“I beg your pardon if I’m being too forward. Everyone tells me I’m too blunt sometimes. I can’t help it. When I see what I want or like, I go for it. And I feel you’ll make a perfect wife for Adam.”
Olivia ducked her head. Cora, indeed, didn’t mince words when she wanted to say what was on her mind. Olivia hadn’t expected the turn the conversation went. She didn’t know whether to be pleased that in just a few days Cora saw her as someone worthy to be her son’s wife.
“Or have I misread the situation?” Cora suddenly asked with widened eyes.
“What do you mean?” Olivia had to ask when all Cora did was to stare at her with appalling blue eyes.
“Is it that you already have a suitor among the Indians?” the older woman asked in a strangled tone.
Olivia’s lips parted company. White Bird had once told her that their older brother, Running Elk, fancied her. Olivia had been scandalized and had told her that it was preposterous. She saw him as her older brother, and that was it.
Some of the young men had sought her out to have conversations with. She hadn’t thought it was anything until White Bird told her that they wanted to court her but didn’t know how to go about it since she wasn’t an Indian. Olivia had blushed repeatedly at her friend’s words. She hadn’t taken her seriously as none of the men actually came up with a proposal.
She shook her head. “No, Cora, I don’t have a suitor.”
A bright smile burst out of Cora’s face. “That’s wonderful to hear. That means there’s no obstacle for you and Adam not to be together. I do pray he doesn’t tarry in courting you.”
Olivia giggled. Cora was such a wonderful woman; Olivia found that she wasn’t upset by her persistence.
They talked about other things as they continued to pick berries. When Cora felt that they had enough to make jam and a pie, they went back to the farmhouse.
Olivia helped Cora to make lunch of blackberry and apple pie as well as beans on the side. Boone came back to the house when lunch was ready. The meal was almost over when Adam joined them.
To her consternation, her heart fluttered again when her gaze fell on Adam. She reckoned that it was because he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.
Olivia felt self-conscious in Cora’s brown homespun dress. She wished that she could wear her Indian dress, but she didn’t want to look out of place among them.
She didn’t know whether it was by accident or design: suddenly she was alone in the kitchen with Adam. Cora and Boone had made noncommittal excuses to leave the kitchen.
Olivia stood up and carried the plates to the wooden counter where she filled a basin with water. She shaved shards of soap into the basin and began washing the plates.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Adam rise from the table and join her.
“I’ll help with the dishes,” he told her and poured water into another bowl to rinse the plates.
Olivia felt a sense of fulfillment with him standing beside her and doing chores. It felt as if they were a married couple in their home.
Olivia hastily shook away the thought. If she continued on that train, she wouldn’t want to go back to her Indian tribe.
“Have you gotten news about my people?” She filled the silence with the question.
When Adam didn’t say anything for minutes on end, she curved her body in his direction. His face was so expressionless, she didn’t know what to think.
“Anyway, I wish to leave to go and look for them,” she firmly told him, not liking his silence.
Her breath caught in her throat when Adam turned to look at her strangely and said, “Please don’t go yet, Olivia. Stay a little longer.”
Dashing her tongue across her lips, she asked, “Why? I can’t continue living off Boone and Cora, however wonderful they are.”
“I know, but they’re not complaining, are they?”
“But that doesn’t mean that I should overstay my welcome.”
“That will never be the case because they want you here. Besides, if you desire a change of location, my sister-in-law wants you to come and stay with them.”
Olivia’s eyes enlarged with surprise.
“She made the offer a few days ago. I didn’t want to upset Cora because she’s quite taken with you. But now that you want to leave, consider going to my brother’s house for a short while.”
