Kitch nodded, his gaze sweeping past Esther. “Yes, sir. Right away.”
“I’ll help,” Esther said, crossing the stone floor.
“Help? Leave the boy be, love. He doesn’t need you telling him how to do his job.”
“I-I don’t mind, sir. Miss Esther knows a goodly bit about horses.”
“Well, fine.” Father retrieved a cigar from his inside coat pocket. “I’m off for a light. Don’t leave without me, Esther.”
When he’d gone, Kitch passed Esther a small, tightly folded note.
“What took you so long?”
“He weren’t home. I had to wait under the maple.” Kitch replaced Gulliver’s saddle, then treated him with a slice of dried apple.
Hands trembling, Esther unfolded the letter, turning away as Kitch saddled the horses.
Esther, as I said, I cannot meet you. The harvest consumes my time. Yours, Hamilton
She crumpled the note, whirling about, her palm pressed to her forehead. “‘Yours, Hamilton’... as if I’m a pesky school girl with a frivolous crush. Did he say anything to you?”
“Me?” Kitch made a face. “About what?”
“Oh, I don’t know... that he’s passionately in love with me and merely frightened of his own powerful affections.”
Kitch buried his face in the horse’s side but could not mute his laugh well enough.
“What’s so funny?”
“I ain’t all that experienced with women—”
Esther sighed. “Do tell.”
“But if’n a man wants a woman, ain’t no fear that can hold him back, Miss Esther.”
“Oh really?” She set her hands about her waist and leaned toward him. “How do you know such things?”
Kitch grimaced, leading Barnabas from his stall. “Like I said, I don’t have much experience but—”
“When a man loves a woman, nothing can hold him back?”
“From what I’d seed, pretty much.”
Esther alighted on Gulliver’s back. “The same is true of women. When she is in love, there is no force more powerful.” She spurred the gelding out of the stable. Father would simply have to understand.
15
JESSE
Smitty,” Jesse called over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on Chloe. “You did not tell me the guesthouse was on Daschle property.”
His friend shouted from the bedroom. “You didn’t ask.”
Jesse scoffed. “How would I know to ask? But, oh, what am I thinking?” He thumped the heel of his hand against his forehead. “I cannot trust you.” To Chloe, he said, “I didn’t know this was your father’s place.”
“What happened to your place on the beach?”
“Turns out the owner wasn’t away for a year. And Smitty, my former good friend, had no authority to lease it to me.”
