“I take it you haven’t heard from Daisy, then?”
He readjusted his hat and said, “No. But I don’t really expect to.”
Callie gave him a thorough look before shaking her head. “I hate to say it, but she’s being pretty stupid, in my opinion. You’re a great catch. If she weren’t my friend, I would have already made my move.” The dimple was back in her cheek when she grinned. “Have you written to her?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “What’s the point? She doesn't want to live here.”
“So, it’s been two months. Maybe she’s changed her mind and is waiting for you to come back and sweep her off her feet.”
“You’ve read too many of those dime novels you told Daisy about.”
She laughed and nodded. “Probably, but that doesn’t mean what’s written isn’t true. Women like to be wooed and pursued. They like grand gestures and knowing their man would move heaven and earth for them. Maybe she’s been sitting at home waiting for your grand gesture.”
If it were only that easy. “She didn’t want to leave her family, Callie. No amount of grand gestures will ever change that.”
“How do you know? Have you tried?”
He looked away, further down the street. A light flurry of snow was falling, and the sun was disappearing over the mountain. It would be full dark soon, which meant he’d spend another night alone with nothing but his thoughts, as miserable as they were.
Callie bumped his arm with her elbow to get his attention. “Go back and get her,” she said. “And don’t leave Silver Falls without her. Make her see she belongs here with you. It's either that or grow old, alone, and bitter.” She took a few steps away from him and said, “I have to go. Let me know when you’re headed back to Silver Falls. I’ll send a letter of recommendation along with you, letting Daisy know what a great catch you are.” She grinned. “Or maybe I’ll just tell her if she doesn’t come back to Butte with you, I’m going to drag you off to the nearest preacher and marry you myself.”
With a wink, she turned and headed down the street. He watched her go until he couldn’t see her anymore, then continued on his way home. She made it sound so simple. As if going back to Silver Falls would be enough. Hell, maybe it would be. He knew nothing about how a woman’s mind worked.
His steps slowed to a stop when the cabin came into view, his thoughts still on what Callie had said. Would going to Silver Falls really work? Would Daisy leave her family and come back to Butte with him if he gave her a grand gesture like Callie suggested?
It certainly won’t hurt to try.
No, it wouldn’t. He had nothing to lose but time in trying. If she still refused, then he’d know it was truly over between them. Despite her not wanting to leave Silver Falls, he knew she had feelings for him. He’d seen it in the tears she’d shed and the way she’d kissed him before he left.
He started walking again, a clear plan in place, but he’d have to hurry. With the daily snowfall they were getting now, it would be difficult to take the trip if he waited much longer. His steps quickened when he reached the front of the cabin. He could be packed and gone by sunrise tomorrow, and if the weather held, he’d be back in Silver Falls the day after.
For the first time in weeks, the heaviness weighing his shoulders down lifted. He ran up the steps to the cabin, his thoughts on Daisy, her pretty face filling his mind's eye, and he could have sworn he smelled cinnamon as he reached the door.
Flinging it open, he rushed inside—then froze. He’d not imagined smelling cinnamon. The cabin was filled with it. A moment later, he noticed the lanterns were all lit, and a fire blazed in the fireplace.
He shut the door, blocking out the cold air blowing in, and turned his head to the bedroom when he heard a noise. Seeing Daisy walk into the room nearly stopped his heart. When she turned and saw him, she smiled and said, “Finally. I was beginning to think I was going to have to walk all the way to town to get you.”
He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. She didn’t go away. No matter how many times he did it, she was still there. As he stared at her, her cheeks turned pink. They matched the dress she was wearing. Her hair was down, long curls dangling down her back. She wore nothing on her feet but thick wool socks, and she was a vision he still wasn’t sure was real.
“Supper is almost ready.” The words were said in a soft, gentle tone and snapped him out of the daze he was in.
He crossed the room in five huge steps, cupping her face in his hands when he reached her. She was real, her skin warm against his palms. “How….When…What are you doing here, Daisy?”
Her heart pounded inside her chest. Daisy had debated how she’d go about seeing Clay and had almost gone to the livery stable, but had been too scared to meet him in such a public setting. What if he’d rejected her and sent her home, and everyone in town was a witness to it? She would have died of humiliation. Graham had asked several people where Lewis used to live and guided the sleigh to the cabin on the outskirts of town, parking it out back. She’d felt odd going inside without an invitation and wasn’t even sure Clay was living there until she’d walked into the bedroom and seen his things there. She’d lifted a shirt to her nose, his scent clinging to the fabric, and her longing for him was overwhelming.
Graham had unloaded her trunks and said he’d head back to town and get a room at the hotel. He’d stay until she came to see him, to let him know if he could go home to Silver Falls alone, or take her back with him, and a case of jittery nerves had led her to the kitchen. Cooking had always calmed her, so she’d started baking and searched the pantry for something to fix for supper, playing house as she’d done at Liam’s, only this time, the house would be her own—if Clay would still have her. “I missed you,” She said, licking her lips and willing her heart to stop racing. “And if you will still have me—”
Clay kissed her next words right out of her mouth. He tilted her head to the side, his tongue darting between her lips, and her toes curled in her socks.
The fear he’d send her away vanished as he kissed her, and for the first time in months, the black cloud hanging over her head disappeared. She wound her arms around his waist, holding him to her as he continued to kiss her as if starved, and the words Violet had said to her before she left—to not think…just feel—had her kissing him back with the same urgency he seemed to be feeling, the velvety warmth of his mouth causing things low in her belly to clench.
Clay broke the kiss long enough to take his coat and hat off, letting them both fall to the floor before saying, “Will you marry me?”
She didn’t hesitate for a moment and said, “Yes.” She squealed when he grabbed her, lifting her off the ground and carrying her to the bedroom. He lay her on the bed, following her down, and kissed her breathless.
