“Nonsense, dear. Everything will be fine, you’ll see. Oh, there’s Mrs. Wainwright. I do so want to congratulate her on Ty’s upcoming marriage. I’ll see you next Sunday, dear,” Emma called over her shoulder as she hurried away.
“Quite determined, isn’t she?” Matthew said softly.
Laurie noticed him leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest and a big grin on his face.
“I’ll say,” she replied, her hands fidgeting with the skirt of her dress, smoothing away nonexistent wrinkles.
Matthew straightened and leaned just close enough to whisper, “So am I,” before he walked away whistling. His hot breath seemed to linger on the side of her neck and she snapped her fan open and vigorously tried to cool off.
Watching her brother saunter off, Missy took the opportunity to approach Laurie Dixon and slip her arm through hers.
“Oh, do come, Mrs. Dixon. Mama’s the best cook in the county and I know she’d love to have you. Oh my,” she gasped her hand flying to her mouth. “I didn’t mean to say you’re not a good cook, I just meant…”
Laurie laughed and patted Missy’s hand.
“I know what you meant, Mrs. Rathborn, and I’m not offended. Please call me Laurie.”
“All right, as long as you call me Missy. I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends.”
“Do you go to your mama’s every Sunday for dinner?” Laurie asked wistfully.
“Most Sundays we do, but today we’re riding out to see Cole’s folks. His pa has been feeling poorly so I did a lot of baking yesterday and made a big pot of stew. We’re taking that out to them and staying for dinner. Do your folks live around here?”
“No, they live in Ohio.”
“I don’t mean to be nosey, but why didn’t you move nearer to family, when Mr. Dixon passed away?”
“I just couldn’t put that burden on them,” Laurie said sadly. “I miss them terribly, but it was my choice to come west. Now I have to deal with the consequences of my decision.”
“Sort of like ‘you made your bed and now you have to lie in it?’”
“Something like that,” Laurie murmured with a faraway look in her eyes.
“Well, you come to dinner next Sunday,” Missy said smiling. “The children will have plenty of room to run wild and it will be a break for you. I have to go, Cole’s waiting for me. See you then.”
“Will you walk with me a spell?” Morgan asked when he had guided Callie Mae down the church steps.
“Whatever for?”
“Well for one thing it’s a beautiful day and I thought we might enjoy a bit of it,” Morgan replied slipping his arm around her waist and leading her away from the congregants. “Unless of course you haven’t forgiven me,” he said, softly lifting her hand and gently kissing the inside of her wrist.
“Damn you, Morgan,” Callie Mae sighed as a shiver passed through her and she suddenly felt short of breath. “You’re just as smooth as buttermilk, aren’t you?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” Morgan smiled, taking her other hand and nibbling on her wrist for a moment.
Callie Mae took his arm and pulled him further away from the crowd. “It’s no secret how I felt about you before you went away, Morgan, not to you or anyone else in this town. More than once I made of fool of myself tagging along after you and Lilly like some lovesick puppy,” she hissed. “Well, those days are over.
“I prayed every day for your safe return, hoping against all odds and ignoring all those who said you were probably dead. Then suddenly there you were and I thought my heart would break just from pure happiness. It didn’t matter if you still wanted Lilly, just the fact that you were alive was enough for me,” she whispered, looking up into his eyes.
Morgan didn’t know what to say, taken aback by the honesty and sincerity in her words. “Callie Mae, sweetheart, I…”
“No, Morgan, wait. Let me finish,” she pleaded, placing her fingers over his lips. “I was a child back then and I couldn’t see past the attraction I felt for you. Now I know that we’re not suited and we would only bring each other misery.”
“Have I changed so much?”
Callie Mae laughed. “Yes, Morgan, you have or maybe I just didn’t know you as well as I thought I did. You were always a serious, no-nonsense kind of man, quiet most of the time as though you had a lot on your mind. I went out of my way to tease you, trying to make you laugh or maybe to get any type of reaction out of you other than a scowl. I thought if I just had a chance, I could make you smile or lighten your heart in some way and we’d live happily ever after.”
“You do lighten my heart and make me smile.”
