was leaning backward, Kane bending over her.
“I think perhaps I was in error,” she said with a gentle smile.
Kane didn’t move. “You know, you’re the prettiest woman I ever seen in my life.”
With that, he slipped one arm around her back, pulled her to him, as he buried his right hand in her carefully pinned coiffure, and kissed her.
Houston had kissed Leander hundreds of times. He was familiar to her, nothing unexpected—but Kane’s kiss was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. His mouth was demanding on hers, not the refined kiss of a gentleman with a lady, but more like how she’d imagine a stableman would kiss.
He released her so abruptly she nearly fell, and for a moment they looked at each other. “Lady, if you can kiss me like that when you love that Westfield, I’ll manage to do without your love.”
Houston could say nothing.
He took her elbow, “I’m gonna take you back now, and you can start plannin’ for our weddin’. Buy yourself whatever you need. I’ll put some money in the bank for you. I want lots of flowers at the weddin’ so get some sent here. Have ’em seat from California if you want or come look at what I got in my glasshouse. And we’ll be married in my house. There’s chairs in the attic. I want ever’body in town to come.”
“Wait! Please,” she said, repinning her hair as he propelled her along. “I haven’t agreed yet. Please Mr. Taggert, give me some time. I haven’t yet recovered from losing my fiancé.” She put her hand on his arm, could feel the muscles of his forearm under his heavy shirt.
He lifted her hand and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss it.
“I’ll buy you a ring. What do you like? Diamonds? Emeralds? What are those blue ones?”
“Sapphires,” she said absently. “Please don’t buy me a ring. Marriage is a lifetime commitment. I can’t rush into this too quickly.”
“You take your time. You got two whole weeks before the weddin’ to get used to the idea of bein’ my wife.”
“Mr. Taggert,” she said with exasperation, “do you ever listen to what other people say?”
He grinned at her from beneath his beard. “No, never. That’s the way I got rich. If I saw somethin’ I wanted, I went after it.”
“And I’m next on your list of things you want?” she asked softly.
“At the very top. Right up there with an apartment buildin’ in New York that Vanderbilt owns and I want. Now, I’ll take you home so you can tell your family about me and you can put me in Westfield’s place. He’s gonna be sorry! He got a Chandler all right but I’m gettin’ the lady one.” He flipped the reins to the horses so suddenly Houston fell back into her seat before she could say a word.
At the door to her house, he jumped from the wagon and nearly pulled her to the ground. “I got to get back now. You tell your parents about me, will ya? And I’ll send a ring over to you tomorrow. Anything you need, you let me or Edan know. I’ll try to see you tomorrow.” He gave a quick look over her shoulder toward her house, then said again, “I got to go,” and bolted into the wagon.
Houston stood before the little stone fence in front of her house and watched him speed away, dust almost obscuring the buggy from view. She felt as if she’d just weathered a tornado.
Inside the house, both Duncan and Opal were waiting for her, Opal in a chair, her eyes red from crying, while Duncan, arms folded, was pacing the floor.
Houston braced herself before entering the room. “Good afternoon, Mother, Mr. Gates.”
“Where have you been?” Duncan seethed.
“Oh, Houston,” Opal cried, “you don’t have to marry him. You’ll find someone else. Just because Leander made a mistake doesn’t mean you should, too.”
Before Houston could speak, Duncan started on her. “Houston, you’ve always been the sensible one. Blair never did have any sense. Even as a little girl she’d rush off head first into trouble, but you
“I think perhaps I was in error,” she said with a gentle smile.
Kane didn’t move. “You know, you’re the prettiest woman I ever seen in my life.”
With that, he slipped one arm around her back, pulled her to him, as he buried his right hand in her carefully pinned coiffure, and kissed her.
Houston had kissed Leander hundreds of times. He was familiar to her, nothing unexpected—but Kane’s kiss was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. His mouth was demanding on hers, not the refined kiss of a gentleman with a lady, but more like how she’d imagine a stableman would kiss.
He released her so abruptly she nearly fell, and for a moment they looked at each other. “Lady, if you can kiss me like that when you love that Westfield, I’ll manage to do without your love.”
Houston could say nothing.
He took her elbow, “I’m gonna take you back now, and you can start plannin’ for our weddin’. Buy yourself whatever you need. I’ll put some money in the bank for you. I want lots of flowers at the weddin’ so get some sent here. Have ’em seat from California if you want or come look at what I got in my glasshouse. And we’ll be married in my house. There’s chairs in the attic. I want ever’body in town to come.”
“Wait! Please,” she said, repinning her hair as he propelled her along. “I haven’t agreed yet. Please Mr. Taggert, give me some time. I haven’t yet recovered from losing my fiancé.” She put her hand on his arm, could feel the muscles of his forearm under his heavy shirt.
He lifted her hand and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss it.
“I’ll buy you a ring. What do you like? Diamonds? Emeralds? What are those blue ones?”
“Sapphires,” she said absently. “Please don’t buy me a ring. Marriage is a lifetime commitment. I can’t rush into this too quickly.”
“You take your time. You got two whole weeks before the weddin’ to get used to the idea of bein’ my wife.”
“Mr. Taggert,” she said with exasperation, “do you ever listen to what other people say?”
He grinned at her from beneath his beard. “No, never. That’s the way I got rich. If I saw somethin’ I wanted, I went after it.”
“And I’m next on your list of things you want?” she asked softly.
“At the very top. Right up there with an apartment buildin’ in New York that Vanderbilt owns and I want. Now, I’ll take you home so you can tell your family about me and you can put me in Westfield’s place. He’s gonna be sorry! He got a Chandler all right but I’m gettin’ the lady one.” He flipped the reins to the horses so suddenly Houston fell back into her seat before she could say a word.
At the door to her house, he jumped from the wagon and nearly pulled her to the ground. “I got to get back now. You tell your parents about me, will ya? And I’ll send a ring over to you tomorrow. Anything you need, you let me or Edan know. I’ll try to see you tomorrow.” He gave a quick look over her shoulder toward her house, then said again, “I got to go,” and bolted into the wagon.
Houston stood before the little stone fence in front of her house and watched him speed away, dust almost obscuring the buggy from view. She felt as if she’d just weathered a tornado.
Inside the house, both Duncan and Opal were waiting for her, Opal in a chair, her eyes red from crying, while Duncan, arms folded, was pacing the floor.
Houston braced herself before entering the room. “Good afternoon, Mother, Mr. Gates.”
“Where have you been?” Duncan seethed.
“Oh, Houston,” Opal cried, “you don’t have to marry him. You’ll find someone else. Just because Leander made a mistake doesn’t mean you should, too.”
Before Houston could speak, Duncan started on her. “Houston, you’ve always been the sensible one. Blair never did have any sense. Even as a little girl she’d rush off head first into trouble, but you
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