“She’s a smart little girl.”
“Smarter than we are.”
He nodded as he stepped to where he could face her. Putting his hands on either side of her face, he whispered, “You’re right. I’d better take you back to the boat before I make love to you as I want to do.”
Stepping away again was the hardest thing she had ever done. “Wyatt, will you make one promise and keep it?”
“If I can.” As they walked back toward the boat, he did not take her hand. She wondered if he felt as alone as she did without that physical link.
“Will you stop allowing Kitty Cat aboard your boat? If you refuse to let her aboard, she may stop coming here.”
“Is that what you want? What you really want?”
“It’s the best choice for Kitty Cat. She needs to make herself a real home at River’s Haven.”
“Even if she wants to be free?”
“When she last was free, she nearly starved to death.” She paused, then asked, “Wyatt, have you thought what will happen when The Ohio Star is repaired and you leave Haven? She’ll be despondent.”
He walked away from her. When she heard him curse under his breath, she knew his anger was focused on himself. He faced her again and said, “All right. I swear to you I’d never do anything that might hurt K. C.… or you. If she comes back here, I’ll send her home to you.”
“There’s no need for you to swear to anything. I trust you to keep your word.”
“And what about you? Are you going to stay away, too?”
“My life is in River’s Haven. Yours is here.”
“Some parts of our lives are meant to be shared. Stay with me tonight.”
As he spoke, he walked to her. She welcomed his lips eagerly … for what must be the last time. For too many long hours last night, she had sat by the window in her room and stared out at the moonlight bleaching the ripples in the river. All her thoughts had been of him. He had become a precious dream that never could come true.
He drew back and frowned. “That tasted like a kiss goodbye.”
“It should be. Wyatt, it might be better if we ended this here and now.”
“You agreed to go to the Centennial social with me.”
“I should have told you no when you asked me.”
His voice grew hard. “So are you telling me no now? Without any other explanation? You’re just going to hide behind the excuse that you’ll upset everyone at River’s Haven by spending an innocent evening with me.” He caught her face in his hands and forced it up so her eyes locked with his. “Or is there another reason? A reason that you don’t want to say because you hate to lie?”
“There’s no other reason.”
“Not even Foley?”
She shook her head. “Mr. Foley has nothing to do with this.”
“It sounds as if he soon will think he does.”
“What he thinks isn’t the issue.” She clenched her hands, wishing she could speak the words coming from her heart. “Maybe it would have been better if you’d just kept on hating me as you did when I first stepped aboard your boat.”
“I never hated you, Rachel.” His arm slid around her waist. “I wanted you from the moment I saw you.”
“Until you realized where I was from.” She pushed away from him. “I’d be a fool to tangle my life with yours, so I won’t. And you’d be a fool to entangle your life with mine now.”
“Because of your new suitor, Foley?”
“Partly, but mostly because of what you are and what I am.”
“I’m a man who is willing to take a chance, and you’re a woman who is afraid of her own feelings.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Kitty Cat’s voice rang along the shore again.
“I must go,” Rachel said.
He caught her arm, halting her. “Not until you give me an explanation. You owe me that much.”
“All right.” She raised her chin, not in defiance, but to keep tears from flooding from her eyes. “I want what you’re offering me, Wyatt. I want it with every bit of my being.”
“Then—”
She put her fingers to his lips as he had to hers on the boat. “Let me finish. I want it. I want you, but for more than a single night.”
“It wouldn’t have to be just one night. We’ll be here in Haven for a while longer.”
“And then you’ll leave Haven … and me.” Her voice broke as she whispered, “I don’t want to be left alone again.”
“Again?”
She did not answer. Her heart was breaking with pain. She did not want to resurrect the sorrows of the past, the sorrows she had come to River’s Haven to forget.
She left him standing there as she gathered up her skirts and ran. She might be able to escape his arms, but she feared she was leaving behind her heart. Maybe that was for the best, because then she would never have to suffer heartache again. She could be the sister Merrill wished her to be and marry the man he wished her to marry and live the life she should have at River’s Haven.
And forget about this one chance for true happiness.
Ten
Rachel steadied Kitty Cat, who was lurching more on every step. When the little girl paused to yawn widely, Rachel took her by the hand.
“You’re going to fall asleep while Miss Hanson reads you a story tomorrow, Kitty Cat,” she said as she took the doll before Kitty Cat could drop it again.
“Not if the story has a fish in it,” the little girl argued, but in a voice heavy with fatigue. “My fish tasted so good.”
“I bet it did.”
“Why didn’t you stay and have a bite?”
She hated lying to the child, so she said, “Wyatt is probably very hungry after working on The Ohio Star all day. He can enjoy my share.”
“Horace says they’re going to take the boat to Louisville as soon as the parts are ready. Can we go with them, Rachel? Horace says there’s nothing like being on a boat when it’s underway.”
“We’ll see. It might be better if we don’t talk about it.”
“Why?”
“We don’t want to jinx the repairs, do we?”
She was uncertain if Kitty Cat understood the word “jinx,” but the little girl nodded solemnly. Kitty Cat put her finger to her lips and said, “Shh!”
Rachel winced. Her own lips were still warm from Wyatt’s finger and his mouth. Even the most commonplace motion had been infused with memories of him. She winced again, for if he kept his promise, that would be all she had of him.
She was glad Kitty Cat was too tired to notice her reaction. She had gotten Wyatt’s promise to send Kitty Cat home if she went to The Ohio Star again, and now it was time to get Kitty Cat’s.
Quietly, she said, “Kitty Cat, you know I told you before that you shouldn’t leave River’s Haven without telling me.”
“I didn’t. I left you a note.”
She glanced at the common house. Its silhouette blocked a large portion of the sky. Every window seemed to have a light shining through it, and she hoped nobody chanced to see her and Kitty Cat.
“I know you didn’t leave without telling me, and I’m proud of you for letting me know.” Rachel smiled even though Kitty Cat could not see her expression in the dark. She hoped the smile would add a cheerful tone to what she had to say. “But now, I need you to promise that you won’t leave River’s Haven unless I’m with you.”
“Why?”
Opening the door to their cottage, Rachel said as she lit a lamp, “The repairs on The Ohio Star are delicate, and you shouldn’t go there unless I go as well.”
Kitty Cat rubbed her eyes, which were filling with tears. “I thought Horace and Wyatt liked me.”
“They do.”
“Did Wyatt ask you to tell me this? Is that what you were talking about during your walk?” She yawned so hard that Rachel could see all her teeth.
“They do like you. Promise me, Kitty Cat, that you’ll stay within the g
rounds of the Community unless I’m with you.”
“Sean wants me to help with decorating for the Centennial.”
“I know, and I’ll be talking to the Assembly of Elders about that.”
“Last time—”
“This isn’t last time. This is this time, and you have to help me convince the Assembly of Elders that this time is different. You can do that by making the promise not to leave River’s Haven without me.”
Kitty Cat pouted, but said, “I promise to stay here unless you go with me. It’s a stupid promise, Rachel.”
“I know, but it may help when I go to the Assembly of Elders this time.” She chuckled and turned the little girl toward the hall between the bedrooms. “And now it’s time for you to go to sleep.”
For once, the child did not ask for a story or a song before going to bed. She cuddled into her pillow, holding her doll close, and went right to sleep, almost before the covers were drawn up.
Closing Kitty Cat’s door partway behind her, Rachel untied her bonnet, then set it on the peg by the front door. She was drawing the pins out of her closely bound hair when the door opened. Hope exploded through her. Had Wyatt followed them here?
She turned, faltering when she saw her brother standing in the doorway like an avenging angel. He eyed her, and his frown grew more furious.
“What’s wrong, Merrill?” she asked.
He strode to her and bellowed, “How can you be so stupid?”
“Stupid? What are you talking about?”
“Rachel, I thought you knew the consequences of breaking our rules.”
“Please lower your voice. Kitty Cat is asleep.”
“Katherine! The child’s name is Katherine.”
Although she was tempted to let him change the subject, she said, “You aren’t here to argue about what I call her. What’s wrong, Merrill?”
“You!” he retorted, but more quietly. “You and your sudden bout of stupidity.”
“If you’re going to stand there and repeat insults to me, you might as well go.” Rachel frowned. “I’m too tired to argue with you, Merrill.”
“Is that your excuse for failing to think clearly?”
“About what?”
He wagged a finger in her direction as if she were no older than Kitty Cat. “You have let that riverboat rogue woo you into what could have been scandal if I hadn’t seen you.” He began to pace from one side of the small room to the other.
Rachel sank to sit on the sofa as she choked, “You were in Haven?” If her brother had witnessed Wyatt holding her by the river … Merrill was right. She could be banished from River’s Haven. Then she would lose both Wyatt and the family she had here.
“Yes. I saw you coming up the hill from the river near where Colton keeps his boat.” He paused and looked at her. “What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking I should keep Kit—Katherine out of trouble. She went there to go fishing, and I brought her home.”
“You went there to keep her out of trouble?”
“I just said that.”
“So you could find trouble of your own?”
Coming to her feet, she said quietly, “I appreciate your concern on my behalf, but it’s misplaced. I haven’t done anything to create trouble. I asked Mr. Colton—” She almost choked on the formal name when such a short time ago she had whispered Wyatt’s name while he was sending shivers of delight through her. “I asked him to send Katherine back here immediately if she went to The Ohio Star again.”
“Maybe, if it’s becoming too much of a chore for you to keep an eye on the child, it’d be for the best if she went to live with the other children her age.”
“She isn’t seven yet!”
“How do you know that?”
“Her birthday is coming up, and if she were already seven that would mean she would be turning eight. She’s too little to be turning eight.”
He sniffed in disagreement. “You have no idea how tall she should be. Who knows what she had to eat before she came out here? How many times have you said that she’s growing like a dandelion?”
“She is growing, but I can’t believe that she’s already seven.” She put her hand on the back of the chair by the table. “For heaven’s sake, Merrill, she just left an orphanage. She needs a chance to live in a regular home.”
“This is our regular home, and all children of her age should be living in the children’s area. You have to face that fact.”
“And I have. I understand that she’ll be going to live with the other children when she turns seven. Until then, she stays here with me.”
“Mr. Foley isn’t pleased with the fact that you’ve got a child who isn’t yours.”
Good! she wanted to shout, but said, “He knew about her when he asked if he could call on me. Why is he upset now? If he’s changed his mind—”
“He hasn’t!”
Rachel flinched at her brother’s sharp answer. Hearing bare footsteps behind her, she turned to see Kitty Cat standing in the hallway that separated the two bedrooms. The little girl was still yawning. How much had she heard?
“May I have a drink of water?” Kitty Cat asked.
With a sigh, Rachel guessed that once again Kitty Cat had been oblivious to a heated conversation. After getting a glass, she ladled water from the bucket on the stove. She handed it to the little girl and sent Kitty Cat back to bed.
Merrill barely waited for the squeak of Kitty Cat’s bedroom door closing before he said, “I trust when Mr. Foley calls tomorrow evening, you won’t allow that child to interrupt.”
“Let me worry about that. Good night, Merrill.”
“Rachel—”
She faced him and put her hands on her waist. “I need to get some sleep. I have a long day’s work tomorrow, because it’s my day to help in the barns in addition to my regular work. If I’m going to be receiving Mr. Foley tomorrow night, I shouldn’t be yawning like Kitty Cat was.”
“Katherine!”
“Good night, Merrill,” she repeated, not wanting to give him a chance to start the argument anew.
He grumbled something that might have been good night and stormed out the front door.
She went to make sure it was securely closed. Leaning her cheek against the wood, she wondered why her brother seemed to be doing everything he could to make her rebel against his dictates.
She yawned almost as widely as Kitty Cat had and blew out the lamp. Such questions were for tomorrow. Right now she only wanted to sleep and dream that she was once more in Wyatt’s arms.
Rachel looked around the front room of the cottage. Not even a hint of a breeze teased the muslin curtains, and the flowers in the vase on the table were beginning to droop. She could sympathize with them. Even her best dress, which was a light green cotton, was too hot. She wished she could be with Kitty Cat and the other children who had gone to splash in the shallows of the fire pond not far from the common house. The pond, which was there to provide water in the case of a fire, was not very deep even in the middle, so it was perfect for the younger children.
The door opened. For the first time, she wished that the Community did not believe that anyone should feel free to walk in anywhere at any time. The door had a lock on it, left over from when these cottages had belonged to someone else. To use it would break one of Community’s most basic tenets. They were all family and should treat each other with informality.
Mr. Foley smiled as he entered. Not a hint of perspiration marred his brow or dampened his collar. He looked as dapper as always.
She wanted to ask him how he managed to stay cool amid this heat. Instead she said, “Good evening, Mr. Foley.”
“It’s a very good evening now, Miss Browning.” He smiled as he set his hat on the table.
She fought not to flinch at the motion that seemed too intimate. He already was acting as if he lived within these walls. Picking up his hat, she hung it on one of the pegs by the door. A foolish idea, she realized, when she turned to see him sm
iling broadly while he looked at his hat next to her bonnet.
“I made lemonade, if you’d like some,” Rachel said. Anything to keep herself from having to look directly at him. She could sense his gaze taking note of every motion she made. Mr. Foley always took in everything that was happening around him. That had never bothered her until this evening.
“Yes. In the parlor?”
“Yes.” She poured two glasses, dabbing a cloth at what her quaking hands had spilled.
As she carried the glasses into the parlor, the lemonade sloshed like the river in a squall. She handed Mr. Foley a glass and then realized it must be as sticky as her fingers. It was too late to clean them now, so she sat facing Mr. Foley.
Something flickered through his eyes, and she suspected he was irritated that she had not chosen to sit beside him on the sofa. She did not want to insult him. She simply wanted to avoid any suggestion that she wished to wed him.
Needing to say something to end the silence, Rachel asked, “Did you hear the news that the railroad has increased its orders for next month?”
“I didn’t call to discuss River’s Haven business.”
“No, but I thought you’d like to know.”
“Mr. Browning tells me that you’re an excellent cook. He said that no one in River’s Haven can make a better cake.”
She set her glass on the table and then wished she had continued to hold on to it. Now she wanted to wring her hands. Even more, she wanted to jump to her feet and run from the room. Hiding until Mr. Foley left was a tempting thought.
“Merrill has always had a sweet tooth,” she answered. “I believe he’d eat river mud if it was covered in chocolate.”
The front door opened, and laughter rushed into the room before Kitty Cat bounced in. Each footprint dampened the floor, and more water dripped from the little girl’s hair. She ran to Rachel and grinned.
“It was such fun, Rachel.”
“I’m glad.”
“Miss Hanson let us splash as much as we wanted.”
She smiled. “So I see. Go in and get dried off.”
As the little girl ran back toward her bedroom, Rachel was not certain what expression she would discover on Mr. Foley’s face. She was surprised when she saw no emotion on it. Was he too angry to let her see, or were his thoughts elsewhere?
Moonlight on Water Page 12
