slowly, wondering if she should leave it at that or explain. “It’s just that … well …”
“You can talk to me about anything, Mary. I want you to trust me.”
“Oh I do trust you, Abe.” She swallowed deeply and looked down at the sidewalk before meeting his gaze. “Much more than I do most people. It’s hard for me, you know.”
“Yes,” he said as he reached out and brushed a lock of hair that had escaped her kapp with his free hand. “I do know.”
A pinching sensation in her chest and the urge to let Abe know how she felt about him battled with the warning bells going off in her head. Telling him her feelings would leave her vulnerable and exposed. Did she dare do that? She wanted to very badly, but in spite of Abe admitting he was romantically interested in her, the fear of being hurt was still lodged in her heart.
“Mary?” he asked, bending over and tilting her face up to meet his gaze once again. “Talk to me, okay?”
She pulled her lips between her teeth and nodded. Her heart felt as though it would jump out of her mouth if she didn’t say something. If ever there was a time to release that fear, this was it. Finally, she sucked in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, looked Abe in the eye, and blurted, “Kiss me, Abe.”
Chapter 7
A be blinked, and the ice-cream cone toppled from his hand and fell to the ground. Did Mary just tell him to kiss her? Neh, couldn’t have. Not Mary with the standoffish sarcasm and strong-arm defense. She held her ice-cream cone up with one hand, jammed her other fist on her hips, and leaned forward, lips puckered, eyes narrowed. He had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing.
When he didn’t do anything, she folded her arms and pouted. “Oh, so you don’t wanna kiss me now, huh?”
“Oh I didn’t say that. You just caught me by surprise.”
“Okay, so do you want to kiss me or not?”
Abe pondered the thought, then slowly nodded. “Yes, I’d love to kiss you, Mary, but not here.”
“What’s wrong with here?”
“This isn’t exactly the best place for us to have our first kiss.”
Mary lifted her free hand in surrender. “So you get to pick where we kiss?”
Abe gave himself some time to gather his thoughts before speaking. “Mary, when I kiss you, I want you to understand it’s because I have feelings for you. It’s not something I take lightly.”
“Who said anything about taking it lightly?” She frowned as she took a lick of her ice cream. She shook her head. “Don’t tell me you agree with that mean Jeremiah.”
“No, this has nothing to do with Jeremiah. What it has everything to do with is letting you know that a kiss means … well, it means …” He glanced down then back up at her, slowly shaking his head.
Mary lifted an eyebrow in amusement and tapped her foot. “Go on, Abe. I want to know what it means.”
“Let’s just say it’s very special to me. A kiss is not like a handshake or even a hug. It means we’re more than just friends.”
“I’m okay with that.” She held his gaze as though challenging him. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”
That was exactly what he wanted, but the timing was off. Kissing on command seemed forced and cold. But he didn’t want to risk hurting or embarrassing Mary—not after her attempt to be more open and trust him.
“Let’s take a little walk, okay?” He extended his elbow, hoping for the best, and to his delight, she took it.
“Sorry about your ice-cream cone,” Mary said.
Abe laughed. “I should have held on to it better.”
“Want a lick?” she asked, offering her ice-cream cone.
Abe laughed. “No thanks. I’m not about to take your ice cream.”
“That’s okay, I don’t mind. I sort of lost my appetite.”
“You don’t have to finish it.”
They walked in silence for another block then turned up a side street behind some of the small shops at the edge of Pinecraft. Abe pointed to a lonely tree holding court over a tiny
“You can talk to me about anything, Mary. I want you to trust me.”
“Oh I do trust you, Abe.” She swallowed deeply and looked down at the sidewalk before meeting his gaze. “Much more than I do most people. It’s hard for me, you know.”
“Yes,” he said as he reached out and brushed a lock of hair that had escaped her kapp with his free hand. “I do know.”
A pinching sensation in her chest and the urge to let Abe know how she felt about him battled with the warning bells going off in her head. Telling him her feelings would leave her vulnerable and exposed. Did she dare do that? She wanted to very badly, but in spite of Abe admitting he was romantically interested in her, the fear of being hurt was still lodged in her heart.
“Mary?” he asked, bending over and tilting her face up to meet his gaze once again. “Talk to me, okay?”
She pulled her lips between her teeth and nodded. Her heart felt as though it would jump out of her mouth if she didn’t say something. If ever there was a time to release that fear, this was it. Finally, she sucked in a deep breath, squared her shoulders, looked Abe in the eye, and blurted, “Kiss me, Abe.”
Chapter 7
A be blinked, and the ice-cream cone toppled from his hand and fell to the ground. Did Mary just tell him to kiss her? Neh, couldn’t have. Not Mary with the standoffish sarcasm and strong-arm defense. She held her ice-cream cone up with one hand, jammed her other fist on her hips, and leaned forward, lips puckered, eyes narrowed. He had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing.
When he didn’t do anything, she folded her arms and pouted. “Oh, so you don’t wanna kiss me now, huh?”
“Oh I didn’t say that. You just caught me by surprise.”
“Okay, so do you want to kiss me or not?”
Abe pondered the thought, then slowly nodded. “Yes, I’d love to kiss you, Mary, but not here.”
“What’s wrong with here?”
“This isn’t exactly the best place for us to have our first kiss.”
Mary lifted her free hand in surrender. “So you get to pick where we kiss?”
Abe gave himself some time to gather his thoughts before speaking. “Mary, when I kiss you, I want you to understand it’s because I have feelings for you. It’s not something I take lightly.”
“Who said anything about taking it lightly?” She frowned as she took a lick of her ice cream. She shook her head. “Don’t tell me you agree with that mean Jeremiah.”
“No, this has nothing to do with Jeremiah. What it has everything to do with is letting you know that a kiss means … well, it means …” He glanced down then back up at her, slowly shaking his head.
Mary lifted an eyebrow in amusement and tapped her foot. “Go on, Abe. I want to know what it means.”
“Let’s just say it’s very special to me. A kiss is not like a handshake or even a hug. It means we’re more than just friends.”
“I’m okay with that.” She held his gaze as though challenging him. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”
That was exactly what he wanted, but the timing was off. Kissing on command seemed forced and cold. But he didn’t want to risk hurting or embarrassing Mary—not after her attempt to be more open and trust him.
“Let’s take a little walk, okay?” He extended his elbow, hoping for the best, and to his delight, she took it.
“Sorry about your ice-cream cone,” Mary said.
Abe laughed. “I should have held on to it better.”
“Want a lick?” she asked, offering her ice-cream cone.
Abe laughed. “No thanks. I’m not about to take your ice cream.”
“That’s okay, I don’t mind. I sort of lost my appetite.”
“You don’t have to finish it.”
They walked in silence for another block then turned up a side street behind some of the small shops at the edge of Pinecraft. Abe pointed to a lonely tree holding court over a tiny
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