She fixed him a plate and watched him eat. For once, he didn’t try to talk to her, and she wondered why his mood had changed. Before going in to see Liam, he’d been kissing her breathless. Now he would barely look at her. What had happened? What brought about this sudden change, and did it have anything to do with her?
Snowmelt was dripping off the house, and the sounds from the street told him the town was back to business as usual.
Daisy was quiet this morning, and he knew it was his own fault. He hadn't said more than five words to her the evening before. His conversation with Liam had left him so distracted, he’d not even tasted the food she’d fixed.
She barely glanced at him as she ate her breakfast. He’d have to get her attention just to talk to her, but he wasn’t sure either of them was in the mood for conversation. He was still preoccupied with Liam’s offer, and she looked—hurt—by his silence.
When she finished eating, she got up to clean the mess without a word. He helped as much as she’d allow him to and knew he couldn’t let this—whatever it was—linger.
He caught her arm when she went to lay a clean pot on a drying towel. She stilled but didn’t look at him. Lifting her arm, he kissed the back of her wrist. When she stood there without responding, he licked her soft skin before placing another kiss there. She finally lifted her head, and he said, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For being so distant.” He ran his thumb over her wrist. “Liam gave me a lot to think about, and I’m just preoccupied with that.”
“Oh.”
She looked away, but he didn’t let her do it for long. He reached up and tilted her face back up, raising her chin so she’d look at him. “Thank you for breakfast.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “You’re welcome.”
Even though he wasn’t sure it would be welcomed now, he lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed in an instant, and he smiled before deepening the kiss the way he wanted to. She kissed him back as if nothing was wrong, and by the time he pulled away, her eyes were once again vibrant and void of the sadness he’d seen earlier.
“I have to go. I’ll be back around noon.”
She nodded and licked her bottom lip. He didn’t miss the action and gave her another brief kiss before heading out.
The day was cold, and the sky looked gray. It would snow again soon. He pulled the collar of his coat up over his neck and nodded his head at Everette, the stagecoach station owner, when he saw him through the window.
The livery stable was frigid as usual. Clay tended to the horses, breaking the ice on their water troughs before feeding them. The first one to finish was let out of his stall, saddled, and led outside. He mounted him and headed to the far edge of town. Liam told him where his partner, Lewis’s cabin was, and he wanted to see it.
It didn’t take long to find. It was on the outskirts of town, farthest from the train station, and Liam had been right. It needed work. Thankfully, it was still abandoned. While securing the horse's reins to a nearby post, he spotted an old barn behind the house. It wasn’t very big, but it had enough room for a few horses and some livestock.
The cabin itself was sturdy. The window panes were all intact, but the door got stuck when he tried to open it, the bottom edge scraping the floor as he pushed. He'd have to fix that. The inside was untouched. Dust covered everything, and it smelled musty since being shut up so long, but to his surprise, it still held all the furnishings. He’d not need to do anything but move in at this point. Everything one needed to live comfortably was right here.
Like Liam’s home, this cabin was similiar in layout, only there were two extra rooms off the main living area. Both were a good size, the kitchen at the back of the house, big too. A narrow set of steps along the right wall led to a large loft that covered half the living area and was empty. It would make good storage or an extra sleeping space. He stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the kitchen. He could picture Daisy here. Could also see a gaggle of kids running about as she happily hummed a tune only she could hear. It was a pleasant dream. One he could make a reality. All he had to do was accept Liam’s offer.
Then ask Daisy to marry him.
The only question he had was—would she leave her family to be with him?
The ride back to town wouldn’t take long. One could walk it in less than ten minutes. There were a few other houses out this way, but not close enough to feel as if anyone was living right on top of you.
The livery stable door was open when he rode back into town. He hadn’t seen a single person all week, and the one time he left, someone came in.
Clay hurried inside, looking into the darkened space before closing the barn door and blocking off the cold air. He saw her a few moments later. Callie, the girl who had shown Daisy around town the week before, came from the back of the barn near the tack room.
“There you are,” she said. “I was beginning to think you and Daisy headed back home.”
He unsaddled the horse, draping the saddle over the rail. “Not yet. I had something to do this morning.” He led the horse back into its stall. “Daisy is down at Liam’s. He fell last week and broke his leg. We’ve been staying over there to help take care of him.”
“Oh. I see.” She looked around the barn before saying, “Do you think it would be okay if I stopped by to see Daisy?”
“I’m sure she’d enjoy that.”
She grinned. “Perfect. Where does Liam live?”
He gave her directions and nodded his head at her when she said, “See you around.”
