Catching Kent by Ruth Ann Nordin Page A

What are you doing with that
shirt?”
    “ I was going to give it to
Kent.”
    “ He’s not in the bedroom.”
Closing the gap between them, she lowered her voice. “You shouldn’t
even think about going in there if he’s there. That’s not something
a lady does.”
    “ Well, he’s in our house,
and that means he risks me entering any room I please at any time I
wish.”
    Harriett shot her a pointed look and
tapped her foot on the floor. “You’re awful. A man deserves some
privacy, especially since he’s a guest in our house.”
    “ It’s the middle of the
day. It’s not like he’ll be taking his clothes off.” Though it
would be fun to see him without his shirt on. “I bet he looks
wonderful without a shirt on.”
    Harriett covered Rose’s mouth with her
hand. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. In the future, you mustn’t
ever say something like that. It’s very inappropriate. Can you
imagine what Ma or Pa would do if they heard you?”
    She pushed her sister’s hand away.
“Pa’s outside and Ma’s in the kitchen. I can say all I want about
how much I’d love to see Kent’s naked broad shoulders and chest.
You know he’d look wonderful.”
    Harriett groaned. “You think
everything about Kent looks wonderful.” She paused, her face pink.
“At least what you imagine.” Then, in a whisper, she asked, “You
aren’t imagining him without clothes on? You haven’t snuck at peak
at him when he’s bathed have you?”
    Her eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea!
I should sneak into the kitchen next Saturday evening when we take
turns bathing.”
    “ You shut your mouth this
instant.”
    “ Why? It was your
idea.”
    “ No, it wasn’t. I was only
making sure you didn’t do it.”
    “ No, I wasn’t that clever.”
Rose grinned. “But I can be now. I’ve always wondered what a man
looks like when he’s naked. You know, an adult man.”
    “ Rose, you can’t. You
mustn’t! Not now. Not ever. Do you understand?”
    “ I’m going to marry him.
Sooner or later, I’ll get to see him without clothes on. Why not
now?”
    “ Because you’re not married
yet. Stop acting like a saloon girl. You are an honorable woman and
will stay that way until you exchange vows with him.” Harriett
rolled her eyes and grunted. “For heaven’s sakes! You got me
talking as if you’re going to marry him.”
    “ Well, I am.”
    “ No one knows that,
especially Kent.”
    “ He’s starting to figure it
out.”
    “ And you know this
because…?”
    “ Because he ate my stew
even though it tasted awful,” Rose replied, inspecting her work on
his shirt. “Only a man who wanted to be with me would put himself
through that agony.”
    “ Your reasoning never
ceases to amaze me.”
    Giving her sister a shrug, she asked,
“Do you know where he is?”
    “ He’s helping Eli clean out
stalls.”
    Rose grimaced. “Why does he have to be
out there doing that? He should be doing something fun, not doing
one of the worst chores around here.”
    “ He offered. He said he
wanted to do something to earn his keep, and Eli said he could use
help with the stalls so he went with him.”
    “ It’s just awful that Eli
talked him into doing that.”
    “ Eli didn’t talk him into
it. He offered.”
    “ Only because he feels
sorry for Eli.”
    Harriett let out a long sigh. “If it
makes you feel better to believe that, then believe it. I have
clothes to put away.”
    “ I’ll change into pants
then head out to the stable so I can help them.”
    Laughing as Rose hurried to their
bedroom, she called out, “Who would have thought I’d see the day
when you got excited about mucking out a stall?”
    Rose shot her an amused look. “It’s
not the stall I’m excited about seeing and you know it. My future
husband is out there.” Then, before her sister could argue with
her, she slipped into the bedroom and shut the door so she could
change.
     
     
    ***
     
    Kent wiped the sweat away from his
forehead then wiped