Katie nodded as she watched him advance further on her.
“Only, I don’t see you as the rat, Miss Katie Matthews,” he said.
“Ya don’t?” she whispered as he rose up a bit to his previous hunkering position.
“Nope,” he said. “Yer more like the cheese temptin’ the rat to the trap, I’d say.”
Katie couldn’t calm her breathing. It came short and rapid as she gazed into the smoldering blue eyes of Stover Steele. He meant to kiss her! He did! And she wanted him to! Oh, how desperately she did!
Stover stood and as he did, he reached out, taking hold of Katie’s arm and pulling her to her feet.
“They’ll see us!” she argued in a whisper.
“They won’t see nothin’,” he told her, grinning. “They’re too awful busy with what they’re doin’.” Pulling her toward him he whispered, “Best kissin’ is done layin’ down or standin’ up, not kneelin’.” Katie felt her knees begin to weaken as he added, “I figure in this situation, standin’ up will work right fine.”
Katie felt dizzy, frightened and elated all at the same time. As Stover Steele gathered her in his arms, she bit the inside of her lip to make sure she was awake.
Raising a hand to her face and letting his thumb trace her lips, he whispered, “I’m gonna kiss ya now, ya know.”
“I-I know,” Katie stammered in a whisper, every inch of her body burning with expectation.
Stover chuckled and asked, “Do ya want a sweet ‘Sunday-go-to-meetin’,’ kiss? Or a good ‘The Devil’s-out-after-midnight,’ kiss?”
Katie tried to breathe steadily, tried to ignore the euphoric trembling of anticipation wracking her body.
Stover smiled, delighted with himself for causing the girl to go completely weak-kneed. “What’ll it be, Miss Katie?” he asked, fearing she might faint dead away if he didn’t act quickly.
“Which—whichever you think would be best,” Katie managed to say.
Her answer delighted him and he chuckled. As scared as she was, and he knew she was scared for he could feel her body trembling, she’d found the courage to flirt with him, to tell him which kiss she wanted from him.
“All righty, then,” he said a moment before he let his lips brush hers lightly. He was surprised by the goose bumps which instantly erupted over his body at the slight touch of her lips to his own. He hadn’t even begun to kiss her and already he was as anxious as he sensed she was.
Katie felt hot, faint, breathless, as Stover’s lips pressed gently to her own a second time. Every part of her being was more alive! Every nerve tingled, and she thought her knees might completely melt.
“Mmmm!” the hummed exclamation escaped Katie’s throat before she’d fully realized his lips had left hers. The kiss had ended, leaving Katie simultaneously elated and disappointed. The two soft kisses he’d given her had lasted only short moments, but Katie knew she’d never be the same. How could she be? Stover Steele had kissed her and it had been the very stuff of dreams! Her lips burned with the sensation of his kiss.
“Ya all right so far?” Stover asked her.
Katie opened her eyes and looked at him. She had been so lost in the wonder of his kiss she hadn’t even realized her eyes had been closed. “So far?” she repeated.
Stover smiled. “Ya didn’t think that was it, did ya?” he asked.
Katie could only shrug, dazzled at the prospect of perhaps being kissed by him again.
“I was just givin’ ya chance to warm up to me,” he said.
Katie felt her eyes widen, felt her flesh tingle as his arms enveloped her, pulling her snuggly against him. Instinctively her hands pressed against his chest, the warmth of him seeming to smolder under her palms. He smiled at her and took off his hat, tossing it to the floor of the tree house.
Katie smiled, delighted as his hair fell boyish and tousled over his forehead. Somehow he seemed less intimidating without his hat, and she couldn’t resist running her fingers through his hair once.
The girl was such an innocent, Stover noted as her fingers brushing through his hair caused him to lose his good sense. Impulsively, he took her lips with his own, kissing her firmly yet still with great care. Gradually he increased the intensity of the kiss, until he recognized a willing, confident response in her. And then—he was lost! Katie Matthews had bewitched him! And although he knew he must eventually regain his self-control, the sweet taste of her mouth bewitched him, and he could not put her away.
Katie could not breathe! Every color, every temperature of warmth and heat seemed to be igniting in her mind as Stover Steele kissed her. She’d never imagined a kiss could wring a person’s body and mind into such a state of exhilaration! Her heart hammered so brutally within her bosom she thought it might break right through it. Stover’s kiss was hot and moist, instructional and driven—his rough whiskers tickled the flesh around her mouth, his breath heated her cheek.
Momentarily, inhibition vanished in her and she let her arms go around his neck, pulling herself more tightly against his strong body. She felt frustrated at not being able to be even closer to him, wished he would kiss her forever! The power of his embrace increased, his arms tightening around her to a point of near discomfort, but Katie thought that even if his strong embrace should crush her, be the cause of her death—it would be worth it just to stay in his arms.
“Stove! What’re ya doin’ up there?” Berty hollered from below.
Instantly, Katie pulled away from Stover, blushing and wiping the moisture from her lips with the back of her hand. Stover smiled and winked at her when she found the courage to glance up at him.
“I’m just showin’ Katie the fun part of this ol’ tree house,” he called down to his sister.
Katie blushed to the tips of her toes at his explanation to the girls.
“Can we come up, too?” Bonnie asked.
“Of course ya can, sweetie,” he answered. “But haul Katie’s shoes up with ya. I left ‘em down there by the ladder.”
Katie could hear the triplets giggling with excitement and looked to Stover, puzzled about his knowledge and possession of her shoes.
“Ya left them out by the barn when you were spyin’ on us all at supper,” he explained.
Katie glanced away, embarrassed that he’d found her eavesdropping.
“Tell ya what, though,” he said as Berty climbed into the tree house, dropping Katie’s shoes at her feet. “You have me over to yer place for supper…with yer folks and all…and I won’t tell a soul that yer a nosy Rosie, all right?”
“S-s-supper?” Katie stammered. “With my folks? Both of them?”
Stover nodded and said, “Yep. I ain’t never met yer ma before and I’m just curious about what she would think about her daughter smoochin’ with…”
Instantly, Katie put her hand over his mouth to keep him from saying anything further about their moments together in the tree house. She watched his eyes begin to smolder with mischief, and she felt the moisture of his tongue as he licked her palm. Quickly, she snatched her hand away, blushing a deep crimson, delighted with his manner of flirting with her.
“Do ya like our tree house, Katie?” Bunny asked.
Katie looked at Stover and blushed again when he winked at her.
“Y-yes, Bunny,” Katie said. “It’s—it’s…”
“Just right for hidin’ out,” Bonnie finished as she hopped off the ladder and into the tree house as well.
“It’s just right for…” Stover began.
Katie’s hand over his mouth silenced him again. However, as she felt the touch of his tongue to her palm once more, finding herself wanting to pull his face to hers and kiss him straight on the mouth, she removed her hand and picked up her shoes.
“I better be getting’ on home,” she said. “Pa will be fit to be fried if I’m late again.” Katie looked up to Stover when he chuckled, embarrassed by destroying yet another cliché.
“Oh, can’t ya stay and play with us, Katie?” Berty asked. “Just for a
little while?”
Katie felt badly for not staying, but Stover was making her nervous, and her pa would be mad if she were gone for too long.
“I just can’t today, Berty,” she told the girl. “Maybe another day. All right?”
“Promise?” Bonnie asked.
“Promise,” Katie said, smiling and lovingly cupping the girl’s cheek with one hand. As she moved toward the ladder, Katie caressed Berty’s cheek with the back of her hand and then brushed a stray strand of hair from Bunny’s forehead. “You girls have a nice evenin’,” she said.
“Let me help ya down,” Stover said, stepping toward her.
“Oh, no, no, no!” Katie argued, shaking her head. “You stay here and play with your sisters. I’ll be fine.” With one final wistful gaze at the handsome man who’d changed her heart and life forever, Katie climbed down the ladder and started toward home.
“What’s the matter, Stove?” Bunny asked. “Ya look like ya done seen a ghost.”
Stover looked out the tree house window to where Pillar and Jared had been standing. He hadn’t noticed when they’d gone, but figured it was sometime before the girls had arrived at the tree house—sometime while he’d been holding that sweet piece of pie, Katie Matthews.
He closed his eyes as a rush of emotions overtook him—bridled passion, desire, fear, and wonder. He thought of the way Katie had touched each of his sisters so lovingly as she’d left—thought of the way the antics of the triplets didn’t seem to bother her. In fact, she seemed to understand them.
He thought of the warmth of her kiss, the taste of her mouth, the feel of her small form against his, and he knew he was in trouble.
“Ya really do look sick, Stove.” Berty said. “You gonna throw up or anythin’? Cause if ya are—could ya do it over the side so ya won’t mess up the tree house?”
“I’m fine,” Stover said, smiling as he tousled Berty’s hair. “Just thinkin’.”
“You thinkin’ on Katie Matthews, Stove?” Bonnie asked.
“Yep,” Stover admitted.
“Well, I’m glad,” the little girl said. “I’m real glad.” Taking Stover’s hand, Bonnie laid her head on his arm and smiled.
Chapter Six
“What’s the matter with you?” Bart Matthews asked his daughter as she rather danced through the front door. “Ain’t nothin’ on this earth could make me act like such a fool.”
Katie shook her head and returned her mother’s smile. Not even her father’s black mood could take away the euphoria she was still experiencing because of Stover’s kiss.
“Did ya have a good walk then, Katie?” her mother asked.
“The best I’ll ever have in my life!” Katie told her, sighing.
“For Pete’s sake, girl. Settle down. Ya go on like ya don’t have a brain about ya nowhere,” Bart grumbled.
Katie was glad when he left by way of the back door. She didn’t even care that she was the reason he left. She was just glad to see him go.
Once her father had walked a distance from the house, Katie’s mother said, “You’ve had yer first kiss, haven’t ya?”
“What?” Katie exclaimed, blushing vermillion. Evelyn Matthews smiled and sat down at the table, motioning for Katie to sit across from her.
“I’d say not only have ya had yer first kiss,” she began, “but that it weren’t no young boy yer own age that give it to ya.”
Katie’s eyes widened, astounded at her mother’s perception. “Mama!” Katie exclaimed in a whisper. “How can ya possibly know all that?”
Evelyn smiled and said, “And my guess is that it’s Stover Steele you been out sparkin’ with.”
Katie gasped, completely astonished.
“Yer daddy may not think much of me, Katie,” Evelyn said, “but somehow, I’ve managed to keep thinkin’ kindly of myself. And if there’s one thing I can read, it’s my daughter.”
“But…how—how can ya read me? I haven’t ever even talked to ya about…about…” Katie stammered.
“Well, for starters,” Evelyn began, “I hear Stover Steele is about the handsomest young man anyone ever laid eyes on. So figurin’ ya have an interest in him—that was easy. Second, yer cheeks are as red as tomatoes, yer eyes are on fire with excitement, and…”
“And?” Katie urged when her mother paused.
Evelyn smiled and said, “And the whisker burn around yer mouth couldn’t possibly be caused by anythin’ else. Smoochin’ with a boy yer own age—well, there’s not a boy in Custer’s Creek nowhere with good enough whiskers to do all that.”
Katie smiled, blushed and glanced away. She couldn’t believe her mother had guessed at it all so perfectly. Now she sat, shy and embarrassed. It was awkward, knowing her mother knew what she’d been up to in the tree house with Stover.
“Did Jared have a good time at dinner?” Evelyn asked, winking at her daughter with wise understanding.
Katie shrugged and tried to cool her blush saying, “I haven’t had a chance to talk with him yet. I was…I was…”
“Busy?” her mother finished for her.
Katie’s blush burned anew and she nodded.
“Well, then…we’ll just have to wait ‘til he gets home to find out, won’t we?” Evelyn reached across the table and covered Katie’s hand with her own. “I hope he doesn’t wait too long to marry Pillar,” she said. “He needs to get away from yer Pa. And so do you.”
“Mama, I…I…” Katie began. As always, when it came to giving her mother comfort, Katie’s words stuck in her throat.
Evelyn shook her head and smiled, patting Katie’s hand. “Let’s have Stover to supper Thursday night. What do ya think?” she asked.
Katie smiled and said, “He asked me to have him to supper at our house. He said he wanted to meet you.”
Evelyn smiled and nodded her head with approval as she said, “Then you run on over there tomorrow and ask him to come to supper Thursday. All right?”
“All right, Mama,” Katie said, still somewhat amazed by her mother’s intuition.
Evelyn sighed and sat back in her chair. “Was it a good kiss, Katie?” she asked.
Katie blushed again, thrilled by the memory of being in Stover’s arms, the wonder of his mouth pressed to hers. “Oh, Mama!” Katie said. “It was like a dream! Better!”
“I’m sure it was, sweetheart,” Evelyn said. “I’m sure it was.”
Evelyn studied the resplendent joy on her daughter’s face for a moment longer. From the very moment Mr. O’Malley had told her of the day in town—the day Bart had gone to the saloon and gotten drunk, then been cruel and rough with Katie—from the very instant she’d heard Stover Steele had taken matters into his own hands and championed Katie, she’d begun to pray for Katie’s deliverance into the hands of Stover Steele. Any man with the courage to step in and prevent a girl’s own father from mistreating her had to be worth his weight in gold.
Evelyn saw Stover Steele as an instrument of divine intervention, for it had been Stover who had delivered Katie from the hands of the murderous villains the day before, too. She shivered at the thought of what could’ve become of Katie if Stover hadn’t been there. It seemed to Evelyn all her prayers were being answered with the arrival of Stover Steele and his sister, Pillar, for Jared seemed well set on the pathway of escape and happiness as well.
She smiled as she watched Katie’s beautiful blue eyes sparkle with the excitement of being in love. Evelyn’s eyes had never known that sparkle, for she’d been married off to Bart Matthews at the age of fifteen by her uncle after her parents had died. She’d never known true love. All her married life, it was what she wanted for her two children—something different than what she had known—love, happiness, passion—all the things she’d never had.
Katie was full of joy in life, of the ability to love and to be loved. Yes, Evelyn would do what she could to ensure her daughter’s happiness. To see Jared and Katie settled with good companions and happy—out from under Bart’s cruel fist—that was all Evely
n Matthews wanted in life.
“I—I have to tell ya somethin’,” Katie said to Jared as they sat out on the front porch later that night.
“That ya were spyin’ on me and Pillar today?” he said.
Katie looked at him, her mouth gaping open in bewilderment. “How did ya know?” she asked. She’d been so careful, so quiet. How could he possibly have known she’d been spying on them?
“I seen ya sneakin’ around in the grass under that big apple tree in the orchard,” he chuckled. “What? Ya didn’t think I’d make good on my end of our deal?
“I knew you’d make good,” she admitted, tilting her head back and gazing up into the night sky.
“Well, I’m still waitin’ for ya to follow through on yer end,” he said, pointing up as a shooting star traveled across their line of vision.
Katie smiled, delighted by both the shooting star and the memory of Stover’s kiss earlier in the day. “Oh, I already followed through,” she told Jared.
Jared smiled, raising his eyebrows and looking at her. “Ya did?” he asked. “Ya mean to tell me you’ve been flirtin’ with Stover Steele without me knowin’?”
“I guess ya could call it that,” Katie said, smiling.
“Good,” Jared chuckled. “He needs loosenin’ up.”
“Mama said I should invite him over for supper on Thursday,” Katie said.
The Prairie Prince Page 8
