down, she gently kissed the older woman's forehead. Maybe someday, Faith thought, you will grow to like me.
Gathering the cups, she slipped from the parlor. Out the
kitchen window, she saw Nicholas sitting on the porch. No
sense in wasting two perfectly good cups of coffee, she reasoned, deciding to join him. She could use some company.
There were times when the silence that filled the Shepherd
house was unbearable. Tonight was one of those times.
"Mr. Shepherd, I thought you might like some coffee."
Faith wasn't sure of the reception she'd receive, but she was
willing to risk his rejection.
Nicholas turned to look over his shoulder. She was surprised to see him smile. "Thank you, Miss Kallahan. Coffee
would be nice."
Faith handed him the cup. "May I sit for a spell?"
Nicholas made room for her beside him in the swing,
glancing toward the parlor window. "Mama asleep?"
"Yes, I just checked on her."
Faith sat down beside him. She knew it wasn't considered
proper for them to be together without a chaperone. But
Liza was just beyond the window and she felt her presence.
By the look on Nicholas's face, he felt it too.
A million twinkling stars filled the sky. Sweet smells and
subtle sounds filled Faith's senses; hay cut that morning,
crickets, a bullfrog croaking a lonesome love song to his
mate. Fireflies flickered in the darkened pasture.
Faith closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze as it gently
brushed her hair.
"Miss Kallahan . . ." Nicholas paused. "I'm sorry about
the string of unfortunate events. I fear you will think I'm
trying to get out of our understanding, but I'm afraid I must
once again postpone the wedding."
She sighed, wondering if he indeed regretted sending for
her. "Whatever you think best, Mr. Shepherd."
"I have business to oversee. It will be another two to
three weeks before we can recite our vows."
Faith kept silent. Three weeks. She wondered if she
should offer to return to Michigan and save him the
embarrassment of asking her to leave.
"Mr. Shepherd, have you ever been in love?"
Nicholas gazed at the stars, his eyes mirroring distant
memories. "Love has passed me by, Miss Kallahan." He
glanced at her. "And you?"
"Not really. There were no eligible men in Cold Water, at least none I cared to fall in love with." She thought of
Edsel Martin and shuddered.
"Faith-may I call you Faith?"
"Of course ... Nicholas." She rather liked the feel of his
given name on her tongue.
"I know the wedding delays concern you. They concern
me, and I fear I have not been fair with you-that at times
I've been preoccupied and even short when I should have
taken time to explain my concerns." His tone gentled.
"This newest delay is because I have cattle to take to market. I'll be leaving for San Antonio first thing on Tuesday
and have some business to take care of on Monday before
I go. We could marry tomorrow, but I would rather wait
until I got back." He smiled. "It hardly seems fitting to get
married, then run right off."
"I understand." Faith resolved to be patient. When the
time was right, they would marry. Trust, Faith, the good
Lord kept seeming to tell her. And she would. "The cattle
must come first."
"Well, normally they wouldn't. But this time of year they
must."
Faith sat up straighter, encouraging conversation. "Why is
that?"
"If I want top dollar, I have to get my herd to market
before it's glutted."
"You mean before other ranchers beat you there and
demand a higher price?"
He smiled. "Something like that. The more cattle bought,
the more prices fall."
Faith could see he enjoyed explaining the procedure to
her. She reveled in the secret knowledge that she wasn't
nearly as green on such matters as she appeared. She'd
always kept up on the stock reports, discussing them with
Papa.
Though neither of them had moved an inch, it suddenly
seemed they were sitting closer. She could feel the cloth of
his trousers brushing her skirt. She wondered if he was
Gathering the cups, she slipped from the parlor. Out the
kitchen window, she saw Nicholas sitting on the porch. No
sense in wasting two perfectly good cups of coffee, she reasoned, deciding to join him. She could use some company.
There were times when the silence that filled the Shepherd
house was unbearable. Tonight was one of those times.
"Mr. Shepherd, I thought you might like some coffee."
Faith wasn't sure of the reception she'd receive, but she was
willing to risk his rejection.
Nicholas turned to look over his shoulder. She was surprised to see him smile. "Thank you, Miss Kallahan. Coffee
would be nice."
Faith handed him the cup. "May I sit for a spell?"
Nicholas made room for her beside him in the swing,
glancing toward the parlor window. "Mama asleep?"
"Yes, I just checked on her."
Faith sat down beside him. She knew it wasn't considered
proper for them to be together without a chaperone. But
Liza was just beyond the window and she felt her presence.
By the look on Nicholas's face, he felt it too.
A million twinkling stars filled the sky. Sweet smells and
subtle sounds filled Faith's senses; hay cut that morning,
crickets, a bullfrog croaking a lonesome love song to his
mate. Fireflies flickered in the darkened pasture.
Faith closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze as it gently
brushed her hair.
"Miss Kallahan . . ." Nicholas paused. "I'm sorry about
the string of unfortunate events. I fear you will think I'm
trying to get out of our understanding, but I'm afraid I must
once again postpone the wedding."
She sighed, wondering if he indeed regretted sending for
her. "Whatever you think best, Mr. Shepherd."
"I have business to oversee. It will be another two to
three weeks before we can recite our vows."
Faith kept silent. Three weeks. She wondered if she
should offer to return to Michigan and save him the
embarrassment of asking her to leave.
"Mr. Shepherd, have you ever been in love?"
Nicholas gazed at the stars, his eyes mirroring distant
memories. "Love has passed me by, Miss Kallahan." He
glanced at her. "And you?"
"Not really. There were no eligible men in Cold Water, at least none I cared to fall in love with." She thought of
Edsel Martin and shuddered.
"Faith-may I call you Faith?"
"Of course ... Nicholas." She rather liked the feel of his
given name on her tongue.
"I know the wedding delays concern you. They concern
me, and I fear I have not been fair with you-that at times
I've been preoccupied and even short when I should have
taken time to explain my concerns." His tone gentled.
"This newest delay is because I have cattle to take to market. I'll be leaving for San Antonio first thing on Tuesday
and have some business to take care of on Monday before
I go. We could marry tomorrow, but I would rather wait
until I got back." He smiled. "It hardly seems fitting to get
married, then run right off."
"I understand." Faith resolved to be patient. When the
time was right, they would marry. Trust, Faith, the good
Lord kept seeming to tell her. And she would. "The cattle
must come first."
"Well, normally they wouldn't. But this time of year they
must."
Faith sat up straighter, encouraging conversation. "Why is
that?"
"If I want top dollar, I have to get my herd to market
before it's glutted."
"You mean before other ranchers beat you there and
demand a higher price?"
He smiled. "Something like that. The more cattle bought,
the more prices fall."
Faith could see he enjoyed explaining the procedure to
her. She reveled in the secret knowledge that she wasn't
nearly as green on such matters as she appeared. She'd
always kept up on the stock reports, discussing them with
Papa.
Though neither of them had moved an inch, it suddenly
seemed they were sitting closer. She could feel the cloth of
his trousers brushing her skirt. She wondered if he was
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