Piecrust Promise

by Nanette Kinslow

  “Didn’t you enter any apple?” Daniel asked as the congratulations thinned.

  “No, I didn’t,” Corinne said.

  Lee looked at her puzzled. She had told him she always baked apple pie for contests.

  “The next apple I bake will be Lee’s. I think he’s earned it.”

  “You held back the apples for my pie?” Lee asked.

  “Yes,” Corinne said. “All I wanted was for you to come back.”

  Lee looked at her with soft gray eyes and Corinne could not imagine that there would ever be a more perfect day in all of her life.

  Chapter Eighty-One

  Daniel stood in front of the adobe home with his arms folded across his chest smiling with admiration. The contests were behind them, the sun was sitting low in the sky and the family had ridden across the plains to see the homestead. As soon as they arrived Corinne pulled Barnette inside to show her the hearth and the stove and how cozy the house was indoors. She was glad she had cleaned up the flour and blueberries the night before.

  “How did Lee propose?” Barnette asked. “Did he get down on one knee and all that?”

  Corinne laughed. “No, he proposed with pie on his face after the contest.”

  “You mean we just missed it?”

  “Just,” Corinne said. “Actually it was perfect. I can’t imagine him askin’ at a more fittin’ moment.”

  “He said when he wired us that he was plannin’ on askin’ right after the contest, tonight in fact. I wonder why he didn’t wait.”

  Corinne thought about their fight the night before. “I’m glad he didn’t,” she said.

  Barnette asked Daniel to unload the canned goods and food they had brought. Corinne watched Elijah kissing the dog and rocking the cradle that still sat on the hearth.

  “I’m thinking we ought to be filling that cradle soon,” Lee whispered into Corinne’s ear as she slid a large meat pie into the big oven.

  She turned to face him and touched his cheek. His face was still a little dark from the stain of the berries, but it had begun to fade away already. She chuckled. Only Lee Highland could get clean so fast.

  “I’m sorry,” she said to him quietly. “I’m sorry I was so afraid of fallin’ in love with you. When you left nothin’ else mattered. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself. I thought if I kept my heart closed to you it could not be broken again. I was very wrong.”

  Lee looked into her eyes. He hadn’t even realized how much of herself she had always been hiding from him. Now the blue in her eyes seemed deeper and he felt as if he could see right into her heart. He knew he would not reenlist. He belonged on the prairie with Corinne beside him.

  “You even took your things. Every one of your things. I looked to wash your shirts and they were gone. And your books were gone. It was as if you had vanished. Please bring all of you back to me.”

  “In a few days I’ll be out of the cavalry and I’ll bring everything here.”

  Corinne smiled broadly.

  “But there’s something we need to do first and I will not stay inside the house until we do. You said you’d marry me and I intend to have that happen while Daniel and Barnette are here.”

  “Yes,” Corinne smiled. “Right away.”

  Chapter Eighty-Two

  Corinne held perfectly still watching her reflection in the mirror in the hotel room while Barnette pinned a wreath to her hair.

  “I haven’t thought about being a bride since I was a little girl,” she said as Barnette smoothed her veil.

  Her dress was a simple, fitted white lace. The sleeves were long and snug on her arms and the skirt flowed gently to the floor. Barnette had fashioned her a garland of tiny, white prairie flowers and her hair fell free in soft wisps down her shoulders and over her back.

  With all of the excitement over the pie contests and a wedding, Lee had leased out the hotel lobby for the day. Half the territory was invited and Corinne was quite nervous.

  “I have never seen you more beautiful,” Barnette said as she stepped around to face her, adjusting the veil so it covered Corinne’s shoulders.

  “After Hank, I thought I’d never find anyone decent. I’m so afraid Lee will be disappointed. He could have half the young virgins in the country if he wanted.”

  “Now why would he want that when he’s in love with a real woman?”

  Corinne looked at her sister-in-law and touched her fingertips to her hair. “You knew it right away, didn’t you? I thought you just were thinkin’ Lee was handsome when we came down. But you knew he was right for me from the beginnin’.”

  “I think everyone saw it right away. The way he looked at you, why, it just melted my heart.”

  “I put him through so much. I’m lucky he didn’t reenlist and take off somewhere.”

  “Soon his cavalry days will be behind him. They’ll have that ceremony they’re plannin’ and you can really start your life together. What’s he goin’ to do with himself when he’s done bein’ a soldier?” Barnette asked. She could not imagine a man like Lee Highland expecting Corinne to support him on her pie money, even though the contract from the hotel was extremely generous.

  “He hasn’t told me. He said he had an offer but we’ve had no time to talk. I’m excited about today, but I’ll be glad when things settle down too.”

  Daniel tapped on the door and entered the room.

  “Corinne,” he said, “you look stunnin’. Isn’t Lee goin’ to be impressed? I sure will be proud to walk you down the aisle.”

  “Not nearly as proud as I will be,” Corinne smiled. “You always took such good care of me. Thank you.”

  Daniel smiled proudly. “I came up to get you. It’s time, Corinne.”

  Chapter Eighty-Three

  Lee saw Barnette slip through the back door into the big hotel lobby. She sat down in her chair at the front of the gathering and nodded to the harpist. The strings of the big harp vibrated softly and the instrumentalist plucked out a gentle melody.

  Lee had only a few weeks left as an officer in the United States Cavalry, most of which would be spent on a honeymoon. It seemed fitting to him somehow, to be wearing his full dress uniform one last time for his wedding. The first time he saw Corinne he knew his life would change. He knew from the very first moment that his heart would only heal with her at his side. He learned that in order to find what he needed with her he would have to earn it. He had tried in every way he could imagine and now whenever he looked into her eyes he knew she was his. He watched the doorway, waiting for her to enter. He caught a glimpse of Daniel and then saw her place her arm along her brother’s. They entered slowly and Lee could not take his eyes from her. He’d seen her beauty from the beginning and today she glowed with it.

  Corinne looked up at Daniel nervously in the hotel foyer.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, holding his arm up to her.

  Corinne put her gloved hand over his. “I am. Thank you, Daniel. Thank you for all of the years, for all of those blue ribbons, for helpin’ to make me believe in myself. I’m so glad you’re here and I wish there was somethin’ I could do or say so that you would know how much I love you.”

  “One thing,” Daniel said.

  “Name it.”

  “You walk down that aisle there and give yourself to that man. There are plenty of good things in this world but there is not one of them that compares to the love of a good woman. Don’t you hold back a thing from him. Give him all of yourself and you’ll find happiness. That’s what I want, Corinne.”

  Corinne looked up through the doorway and saw Lee, more handsome than ever in his dress uniform. She saw Barnette standing at the front of the crowd dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief. She knew that her sister-in-law was devoted to Daniel. Now she had no need to envy their love. Corinne had a genuine love of her own.

  Stepping forward with Daniel, Corinne could see the look in Lee’s kind, grey eyes. He looked at her with complete trust and she knew that he adored her. She could not imagine
anything more wonderful in the world. He was warm and kind and generous. He thought of pleasing her in ways she never imagined. A hot bath when her body ached, a home she loved. She would do as Daniel had asked, with all of her heart. She would love Lee and never hide her heart or her feelings from him again. She would be his partner and his wife.

  Corinne could feel that her knees were a bit shaky when Daniel turned to her and kissed her cheek. It was the way he always did when he left to take one of her pies to a fair. It was with loving reassurance.

  “She’s all yours,” he said softly to Lee, and winked.

  Lee smiled, a broad open smile and took Corinne’s hand.

  She looked up into his soft, grey eyes and thought she might just melt away for a moment. Now she understood what it was about his smile that had always made her angry. She knew because now it completely melted her heart. It was the thing she had been most afraid of in the world. Now she was ready to give herself to him and she let his smile go right to her core. Corinne could feel her fear melting away and she looked at him with complete love and trust.

  The preacher spoke the vows and she repeated the words softly, her voice clear and calm. She meant every word, and she knew Lee did as well.

  When Lee looked into the depths of her deep, blue eyes he knew she belonged to him. With her beside him he would never stand alone. Corinne was beautiful and intelligent and she held his heart. In a clear, deep voice he said, “I do.”

  The preacher pronounced them man and wife and Lee took the sides of Corinne’s veil, lifted it and put it behind her shoulders. Something in the way he moved made her blush deeply. When he pulled her to him, his muscled arms encircling her waist, she surrendered to his kiss. Corinne realized immediately that there was still so much to share with Lee and she let his kiss completely seduce her. She wanted to love him in every way.

  Chapter Eighty-Four

  Corinne had never allowed him so close to her. She’d never felt his touch. Now, all day, throughout her wedding day, he held her hand or put his arm around her. Twice he pulled her into the foyer where they could not be seen and pulled her close. She could see how he had wanted her all along. Corinne wanted him as well. She wanted his arms tighter around her, and not for just a few stolen moments. She wanted his touch. She wanted everything that he had wanted from her for so long and now she allowed herself those desires.

  “You’ve been wonderful and entirely patient,” she whispered in his ear as he nuzzled her neck in a stolen moment alone. “I intend to make sure you will find me entirely worth the wait.”

  The sound of her smooth Texas twang maddened him. “I can hardly wait,” he said.

  Corinne pushed the top brass button through the buttonhole in his uniform. It was cool and shiny and she could see her fingerprint stamped onto the brass. She undid another and looked at her print there.

  “Those buttons were nice and shiny.” Her voice was honey smooth. “But now look. These two are completely smudged with prints from my hand. Isn’t that a damn shame?” Corinne looked up into his eyes provocatively.

  Lee looked down at the smudged buttons and then up into her eyes.

  “First Lieutenant, when I get you home I’m going to make a mess of that uniform and as soon as I get you out of it, a mess of you as well.”

  Lee had to catch his breath.

  “Corinne,” he cleared his throat. “This is quite unfair. Now if I were to try to walk out into that room crowded with guests I am certain I would completely embarrass us both.”

  “I see,” Corinne said seductively. “Perhaps I should button you back up.”

  “I’m not sure that would help.” Lee took a very deep breath.

  Corinne fastened the jacket again, huffed softly on each button and polished them until they each shined with the edge of her sleeve.

  “As I suspected,” Lee said in a low voice, looking down into her eyes, “this is not helping at all.”

  “Well, Lieutenant, what do you propose I do? Maybe this?” She pressed herself up against him and kissed him passionately.

  Lee at first surrendered to her kiss but then took her by the shoulders and held her away from him.

  “We need to stop this immediately,” he said, clearing his throat.

  “I’ll wait,” Corinne smiled. “But not very long.” She kissed his cheek and left him alone so that he could gather himself.

  Lee Highland turned and faced the wall and then paced for several minutes alone in the foyer. When the door opened and a young couple passed by, he struggled to keep from blushing deeply.

  He had never seen Corinne this way. Of course he’d had moments, thousands of moments when he imagined how exciting it would be to be with her. But none of his dreams ever envisioned her so seductive, so clearly interested. After Anita had shunned him he never went after women much in that way. Now and again one would try to throw herself at him, but it was clearly always a tease that he knew would go nowhere. Sometimes it was a woman who was seeking a conquest and was enamored with the uniform. As his rank had risen so had the caliber of women, but this, with Corinne, was entirely different.

  Now he was completely in love. There were other things as well. Her casual ways, like the way she’d crawl right down into the dirt for something. When Corinne wanted to accomplish something she was not shy. Now it seemed she was turning her determination on him. Corinne was also stunningly beautiful, her figure womanly and curved. Lee realized that he felt like a captive to her desires and less of his own. He had never felt that way with any woman before. Lee was intrigued. She had pressed against him boldly, but it was more than that too. She knew exactly how and where to put the pressure. He thought about how her firm thigh had pressed against his own.

  Lee shook his head. He was not gathering himself at all. He took a very deep breath and blew it out. He tried to think about the idea he had of adding another room to the adobe dwelling. He struggled to focus on where he would put each brick.

  Corinne sipped the small glass of champagne she had allowed herself in their toast. She had only tasted it when they had clinked the glasses, but now she was enjoying the bubbly taste on her tongue. She watched the doorway to the foyer. Lee seemed to be taking a very long time to pull himself together. Just as she had decided she would go check on him, he pulled open the door and walked into the lobby full of people. A man stepped up to him immediately and shook his hand, but it was not before he found Corinne in the room and shot her a glance of reprimand. She saw his look and raised her champagne glass. She winked at him boldly. His admonishing look made her smile.

  Chapter Eighty-Fiv e

  As evening approached and the wedding guests continued their celebration, Corinne stepped up beside Lee and stretched up to whisper in his ear. From across the room Daniel saw the couple and pointed them out to Barnette.

  “I don’t expect they’re goin’ to stick around long.” Barnette said. “Didn’t Lee say he had gotten them the room upstairs next to ours?”

  “I have a feeling Corinne has somethin’ else in mind,” Daniel responded.

  Barnette knew that Daniel and Corinne often had similar thoughts and when she saw Lee head towards them from across the room Daniel whispered, “Corinne wants to go home.”

  “That might be a good thing,” Barnette chuckled. “I don’t want them keepin’ Elijah up all night.”

  Daniel laughed as Lee stepped up to them, followed closely by Corinne.

  “We’ve decided to ride out to the house tonight. We were thinking we’ll be back. Maybe not tomorrow,” he said. “Would you mind?” Lee looked at Corinne, concerned that they were being rude and she squeezed his upper arm affectionately.

  Daniel could see that Corinne had finished her champagne and he smiled.

  “Actually, we were thinkin’ we’d like to stick around here for a couple of days,” he said. “Then we’ll ride out and visit you for a bit before we head home. Is the day after tomorrow okay, maybe in the evening?”

  Daniel saw Corinne mout
h “Thank you” to him. He smiled. He knew what it was like to be in love.

  It took over an hour to finish all of their goodbyes. Corinne took another glass of champagne from the waiter’s tray as he passed.

  By the time Lee helped her into the wagon she was a bit tipsy.

  “Did you enjoy the champagne, my dear?” he asked as he climbed in next to her.

  “I did,” she admitted. “I don’t care to drink very hard, but it was nice. I should warn you however that alcohol has a rather profound effect on me.”

  “How’s that?” Lee asked. He noticed that her voice was smooth and relaxed.

  “I’ll show you when we get home. You might want to get that big stallion of yours movin’ a bit faster.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” Lee shook the reins.

  Chapter Eighty-Six

  Lee lifted Corinne from the wagon and she pressed up against him.

  “Unhitch that horse,” she whispered, “and come inside.”

  He did exactly as she asked.

  When he entered the house the main room was completely dark but for a small lamp burning softly on the long table in the middle of the room. Lee reached up to unbutton his uniform jacket and heard her voice low in the room.

  “Don’t you dare undo a single button, Lieutenant. That’s mine to enjoy.”