Ian raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fair enough, fair enough. I was just teasing, just teasing.” He backed away. “I can see when my advances are not wanted. I’ll just mosey on with my work again.”
“Good,” Rosaline laughed and placed her hands on her hips as he left the barn.
Thomas tensed out of anger and threw a bale of hay onto the stack a little harder than he intended to. He cursed when the stack toppled over from the impact.
Rosaline walked over and gently placed a hand on his arm. “Thomas,” she said gently.
He yanked his arm away without thinking. “What is it?”
Rosaline took a step back from him.
Thomas immediately felt a pang of guilt when he saw the frightened expression on her face. He ran his hand over his face and let out a deep breath, trying to expel all of the anger that was compressing his chest.
“I’ll just get back to the milking,” she said and turned away from him.
“Rosaline wait, please, I didn’t mean to snap at you,” he apologized tiredly.
“I wasn’t flirting with him, Thomas. I’m married. I would never do that. It’s just polite fun.”
“From your side anyway.” He clenched his jaw tightly until he could feel the tiny veins pursing on his neck. “Maybe he needs to go, he works on my nerves. We have as much help as we need in any case.”
“Thomas please don’t do that. Ian is a good man, I know you don’t like him very much, but I’d hate to see someone lose their job just because they have a friendship with me,” she pleaded. “If it bothers you that much I won’t encourage any more friendship with him.” She took a step towards him and placed a hand on his arm.
He felt his muscles relax under the touch of her soft skin.
“There is something good in Ian. I know you can’t see it right now, but there is. He’s a bit arrogant and more flirtatious than what’s good for him, I’ll admit, but there is some good in him,” she smiled gently. “Please give him another chance, I’ll be less friendly with him from now on. Just don’t send him packing.”
Thomas stared into her eyes for a moment and saw the honesty in what she was saying. He believed that she was just joking around with him. Placing his hand over hers he gave it a quick squeeze. “Fair enough,” he conceded. “Ian may stay. There is still something about him that I don’t like, but I’ll trust your judgement on this matter.”
“That’s all I ask,” Rosaline beamed then added more seriously. Thomas, you know that I take my marriage vows seriously. I will always fulfill my role towards you and never do anything to hurt you or this family.”
He held onto her hand for a moment longer before smiling and letting it go. “Thank you for that,” he said. “And I can promise you that I will always do the same. I will never intentionally hurt you, Rosaline.”
She turned to leave and let out a mock sigh. “Good Thomas Stratton!” She scolded. “Or you will be the one that gets a telling off!”
He watched her dress sway as she walked away and smiled to himself.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Good morning Mrs. Stratton,” the shop assistant in the mercantile store greeted Rosaline as she entered.
“Good morning. The usual for me please,” Rosaline greeted in return and handed the paper over after placing her empty basket on the counter.
The bell over the door jingled as people came in and out. Tuesday mornings were always the busiest after a shipment of fresh goods came into the town. People milled about and waited in the queue for their orders to be filled.
Rosaline lowered the hood of her cloak and looked about the shop as she perused the aisle of canned goods in the back of the store. Picking up a tin of canned peaches she wondered if she should make something nice for the family. Thomas had taken to making a fuss over every new dish she tried.
The thought of Thomas made her smile. There was hope sparking inside of her that he may have feelings for her, more than the warm friendship that was already between them. After all, had he not been the one to initiate their kiss?Don’t get your hopes up,she reminded herself, but still... The hope was there.
She had almost told him of her feelings the night of the kiss, or rather, kisses. She blushed as she recalled the events. Was he just caught up in the moment or was there more to it than that?
She placed the tin back on the shelf and smiled in her own little world of hopes and dreams.
“Easily amused by peaches are we?”
Her heart stopped beating and her hands froze on the tin as the voice of Diedrick Voss invaded her thoughts.
“I have never found peaches to be particularly amusing.”
