Unbidden, an image of Jacob coalesced in her mind, tall and broad and strong on his buckskin mount, his wild hair, his dark beard, his laughing eyes so blue and perceptive they seemed to stare straight into her soul. The cracks in her heart she had tried so hard to fill widened, threatening to break the dam of longing she had buried deep inside. How long would it take for her to stop loving him?
No!She banished the image, forcing herself to forget him. He was gone! He no longer had a place in her life, and he could never have a place in her future. Andrew was here, right in front of her. And he was offering Kate the only chance of a life of her own that she would likely ever get.
But could she love him?
Kate had been silent too long. Andrew looked worried. Had she hurt his feelings? She cleared her throat. “That is … quite the question,” she said faintly.
“I know it feels quick, but folks down in Pinedale mentioned a preacher comin’ through round Christmas time, so I wrote to him, and he said he could swing up here to do the weddin’. And now that things are settled here, I’ll have just enough time to build us a little cabin, and I figured you’d need some time to get things ready, you know, the womanly kind of things.”
My goodness, he had everything planned. He had written a preacher already? He must have been confident of her answer. Far more confident than she was of her answer. “That’s very soon.”
He shuffled on his feet. “Probably won’t have another chance ’til spring. And it’s not like you an’ me are strangers.”
Kate looked up at him. Did she really know him? Maybe. Perhaps that’s what marriage is all about, getting to know a person. They’d have the rest of their lives to do that. She swallowed. That was a long time. “I’ll have to talk with my parents.”
“I already talked to your pa,” he said quickly. “He gave his blessin’.”
“I know, I just … I’d like to get their perspective on things. And Ma isn’t doin’ well, you know. I’d have to make sure they could manage without me.”
“I’m sure she’ll perk up with the prospect of a weddin’.”
“Hopefully.” She smiled tentatively.
“So that’s a yes?”
“That’s an ‘I’ll get back to you soon.’”
“Guess that’ll have to do,” he replied, a slight mope in his voice.
She laid a hand on his arm, wanting to smooth things over. “I have people dependin’ on me, Andrew. I just have to make sure they’ll be all right.”
“Oh, I think they’ll be all right,” he said as hope rekindled in his eyes. He stared at her, his gaze intense. “May I kiss you?”
Kate’s heart started beating fast. She hesitated. Did she want to kiss him? But what would happen if she didn’t? She took a deep breath. “You may.”
Andrew leaned his head down and pressed his lips firmly against hers. He held her there for a long moment then released her, grinning. “Lookin’ forward to hearin’ your answer,” he said with a wink, putting his hat back on his head. He turned and walked back up to the house.
Kate stood like a statue in the deepening twilight, Andrew’s coat still wrapped around her shoulders, trying desperately to forget another man and another kiss so charged with passion that the fire of it warmed hereven still.
Night descended. Kate grew stiff and cold. And still she had no anchor in the confusion of her swirling thoughts. Maybe Pa was still up.
She found him sitting quietly by the fire, the dancing flames lighting his dear face. She pulled the stool over and sat down beside him and stared into the glowing embers. The rest of the house was silent.
“So,” he said quietly, “did that tall lad ask you anythin’ in particular this evenin’?”
“Apparently he askedyousomethin’ particular today,” she said with a rueful smile, her voice just as soft as his.
Pa smiled. “He sure enough did. Didya say yes?”
“I said I’d have to think about it.” She paused, not knowing how to talk about something so big. “Does Ma know?”
“She needed sleep.”
“Of course,” she said. Kate glanced at him. “What do you think of it?”
“Of you two gettin’ married?”
Kate nodded.
