to...” He lifted both hands, palms out towards her. “Please, I wasn’t... I’m sorry.”
She squeezed her burning eyes shut, embarrassed. What was wrong with her? She knew Adam wouldn’t harm her. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that.”
Sinking back down onto the settee, she tried to calm her pounding heart.
Adam lowered his hands and held them against him, looking like he was trying not to move too much in case she spooked again.
She sighed. “It’s not you. I’m not afraid of you.”
He seemed to relax a little, moving his body forward from where he’d been pressed into the corner of the settee. “I shouldn’t have touched you. It wasn’t my right.”
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The last thing she wanted was for Adam, after everything he was doing for her, to feel like he had to be careful what he did in his own home.
“If I’m going to live here, we need to make some rules,” she said.
He nodded slowly. “All right.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out and took his hand. “Rule one; you don’t have to be afraid of touching me.”
He looked at their hands resting together on his thigh and gently threaded his fingers between hers. “All right.”
Amy tried to ignore her stuttering heart which now had nothing to do with fear. If she could have taken it out and slapped it, she would have. “Rule two; this is your home and you can do whatever you want in it. Although I will do my best to get in as much spoiling as I can.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “All right.”
“Rule three; if you change your mind about me being here, you have to tell me and I will move right out. I don’t want you to regret doing this.”
He stared at her for a few long seconds before nodding. “All right.”
His fingers were still entwined with hers and she found herself desperately trying to think of more rules so he wouldn’t let go. “Rule four; you get to make any rules you want and I will stick to them.”
“All right.”
To her regret, she couldn’t think of anything else. “Do you have any rules?”
His eyes dropped to their hands. “Just one. If you ever feel afraid or threatened in any way, tell me. I’ll protect you, you have my word. You should feel safe here.”
Safe. Could she truly feel safe anywhere? Was it possible to live life with no fear of harm whatsoever? Amy couldn’t imagine such a thing, but as she looked at Adam she got the feeling that if it would happen anywhere, it would be with him.
“All right.”
His gaze held hers, his thumb tracing a slow circle on the back of her hand and sending small tingles of sensation into her skin. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she could stay and marry...
No .
She slid her hand away and clutched it in her lap. It didn’t make any difference how good a man Adam was or how safe she felt with him; she wouldn’t depend on him or anyone else.
He cleared his throat and sat back.
Feeling awkward, Amy stood. “I’ll finish up the dishes.” She walked to the sink and resumed washing up.
Behind her she heard the settee squeak a little then Adam appeared at her side, taking a towel from a hook and picking up one of the clean, still wet plates.
Before she could object he said, “Rule number two, remember?”
She smiled and returned her attention to the pan she was scrubbing. “Do you know of anywhere they might be hiring?”
“Not that I’ve heard, but that doesn’t mean much since I haven’t been looking.”
She finished scrubbing and rinsed the pan. “I can go and take a look around town when we’re finished.”
He held out the towel for it. “I can show you around a little before I open up the post office. I would have liked to have kept it closed, it being the day after you arrived, but Saturdays are always my busiest day and I figured you’d want to rest and settle in after your long journey. You can still do that though. You could look for work on Monday.”
Rest sounded good
She squeezed her burning eyes shut, embarrassed. What was wrong with her? She knew Adam wouldn’t harm her. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that.”
Sinking back down onto the settee, she tried to calm her pounding heart.
Adam lowered his hands and held them against him, looking like he was trying not to move too much in case she spooked again.
She sighed. “It’s not you. I’m not afraid of you.”
He seemed to relax a little, moving his body forward from where he’d been pressed into the corner of the settee. “I shouldn’t have touched you. It wasn’t my right.”
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The last thing she wanted was for Adam, after everything he was doing for her, to feel like he had to be careful what he did in his own home.
“If I’m going to live here, we need to make some rules,” she said.
He nodded slowly. “All right.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she reached out and took his hand. “Rule one; you don’t have to be afraid of touching me.”
He looked at their hands resting together on his thigh and gently threaded his fingers between hers. “All right.”
Amy tried to ignore her stuttering heart which now had nothing to do with fear. If she could have taken it out and slapped it, she would have. “Rule two; this is your home and you can do whatever you want in it. Although I will do my best to get in as much spoiling as I can.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “All right.”
“Rule three; if you change your mind about me being here, you have to tell me and I will move right out. I don’t want you to regret doing this.”
He stared at her for a few long seconds before nodding. “All right.”
His fingers were still entwined with hers and she found herself desperately trying to think of more rules so he wouldn’t let go. “Rule four; you get to make any rules you want and I will stick to them.”
“All right.”
To her regret, she couldn’t think of anything else. “Do you have any rules?”
His eyes dropped to their hands. “Just one. If you ever feel afraid or threatened in any way, tell me. I’ll protect you, you have my word. You should feel safe here.”
Safe. Could she truly feel safe anywhere? Was it possible to live life with no fear of harm whatsoever? Amy couldn’t imagine such a thing, but as she looked at Adam she got the feeling that if it would happen anywhere, it would be with him.
“All right.”
His gaze held hers, his thumb tracing a slow circle on the back of her hand and sending small tingles of sensation into her skin. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she could stay and marry...
No .
She slid her hand away and clutched it in her lap. It didn’t make any difference how good a man Adam was or how safe she felt with him; she wouldn’t depend on him or anyone else.
He cleared his throat and sat back.
Feeling awkward, Amy stood. “I’ll finish up the dishes.” She walked to the sink and resumed washing up.
Behind her she heard the settee squeak a little then Adam appeared at her side, taking a towel from a hook and picking up one of the clean, still wet plates.
Before she could object he said, “Rule number two, remember?”
She smiled and returned her attention to the pan she was scrubbing. “Do you know of anywhere they might be hiring?”
“Not that I’ve heard, but that doesn’t mean much since I haven’t been looking.”
She finished scrubbing and rinsed the pan. “I can go and take a look around town when we’re finished.”
He held out the towel for it. “I can show you around a little before I open up the post office. I would have liked to have kept it closed, it being the day after you arrived, but Saturdays are always my busiest day and I figured you’d want to rest and settle in after your long journey. You can still do that though. You could look for work on Monday.”
Rest sounded good
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