child-like quality to her features. She was
even more beautiful than he’d remembered.
It took a moment before he realized he hadn’t
responded. He cleared his throat, heat collecting under his collar.
“Fine,” he responded, cursing the crack in his
voice. “Horses are all situated for the night and we’re just about to turn in.
Thought we’d take Mr. Thomas along with us.”
“But, I was saying goodnight to Miss Callahan,”
the man protested, but Levi took him by the arm and led him away from Kate.
“Goodnight, Miss Callahan,” Noah said on all of
their behalf as he reached up and tapped his imaginary hat once again.
“Goodnight,” she whispered, turning back for
the house.
Noah watched as she ascended the stairs and he sucked
in a breath when she turned back to look at him over her shoulder, her long,
wavy mane blowing lightly in the cool autumn breeze. She reached up and tucked
a lock behind her ear and Noah groaned.
It was going to be a long night. He had a lot
to think about.
She turned back for the stairs.
Crash!
Her hand had slipped, missing the handrail
completely, her body colliding hard into the feeble barrier. The wood gave way,
sending Kate tumbling off the four-foot drop to the ground with a squeal.
Noah was at her side in an instant.
“Miss Callahan?” he called, alarmed when she
didn’t respond. “Kate?” he tried again, all too aware he’d used her given name.
A soft moan escaped her lips and he closed his
eyes in gratitude that she hadn’t gotten herself killed.
“I’m all right,” she finally said with a groggy
tone as she attempted to sit up on her own.
Noah placed a hand in the small of her back to
keep her from falling backward, her proximity wreaking havoc on his senses.
After a moment, she made a move to stand, but
quickly sat back down again, amongst the piles of splintered wood.
“Maybe I’ll just sit here a moment and lick my
wounded pride.”
Noah laughed.
She’ll be just fine.
“Let’s get you inside,” he said, holding out
his hand to her. “The air is a might chilly tonight.”
When her fingers touched his, a light, tingling
jolt spread up his arm, but he couldn’t pull away. He attempted to help her to
her feet, but her ankle buckled beneath her.
“Upsi-daisy,” he said, her hand still firm in
his grasp.
Kate started to giggle, but winced in pain.
“I think I may have hurt a little more than my
pride,” she said, rubbing her ankle.
Without waiting any longer, Noah released her
hand and reached down, scooping her up easily into his arms. He climbed the
porch stairs, opened the door, and carried her inside.
“Where are your quarters?” he asked, unable to
keep the obvious rasp from his voice.
She turned toward him, her hand resting at the
button of his shirt, her face so close to his he could feel her breath on his
lips. He looked down into her wide, trusting eyes.
Big mistake.
He groaned, forcing himself to look away. If
being this close to her was going to be a common occurrence, he needed to win
her over. Fast.
“Your room?” he asked again. Maybe he should
have just left her on the couch for propriety’s sake, but somehow it didn’t
seem right leaving her alone to fend for herself on an injured foot.
Especially, after Levi had told him about her debilitating fear of the dark.
“It’s just down the hall,” she said, a little
quiver in her voice.
Careful, Deardon , he warned himself.
He carried her to the bed and set her down at
the end, feeling around on the table, hoping to find a lantern there. He wasn’t
disappointed. It only took a moment to light the lamp. He crouched down and
gently lifted her foot, pushing back the material of her trousers and carefully
removing her boots to expose her ankle, already swollen from the fall. Kate bit
her lip as he pushed her foot forward and side to side, assessing the extent of
the injury. Nothing more than a whimper escaped her lips. He admired her
tolerance for pain.
“You
even more beautiful than he’d remembered.
It took a moment before he realized he hadn’t
responded. He cleared his throat, heat collecting under his collar.
“Fine,” he responded, cursing the crack in his
voice. “Horses are all situated for the night and we’re just about to turn in.
Thought we’d take Mr. Thomas along with us.”
“But, I was saying goodnight to Miss Callahan,”
the man protested, but Levi took him by the arm and led him away from Kate.
“Goodnight, Miss Callahan,” Noah said on all of
their behalf as he reached up and tapped his imaginary hat once again.
“Goodnight,” she whispered, turning back for
the house.
Noah watched as she ascended the stairs and he sucked
in a breath when she turned back to look at him over her shoulder, her long,
wavy mane blowing lightly in the cool autumn breeze. She reached up and tucked
a lock behind her ear and Noah groaned.
It was going to be a long night. He had a lot
to think about.
She turned back for the stairs.
Crash!
Her hand had slipped, missing the handrail
completely, her body colliding hard into the feeble barrier. The wood gave way,
sending Kate tumbling off the four-foot drop to the ground with a squeal.
Noah was at her side in an instant.
“Miss Callahan?” he called, alarmed when she
didn’t respond. “Kate?” he tried again, all too aware he’d used her given name.
A soft moan escaped her lips and he closed his
eyes in gratitude that she hadn’t gotten herself killed.
“I’m all right,” she finally said with a groggy
tone as she attempted to sit up on her own.
Noah placed a hand in the small of her back to
keep her from falling backward, her proximity wreaking havoc on his senses.
After a moment, she made a move to stand, but
quickly sat back down again, amongst the piles of splintered wood.
“Maybe I’ll just sit here a moment and lick my
wounded pride.”
Noah laughed.
She’ll be just fine.
“Let’s get you inside,” he said, holding out
his hand to her. “The air is a might chilly tonight.”
When her fingers touched his, a light, tingling
jolt spread up his arm, but he couldn’t pull away. He attempted to help her to
her feet, but her ankle buckled beneath her.
“Upsi-daisy,” he said, her hand still firm in
his grasp.
Kate started to giggle, but winced in pain.
“I think I may have hurt a little more than my
pride,” she said, rubbing her ankle.
Without waiting any longer, Noah released her
hand and reached down, scooping her up easily into his arms. He climbed the
porch stairs, opened the door, and carried her inside.
“Where are your quarters?” he asked, unable to
keep the obvious rasp from his voice.
She turned toward him, her hand resting at the
button of his shirt, her face so close to his he could feel her breath on his
lips. He looked down into her wide, trusting eyes.
Big mistake.
He groaned, forcing himself to look away. If
being this close to her was going to be a common occurrence, he needed to win
her over. Fast.
“Your room?” he asked again. Maybe he should
have just left her on the couch for propriety’s sake, but somehow it didn’t
seem right leaving her alone to fend for herself on an injured foot.
Especially, after Levi had told him about her debilitating fear of the dark.
“It’s just down the hall,” she said, a little
quiver in her voice.
Careful, Deardon , he warned himself.
He carried her to the bed and set her down at
the end, feeling around on the table, hoping to find a lantern there. He wasn’t
disappointed. It only took a moment to light the lamp. He crouched down and
gently lifted her foot, pushing back the material of her trousers and carefully
removing her boots to expose her ankle, already swollen from the fall. Kate bit
her lip as he pushed her foot forward and side to side, assessing the extent of
the injury. Nothing more than a whimper escaped her lips. He admired her
tolerance for pain.
“You
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