August (Prairie Grooms, #1) by Kit Morgan

Bennett’s farm.
    Eloise came out the doors and joined them. “Farm? Oh yes, I want to see where you’re going to live!”
    August watched Miss Red flinch at the words, and his heart sank another notch. He had hoped she’d be as excited to see his farm as her sisters were. Sure, she said she wanted to, but not with the same enthusiasm.
    He waited just inside the mercantile while Belle introduced Miss Red and her sisters to several of the townsfolk, then waited another few moments as Mrs. Dunnigan and Fanny Fig (mainly Fanny) droned on about finally having new members for the ladies’ sewing circle. And yes, they could make Miss Red’s dress in the next three days and on and on and on she went ... if he didn’t get them moving, they’d be lucky to get to the farm before sunset!
    Finally, he was able to interrupt the female chatter and promise he’d bring them back to finish up the details. Why he had such a driving urge to show Miss Red his place right now , he had no idea. He just wanted it done. Maybe he needed the reassurance that he’d built it for her, and not just any mail-order bride. Or maybe he needed to know that she liked it – and would be willing to live there.
    Logan was nowhere to be found, so he helped the women into the wagon himself – making sure they had plenty of space away from the chickens, whom the blacksmith was all too happy to be rid of. He climbed up onto the driver’s seat, and they were off.
    “Is your farm very big?” Constance asked from the back of the wagon. She’d been quick to take a seat next to Belle. That left August on the wagon seat next to Miss Red, with Eloise on the other side of her. They were sitting so close together their legs were touching. It was all August could do to keep hold of the reins. He wanted to put his arm around her, hold her, kiss her ...
    “Mr. Bennett? Did you hear me?”
    Her voice snapped August out of his thoughts. “Oh, I’m sorry, what did you say?”
    “I said,” Constance started again, “is your farm very big?”
    “No, not so big as all that. I thought we clarified that last night at supper. I just bought a few chickens, after all, not a barn full.”
    “Is there gold on your land?” Eloise asked.
    August leaned forward to peer past Miss Red. Her younger sister looked dead serious. “I can’t say. I’ve never looked. No sign of any, though.”
    “So many men have come west to find gold. It’s all anyone on the ship talked about. Or on the stage to Colorado, for that matter.”
    “And they all got off in Colorado, I suppose?”
    “Yes,” Miss Red added. “Except us.” Her voice was solemn when she spoke.
    August leaned back, but not without looking her in the eye first. “I doubt there is any gold on my place ... but there will be.”
    She stared at him, missing the meaning of his words.
    Eloise now leaned forward and gawked at him. She too had a quizzical expression on her pretty face, and he had to laugh. “I see nothing funny about being poor,” Eloise stated.
    “What?” he asked. “I said nothing of the sort.”
    “She was referring to your gold,” Miss Red informed him.
    He chuckled. “You ladies have no idea what I just referred to.”
    “I do!” Belle called from the back of the wagon.
    “Quiet, you,” August called back. At least someone figured out he’d given Miss Red a huge compliment, comparing her to gold. But perhaps being English, they didn’t understand his idiom.
    He hauled back on the reins to slow the horses to a walk. They’d been trotting along for some time, and he wanted the women to have the full effect of seeing the farm for the first time. To do that, he couldn’t afford to round the bend too fast. The rolling prairie had some pretty good dips here, and a flower-covered hill was just ahead.
    The road wound around the hill, and his farm came into view. He smiled in anticipation of what Miss Red would think of it.
    A moment passed and the women were silent, until ... “Oh, my!”