Page 38 of The Formation of Us
“None, Sheriff.” Her cheeks flushed. “I mean Duke.”
“I can change my name if you don’t care for it.”
A breathy laugh sailed past her lips. “You have a fine, strong name,” she said with sincerity. “It’s just awkward for me to be so . . . intimate with you.”
“Maybe this will help us get better acquainted.” He brushed his lips across hers to seal their agreement. “I’m honored to be your suitor.”
Her lashes swooped down like a shield. Did she know that her emotions shone in her eyes? Was this a habit of hers to hide her thoughts? And why the need to hide them?
He eased away. “Why do you do that?” he asked quietly.
“Do what?” She whisked her gaze to his face.
“You hide your eyes from me.”
“I don’t,” she said, but down went her lashes.
“You wield your eyelashes like a woman wields her fan. You give me a glimpse of your beauty then steal it away in the next second. A glimpse here, a peek there. It’s an art for sure, but it can tease a man to the point of losing control.” Her eyes flew open, and he chuckled. “I got your message, Faith. I won’t lose control.”
Down went her lashes again, the black crescents emphasizing her pink cheeks.
“There you go again, peeking and hiding.”
“Oh. Lord.” She pressed her palms to her flushed cheeks. “What a dreadful habit.”
There was an endearing quality to her shyness, but it would drive him crazy to forever witness her emotions in snatches and glimpses. “Your husband never mentioned this to you?”
She lowered her hands and averted her face. “He was away frequently.”
“Why? That is, if you don’t mind my asking.”
She dipped her fingers into the tub. “His father was a planter, and my husband took their plants to the market. The water temperature feels fine now. I would recommend another soak be-fore we try to stretch your muscles.”
“Do you miss him?”
Her hand went still in the water. “We didn’t have a close relationship,” she admitted softly.
“Then I can only believe the man was a fool.”
“I was the fool.” She turned and looked straight into his eyes for the first time. “Thank you for that wonderful meal you had delivered this evening. I’ve never received such a thoughtful or meaningful gift.”
Until today, he’d never given one. He’d given plenty of fancy and expensive gifts to women, but never something as simple or valued as a good meal. “I couldn’t have made it through the day without the treatment you gave me this morning. Thank you for your kindness.”
Down went her lashes yet again, but they flashed up an instant later, as if she realized she was indulging her habit. “You should get in the bath now.”
He nodded and waited for her to leave the room before he undressed. After shucking his clothes, he wrapped his hips in a towel, then sat on the edge of the tub and dunked his foot into the water. He wasn’t trusting her to protect his assets.
The water felt comfortably warm, so he pushed off the edge of the tub and submerged himself completely. Underwater, he stretched out. His left shoulder screamed with pain as he forced his arm away from his side, but he couldn’t raise his fist higher than his neck. He rolled his body in the water like one of the logs they cleaned in the gorge behind the sawmill. The heated, scented liquid swirled around his aching body. He could do without the herbs and oils, but damn, the water felt good. As the tension in his back eased, he released his breath and sank to the bottom of the tub. When he broke the surface, Faith was standing beside the tub, smiling.
“Cora loves blowing bubbles in the water too.”
He slicked his hair back one-handed. “I need to own this tub.”
“That’s why I bought the place,” she said. “I wanted to buy Mr. Colburn’s house across the street, too, but I couldn’t afford it.”
“I thought it was odd that his house was still for sale.”
“I’m hoping it stays that way until I can afford to buy it. Of course, that will be five or ten years from now.” She handed him the metal stool, and waited while he tucked it beneath him. “I brought you some tea.”
