fishing?”
“Only if it’s worth repeating.
“He said you cook even gooder than his ma, and you can sing, and you sweep floors, and you make real funny faces right before you sneeze.”
Robin laughed. “He brought me a bouquet of some kind of little yellow flower. I don’t know what they call it, but it did make me sneeze.”
“I must say, your list of accomplishments impresses me.” He stood and stretched. “Would you care to walk along the creek? We’ll stay where we can see Jacob. But if I don’t move around I’ll be the next one asleep, even without the watch ticking in my ear.”
Robin swallowed. Why didn’t she think before this picnic idea? The walk to the creek with the basket and blanket was almost more than she could manage, but Ty and Jacob had been busy fishing and hadn’t observed her near fall. Oh, she wanted to walk with this man. Yet, the years of taunts and ridicule had taken their toll on her confidence. She and Ty had been together nearly every day since her arrival. But this was the first time he’d suggested time alone. He’d invited her to accompany him to church last Sunday, but she’d managed to change the subject when Jacob interrupted their conversation. She certainly didn’t want to divert his attention now. But how could she explain that she’d need help to even rise from the ground.
Ty knelt in front of her. “Robin? Was I being too forward? I thought maybe . . .”
She shook her head and made herself look at him—a lesson learned at her papa’s insistence — face your fear Robin, and often it will become your friend . “I . . . Mr. Morgan, we’ve been sitting for a long time, and it will be difficult for me to stand. Only two men in my life have ever helped me in such a manner.”
“Have you forgotten that day on Morgan’s hill, when we found this little tornado?” Before she could object Ty bent and placed his hands under her arms and lifted her easily to her feet. He steadied her against his chest with one arm against her back. “Promise me you will never hesitate to ask me fo r anythin g .”
The rumble of his voice against her ear vibrated through her senses. William Benson had tugged her to her feet more than once, but she’d never had her heart tugged—until now.
As a young girl she’d imagined being swept into the arms of a handsome prince. As a young lady of coming-out age, while she sat on the sidelines and watched her girlfriends glide across the dance floor in the arms of a beau, she would tap her foot and hope Mama wouldn’t see her. And she would tell herself that her prince would still come someday. And later, at the girls-only party that followed the soiree, her heart thrilled while her friends tittered and blushed their way through whispered accounts of stolen kisses and promises made in darkened hallways. Then—one by one, as her friends married—her prince became only an idle hope. And Mama no longer gazed with disapproval while she sat on the sidelines with widows and maiden ladies many years her senior. Nor could she remember the last time she’d tapped her foot in anticipation.
But now—now, in Ty Morgan’s arms . . . This is silliness, Robin. He helped you up . . . nothing more. He was only being a gentleman . Yet, the thrum of his heart matched the cadence of hers. And though she had both feet on the ground, he did not release her from his embrace.
“Got your bearings? I don’t want to let go of you until you do.” His arm tightened around her shoulders. “Who were they?”
Robin pulled away to look at him. “Who were they?”
The space between his eyebrows crinkled. “The other two men who helped you. Who were they?”
Did it truly matter to him? “My papa and a friend of the family.”
“Not a man
“Only if it’s worth repeating.
“He said you cook even gooder than his ma, and you can sing, and you sweep floors, and you make real funny faces right before you sneeze.”
Robin laughed. “He brought me a bouquet of some kind of little yellow flower. I don’t know what they call it, but it did make me sneeze.”
“I must say, your list of accomplishments impresses me.” He stood and stretched. “Would you care to walk along the creek? We’ll stay where we can see Jacob. But if I don’t move around I’ll be the next one asleep, even without the watch ticking in my ear.”
Robin swallowed. Why didn’t she think before this picnic idea? The walk to the creek with the basket and blanket was almost more than she could manage, but Ty and Jacob had been busy fishing and hadn’t observed her near fall. Oh, she wanted to walk with this man. Yet, the years of taunts and ridicule had taken their toll on her confidence. She and Ty had been together nearly every day since her arrival. But this was the first time he’d suggested time alone. He’d invited her to accompany him to church last Sunday, but she’d managed to change the subject when Jacob interrupted their conversation. She certainly didn’t want to divert his attention now. But how could she explain that she’d need help to even rise from the ground.
Ty knelt in front of her. “Robin? Was I being too forward? I thought maybe . . .”
She shook her head and made herself look at him—a lesson learned at her papa’s insistence — face your fear Robin, and often it will become your friend . “I . . . Mr. Morgan, we’ve been sitting for a long time, and it will be difficult for me to stand. Only two men in my life have ever helped me in such a manner.”
“Have you forgotten that day on Morgan’s hill, when we found this little tornado?” Before she could object Ty bent and placed his hands under her arms and lifted her easily to her feet. He steadied her against his chest with one arm against her back. “Promise me you will never hesitate to ask me fo r anythin g .”
The rumble of his voice against her ear vibrated through her senses. William Benson had tugged her to her feet more than once, but she’d never had her heart tugged—until now.
As a young girl she’d imagined being swept into the arms of a handsome prince. As a young lady of coming-out age, while she sat on the sidelines and watched her girlfriends glide across the dance floor in the arms of a beau, she would tap her foot and hope Mama wouldn’t see her. And she would tell herself that her prince would still come someday. And later, at the girls-only party that followed the soiree, her heart thrilled while her friends tittered and blushed their way through whispered accounts of stolen kisses and promises made in darkened hallways. Then—one by one, as her friends married—her prince became only an idle hope. And Mama no longer gazed with disapproval while she sat on the sidelines with widows and maiden ladies many years her senior. Nor could she remember the last time she’d tapped her foot in anticipation.
But now—now, in Ty Morgan’s arms . . . This is silliness, Robin. He helped you up . . . nothing more. He was only being a gentleman . Yet, the thrum of his heart matched the cadence of hers. And though she had both feet on the ground, he did not release her from his embrace.
“Got your bearings? I don’t want to let go of you until you do.” His arm tightened around her shoulders. “Who were they?”
Robin pulled away to look at him. “Who were they?”
The space between his eyebrows crinkled. “The other two men who helped you. Who were they?”
Did it truly matter to him? “My papa and a friend of the family.”
“Not a man
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