“Indeed, you shall.”
For the first few minutes, they ate in silence. This gave her time to look around to see the other couples having lunch. Rosie and Jesse sat on their blanket, looking as if they enjoyed their friendly lunch, except they were not supposed to befriends. They were supposed to be in love. Why would two people in love not look at each other or touch hands? At least they could smile at one another. Plain and simple, Jesse and Rosie looked absolutely bored.
“So, Summer,” Adam broke the silence. “Did you ever tell your parents about me?”
She swallowed the food in her mouth and nodded. “I did, and they can’t wait to meet you.”
“Splendid.” He wiped a linen napkin on his mouth. “Then I hope you won’t mind if I drop by tomorrow and pay a visit.”
“Not at all. In fact, why don’t you come for dinner? Ma will love to make her famous fried chicken.”
He laughed. “I love fried chicken.”
A few more minutes passed without another word. She hated the awkwardness between them. Even with Jesse, she’d rather be arguing with him than saying nothing at all. Of course, they couldn’t stop arguing. Unless they were kissing...
Inwardly, she groaned.Curse you, Jesse Slade!
“So, Adam. Tell me more about your family.”
He finished eating what was in his mouth and told her about his father owning the bank and branching out to different towns. Apparently, even his grandfather owned shares in the railroad and had a big fancy house in Grand Junction.
As Adam talked, she wondered why he couldn’t find a woman the right way. After all, most any woman would be attracted to him, and not just for his money. But she didn’t ask. She was just satisfied that he had chosen to marry her.
Marriage.She sighed as her mind returned to the cabin and kissing Jesse. Immediately, her body responded to the memory, making butterflies dance in her stomach. She needed to get rid of these feelings quickly. Perhaps later tonight, she should persuade Adam to kiss her. And hopefully, that would erase Jesse from her mind.
Chapter Eight
Summer welcomed thesetting sun because it brought the cool night air, and for the barn dance, it was certainly a refreshing treat. This would be her first dance since she was an adult, and excitement filled her when she thought about showing the town just how much she’d changed. Before she moved in with Aunt Lydia, she attended the dance, but because of her young age, she went home before dark.
Although she tried to impress everyone, there was really only one man she searched for, curse his hide. Since she couldn’t get Jesse off her mind, she flirted more with Adam, hoping to forget about the man who had kissed her so passionately last night. But tonight, she decided not to think about that, and the effect of the homemade brew she consumed aided her greatly in this decision.
She felt so pretty in the new shimmering blue dress that fit her bodice and waist perfectly. It showed off the tops of her shoulders and a fair amount of bosom. The bustle even accented her slender hips. Of course, when most of the men fought over her to see who would be her next dancing partner or who would fetch her another mug of brew, it boosted her ego tenfold. Surprisingly, Adam allowed the other men to give her this attention. He probably knew this was the last time she’d get it.
The gallantry of the young gentlemen almost took her mind off Jesse, who danced with many girls and looked to be enjoying himself. His intoxicating blue eyes sparkled when he laughed at something his dance partner said, but she tried not to notice. She also couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t dance that often with Rosie. In fact, for a man in love, he wasn’t around Rosie often enough.
“My dear, Miss Bennett.” Adam grinned and mocked a small bow. “I believe it’s my turn to dance with you.”
