Page 70 of A Steadfast Heart
She laughed, and he soaked in the sound. She didn’t laugh enough. He planned to fix that.
“I knew you’d say that.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “Look in the other box.”
What had she done? She didn’t have to bring all these things. Didn’t she know she was enough? He gently opened the other box to find the same hat in a light gray.
Kaitlyn laid a hand on his arm. “The dark will stand up to work on a ranch. The gray’s for going to town. It will match your eyes.” She flushed and cleared her throat. “Plus, there are leather gloves for you and your brothers.”
“Kaitlyn, you shouldn’t have done this. It’s too much.”
“Nothing’s too much for my…family.”
He caught the hesitation and looked closer. Her eyes didn’t hold reluctance but hope. Her words lodged themselves into his heart.Her family. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the children’s joy. She probably thought they were only excited about the gifts she’d brought, but that wasn’t true. Even Jo had been out of sorts while Kaitlyn had been gone. More so than normal, that was.
He slid the dark hat on, and she reached to adjust the brim. “It looks good on you.”
Their gazes caught and tangled before his fell to her lips. They looked so soft. He jerked his eyes back to hers. “You’ll spoil us all.”
Her cheeks reddened. “This family deserves a little spoiling. Especially you, Drew.”
Her eyes were the color of rain-drenched moss. His finger reached out to touch her soft lips. If only they were alone.
“Kaitlyn?” Tillie’s voice echoed across the worksite.
Kaitlyn bit her lip and slowly turned away.
Her family, she’d said.
He wanted that. Wanted them to be a true family with love as the foundation.
But they’d made a deal to keep love out of their marriage. A deal he now regretted.
Maybe it wasn’t too late to change the terms.
Chapter16
“Ihaven’t seen you this relaxed in months, maybe ever.” Barclay took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair. “You finished that cabin?”
The churchyard was full as the congregation visited after service. Drew stood off to the side as Kaitlyn talked to a few of the women. Her blue dress made her hair brighter, and her smile made his heart lighter. The gossip still left its mark, but it was fading. Nick and Ed had gone to check on the horses. The kids were behind the church with their friends.
Drew shook his head to answer his friend’s question. The cabin wasn’t done, but Kaitlyn was back. Somehow, he couldn’t help smiling.
The train whistle blew its first warning. It must be getting close to one o’clock if it was preparing to pull out.
They’d need to leave soon. He wanted to finish the cabin today so he could turn his attention to more important things, namely spending time with Kaitlyn. But she had insisted they go to church. She was right, of course. They had so much to be grateful for.
Ed’s cabin only needed a few more rows of shingles and some windowpanes to make it watertight. They could work on that after church, even finish on Monday morning before Duff arrived if they had to.
All because of Kaitlyn.
The men she’d brought had made all the difference in the project, just as her coffee and encouragement made a long night of work almost pleasant. Then there’d been breakfast. He’d stayed to help her clear the table. She’d had no more sleep than anyone else, after all.
And she’d offered to buy hay for his cattle.
He’d argued, and she’d asked if he really wanted to lettheircattle starve.
He’d promised to pay her back, and she’d poked her finger into his chest. With flashing eyes, she’d asked if the ranch was her home.
How he’d wanted to say yes, buthomeimplied love, and he sure didn’t want to bring that up in the middle of an argument. He didn’t claim to understand women, but even he knew better than that.
