Page 15 of More Than This Land

After he’d emptied the truck bed, Luke walked up the porch steps and tested the railing with both hands.

“What are you doing now?” Claire climbed the steps behind him. He needed to leave. She did not need this new and improved version of Luke scrambling her brain. A closed-off Luke messed with her enough, thank you very much. A kind and helpful one was bound to give her heart all kinds of trouble.

“This railing’s loose.” He pushed against it, and the whole section shifted. “When’s the last time someone checked these bolts?”

“I don’t know. Why does it matter?”

“Because your grandmother uses this railing every day, and if it gives way when she’s depending on it, she’ll fall.” He pulled a multi-tool from his pocket and started tightening bolts. Once he finished that, he moved across the porch systematically, checking every board, every nail, every potential hazard.

“You don’t have to fix everything.” The words burst out before she could stop them.

Luke paused, glancing up. “What?”

“This.” Claire gestured at the porch, the woodpile, him. “You don’t have to show up and fix everything like it’s another problem to solve.”

His expression shifted, something defensive flickering across his face. “I’m just trying to help.”

“Are you? Or are you trying to prove something? Check off another task on your efficiency list? ‘Help the consultant’s grandmother—completed.’” She made a little check mark in the air with her finger. A hot breath rushed up the back of her throat and out her mouth. Her vision swam, and she pressed a hand to her aching head.

Luke stood, the multi-tool tight in his grip. “Are you okay?”

“Everything you do feels calculated. Measured. Like even kindness must have a purpose or return on investment. You brought firewood because it’s practical. You’re fixing the porch because it’s a safety issue. You’re here because—what? Someone told you we needed help, and you couldn’t stand the inefficiency of an unfixed problem?” Her chin quivered, and she flattened her lips, doing her best to hold back the remainder of her tirade.

“I came because I thought you could use help.” He took a step toward her with one hand lifted like he might touch her. “I’m sorry if that offends you.”

“It doesn’t offend me.” Claire pressed her fingers to her temples. “It just feels...transactional. Like I’m another project. Another operational problem you can solve with the right system.”

Luke stared at her, his hands curling and uncurling around the multi-tool. “You think I came here because you’re a problem?”

“Didn’t you?”

Luke tucked the multi-tool back in his pocket with deliberate movements. “My mom told me your grandmother had a dizzy spell at church last week. Said you looked worried. So when Granny Mama mentioned needing firewood, I figured I’d bring some by. Make sure you are okay.” He dropped his hand but worry creased his features. “I checked the porch railing because I noticed it was loose one day before you came home. I meant to have it done a long time ago. If something happened to your grandmother because of something I could’ve prevented, I’d feel responsible. Maybe that makes me a calculating problem-solver who can’t let things be, but that’s how I’m wired, Claire.”

It was the first time he’d said her name to her, not about her, and it tore away all her ability to hold back the emotions rampaging in her chest.

“I’m sorry.” She lowered herself onto the porch step, suddenly too exhausted to keep standing. “I didn’t mean to attack you. It’s been a long day.” She paused and thought for a moment. “That’s no excuse, and I’m sorry that I used it as one.”

Luke hesitated, then sat beside her, leaving careful space between them. “What happened?”

Claire pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. “Granny Mama had another dizzy spell this afternoon. She says it’s fine, just medication adjustments. But watching her grab the counter to keep from falling...” She couldn’t go on. Her voice refused to cooperate without giving her away, and the threat of tears blurred her vision.

“Hey.” Luke’s hand landed on her shoulder, warm and solid. “You’re doing everything you can.”

“Is it enough, though?” Claire turned to look at him. She sniffed back the tears and rubbed her cheek on her shoulder. “She’s all I have left. My parents died when I was nineteen. Granny Mama raised me after that, gave me a home when I had nothing. And now she needs me, and I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do this alone.”

Luke’s expression softened. The defensive walls he usually carried dropped, revealing a gentleness she’d never expected. “You’re not alone.” He squeezed her shoulder, then slowly pulled hand away. Could she ask him to put it back without ruining the moment? He spoke before she had a chance. “You have a whole church praying for you and Granny Mama, and a community that Granny Mama has served for decades. They’re not going to let either of you face this alone.”

How had she forgotten that? One rough afternoon and all the goodwill she knew this town possessed escaped her.

“And for what it’s worth, you have me too. Even if my help feels transactional.” A soft smile turned his handsome face glorious.

Good gracious. If he went around smiling like that all the time, half the town would be in love with him. She included.

She met his smile with one of her own, along with a weak laugh. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Maybe you should have.” Luke picked at a splinter on the porch step. “Graham said something similar last week. Guess I’m getting the feedback from multiple sources.”

“I like Graham. Seems like a smart guy.”