She took the reins. “If you haven’t eaten, I have dinner ready at my—your house. You do pay the rent.”

“Our house.” He opened the door to the depot for her. “You’re the one who lives there.”

Leah pushed the carriage through the waiting room, and Clay darted ahead to open the door on the other side.

“For tonight at least, you’ll have to live there too.” Leah headed south on Atlantic. “I’m afraid the house is rather small, but the hotels don’t have any vacancies.”

He shrugged. “All I need is a blanket and a spot on the floor. In this heat, the blanket is optional.”

“Nonsense. Alice Mason just gave me her old couch. I’ll sleep there and—”

“No, you don’t.” Clay’s dark eyes crinkled with amusement. “I won’t kick you out of your bed.”

“But you’re fresh out of the hospital.”

“And the couch sounds just dandy. No arguing.”

She glanced him up and down. “How are you? You look well.”

His teeth shone white. “I feel great. A few twinges of pain, nothing to speak of. Remarkable, considering a bullet passed through my chest.”

Leah’s throat clogged. What if that bullet had hit his heart?

“They’ve made incredible progress in thoracic surgery since the war started,” Clay said. “In World War I, a soldier with the same injury would have ended up a chest cripple, but here I am, cleared for active duty.”

“That’s wonderful.” She turned left on Moore. “So, what are your plans? How long will you be in Tullahoma? Are you going home? You said something about more training, but you didn’t elaborate.”

“So many questions.” His voice had a delightful teasing lilt. “I’ll spend some time here, some in Kerrville. Then on September 1, I report to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio to train as a medic.”

“A medic! But I thought you didn’t want to be a medic. I know you wanted to be a physician, but—”

“Want. Not past tense anymore. I want to be a physician, and Lord willing, now it can happen.” The look on his face was new to her—determined and content.

Leah stopped beside her house and studied him. “You can? Oh, Clay, that’s wonderful. I want to hear all about it.”

“Keep walking. Starving man.” He made a darling pathetic face.

Concealing her love from him would not be easy. She rounded the corner of her house, scooped Helen out of the carriage, and unlocked the front door.

He stepped inside and took in a big breath. “Smells good, almost like . . .”

“Like your mama’s chili? It is.”

He turned to her, his eyes wide and unbelieving.

Leah passed him and set Helen on her belly in her playpen. Helen pushed up on her arms and stretched for her fluffy bunny.