pulled straw from her hair and gazed
longingly into her eyes as she echoed his words of love. Now she understood the
desire she had seen there. She’d seen a similar look in Henry’s eyes countless
times. Cat pushed aside the unsettling comparison and gathered air into her
lungs to compose herself. She smoothed her trembling hand over her hair. It
felt strange to be outside, with her hair flowing down her back, but Thomas
loved it that way, so she had loosened her braids and let them blow in the
wind. Closing her eyes, she conjured the feeling that his hands running through
her tresses had evoked in her.
“Thomas,” she whispered into the darkness
as her footfalls brought her within sight of him.
Without a word, he turned and quickly
closed the distance between them, gathering her into his arms. He had filled
out in the past six months, and Cat could feel the hardness of his chest,
shoulders, and arms as he held her.
“Oh, I prayed you’d be here,” she
breathed against his ear.
He pulled away slightly and studied her
face in the moonlight before grabbing her hand and leading her into the barn.
“Where else would I be?” He shut the door
behind them. “I tried to get a message to you, but there was no opportunity. I
hoped you’d feel my presence and come to me.” He crushed her against his chest
and sank his fingers into the thick mane down her back.
A soft sigh escaped Cat’s lips as she
relished his tenderness. “I missed you so much.”
He released her for a moment--only long
enough to pull her to a corner of the barn. When they were seated, he gathered
her close once more. “I love you, Cat. I can’t go back to Atlanta without you.
I intend to speak to my pa about a betrothal.”
Cat gasped and pulled away to stare up at
him. “Oh, Thomas. Do you think they’ll let us? I only just turned fifteen. And
anyway, Henry sold the farm. We’re going back to Georgia directly after
Christmas.”
Light shone in his eyes and he grinned.
“That’s perfect. Do you know how close we’ll be? Why, Penbrook is only twenty or so miles away. That’s merely a day’s
travel by horse and buggy. I could escort you to parties and court you
properly.”
Cat’s heart leapt and she couldn’t help
but catch some of his excitement as she envisioned the two of them dancing and
sitting in the parlor. But reality penetrated her dreams with heart-wrenching
clarity. Who knew how long she had before Henry revealed the truth to Thomas?
Then she would lose him forever.
As if sensing her hesitation, he released
a frustrated breath and pulled her close once more. “What is it? You still
share my feelings, don’t you?”
“Oh, Thomas, of course I do. Don’t ever
doubt it. Even for one second. I’ll love you until the day I die.”
“So I may speak to Henry about courting
you once you return to Georgia?”
Again, Cat felt a sense of dread fill
her. Henry would never allow it. He would tell Thomas the truth. Then Thomas
would hate her. Tears welled in her eyes as she lifted her chin and pressed
against him.
“Kiss me, Thomas. For now, let’s not talk
about it. Please? Just hold me.”
With a moan, Thomas covered her mouth
with his. Caught in the sensations spreading through her, Cat scarcely noticed
when he lowered her to the soft hay. She hesitated only a moment. Then, because
she loved him more than life, she allowed his caresses. She felt his love in
each kiss. . .each caress. . .and she knew she would
refuse this man nothing. He loved her as she loved him. Though they would never
marry, she would allow herself this one night of his love. Then she would let
him go.
Later, she lay in his arms and wept as he
caressed her hair.
“I’m sorry, Cat,” he whispered as her
tears fell upon his bare chest. “I should have waited. I had no right. Forgive
me. We’ll run away and get married tonight. We won’t even wait for permission.
I’ll make this right.”
Unable to speak for the pain clogging her
throat, Cat
longingly into her eyes as she echoed his words of love. Now she understood the
desire she had seen there. She’d seen a similar look in Henry’s eyes countless
times. Cat pushed aside the unsettling comparison and gathered air into her
lungs to compose herself. She smoothed her trembling hand over her hair. It
felt strange to be outside, with her hair flowing down her back, but Thomas
loved it that way, so she had loosened her braids and let them blow in the
wind. Closing her eyes, she conjured the feeling that his hands running through
her tresses had evoked in her.
“Thomas,” she whispered into the darkness
as her footfalls brought her within sight of him.
Without a word, he turned and quickly
closed the distance between them, gathering her into his arms. He had filled
out in the past six months, and Cat could feel the hardness of his chest,
shoulders, and arms as he held her.
“Oh, I prayed you’d be here,” she
breathed against his ear.
He pulled away slightly and studied her
face in the moonlight before grabbing her hand and leading her into the barn.
“Where else would I be?” He shut the door
behind them. “I tried to get a message to you, but there was no opportunity. I
hoped you’d feel my presence and come to me.” He crushed her against his chest
and sank his fingers into the thick mane down her back.
A soft sigh escaped Cat’s lips as she
relished his tenderness. “I missed you so much.”
He released her for a moment--only long
enough to pull her to a corner of the barn. When they were seated, he gathered
her close once more. “I love you, Cat. I can’t go back to Atlanta without you.
I intend to speak to my pa about a betrothal.”
Cat gasped and pulled away to stare up at
him. “Oh, Thomas. Do you think they’ll let us? I only just turned fifteen. And
anyway, Henry sold the farm. We’re going back to Georgia directly after
Christmas.”
Light shone in his eyes and he grinned.
“That’s perfect. Do you know how close we’ll be? Why, Penbrook is only twenty or so miles away. That’s merely a day’s
travel by horse and buggy. I could escort you to parties and court you
properly.”
Cat’s heart leapt and she couldn’t help
but catch some of his excitement as she envisioned the two of them dancing and
sitting in the parlor. But reality penetrated her dreams with heart-wrenching
clarity. Who knew how long she had before Henry revealed the truth to Thomas?
Then she would lose him forever.
As if sensing her hesitation, he released
a frustrated breath and pulled her close once more. “What is it? You still
share my feelings, don’t you?”
“Oh, Thomas, of course I do. Don’t ever
doubt it. Even for one second. I’ll love you until the day I die.”
“So I may speak to Henry about courting
you once you return to Georgia?”
Again, Cat felt a sense of dread fill
her. Henry would never allow it. He would tell Thomas the truth. Then Thomas
would hate her. Tears welled in her eyes as she lifted her chin and pressed
against him.
“Kiss me, Thomas. For now, let’s not talk
about it. Please? Just hold me.”
With a moan, Thomas covered her mouth
with his. Caught in the sensations spreading through her, Cat scarcely noticed
when he lowered her to the soft hay. She hesitated only a moment. Then, because
she loved him more than life, she allowed his caresses. She felt his love in
each kiss. . .each caress. . .and she knew she would
refuse this man nothing. He loved her as she loved him. Though they would never
marry, she would allow herself this one night of his love. Then she would let
him go.
Later, she lay in his arms and wept as he
caressed her hair.
“I’m sorry, Cat,” he whispered as her
tears fell upon his bare chest. “I should have waited. I had no right. Forgive
me. We’ll run away and get married tonight. We won’t even wait for permission.
I’ll make this right.”
Unable to speak for the pain clogging her
throat, Cat
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