Kari accepted Seth’s proffered arm and ducked out the door with him before another word could be said, Mrs. McMaster staring curiously after them as Seth led her straight to the phaeton. Tied to the back of the carriage was the same big bay she’d seen yesterday, the lathered horse nickering and bobbing his head.
“That’s Henry. I rode as fast as I could when I heard from Uncle Caleb. He owns most of Walker Creek, including the Frederick Hotel and the Red Dog Saloon, so there’s always some issue to be dealt with—”
“Most of the town?”
Seth nodded and took Kari’s hand to assist her into the carriage, making her blush anew at the warm pressure of his fingers. Any astonishment she’d felt over this news about Caleb was swept away by a strange breathlessness as Seth climbed in beside her, the phaeton shifting under his weight.
“Pretty shawl,” he murmured, flashing a smile at her that made her heart jump. “I’d be truly honored if you’d allow me to call you Kari. May I?”
“Yes—yes, of course.”
“Good.”
He looked so pleased by her response, smiling broadly, that Kari fumbled awkwardly with her parasol, gasping when the thing popped open above her head.
Oh, dear, she was acting all foolish and tongue-tied again, but she’d never seen him smile before. How could any man be so unbelievably handsome? A low chuckle from Seth made her feel all the more ridiculous as he urged the matched pair of roan mares into a walk with a flick of the reins.
“I like your bonnet, too—in fact, I’m pretty much taken with everything about you. I’d like to court you, Kari Hagen, if you’ll agree to it, of course.”
Court her? Had she heard Seth correctly? She met his gaze, so astonished by his unexpected request that she didn’t answer—and at once, his expression sobered.
“I’m quite serious, actually, don’t know why I’ve been grinning like an idiot. Just looking at you makes me feel good, I guess. Make me feel even better, will you? Say yes—”
“I thoughtIwas the one being ridiculous,” she broke in, finding her voice at last. “Are you sure? We’ve only just met, why, you hardly even know me!”
“That’s what courting is all about…getting to know each other better. Of course, I’m no authority on the matter. I’ve never courted anyone before.”
“Truly? You?”
Now he looked almost crushed, as if she hadn’t believed him, which wasn’t the case at all.
“Oh, dear, forgive me. It’s just you’re so…so…” Kari fumbled for the words, not wanting to sound too bold. “I can’t imagine there aren’t lots of girls that might be interested—in being courted by you, I mean.”
“Couldn’t say. I’m always busy at the ranch and it’s never crossed my mind until now. I’ve been waiting, you see.”
Kari swallowed hard at the intensity in his gaze, her heartbeat suddenly pounding in her ears. “Waiting?”
He nodded, leaning just a tiny bit closer. “Uh-huh. For just the right moment, just the right woman. You.”
He spoke so low, his voice grown so tender, that Kari could but nod, too, never having felt such butterflies in her stomach before.
“Is that a yes, finally?”
He sounded as if he might be teasing, but his expression was dead serious, his eyes darkening to a deeper blue. A blue she couldn’t seem to look away from as she murmured, “Yes, Seth. Yes.”
“Good. That means you’ll be staying in Walker Creek for a while—”
“Actually, Caleb asked me this morning if I might stay so we could get better acquainted and I agreed. I think my mother would have wanted me to… Seth?”
His gut clenched, Seth felt suddenly as if the moment he’d rehearsed in his mind since last night had been shattered by his uncle.
Keen disappointment gripped him that Kari hadn’t decided to remain in Walker Creek just because of him, but Seth did his best to tamp it down. Doggone it, the moment would be ruined only if he allowed it to be! Kari had accepted his offer to court her, hadn’t she? He had thought he wouldn’t have a chance to talk to her until later that day, and then word had come for him to fetch her from town, an unexpected boon. She stared at him anxiously as if sensing something was wrong, which made him once again lean closer to her.
“I don’t know what all was in that letter, but she did send you all this way to meet your real father. Stands to right that you’d stay a while…though I hope I’ll have something to do with you wanting to stay even longer.”
The rosy blush touching her fair cheeks told him that Kari understood exactly what he’d meant, but it was far too soon to be talking about marriage. He had to speak to his uncle, too, about his intentions, which Seth doubted would go as smoothly as broaching the matter with Kari. In fact, he could already hear the man raising the roof with his objections. That’s why it was time to set in motion the second part of his plan, and the sooner the better.
“If you’re not in a rush to get back to the ranch, I’d like to introduce you to someone,” he said, finding it hard to focus on driving the phaeton with Kari looking so pretty beneath the shade of her yellow parasol. “My mother, Molly, well, and my father, too, especially now that we’re courting.”
