Agnes smiled.“I save it all.I’ll make you up a pail after I deal with the fish.”
“Perfect.Thank you!And Herbert and the girls thank you!”
“When you want, I’ll show you the goats.”
“Not today.We talked for too long, and I’m behind schedule.”
Agnes glanced at the clock.“I am too.I should be cleaning fish right now.Go away, Sally!”
Sally laughed as she hurried away.
After supper that evening, Agnes was still contemplating what Sally had said about regretting her choices if something happened to Jasper and he never knew she loved him.While he was out milking the goats, she thought and thought about how to tell him, and she finally decided to just say it.
After he’d set the milk pails on the counter, she looked up from the scarf she was knitting and got to her feet.She was shocked at how nervous she was.Surely, he’d be happy to know she loved him, but she didn’t want him to feel like he had to say it back.Would he feel pressured?
She got to her feet and walked close to him, putting her palms against his chest.“Looks like you got a lot of milk from the goats.”
“I did.”His brows were drawn together.He didn’t know what was on her mind, but he knew it was important to her and had nothing to do with the goats.
“Good.I love you.”
He stared at her for a moment, his gaze searching her eyes.“Are you certain?”
“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t certain.Why would you even ask that?”
“Well, I didn’t want you to say it because you thought I expected it.”
She turned from him, rather annoyed by his response.“Well, that’s not why I said it.”
“I’m glad.Because I love you too.”
She turned back to him, looking at his face.“Really?”
He laughed, low in his throat.“Really.I love the way you take care of me.I love the way you go out of your way to cook things you know I like.I love how you’ve developed freckles from so much time in the sun.But mostly, I just love you for who you are.A hard-working woman who will do anything if she thinks it will help me.You are the woman I’ve waited my entire life for, and I’m so glad you’re my wife.”
She smiled then, believing him.“I’ve been worried all day about how to tell you.”
“You have?”he asked.
She nodded.“But I’m glad I told you now that I have.”
“I’m glad you told me as well.”He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her.“And now I’m going to show you how much I love you.”
“I will never complain about that.”
