friend who lay within, but her betrothed—and the thief of her heart.
She knocked softly, half hoping he slept, but his voice rang true through the wood.
“ Kumme in.”
She took a deep breath, plastered a pleasant expression on her face, and opened the door. Luke gazed at her with that same rich smile he seemed to have grown out of nowhere, and she felt herself flushing for no reason.
“Rose, kumme . Close the door and sit down.” He patted the edge of the bed near his hip, and she swallowed.
“ Ya , but maybe I should leave the door open—your daed . . .”
“My daed knows you’ve been up here a hundred times with that door shut, but suit yourself.” He stretched his long arms behind his head so that his suspenders strained across his white shirt, and shifted so that his ankle was better positioned on the heap of pillows. “Will you sit down then?” he asked.
Rose forced herself away from the idea of the chair near the window and went to perch on his bedside, trying to keep away from the length of his black-clad leg.
“How’s the ankle?”
“Not too bad as long as I stay off it a bit here and there.”
Rose nodded and cast about for something else to say.
“So, it’s my fault, I’m guessing,” he observed.
“What’s your fault?”
“You meeting strangers in the woods.” He smiled up at her, but his eyes were searching, compelling.
She hadn’t been sure how to bring up the subject of his disguise and her enticement with him, but since he’d provided an opening . . .
“ Ya , it is your fault. Both for being the stranger and for being—well, a stranger to me—your supposedly best friend.” Her voice wavered a bit. “But I could have told you I recognized you.”
“You told that stranger you wanted freedom,” he said seriously. “Why did you agree to marry me, Rose?”
She caught her breath. She couldn’t tell him the things she’d told Aenti Tabby when she’d asked the same question, so she sat silent and miserable, staring at the quilt top.
He reached to toy with her fingers and took a deep breath. “It’s not too late for anything, Rose. Engagements can be broken. Friendships can remain.”
Her gaze flew to his handsome face, and her heart hammered in her chest. “Is that what you want?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “No fair, Rose. Tell me what you want.”
You , her mind screamed with sudden certainty, but she wet her lips cautiously. He’d betrayed her trust, and she did want things from him—the truth, for a start. Yet she hadn’t been truthful either. She decided on plowing ahead in the discussion and getting to her own accounting later.
“You have no idea how it’s been for me,” she declared. “I’ve known you forever but haven’t really known you at all—at least, that’s how it seems.”
“So you feel like I’ve taken advantage of you in a way?” he asked quietly.
She blew out a frustrated breath. “No . . . ya . . . I don’t know. And you’ve never seemed to well—desire me—when you were—are—really you—”
“Why are your fingers purple?” he interrupted.
“Beet juice sugaring.”
“ Ach ,” he sighed, squeezing her fingertips. “Well, I have taken advantage of you, I guess. I didn’t mean to. And as far as desiring you, Rose—do you have any idea what it’s been like holding back for all these months—these years even?”
“Then why did you?”
“Because I felt like the same kid who chased bullfrogs with you and brought home stray dogs. I felt like you’d grown into something beautiful while I was still this awkward person. And then . . . when Mamm died, I guess I just sort of distanced myself, unintentionally, but the feelings were there, Rose.”
“Well, I thought you couldn’t stand the thought of touching me, and I wanted—well . . .” She thrilled at the thought that he’d fought back his feelings for her.
His hand drifted to stroke her arm. “What did you want?”
She shook her head stubbornly
She knocked softly, half hoping he slept, but his voice rang true through the wood.
“ Kumme in.”
She took a deep breath, plastered a pleasant expression on her face, and opened the door. Luke gazed at her with that same rich smile he seemed to have grown out of nowhere, and she felt herself flushing for no reason.
“Rose, kumme . Close the door and sit down.” He patted the edge of the bed near his hip, and she swallowed.
“ Ya , but maybe I should leave the door open—your daed . . .”
“My daed knows you’ve been up here a hundred times with that door shut, but suit yourself.” He stretched his long arms behind his head so that his suspenders strained across his white shirt, and shifted so that his ankle was better positioned on the heap of pillows. “Will you sit down then?” he asked.
Rose forced herself away from the idea of the chair near the window and went to perch on his bedside, trying to keep away from the length of his black-clad leg.
“How’s the ankle?”
“Not too bad as long as I stay off it a bit here and there.”
Rose nodded and cast about for something else to say.
“So, it’s my fault, I’m guessing,” he observed.
“What’s your fault?”
“You meeting strangers in the woods.” He smiled up at her, but his eyes were searching, compelling.
She hadn’t been sure how to bring up the subject of his disguise and her enticement with him, but since he’d provided an opening . . .
“ Ya , it is your fault. Both for being the stranger and for being—well, a stranger to me—your supposedly best friend.” Her voice wavered a bit. “But I could have told you I recognized you.”
“You told that stranger you wanted freedom,” he said seriously. “Why did you agree to marry me, Rose?”
She caught her breath. She couldn’t tell him the things she’d told Aenti Tabby when she’d asked the same question, so she sat silent and miserable, staring at the quilt top.
He reached to toy with her fingers and took a deep breath. “It’s not too late for anything, Rose. Engagements can be broken. Friendships can remain.”
Her gaze flew to his handsome face, and her heart hammered in her chest. “Is that what you want?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “No fair, Rose. Tell me what you want.”
You , her mind screamed with sudden certainty, but she wet her lips cautiously. He’d betrayed her trust, and she did want things from him—the truth, for a start. Yet she hadn’t been truthful either. She decided on plowing ahead in the discussion and getting to her own accounting later.
“You have no idea how it’s been for me,” she declared. “I’ve known you forever but haven’t really known you at all—at least, that’s how it seems.”
“So you feel like I’ve taken advantage of you in a way?” he asked quietly.
She blew out a frustrated breath. “No . . . ya . . . I don’t know. And you’ve never seemed to well—desire me—when you were—are—really you—”
“Why are your fingers purple?” he interrupted.
“Beet juice sugaring.”
“ Ach ,” he sighed, squeezing her fingertips. “Well, I have taken advantage of you, I guess. I didn’t mean to. And as far as desiring you, Rose—do you have any idea what it’s been like holding back for all these months—these years even?”
“Then why did you?”
“Because I felt like the same kid who chased bullfrogs with you and brought home stray dogs. I felt like you’d grown into something beautiful while I was still this awkward person. And then . . . when Mamm died, I guess I just sort of distanced myself, unintentionally, but the feelings were there, Rose.”
“Well, I thought you couldn’t stand the thought of touching me, and I wanted—well . . .” She thrilled at the thought that he’d fought back his feelings for her.
His hand drifted to stroke her arm. “What did you want?”
She shook her head stubbornly
Similar Books
