UNBROKEN PROMISE

~48~ Leaving For Now.

Oma sat quietly in her chair, her hands clasped tightly together as she whispered prayers under her breath, her lips moving with silent desperation. She couldn't look at anyone, her nerves frayed from the constant tension that had gripped the household ever since Ezra and Clara had arrived.

Footsteps echoed down the stairs, deliberate and loud, as Ezra and Clara descended. They carried themselves with their usual air of self importance, their bags in hand and their faces set with smug determination. Ezra's sharp eyes scanned the room as he reached the bottom step, a satisfied smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

Logan stood by the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression a mask of controlled irritation. Jacob leaned against the wall, his broad shoulders tense, while Megan sat in a chair nearby, her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently against the floor. Mama Becca stood in the corner, her knitting abandoned on the table, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of disdain and quiet resolve.

Ezra set down his bags with a flourish and cleared his throat. "Well, we'll be leaving your house now," he announced, his tone dripping with false civility. "But don't get too comfortable thinking this is over."

Logan raised an eyebrow but didn't move from his spot. "Really?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with steel.

Clara stepped forward, smoothing her gloves as she spoke. "We'll be staying in a boarding house in town for the time being," she said,her tone icy. "But mark my words, we won't be leaving this town without Oma. It's only a matter of time before she realizes where she truly belongs."

At that, Megan couldn't hold back any longer. She let out a sharp laugh, rolling her eyes as she pushed herself up from her chair. "Well, ain't that somethin'," she drawled, her hands on her hips. "Seems to me like y'all are runnin'. If you're so sure about takin' Oma, why don't you stick around and see how that works out for ya? Or are you just afraid of gettin' dragged out on your tails?"

Ezra's smirk faltered for a brief moment before he regained his composure. He shot Megan a disdainful glance but didn't dignify her comment with a reply. Instead, he turned back to Logan, his expression hardening.

Logan, however, didn't even bother to look at him. His gaze remained steady, fixed on some distant point as if Ezra wasn't worth the effort. "You're free to stay at that boarding house as long as you like," Logan said evenly. "But you won't be takin' Oma anywhere. Not now, not ever."

Ezra bristled at the statement, his jaw tightening. Clara stepped closer to him, her lips pressed into a thin line. "You don't have the right to make that decision," she snapped. "We're her family, her blood."

"And I'm her husband," Logan shot back, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. "Her father chose me to look after her, to protect her. So, I reckon that gives me every right."

Oma's whispered prayers faltered, and she looked up at Logan, her heart squeezing at the quiet strength in his voice. She felt a flicker of something close to hope, a faint light in the darkness of the past few days.

Ezra took a step forward, his fists clenched at his sides. "You think you can stand in our way?" he sneered. "You're just a farmer, Logan. A simple man with no influence, no connections. Do you really think you can keep her from us?"

Logan finally met Ezra's gaze, his expression calm but unyielding. "You're right," he said quietly. "I'm just a farmer. But I'll fight tooth and nail to keep her safe. You can bet on that."

The tension in the room was palpable, the silence stretching as Ezra and Logan stared each other down. Finally, Clara broke the standoff with a huff, turning on her heel and picking up her bag.