Page 58 of Discovering Grace

“Terrifying,” she amended, and his lips twitched upward briefly. “But I—”

A gust of wind hurtled around the hedge, blowing fiercely about them and taking Grace’s bonnet with it. She gasped and turned to watch it fall, yards away. What had she expected? She had not taken the time to tie the ribbons properly.

“The umbrella,” Jacob said, giving her the handle. When she took it, he bounded toward the bonnet—but the wind came back and sent the headpiece tumbling down the hill toward the orchard.

“Oh, bother the wind,” she muttered, following after Jacob while he chased the horrid bonnet. “Jacob,” she shouted after him.

He slipped on a patch of wet grass, nearly falling. Grace hurried after him, and he went for the bonnet again.

She hurried along, and he finally caught her hat. Jacob held it up triumphantly as Grace approached. Perhaps the weather itself was against her, interrupting as it had.

The bonnet was in no fit state to go back upon her head, and she did not care. When Jacob handed it to her, she clutched it by the ribbons with one hand and held the umbrella over him with the other.

Before anything else could happen, she made her confession. “I love you,” she practically shouted, loud enough to be heard over the rumbling weather. The wind blew by them again at that moment, taking her words with it. Jacob grabbed her hand and pulled her the rest of the way to the orchard, nearly at a run.

When they stood beneath the trees, the wind stopped snatching at them. Jacob placed his hands on her arms and he bent closer to her. “Grace, did you say you love me?” His body was tense, he wore a serious frown.

There was no point in denying it, even if it displeased him. “Yes,” she choked out. “I love you. I am sorry if that ruins things, but—”

Jacob leaned down, closing the distance between them, resting his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes, and Grace stood perfectly still.

He whispered her name as though it was a plea, a prayer, a wish. “My Grace. You are jumping ahead of me.”

Though she did not expect him to return her affection right away, it still pained her to know he could not say those three words in return. But his endearment made it hurt less than she thought it would. She took in a shuddering breath, tears gathering in her eyes without her permission. They stood so close, and all the world around them had faded away to nothing. If only he loved her back. It would have been the perfect moment.

“I came today,” he whispered, “to ask if I might court you.”

Stepping back, Grace opened her eyes and stared at him. “Court me?”

His expression turned sheepish. “After what happened at the picnic, when you pushed me away, and then when we argued after Hope’s letter came, I did not know if you could care for me. Or if you should.”

Grace dropped her bonnet and lowered the umbrella, closing it as she did. She leaned the cumbersome thing against the trunk of the tree. “I pushed you away because I thought you wanted me to be Hope,” she admitted.

Jacob shook his head. “I give you my word, I was only thinking of you. Admiring your determination, your beautiful eyes, and your mouth.”

A warm, gentle swell began to gather in her chest. “My mouth? Not my sister’s? I have been told we look a great deal alike, you see.” She tried to laugh, but all that came out was a breathy squeak.

“Not to me,” he said firmly. “I have always known which sister is which. And I have never been tempted to steal a kiss from Hope. From you, though? That is another matter.” He closed the small distance she had put between them and tucked a loose curl back behind her ear. “May I kiss you, Grace?”

She did not need to consider her answer. “Yes.”

The same hand that brushed aside the curl cradled the back of her head. She felt the warmth of his breath upon her cheek, and then his lips touched hers—gently, cautiously.

Lack of experience did not impede her in the slightest; Grace instinctively knew how to return Jacob’s kiss. Her hands took hold of his forearms to steady herself, and she repaid his kiss as ardently as she could.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer, and his lips parted from hers only to immediately fall upon them again. Grace smiled against the new barrage, her heart overflowing with joy.

Jacob gently pulled away, holding her still, he laid his cheek upon her head. Grace’s head rested against the wool of his coat. His breaths were deep and slow, and soon hers matched his.

“I think I had better tell you everything, too,” he said at last, the words sending a thrill through her. He stepped back, his expression earnest. “Grace, I love you.”

“Yes,” she said firmly.

He blinked. “Yes?”

“I will allow you to court me,” she said, blushing deeply. “But not for long.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Oh, no? Why not?”