by Sarah Banks
Dear God, had she just asked him to leave the table? Like a child!
“Can I have his dessert?” Lee piped up from beside him.
David abruptly pushed back his chair and stood. “You’re right. It’s none of my business.” He turned to Kate who was watching him silently. “Kate, I’m sorry. Aunt, please accept my apology as well. Thank you for supper.” He dropped a kiss to his aunt’s cheek. “I need to be going.”
He collected his jacket and hat from the hooks by the front door when Lee asked, “Wait, when are you going to teach me to ride a horse?”
David turned and saw that Lee was kneeling on his chair backwards, facing the door, looking at him expectedly. He should have never mentioned that he could teach him how to ride. The child had taken it as a promise.
“Some other time,” he said, placing his hat on his head.
He ignored Lee’s crestfallen look and nodded to them all still sitting at the table watching him. “Goodnight.”
He closed the door quietly behind him. He took the steps two at a time and began to untie his horse from the hitching post. He looked up as he heard a creak of one of the steps and saw that Kate had silently followed him out. She stopped beside him, only inches away. Dear Lord, she wasn’t going to hug him again, was she? He didn’t think he could take it. Maybe she had come out to slap him. That he couldn’t say he didn’t deserve. But instead as he turned to her, she did worse, much worse.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
And he made it even worse and kissed her back.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him. He deepened the kiss and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing even closer. He groaned at the feel of her in his arms. He must have kissed her for a full minute before he came to his senses but not before burying his hands in her silky hair, tasting her sweet lips and the even sweeter depths of her mouth.
He gently pushed her away and when she opened her eyes slowly, she looked as dazed as he felt.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” he said gruffly.
“You didn’t, I did,” she returned huskily.
Oh God, now not only did he have the feel and taste of her to torture him even further, but the sultry sound of her voice, the way she might sound when they—
“I should go,” he told her.
“I wish you would stay. I saved your piece of pie from Lee.”
He shook his head and turned, reaching for the reins.
“David wait a moment, please.”
Just as he was about to pull himself up into the saddle she said, “I feel something for you David. And I think you feel something for me too. Do you?”
He froze. He wanted to press his forehead into the cool leather of the saddle. He kept his back to her and sighed. “I do feel something,” he admitted. “But I haven’t changed my mind Kate.”
He felt as much as heard her inhale shakily and it tore at his heart.
“Okay, that’s all I needed to know. Goodnight David,” she said softly before turning and going back into the house.
Suddenly he felt cold and empty, and more alone than he could ever remember feeling.
Chapter Five
She was falling in love with him. Not only that, but she had just made a fool of herself kissing him. And heavens, what a kiss. He might not love her, but there was no doubt in Kate’s mind that he cared about her. No man could kiss like that who didn’t feel something. And the jealousy he had exhibited at the table when he found out that two men in town were interested in her. He didn’t seem to particularly want her enough to marry her, but for some reason he didn’t want anyone else to have her either? Infuriating man!
Kate tried not to let it show that he had hurt her when he seemed disappointed that she hadn’t gotten on a train and returned east in his absence. But that had been shortly followed by a display of jealousy. At first she was shocked, then she had to fight hard not to laugh. But when he stood suddenly to leave after being reprimanded by his aunt who came to Kate’s defense, she realized she couldn’t let him go, not like that.
She followed him out, not really knowing what she intended until she stood in front of him and wanted nothing more than to kiss him, so she did. The man clearly didn’t know what he wanted. He kissed her like a man starving for a meal only to push her away still hungry. She was so confused. And hurt. He had rejected her twice already. Only a fool would continue to pine after him.
And yet, while she had decided to stay in town for the time being, she hadn’t decided if she would find someone else to marry. Even though she had been willing to marry a virtual stranger only a few short days ago, finding someone else to take David’s place…well, it just felt wrong somehow. Aunt Susan seemed convinced that with all of the eligible bachelors within a fifty-mile radius she’d been married and expecting by Christmastime, which frankly terrified her.
So the next morning, after the kiss and yet another night of restless sleep, she enrolled Lee in school and left Olive in Susan’s care and began to look for a job, so far without much success.
“I don’t know why you’re so insistent on finding a job,” Susan said as they sat side by side on the top porch step late the next afternoon. The sun was well on its way to setting but the children were playing happily down the street with two boys, red-headed brothers, near Lee’s age he had met his first day at school. They were instant friends the way children tended to be and Kate felt a sense of relief. The tightness in her chest eased a bit at the first real smiles and sounds of laughter she had heard from the children in weeks. It reaffirmed her decision to stay in Noah, that perhaps they could build a life here, make a new start, together.
“I just want to keep my options open. I don’t want to be dependent on marrying a man.”
“But if you found the right one, you would marry?” Susan asked.
“Of course.”
“I still don’t understand why my nephew changed his mind.”
It was a subject Susan had come back to over and over again the past few days. “It doesn’t matter why,” Kate insisted gently, “only that he did.”
Susan made a harrumphing sound. “You know you can stay with me as long as you’d like. It’s wonderful having children in the house again. And whether my nephew married you or not, you’re still like a daughter-in-law to me.”
Kate’s throat tightened with emotion. She reached for Susan’s hand and squeezed. “Thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us more than I could ever say. I do wish I could pay you back somehow, maybe when I get a job.”
“Absolutely not! And don’t you dare mention paying me a penny again! Besides, you’ve done plenty around the house since you’ve moved in. You help with the cleaning and you do all of the laundry. If it makes you feel any better, you can help me clean the attic later this month. I didn’t realize how disorganized it’s become over the years until I went looking for that crate of David’s old books. I want to see if there are any of David’s old clothes that might fit Lee. Might as well do some cleaning and organizing while I’m at it. And next month it’ll be time to put in the garden. With the extra mouths to feed I’m thinking about tripling its size.”
“Of course, I’d love to help with all of that. But if you change your mind about needing my help in the kitchen...”
She vigorously shook her head, her curls bouncing. “I love doing all of the cooking, I always have.”
Kate gave her a smile. “Have it your way then.”
Susan sniffed. “Thank you, I will. I’m much older and much bossier than you.”
Kate laughed and Susan joined in, nudging her shoulder with her own.
A man turned the corner and Susan stood and breathed, “I can’t believe my eyes.”
“What? What is it?” Kate asked, squinting against the setting sun. Or should she be asking who?
“Leander Johnson, I haven’t seen you in ages!” Aunt Susan called out.
A tall, good-looking man st
opped just outside the short, white fence surrounding the house and smiled up at them. Kate realized she was still sitting at Susan’s feet, not to mention staring, and stood belatedly. The stranger was incredibly handsome with his golden hair and tanned skin. And when he smiled, oh my, God had blessed him with dimples and shining blue eyes she realized as he moved closer. Her breath caught as he came through the gate and walked toward them. He stopped in front of Susan, greeting her and giving her a familiar kiss on the cheek, then he looked at Kate expectantly.
“And who’s this?” He asked appreciatively.
Kate felt herself blush at his attention. She wanted to cringe. Hopefully it wasn’t so obvious in the fading light of the afternoon and shade of the front porch.
“Where are my manners? This is Kate Roberts. Kate, this is Leander Johnson, David’s best friend. Have you seen David yet?”
Leander smiled. “No, not yet,” he replied as he shook Kate’s hand. “Nice to meet you Kate Roberts.”
“You too Leander Johnson.”
His smile widened. He even had beautiful teeth, perfectly straight and crystal white against his tanned skin.
“Yes, well, Kate’s recently come to Noah and she’ll be staying with me indefinitely.”
“Is that right?”
Kate nodded unnecessarily.
“How wonderful,” he continued. There was obviously more to the story but he was too polite to ask although he most definitely seemed curious. His gaze on her sent a shiver through her, or was it the cool breeze against the damp hair on the back of her neck?
“Where have you been Leander? Last I heard you were galivanting out west. Chasing after gold? Or was it a woman? Hmm, I can’t remember exactly,” Susan said, tapping her lip thoughtfully.
Leander laughed good-naturedly. “A little of both.”
“Truth to be told, I wasn’t sure we’d ever see you again.”
“Truth was I didn’t know if you would either. I fancied myself in love with Moira Sullivan and followed her and her brother west. They only briefly resided in Noah. Cornelius worked at the mill with us one summer. Do you remember them?”
Susan shook her head. “Can’t say I do.”
“Well anyway, I followed them to the hills of California. She fell in love with another miner and got married. Already has one kid and another on the way. I kept mining with her brother, but in the end decided it wasn’t for me. A dirty business goldmining is, and in more ways than one. So I decided to cut my losses and return to Noah and the bosom of my family,” he informed them with a wry smile. “Sold my half of the claim to Cornelius and came crawling back.”
Kate tilted her head, studying him. Although he was smiling and his voice was light, his expression was shuddered, and she realized she wasn’t the only one with a story.
“Well, I for one am happy your home. And I know David will be too. He was so blue after you left, even though he wouldn’t admit that was the reason. I have to admit for a couple months there I was worried that he’d follow after you.”
Three boys ran past hooting and hollering. Running a dozen or so feet after them, on her much shorter legs, was Olive.
Susan pointed after them. “Those last two are Kate’s children. Of sorts,” she added.
“Of sorts,” Leander murmured. His eyes never left Kate’s. “Sounds like an interesting story.”
Kate smiled. “For another time,” she promised.
“Of course,” he replied with a nod.
“How about over Sunday supper?” Susan asked. “David’ll be there of course.”
“I thought you’d never ask. I may have purposefully walked by when I noticed you on the porch, angling for an invitation.”
Susan swatted his arm playfully. “You scamp.”
“Fried chicken?”
Susan rolled her eyes. “If I must.”
“Green beans, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy?”
“I’d best be getting up before dawn then.”
Leander looked at Kate again. “No one makes fried chicken like Aunt Susan.”
“She is a wonderful cook,” Kate agreed.
“I’m sure you are as well or at least will be hanging around Aunt Susan.”
“She won’t let me near the kitchen,” Kate replied solemnly, “so we may never know.”
Leander chuckled and then made a humming noise. “Now, I just don’t know if I should request peach pie or apple… I like them both so much.”
Kate laughed, recognizing his manipulation of the more than willing and gleeful Susan, she was in her element. Nothing brought her greater joy than people enjoying her cooking. “She’ll make both now, but I’m sure you already knew that.”
Leander’s eyes twinkled and he took up her hand again, this time dropping a quick kiss on it. “I’m off to dine with my family. I hear I have a few more nieces and nephews than I left with. Until Sunday,” he said and then before Kate could read anything into his kissing her hand, he took Susan’s hand and dropped two kisses on it, tipped his hat and strolled away.
Both women watched until he was out of sight and only then did Susan speak again.
“He’s perfect!” She declared.
Kate started, nearly forgetting the woman was standing beside her. “Perfect?” Kate asked, looking at Susan in confusion.
“Yes, perfect for you! I think we’ve found your future husband!”
Chapter Six
Well, if David couldn’t stop thinking about her before, it was worse than ever since she had kissed him. He responded by throwing himself back into his work at the mill, working from sunup to past sundown all the next week, so he didn’t have time to think about her. Except at night, night was the worst.
He needed sleep, his body drained at the end of each sixteen-hour day. Each night as he stumbled into his bedroom he felt tired enough that he was sure he’d fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, instead he lay awake thinking about Kate and their kiss. The way she felt in his arms, the way she smelled and tasted and the little noises she had made. Dear God, why had she had to go and kiss him? He’d never be able to erase that kiss from his memory. It would torture him for the rest of his life. But not as much as the look on her face when he rejected her a second time. He rubbed the ache in his chest just thinking about it. He never wanted to hurt her, never. But he had and he wished that he could take it back.
She had said she felt something for him, attraction, love, he didn’t know and he admitted he felt something in return. He still wanted her for his wife more than anything, but he only wanted her. The life they would create together. Lee was a great kid, but David wasn’t ready to become a father overnight. He wanted to have children with Kate. Ease into it. Had he made the biggest mistake of his life refusing Kate not only once but twice?
He sighed and got out of bed. He’d only ever got two or three hours of restless sleep before it was time to go back to work. He even worked Saturday but today was Sunday and the mill was closed on Sundays. He’d be expected at his aunt’s for Sunday supper but he wasn’t sure he could face Kate again. At the same time he wanted nothing more than to see her again. Never before had he wanted to do something so much and not at the same time. Frankly the wide swing of emotions he was feeling was driving him crazy.
He spent the morning cleaning out the barn. The physical labor wasn’t enough of a distraction so he went back to chopping firewood even though he had more than enough for two hard winters. He took refuge in the repetitive motions, straining muscles, deep breathing. He almost lost track of time and would have been late to his aunt’s if his growling stomach hadn’t reminded him he hadn’t eaten yet today. He quickly washed up and changed clothes before saddling his horse and riding to his aunt’s.
He secured his horse to the hitching post in front of his aunt’s house with clumsy fingers and a rapidly beating heart. Now that he was here he couldn’t wait any longer to see Kate. Would she be happy to see him, despite the fact the last time he had seen her he had hurt her? Wo
uld she remember their kiss and blush? He took the stairs two at a time but froze at the top as Kate’s laughter rang out from the other side of the door. It sent a pang of regret through him. Deep male laughter followed and then the sound of a man’s voice.
David reached for the knob but hesitated for a moment before turning it. The voice sounded familiar and yet he couldn’t immediately place it. Was it Karl with the dozen kids or that drunkard Meryl? Or perhaps in the past week she had collected another beau or two. There had to be a hundred plus bachelors in this town alone. He wouldn’t be surprised to see a line of suitors outside her door. Her beauty alone would draw them in, not to mention all of her other admirable qualities.
But when he finally pushed open the door it wasn’t Karl or Meryl or even someone new, it was Leander, his best friend he hadn’t seen in nearly three years. He was sitting at the table in David’s spot across from Kate. Lee was sitting beside Kate and Olive sat in her lap. Except for Olive who had her thumb in her mouth, all three of them were smiling and talking and laughing. They looked like a family. The thought made the breath catch in the back of his throat. And he recognized that look on Leander’s face as his friend looked at Kate. Leander was interested in her.
Only when David closed the front door slightly louder than necessary did Kate finally notice him. She gave him a wide smile. “Hi David. Supper’s almost ready. Leander’s teaching us how to play poker. I’m afraid I’m not very good,” she added with a laugh.
Leander pushed back his chair with a laugh of his own. “She’s really not,” he agreed, standing. Leander walked over to him with a hand out and their hearty handshake turned into a rough hug. Leander had been the first friend David made when he started going to school and they had been best friends ever since. When Leander had left town nearly three years ago tempted by gold in California and a girl, David considered following but ultimately decided against it. His aunt was here, he could never leave her, plus he liked his job and the town of Noah where he was born and raised. But the longer Leander stayed away, David started to think he might never see his friend again. They exchanged letters, monthly the first year, but they had tapered off, and he had only heard from Leander twice in the past year.
