Chapter Seven
He'd lost his mind. What had prompted him to get so close to that woman? Not only had he almost kissed her, but also he'd misplaced the ability to think clearly and invited her to meet his parents. He'd been up since the sun rose and the same words kept repeating in his mind. "Why did I do that?"
Once dressing Ashley and handing him over to Mrs. Dawson's capable hands, he'd hurried from the house after informing her he'd return in a few hours so they could all go to his parent's home.
An hour later, Hank yanked at a patched portion of fence, ensuring his mending would hold and leaned on it looking in the direction where several of his cows grazed. He should have kept his mouth shut, never went near her, not on a beautiful night, not under the moonlight and definitely not after being without a woman for so long.
"Hey, boss," his farmhand slouched and placed his elbows on the fence next to where Hank stood. The scrawny man removed his hat and scratched at his grey hair, his brows drawn together. "It's gonna be a long, hot summer."
Hank looked across the field. "It's not even spring yet, Sam. We've got much to get done before it arrives, so don't be hurrying it."
The old man grabbed the tools Hank had been using and headed to another part of the fence that needed attention. "Why you doing my job, boss? You think I can't do it?" Sam's shoulders hunched, he began to work.
It was impossible not to smile, but Hank kept his expression blank when the man turned back waiting a reply. "No, Sam, just avoiding going to the house."
"Ain't nothin' worse than bein' stuck inside four walls with women. I git it." He continued working. "Ain't nothin' more bothersome than the continuous chatter." Sam lived with his wife and two daughters. "Good thing for the outdoors right boss?"
Hank agreed, although his reasons were quite different from Sam's.
Mrs. Dawson stood on the porch, dressed and ready when he pulled the wagon to the house. She called toward the interior and Elizabeth emerged with Ashley by the hand. They'd cut the child's hair, it was still wet, his curls close to his head. The boy broke loose from her hold and attempted to toddle towards him only to fall. Hank rolled his eyes when both women rushed to collect the wailing child. "You're going to spoil him rotten, he's gotta learn to fall."
He spied his son's face, not a tear in sight when Ashley leaned his head on Elizabeth's shoulder and sucked his thumb content at being picked up.
Hank assisted the women onto the wagon, after which, he prompted the horses into a slow steady gate. Elizabeth sat up front with him, while Mrs. Dawson held Ashley on the bench behind them. The older woman insisted it was safer for the child that way. Thankfully Elizabeth's large bonnet hid most of her face from him, which helped him remain from gawking at her. She sat primly with hands on her lap, fingers entwined.
"Darling, don't you just love the open spaces here?" Mrs. Dawson asked when the silence grew too long.
"It's beautiful, I'd never imagined such a place existed. Just the views of the mountains take my breath away," Elizabeth replied.
Hank couldn't help but comment. "And the stars?"
She cleared her throat and turned to give him a short glance. "Yes, of course. Aunt Betty, I mentioned to Mr. Cole last night that I could look at the night sky for hours without tiring." Mr. Cole?
"When I first moved here, I felt the same way," Mrs. Dawson told them and that comment led to other memories of her moving west. Hank allowed his thoughts to move away from their conversation and wonder at his mother's reaction to him showing up in the middle of the day with company, one, a woman she'd never met.
He shouldn't have worried at his mother's response, as soon as he came to a stop Victoria Cole dropped what she was about to place on the clothesline into a basket and rushed over, her arms outstretched to Ashley.
Hank lowered the child to her. Only after Ashley was safely ensconced on her hip did she finally acknowledge the rest of them. Hank smiled when his mother pushed stray hair away from her face and attempted to straighten her apron with one hand, as they climbed from the wagon.
His mother never looked better in his opinion, her face flushed from the sun and her long hair in a soft bun at her nape. Her familiar eyes met his and she came over and held her face up to him to kiss. Once he kissed her, Hank introduced Elizabeth.
"Betty is this your niece? If you'd told me she was coming I would have brought a pie." Victoria hugged Mrs. Dawson and Elizabeth as well. The three women seemed to forget all about him as they began talking about Elizabeth's travel while ambling toward his parent's large ranch home. Hank was about to head to the fields to find his father when his mother turned back to him. "Hank, be a dear. Please hang up the last two sheets for me."
The day progressed well, they picnicked outside after Lisa and her brood arrived, the women got along well enough it seemed since conversation barely stopped the entire time. The only bothersome aspect was the looks his mother and sister kept directing at him and toward Elizabeth. Their sly smiles at each other communicating they liked her and he should, too.
When Victoria invited Elizabeth over for the following week and was told she'd be back in town, his mother took it upon herself to convince Elizabeth to remain another week, so she could attend a planned gathering.
Even his usually silent father chimed in to encourage Elizabeth to extend her stay to be part of the 'celebration'. This said celebration, Hank was sure, was not at all planned, until the very moment his mother mentioned it.
The sun began its descent as they headed home in comfortable silence, Ashley slept in Mrs. Dawson's arms and Elizabeth looked at her aunt then to him. "Thank you for taking us to your parent's home, I had a wonderful time. Everyone was so welcoming and kind. You are lucky to have them."
Pride swelled within his chest. "Yes, I am a very lucky man. My parents have always been there for me."
"Why didn't you ask your mother to care for Ashley?"
Hank glanced back to his son who slept soundly. "I want him with me. Ma did offer, but it would be too hard for her to go back and forth every day. Ma even proposed to stay at my house, but I couldn't ask that of her."
"I understand." She sighed. "He is your son, of course you want to be with him."
"I am responsible for Ashley and plan to be there for him until he can do for himself."
Elizabeth lifted her eyes to him, the pull of her beauty rendering his mouth dry. "You're a good father, Hank."
"Just doing what I should, Elizabeth," he told her, his voice husky to his own ears.
"Yes, but many men would probably drop off their child with a relative. It would not be a bad thing, you understand, but it would be hard for a child to lose both parents at once."
They arrived at the house and he assisted Mrs. Dawson with the sleeping child. The woman went inside, yawning loudly.
He lifted his hand to assist Elizabeth next, with graceful movements she descended and shifted aside to not stand close to him. "Good night, Hank." So he was Hank again.
He locked onto the gentle sway of her hips when she walked away. It was a few moments before he could stop watching the now empty doorway. This was going to be a long ten days.
The next day Hank barely missed the dog underfoot and stumbled to keep from falling. Unable to focus on the task at hand he lowered the ax he'd been using to chop firewood and sat on the tree stump. With a content sigh his large yellow retriever sank at his feet. He'd avoided being home the last couple of days, not a hard task since there was much to do, but even at the end of the day, he'd retreated to his bedroom right after dinner with Ashley, using the pretext of giving the women time to themselves.
Still Elizabeth's face haunted him every minute. Her intelligent eyes boring into him, as if she knew she was the true reason for his absences.
"Dinner is ready," Mrs. Dawson called from the porch. "Better get washed up, Hank."
"Delicious meal, ladies," Hank said patting his stomach after eating too much. "I am becoming spoiled by your cooking." He pushe
d from the table and reached for his plate only for Elizabeth to pull it away.
He frowned at her, but she smiled in response. "Please it’s the least I can do for your generous hospitality."
He released the plate. " Missus Dawson may I bother you for another hour minding Ashley?" The woman nodded holding the child on her lap. "I’d like to take a bath."
After he bathed and emptied the tub, Hank returned to the kitchen intent on retrieving his son but came to stop when noting Elizabeth remained in the kitchen alone, sipping a cup of tea. She looked up at him and her eyes widened at noticing his bare chest.
Hank looked past her. "I--er where are Ashley and Miss Betty?"
She smiled. "Both fast asleep."
He pushed his hands into his pockets and took them back out again, wondering how to leave the room gracefully. Her hair was down and she wore a pale yellow dress. At her elbow was a book, beside it a lantern, the soft light giving her face an attractive halo. "Would you like to sit, I can fix you some tea."
Yes. "No, I best get on to bed. Have to get an early start in the morning." He did not move. "I came to get Ashley so we could go to bed."
Her sharp gaze met his and then slid to his chest. A dainty flush rose across her face and she looked down at her tea. "It's obvious you retreat to your bedroom more often than you usually would. I hope it's not because of me."
Her bluntness and accuracy took him by surprise and, he pulled out a chair. "I’m merely giving you and your aunt time to get to know each other and talk without having to mind Ashley."
"I assure you, it's not necessary. We enjoy our days together with him very much." She smiled at him almost causing him to blush, which made him frown instead. "I will return to town this Sunday, I've already remained too long."
"You don't have to," Hank said attempting to sound light.
"Yes, I do," she replied running her finger around the top of her cup. "It’s time I start my new life."
"Have you decided what you're going to do?"
With a wistful expression on her face she replied, "I am not sure. I've been considering a good way to pass the time. Maybe I'll take up sewing. I want to be a wife one day. I'd like to marry, have children, a family to fuss over, cook for--" She cut off flushed. "Well, I suppose what every woman wants."
"Not every woman, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth wished the words she'd uttered would somehow disappear. She'd said the wrong thing. Of course his son's mother was not inclined toward children and family. And here she sat blubbering about such things. The moment she'd uttered her thoughts out loud she knew she'd gone too far, especially when she'd been picturing Hank as the husband and beautiful children that bore a startling resemblance to Ashley. But now it seemed he'd retreated from her by his shuttered expression and distant posture, leaning back into the chair. "I'm sorry sometimes I ramble without thought..."'
"That I doubt, Elizabeth, I suspect you put a lot of thought into most things before doing them." His shoulders lowered. "I admire your aspirations of forming and raising a family."
"Do you not want that?"
His eyes met hers for a moment and she caught herself leaning forward. "It's just going to be Ashley and me for now, and that suits me just fine." He drew his gaze towards the wall behind her.
"It doesn't have to be." Why did she not stop talking? If there were a way to retract the words, to move time back five seconds she would give her left arm for it.
"Are you offering?" He raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"Oh." Her hand went to her chest, and she felt her face warming. "I didn't intend to..." He didn't relent, the other brow raised and arms crossed his chest.
Ire rose at the impossible man. "I am sure your decision to remain single is a personal one and has nothing to do with lack of available women willing to marry you."
He relented, his arms falling to the table. "Then the answer is no, you are not offering. And I don't blame you." He told her, his voice low.
She tried to discern his expression but could not, he seemed to once again close off.
She pushed to her feet and he followed suit. "I bid you good night, Hank." When he stood, he blocked the entrance to the other room. She walked toward him hoping he'd step aside. Of course, he'd already read her thoughts and did not shift, instead waited for her to be mere inches from him. "If you're intent on returning to town, Sunday, I understand, but know that it's fine with me if you decide to stay longer. I do…enjoy your company Elizabeth." She couldn’t read the look in his eyes. Did she give away her feelings about him? Her deep attraction to him?
Throwing caution out the window, Elizabeth reached for him, framed his face with her hands and pulled him to her, eyes fixed on his lips. A kiss, the one thing she did not enjoy with Melvin. Yet nothing could stop her from it now, an urge beyond her control took over and the moment before their lips met, she let every reservation fall.
His darkened gaze stayed on hers, his mouth covering hers in a soft kiss that she felt to her deepest core and closed her eyes.
Hank's hands took her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. The sensations, God they were like nothing she'd ever felt, every touch of his lips over hers, the light suckling, like a taste of Heaven and Elizabeth let out a soft moan and slid her hands behind his head, her fingers threading into his hair.
The man was solid against her softer build, his arms hard and yet curiously gentle surrounding her like a shield against the worst the world could pitch at her. Time stood still as his lips and mouth devoured every bit of hers and she in return savored him. This, oh God yes, this is what a kiss should be like.
"Elizabeth?" Her aunt's groggy voice from behind them was like a bucket of icy water and the couple jumped apart, their chests lifting and falling in time.
"I'm coming, Aunt Betty," Elizabeth replied and pushed around Hank.