“If I take you there, are you going to assume I’m going to marry you?” he asked.
“I don’t have to assume anything, Kent.”
He frowned, not sure he liked the way she worded that.
She slipped her arm around his and led him to the path. “I’ll get the basket when we get back. It’s such a lovely afternoon. Cool but no wind so nothing will blow anywhere.”
“Yes, I suppose it is cooler than it has been lately.”
“The storm last night cooled things off. My ma hates them, but I love them. The rain, lightning, and thunder are all exciting, don’t you think?” Before he could reply, she continued, “I like to pretend that I’m in an old creepy castle and am exploring secret passageways. Last night I imagined that someone was trying to find me in that castle. He did end up finding me, and he took me down one of those passageways and was going to keep me as his prisoner indefinitely, but you came and saved me. It was very romantic.”
“Goodness, Rose. I’m not the kind of man who runs around saving women.”
“But you weren’t saving all women. Just me. You were my knight in shining armor, brave and noble.”
“Your family is right. You spend way too much time reading books.” The stories she came up with! And why was he always the hero?
“If such a situation ever happened, I know you’d do everything you could to rescue me.”
He grimaced.
“Oh, it’s true. You can’t help it. You have the heart of a kind and honorable gentleman. If I was ever in danger, you would come for me.”
Let her believe what she wanted. Eating her stew was one thing, but going into some abandoned castle to defy a masked gunman was something entirely different.
They passed through a bend along the path then the bridge came into view. She squeezed his arm. “Isn’t it beautiful? I just love the way the tree branches form a canopy over the bridge. It’s my favorite spot.”
It was pretty. There was no denying that, but he was distracted by the way Rose’s breast brushed his arm. He didn’t know if he should bring it up so she’d put some distance between them or not. She was too naïve to know what such contact did to him. There was nothing manipulative in her actions. But that didn’t stop his mind from going in directions where it had no business going.
Perhaps if he hadn’t experienced the horrible aching loneliness since his uncle’s death, he would have been strong enough to push her away. God knew he’d been doing his best to discourage her ever since he woke up and caught her kissing him. But she was so unbelievably persistent that she had worn him down. It was part of her ploy, he knew. She must have known sooner or later he’d grow weak.
They reached the bridge and she let go of him so she could hold onto the rail and peer into the water. He should have been relieved. At least it enabled him to think clearly again. But he was disappointed.
With a sigh, he leaned on the rail and followed her gaze. “What are you looking for?”
“The fish. Once in a while, they swim on by and it’s fun to watch them.” She glanced at him. “You ever go fishing?”
“No.”
“My pa took me when I was a girl, along with my brothers. Harriett never wanted to go. I tried to explain to her how much fun it was to feel the fish catch on to the hook and pull it out of the water, but she thought it was silly. She’d rather be cooking or sewing or decorating the house. I can’t imagine anything more boring, can you? Oh, I didn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy making your shirt. That was something I was excited about because I knew you’d look good in a solid blue color. Adam mostly wears plaid shirts. Not that you don’t look good in his shirts, but all plaid all the time gets boring. What good is living if you never do something different? I can’t think of one interesting thing Adam’s ever done, if you want to know the truth. Of course, you’ve had a life much more interesting than any of us. You’ve been to Europe. Tell me, what was Ireland like?”
He didn’t know why her familiar rambling should strike him as funny as it did, but he found himself laughing. And it felt good to laugh.
Her eyebrows furrowed and she turned toward him. “Did I say something funny?”
“No.” Her eyes grew wide, making him laugh even harder. “Rose, I have never met anyone who can talk about nothing as much as you do.”
Her face grew pink. “Nothing? I’ve been talking about fishing, my brother and sister, and Ireland.”
“Yes, and all the while, thunderstorms make you dream of spooky castles where you’re pursued by some evil villain. I don’t know where you find the time to think of so many things when you’re so busy telling me I’ll never go to California unless I take you with me.”
She shrugged. “I suppose I do have an active imagination.”
“I wasn’t criticizing you, my dear Rose,” he assured her when he realized he’d hurt her feelings. “I think it’s adorable. You’re never bored, and better yet, you bring light and laughter wherever you go. The world needs more people like you. Life is sometimes painful. You come along and bring joy to it.”
She clasped her hands together, her eyes lit with excitement. “You called me ‘my dear Rose.’”
He blinked and stopped laughing. Good heavens. Did he really?
“Oh, Kent! And everything else you said! Those are some of the most beautiful things anyone has ever said to me.” She closed the gap between them and looked up at him. “Kiss me.”
Startled, he took a step back. “What?”
She stepped forward. “I’ve always wanted to be kissed here. It’s such a romantic spot. Someday I’ll bring our children here and tell them you gave me my first kiss here.”
“Your first kiss happened when I was asleep.”
“I’m not going to tell them about that one. Besides, it doesn’t really count because you weren’t awake.” She placed her arms around his neck. “Just one kiss?”
He put his hands on her hips, thinking to push her away from him, but his errant hands only brought her closer to him. “This isn’t a good place for a kiss. People are nearby.”
“They can’t see us that well from here.”
“Why can’t you act like a proper lady? It’s not appropriate for you to try to kiss me like this.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me kissing you here.”
“If your father saw us, he’d come at me with his gun.”
She giggled. “You’re silly. All we’re going to do is kiss. We won’t do anything improper until after the wedding. Then it’ll be proper. In fact, we’ll have to do it then.”
He should pull away from her. That was the safest thing he could do, but her hands clasped around the back of his neck and he let her pull him toward her. His lips touched hers and the last of his resistance faded away as he brought her into his embrace. She felt so very wonderful. And she hadn’t chosen the afternoon to spend with someone else. She’d chosen him.
She melted in his arms. Her response to him thrilled him as much as it scared him. It’d been a long time since he’d given his heart to a woman. He didn’t think there’d ever be anyone after Ann Statesman. But even in the times he’d been with Ann, she hadn’t impacted him as deeply as Rose did at this moment. With Rose, he wouldn’t have to worry that she’d replace him with someone else. He was safe with her. He felt it as surely as he could feel his heart beating with excitement.
When the kiss ended, he kept her in his embrace, reluctant to part from her. He was tempted to kiss her again but felt he’d taken enough of a risk by kissing her to begin with. Anyone could walk over to the bridge at any moment and see them.
Rose smiled up at him in her usual charming way. “That kiss was the most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced. It was much better than the one we had while you were sleeping.”
He chuckled. “I hope so.”
“Will you admit we’re going to marry now?”
With a sigh, he released her but held her hand. “I need to talk to your father first.”
“Y
ou will? What about?”
“It’s only right I ask his permission before marrying you.”
“He’ll say yes.”
“We’ll see,” he replied and tugged on her hand. “Come on. We have to get back before people start to wonder where we are.”
“Alright.”
Surprised she willingly obeyed him, he hesitated before taking a step forward.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Well, nothing. I just can’t remember you ever accepting anything I’ve said so easily before.”
“You kissed me. That’s all I really wanted to do at the bridge. Now that we did, we can go back.”
He should have known. She hadn’t just wanted to go for a walk. She had an ulterior motive and that was to get him to finally admit he wanted to be with her. “I have a nagging suspicion that when you let me win an argument, you’re the one who’ll actually win.”
Squeezing his hand, she led him down the path. “I don’t know what gives you that silly idea. We should get going. And I agree with you. We should get back before someone wonders where we went.”
A smile tugged at his lips as he followed her, this time not minding it so much when she started rambling about their future.
Chapter Fourteen
“I still can’t believe you two are sitting together,” Adam said as he led the horses down the row of corn that marked his father’s property.
From where Kent sat next to Rose in the back of the wagon, he said, “It’s a long story,” for what had to be the tenth time.
He knew her family would be surprised. No one was more surprised than him. But even so, it was a most pleasant surprise. He wouldn’t plan on anything until he got her father’s permission to court her. It was still too soon to tell where things were going, and his past had taught him not to take anything for granted.
“It might be a long story,” Rose said, her hand slipping in his, “but it’s like I told you before, Adam. Kent and I are going to get married and be very happy together.”
Adam groaned.
“Didn’t you have a good time at the picnic?” Rose asked him.
“No, I didn’t. You wanted me to go. And all for what? So I could spend the afternoon with that horrible Ellie? I wish it hadn’t been up to the women to bid on the men.”
“Me too. Stan wasn’t happy to be with me,” Harriett said. “I wish I hadn’t taken that risk.” She glanced at Rose. “Risks might work for you, but they don’t work for everyone.”
“I’m sorry,” Rose replied. “I thought if he got a chance to know you, he’d find out what a wonderful person you are.”
“All he did was ask questions about you. It was especially bad when he saw you and Kent. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone more disappointed.”
“Oh. Well, I was sure if he got a chance to talk to you, he’d be smart enough to realize you’re perfect for him.”
“I’m not perfect for him.”
“But you are. You’re thoughtful, generous—”
Harriett shook her head. “I’m not what he wants. That’s the point. I took the risk and it failed. Please don’t tell me to take another risk again. It’s just not worth it.”
“Amen,” Adam agreed. “I don’t want to spend another afternoon with a woman who can’t keep her mouth shut about other people’s business.”
“You two are hopeless,” Rose said then looked at Kent. “Don’t you think they’re hopeless?”
“I’m not getting dragged into this,” Kent replied. Sure, she had finally gotten him to admit he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but there was no way he was going to get involved in an argument she was having with her family.
Rose turned her attention back to Adam and Harriett. “You think one failure means you should give up? A failure only means you need to try something different next time. If you really want something badly enough, you’ll keep doing different things to get it until it’s yours.”
“Rose,” Harriett began, “sometimes you just can’t get what you want. Not everyone has a fairytale life like you do. Everything you’ve ever wanted has come to you.”
“Through lots of determination. I didn’t give up just because I didn’t get something right away. I kept at it.”
Kent couldn’t argue that point. If she’d listened to him every time he’d said no, he wouldn’t be trying to figure out a way to ask her father if he could marry her. The courtship would be a formality. The end result was marriage, as she had already stated countless times.
Adam stopped the wagon in front of the house and turned toward Rose. “You don’t understand that your way of doing things doesn’t work for everyone. I mean, you can get annoying. Obviously, annoying works well for you.”
With a sigh, Rose let go of Kent’s hand and knelt in front of Adam and Harriett, something Kent was thankful for since it meant they would stop looking over at him. Rose studied her brother’s expression. “What is it you want most, Adam? And more importantly, what’s stopping you from getting it?”
“I have to put the horses and wagon away,” he said. “Kent, will you help her off this wagon so I won’t toss her out?”
Kent slid to the edge of the wagon and hopped down before extending his hand to her. “Come on, Rose.”
For a moment, he thought she was going to keep arguing with Adam, but after a couple seconds, she groaned and went to him.
“Finally,” Adam muttered then went to help Harriett.
Kent took Rose’s basket and led her to the porch. “They’ll find their way,” he assured her, surprised she should find their protests so distressing. “Just worry about your life.”
“You’re right,” she said and took the basket from him. “I know you’re right, but sometimes I see all the opportunities they pass up.”
“They took some opportunities today. Maybe they’ll want to take more in the future. Maybe they won’t. But it doesn’t help that you keep pestering them about it.”
“I’m not pestering them.”
“Yes, you are.” Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he added, “I know you mean well, but sometimes it’s better to wait until someone comes to you for your advice before you give it.”
“But those two will never ask for it.”
“And that’s their choice.”
She looked as if she was ready to protest but finally settled for nodding. “You’re right.”
He waited to see if she’d add anything, like the fact that if she had listened to him when he said no, they wouldn’t have spent such a lovely afternoon together. But to her credit, she settled for squeezing his hand and going to the front door.
“Do you want to go for a horse ride before supper?” she asked. “Sometimes I like to ride through the property and make sure everything is as it should be.”
“I better not.”
“You don’t like to ride horses?”
“No, it’s not that. I like riding them.” Just recalling all those days riding on his uncle’s property brought back a wonderful feeling of contentment. He had no doubt he’d experience the same feeling with her now that he understood she wanted him—and only him—to be with for the rest of her life. But the sooner he talked to her father, the better. “I need to talk with your father first.”
“He’ll be happy to hear you want to be with me.”
“I hope so.” He motioned to the basket. “Would you like me to take this inside before I look for him?”
“I’ll take it. Talk to him right now. He’ll be in the barn at this time of the day. Then we can go for a horse ride.”
She took the basket and opened the door.
“Rose?”
She glanced back at him.
“It’s nice that you’re happy. I hope you never lose that trait.”
Her eyes twinkled. “I have every reason to be happy, especially with you. I’ll change for riding and be out soon.”
He turned from the door and headed back down the porch steps. On his way to the ba
rn, he saw Adam carrying Harriett’s basket while Harriett talked to him in low tones. He wondered what the other siblings were like. It was apparent to him that Harriett and Adam were more serious than Rose and Eli. He’d seen Isaac, the oldest brother, but only briefly because Isaac’s wife and their four children insisted on listening to him play when they came out a couple weeks ago. Rachel was in Montana with her own family. From what he’d seen of Jacob in the mercantile, he’d seemed happy, too.
Kent surmised that Rose took after her Uncle Joel the most, given her uncle’s tendency to joke around while he checked on his wounds. And there was some of her father in her. Harriett and Adam seemed to take more after their mother.
Turning his attention back to Harriett and Adam, he asked, “Is your father busy in there?” He gestured to the barn.
“He and Eli are getting ready to build a fence for the cattle he just bought. I’ll be joining them in a minute,” Adam replied.
“Is it a good time to talk to him or should I wait?”
He shrugged. “You can talk to him now.”
Harriett’s eyebrows rose. “Are you going to seek his permission to marry Rose?”
“I want to court her first, but my intention is to marry her,” Kent replied and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “Do you have any advice on how I should ask?”
“Just tell him the truth.” She paused then added, “What is the truth? Adam and I can’t understand why you want to be with her all of the sudden.”
After all the nice things they’d done for him, he figured the least he could do was let them know why he had a change of heart. “I thought I was going to marry someone a few years back, but she ended up with someone else. When I saw Rose eating by herself, I realized she would rather spend the rest of her life alone than be with another man. It’s not often you find someone who’ll give up everyone else to be with you.”
Catching Kent Page 11