Page 9 of Wagon Train Honor
Not that she took notice.
He sank back on his heels and gave a weary sigh. “What are your rules? Tell me, and I’ll see if I can agree to them. After all—” He leaned toward her. Still, the stubborn miss didn’t even back up. “I do have an alternative.”
This time, she leaned forward until they were almost nose to nose, only it was more like nose to chin, and even that was granting her a significant amount of leeway.
“And what would that be?”
“I could tell your ma of your plans.” Not that he would. But she didn’t need to think she could push him around. Not physically, of course. That would be impossible. But she’d learn he didn’t like to be threatened. No matter how pretty the threatening person happened to be. He sat down again, plucked out a stem of grass, and chewed it.
A sigh of such proportions blew past her lips that he was surprised the nearby trees didn’t all bow down. She sank to the ground beside him. Well, almost beside him. He could reach out and touch her if he wanted to. Would she jerk away if he did? He didn’t intend to find out. At least, not at this moment.
“Can we talk about some…expectations?” Her voice was soft, conciliatory, perhaps?
He would not smile at her change in attitude. “I’m always open to discussion.” Of course, she’d already mentioned things she wanted changed. “I’m sorry if I trampled the flowers.”
“Can’t be helped, I suppose.” Her glance went pointedly to his boots.
She was insinuating he had big feet? Liking how she could go from aggravated to teasing so quickly, he laughed. “They do tend to cover a lot of territory. How’d it be if you warn me when you see me about to step on a flower you’re studying?”
“That would work. And you can’t look over my shoulder.”
“Fair enough.” But maybe if he asked, she let him see what she was doing. It fascinated him to watch her pencil create such an accurate drawing. “Now I’m going to sit back here while you finish what you were doing.” He nodded toward the sketchbook. “And I’m going to ignore you. Mind my own business. Not look over your shoulder. Not ask intrusive questions.” Too bad he couldn’t add, “Not run over at the mouth.”
“Thank you.” She retrieved the book, pulled out her pencil, and resumed drawing.
She made quick, sure strokes. Inspected the flower at her feet and then resumed drawing. So focused. It was almost as if he didn’t exist. Nothing existed but the paper and the pencil as it scratched across the page.
Her hand lifted, holding the pencil off the paper. “You’re looking at me.”
“Sorry. Is that another rule? No looking.”
“I hope it doesn’t have to be one.”
“Good.” What else was he supposed to do? He lay on his back, his hands intertwined behind his head, and looked at the sky. Fluffy clouds drifted across the blue expanse. One resembled a flower. Oh wait, it really didn’t. Only that flowers were on his mind. Flowers and an itty-bitty gal with an oversized sense of aggravation.
“Are you always so easily annoyed?” He tossed out the question in an innocent tone.
“Annoyed?”
It sounded good to hear her parroting words now. “Yeah. Here I am being kind enough to escort you around, and you tell me I’m…I’m…impossible.” The word stung his lips.
“No, I said it was impossible to work with you checking over my shoulder.”
He sat up. “I can’t help but want to see you draw. It’s fascinating to see the flower replicated on the page. No wonder the people in Banff invited you to join them.”
She closed her book, tied the leather straps together, and put the pencil back in place.
Uh-oh. He’d been talking, but then she hadn’t made a rule against that. Though she’d suggested his questions were annoying. He braced for a scolding.
“It is indeed an honor.”
“Did I do something to keep you from drawing?”
Her smile lit his insides like a sudden ray of sunshine. “No, I finished for now. But I would like to look around. There are so many flowers and unusual plants here.”
“I can show you places where there are more.”
Neither of them moved as they gazed at each other. He couldn’t say what she saw or sought, but he watched to see if the smile would stay or if a scolding would come.
