“Yes, sir,” Gabe said with a nod. “Ever since my folks passed away, it’s been mighty lonesome at my farm. I’ve been thinking it’s time to find a wife and start raising a family of my own.”
Brian McKenzie nodded slowly. “I suppose so. I can certainly understand how you feel. Just make sure you pick the right woman. A good marriage can be the making of a man, but a bad one can be Hell on earth.”
“I think I’ve already found the right woman,” Gabe said, “but how can I know for sure?”
Brian looked momentarily surprised, but then he chuckled and looked toward the cabin where he knew his wife, Sarah, was working on supper. “You’ll just know. When you find the right woman, you won’t be able to think of anything but making her happy and making her yours. She will always be in your thoughts, even when you aren’t with her. She’ll be the most important thing in the world to you. That’s when you’ll know for sure that you love her.”
Gabe frowned thoughtfully as he listened. “Is that how it was when you met Mrs. McKenzie?”
Brian laughed again. “It still is, son. After almost twenty years of marriage, I love my wife more now than the day I married her.”
“But when did you know for certain that she was the right woman for you?”
Brian’s expression was nostalgic as he slowly smiled. “I thought Sarah was absolutely beautiful when I first laid eyes on her. But it was the first time I kissed her that I knew for sure that she was the woman for me. I wanted her, and I don’t mean just physically. I wanted her as my woman, my wife. I wanted her so badly that I couldn’t think of anything besides claiming her as mine. I knew then and there that she was the woman for me and no other woman could ever compare.”
Gabe frowned and nodded thoughtfully. “Well, maybe that’s the problem. I haven’t kissed the young lady yet.” He grinned at Brian. “Maybe I’ll just have to kiss her to know for sure.”
Brian laughed and clapped him on the back of the shoulder. “Maybe you should. Then again, maybe you shouldn’t settle on that woman if you aren’t already certain she’s the one for you. If you’re patient, you might find just the woman you need in the most unexpected place.” Brian raised his brow and grinned. “Care to join us for supper?”
“I wish I could, sir, but I’d better get home. I still have some chores to finish.”
Brian nodded. “Another time, then. You know that you’re always welcome.”
“Thank you, Mr. McKenzie. I sure do appreciate it, and I appreciate your advice, too.”
The two men exchanged a warm handshake, then Gabe gathered his horse’s reins and swung into the saddle. He smiled and waved to her father.
Leslie watched as Gabe rode away, then she slid onto her bottom, wrapped her arms around her knees, and squeezed her eyes tightly shut against welling tears. She was startled when she heard her father’s voice beside her.
“Eavesdropping again, Cat?” her pa asked, using her family nickname
She jumped to her feet. “No, Pa,” she said, her cheeks flaming.
Brian grinned down at her, shaking his head. He looped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the top of her head.
“Oh, yes, you were, you little wildcat. I saw you peeking around the corner. I swear you grow more like your ma every day.” He winked at his daughter. “She likes to listen in on my conversations, too.”
Since her father already knew Leslie had been listening, she might as well find out more. She sent him a pleading look.
“Do you think Gabe is really going to get married, Pa?”
Brian shrugged and started walking with her toward their cabin. “Sounds like he might.”
“But, Pa, he can’t,” she cried. “I don’t want him to marry some snobbish, prissy, empty headed girl.”
“Sounds like you know who he’s been courting,” her pa said, raising his brows in question.
Leslie looked crestfallen as she nodded. “I heard Lena Lewis bragging to some other girls that Gabe was going to ask her to marry him. She’s so beautiful and elegant. With her around, it’s no wonder that Gabe doesn’t even notice me.”
Brian looked thoughtful. “You know, Cat, if you would listen to your ma and start wearing frilly dresses and styling your hair, maybe Gabe would notice you.”
Leslie gave an unladylike snort. “Yeah. He would notice how plain and ugly I look compared to Lena.”
Her pa stopped and turned her to face him. He scowled as he lifted her chin and met her eye.
“Don’t let me hear you talk like that ever again, Cat. You’re just as beautiful as your ma. You just need to put some effort into looking like a young lady instead of a cute little ragamuffin. You might be surprised by the results if you ever did.”
She looked down and scuffed her toe in the grass. Leslie wished she could believe her father’s words, but she was convinced that she could never compete with Lena’s striking beauty. Seeing her dejection, Brian’s features softened, and he hugged her tight against his chest.
“Oh, baby girl. Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to. It always does. Now, go inside and set the table for your ma. I’m sure supper is almost ready.”
He watched as she trudged inside with leaden feet and slumped shoulders. He shook his head and sighed. As he turned away to finish his chores, Brian sent a prayer to the heavens that his little girl’s heart wouldn’t be irreparably broken.
That evening, Leslie tried to ignore the noise her four younger brothers made as she pushed her food around her plate rather than eating. Her brothers, Alec, Gavin, Jamie, and Evan ranged in age from sixteen down to ten, and they could be a rowdy bunch. She was used to the controlled chaos. In fact, she was usually a major contributor to any ruckus during their family meals, but after what she had overheard earlier, she just wanted to be alone to think. Noticing her lack of appetite, her parents shared a concerned glance.
“What’s the matter, Cat?” her pa asked. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Not really. I have a bit of a headache.”
Her mother reached over and felt her forehead. “You’re not feverish. You aren’t one to complain of headaches. Shall I make you some willow bark tea?”
Leslie shook her head slightly. “No, thanks, Ma. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day. Could I be excused? I’d like to go to bed early.”
“Sure, honey. Go ahead.”
Leslie retired to her room, barely noticing her brothers’ teasing comments or her parents’ concerned murmurs as she left. She lay on her bed, staring unseeing out her window as evening gave way to night. The house eventually grew quiet, and the full moon rose high in the June sky.
She had to do something. She couldn’t simply stand by and watch Gabe marry someone else. And the thought of him kissing Lena to find out if she was the right woman for him made Leslie spitting mad.
She wracked her brain trying to think of some way to win Gabe’s heart. She was a year older than Lena, so why did he think of her as a child and the other girl as an attractive young woman suitable for marriage? Leslie rose and went to the large stand mirror in the corner of her room.
She surveyed her image with a critical eye. She had been told often that she was the spitting image of her mother, and her mother was very beautiful. Everyone thought so, including Leslie. But somehow, Leslie couldn’t see much of a resemblance. She was the same height and build as her ma. She also shared her mother’s honey gold hair, but Leslie usually kept hers braided into pigtails or wound into a tight bun beneath her felt hat.
Leslie absolutely refused to wear dresses, despite her mother’s gentle coaxing. She preferred the freedom of movement afforded by boy’s clothing, and her father indulged her. The britches and shirt she wore were the same as the type her brothers wore, and they made her look relatively shapeless rather than feminine. She had never given much thought to her figure. In fact, she was annoyed by the breasts that had appeared around age fifteen and grown substantially since then. When they grew too plump, she began binding t
One early morning, a few months prior, Leslie had dressed hurriedly, forgetting to bind her breasts in her eagerness to leave the house early. She had heard Gabe tell her oldest cousin, Ian, that he intended to go fishing that morning, and she knew his favorite fishing spot. She was determined to spend some time with him, all to herself.
She had raced through the woods, arriving to find that Gabe was just settling down to fish. As she plopped down on the river bank beside Gabe, his eyes widened. She had noticed his gaze was glued to her chest, and when she looked down, she could see the prominent outline of her nipples and the curve of her breasts beneath her soft cotton shirt. She had blushed furiously and crossed her arms around her bent knees to hide them, but the mood between them had been oddly strained for the rest of the morning.
Nibbling her lower lip thoughtfully, Leslie pulled her shirt off and unwound the linen binding. Naked from the waist up, she took in her appearance. Her breasts were high and firm, lushly rounded and tipped with delicate pink nipples. She cupped them in her palms and frowned. Why were men so fascinated by breasts? They were just annoying mounds of flesh that tended to get in her way. She found them terribly inconvenient most of the time.
Leslie stripped off her britches and ran her hands down her sides and over her gently rounded hips. Her skin beneath her clothing was milky white and soft. She ran her fingers through the triangle of golden curls at the juncture of her thighs. She had become a stranger to her own body, and she wondered whether Gabe would find her attractive if she could just get him to see her as a woman rather than a girl.
She couldn’t hope to be as pretty as Lena, but maybe Leslie could convince him that she would make a much better wife for him. She was a hard worker, and a farmer like Gabe would need that in a wife. Surely, Lena was too soft and too feminine to really be a helpmate. Besides, no one would ever love Gabe like Leslie did. She simply had to make him understand that.
Gabe treated her like a little sister, like a child, like the little wildcat her father teased her for being. She was an eighteen-year-old woman. Why couldn’t Gabe see that? As she studied her reflection, the proof that she was anything but a child was right before her eyes. But how could she get him to see that she had grown up? For the past few months, he’d hardly given her more than a passing glance?
Her lips parted as she had a brilliantly wicked thought. Perhaps if she went to him and told him how she felt, he might take her more seriously. Maybe she could get him to kiss her. Maybe then, he would realize that she was the right woman for him, not Lena. At the very least, Leslie would be no worse off than she was now, with the exception of her wounded pride if he rejected her.
Filled with a sudden urgency, she donned her shirt, britches, and boots. She was in too much of a hurry to bind her breasts, and she didn’t think about what a wanton picture she provided in just the thin cotton shirt. She twisted her hair into a loose bun and shoved her hat over it. Then, she slipped out through her bedroom window and made her way silently to the barn to saddle her horse.
It was a short ride to Gabe’s farm, just a mile up the road. She took the familiar turn off and paused on a slight incline overlooking his homestead. It was much smaller than the McKenzie farm, but everything was meticulously maintained and neat.
Gabe’s cabin, barn, and other outbuildings were all well-built and sturdy. His farm nestled in a hollow just downstream from her family’s place. He had a few cows, hogs, horses, mules, and chickens, but most of his land was devoted to crops. Gabe had the finest orchard in the whole area, and he was famous for his apples, peaches, and pears. He raised other crops, too, including sweet corn, snap beans, and alfalfa. Leslie could easily picture herself as his wife, helping him build his farm and realize his dreams.
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she hesitated. It must be around midnight. Gabe was sure to be angry with her for disturbing his sleep. Maybe she should have waited until the following day to talk with him. But if she waited even one more day to speak with him, she risked having him propose to Lena. Leslie firmed her lips and nudged her horse forward. There was no way she could sleep until she told Gabe how she felt.
She dismounted and quietly led her horse into the dark barn. She took a few moments to let her eyes adjust to the dark. The full moon streaming through the open door gave her just enough light to see by, and she led her horse into an empty stall and began loosening the cinch on his saddle so he would be comfortable while he waited for her.
Chapter 2
Gabe Faulkner lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling with his hands folded behind his head. No matter how hard he tried, sleep eluded him. He was disturbed by the conversation he’d had with Brian McKenzie earlier in the day. Brian was like a second father to Gabe, and he really valued the older man’s opinion.
Gabe was an only child. His parents had tried for years to have children without success. His father was nearly twenty years older than his mother. By the time Gabe’s mother was thirty-eight, they had given up on having children. Then, out of the blue, they conceived Gabe. His parents had always told him that he was their happy surprise. They doted on him, but surprisingly, it didn’t result in Gabe being spoiled or selfish. That was probably due to him having to help his older parents so much around the farm. They weren’t in the best of health, and by the time Gabe was a teenager, they were quite frail.
However, his parents’ doting attention did result in Gabe having a certain degree of arrogance. He fully recognized that part of his personality, and he had no intention to ever change. He expected things to always be a certain way, his way, to be more precise. Gabe liked being in charge. He liked control. That didn’t mean he was unpleasant or unkind. In fact, most others saw him as charming and quite likeable, provided that they didn’t cross him. And because he was a natural leader, one who was confident enough that he saw no need to lord it over those he led, others were usually happy to follow his orders.
That was certainly true with his childhood friends. Gabe had been fortunate that his parents’ farm bordered that of the McKenzie family. The children of Brian McKenzie and his two brothers had been Gabe’s best friends. In fact, they had been more like siblings to him than friends. They roamed the woods like a pack of wildlings, but they never got into any real trouble. It was always good, clean fun. Since Gabe was the eldest, he was the natural leader of the pack, and he kept them in line most of the time.
Gabe had been only sixteen when both of his parents passed away from a terrible outbreak of pneumonia. In the eight years since his parents’ deaths, he had lived alone, with only his dog, Rowdy, and his animals for company. As a result, Gabe had spent even more time with the McKenzie family, and he had become inordinately fond of all of them. They treated him as one of their own. Gabe was especially fond of Leslie McKenzie, one of the few daughters in the family. She was a tomboyish little hellion, but Gabe couldn’t help but admire her spunk.
Leslie was barely five-feet-tall, but she was a little firecracker. In looks, she closely resembled her mother, with honey gold hair and beautiful, fine features. Only her eyes were different. Her mother had brown eyes the color of warm milk chocolate, but Leslie’s eyes were a fascinating hazel. When she was mad or excited, green flecks practically glowed in them, almost like cat eyes.
Her catlike eyes were one reason everyone in the family called her Cat, short for her middle name, Catherine. Her pa had started the trend, dubbing her his little wildcat. The name had stuck, and it certainly seemed appropriate. She was untamable. She could ride, shoot, fish and hunt as well as any of her brothers or cousins. Gabe had grown to love her and think of her like the younger sister he never had.
Like any older brother, Gabe loved to tease her. He tormented her frequently, laughing when she got riled. When she turned sixteen, he started calling her kitten rather than Cat, telling her it was because she was still so tiny. At first, she hated when he called her that, which only made him do it more. She eventually grew used to it, and he suspected that she secretly liked that he had his own nickname for her.
Gabe had always been protective of her. Watching out for her was a full-time job whenever she was around. She got into more mischief than anyone he had ever known. That was probably why she seemed to have a serious case of hero worship for him. Whenever she got into a scrape, he always seemed to be there to rescue her. Since he first met her, she was like his shadow, following him everywhere. He allowed her to tag along because she was so darn cute and funny and smart as a whip.
That had all begun to change when she began to grow into a woman. At first, the changes were subtle. Instead of the two of them talking with each other easily about any topic under the sun, there were suddenly uncomfortable periods of silence and awkward blushes. Gabe avoided touching her, because whenever he did, a strange current of awareness passed between them, and he could see in her eyes that she felt it, too.
By the time she was fifteen, he began having lustful fantasies about her, and those fantasies made him feel terribly guilty. She seemed to view him the same as always, but he couldn’t look at her without thinking about stripping her clothes off and claiming her sweet, tempting body. Things became increasingly awkward between them, and Gabe began avoiding her whenever possible. When he couldn’t avoid being around her, he ignored her, or at least tried to. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very successful at putting her out of his mind.
Leslie had grown up. She was no longer a skinny little kid. It seemed like her body had blossomed and developed curves almost overnight. And what luscious curves they were. One day, she was a pigtailed, knobby kneed little girl who was just one of the gang, and the next day, Gabe couldn’t help but notice the way her britches hugged her hips and the way her shirt stretched over her breasts. He couldn’t seem to stop ogling her. Even when he wasn’t with her, he kept thinking about how she had grown into a very desirable young woman. In fact, he had awoken from many a heated dream thinking about her lush breasts, wonderfully curved hips, and kissable mouth.
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