“Yes, and I also make you mad. You scold me and holler at me and threaten to spank me all the time.”
“I do not holler at you,” Morgan insisted, struggling to keep his voice down.
“You’re nearly shouting now,” Callie Mae pointed out as she began to move through the cemetery. Stopping at his father’s grave, she dropped to her knees and began pulling weeds. “We can’t get along for five minutes.”
“Of course, we can and I’m sorry if it seems like I’m always scolding you. If it wasn’t for that damn saloon…”
“The saloon’s not going away, Morgan,” Callie Mae said, shielding her eyes with her hand as she looked up at him. “It’s my livelihood, how I make my living.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” he said squatting down beside her. “Marry me, Callie Mae. Sell the saloon or if you don’t want to do that, get someone else to run it for you.”
“I’m not going to marry you, Morgan,” she sighed, standing and brushing the grass from her dress, “and what you did in church today was wrong. Sitting beside me implies were a couple and were not.”
“All right, I’ve listened to you, now you listen to me. I’ve always been attracted to you. I thought you were pretty and feisty and a whole handful of trouble,” he said, drawing on his conversation with Emma. “That’s why I stayed away from you and concentrated my attentions on Lilly. I wasn’t in love with her; I don’t think I was in love with anybody. She was suitable and manageable and not the kind of woman who would need a lot of looking after, like you. I thought I wanted a peaceful life.
“Now I see things a little differently. Peaceful is sweet and nice and boring as hell. I want a woman who speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to stand up to me, and that woman is you, Callie Mae. Will we fight? You bet we will but we’ll also make up and make love. They’ll be times I’ll want to blister your bustle, and I’ll do it too if you cross the line, but there will also be times I listen to your opinion and if you’re right, I’ll say so.”
“You make it all sound so simple and it’s not. Things have a way of getting very heated between us, Morgan,” Callie Mae sighed, resting her hand on his chest.
“There’s nothing wrong with a little heat, honey,” Morgan said, his voice raspy as he pulled her against him. “Promise me you’ll consider it. Please.”
It was difficult to think straight with his body so close to hers. When he lowered his head and brushed her lips with his it was all she could to not to pull him closer. She clamped her lips closed before her whispered ‘yes’ could escape and nodded once.
Morgan smiled and teased her lips once more as his big body shielded her from curious eyes. It wasn’t a yes, but it was something. He had a little less than three weeks.
CHAPTER 14
They were all gathered around the table later when Morgan made his announcement.
“I’ve asked Callie Mae to marry me,” he said before taking a bite of peach cobbler.
“Oh,” Emma cried, her hands flying to her breast. “That’s wonderful news, son.”
“She’s a great little gal,” Matthew added happily, slapping his big brother on the back. “Wouldn’t it be somethin’ if we all got married this year? Mead and Lilly, now you and Callie Mae and if I could just get Miss Laurie to…”
“Callie Mae hasn’t said yes, yet,” Morgan interrupted him.
“Well, why not? She’s been sweet on you since she stopped wearing her hair in braids and I don’t know about marrying Lilly. The way she’s been carrying on lately, I’m having second thoughts,” Mead said darkly.
“What’s going on with Lilly?” Matt asked, shocked. “I thought it was all set.”
“So did I, but something changed. She’s not the girl I proposed to, that’s certain.”
“I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with me,” Morgan said. “I swear to you, Mead, I haven’t said or done anything to make her think I’m still interested.”
“I know that, Morg. Any fool can see that Callie Mae is the only thing on your mind. In fact, I think it was always Callie Mae with you, even though you tried your hardest to steer clear of her. She tried her damnedest to aggravate you and you tried to ignore her. Looking back, we all should have known there was something there,” Mead said with a laugh. “She’s still annoying you, brother.”
“That’s a fact,” Morgan replied shaking his head.
“Morgan, did Callie Mae refuse you?” Emma asked, slightly affronted that any woman would refuse one of her sons.
“At first, but then she agreed to think about it. As far as I’m concerned, she’s got two weeks,” he stated firmly.
“Why two weeks?”
“Because after two weeks I’m prepared to take matters into my own hands.”
“I don’t understand. Surely she’ll come around in time.”
