not just to you?”
“Oh, no. Not exactly.” She fumbled with her skirt. “I’m afraid that since you can make love, as you say, that maybe, since you and I, that maybe, it’s not me, but that you can.” She swallowed hard.
“Wait.” He got up on his knees. “You are afraid that I’m not in love with you and simply in love with making love to you?”
“I think so,” she sat up. “Yes, that’s it. It’s not me, it’s that you can.”
“Do I have to pick one or the other?” He scratched his head behind his ear.
“What?” she was becoming confused.
“Do you think I should choose loving you and making love to you? That’s a very difficult choice.”
“Well,” she sighed, “That’s not exactly what I’m concerned about either.”
“Can’t I love both? I think I can,” he announced. “I can love you, and I can love making love to you. I’d rather not choose.”
Emma frowned, considering his logic.
“Are you in love with me?” He touched her chin lightly.
“I am,” she admitted.
“Then what’s the problem? Of course I’m completely thrilled that I can make love to you, at all in fact, but mostly to you. The day I met you at the wedding, you brought me that beer. You listened to me. I never imagined I would ever be able to be more than a friend, but I really wanted that, I needed that. I wanted you then and I thought there was no hope.
“Ah!” He stood upright onto his feet and took her hands and pulled her to him. “Just marry me and forget all the rest. I told you I’d come courting like I ought to, but I’m simply terrible at it. I’ve not the patience.” He pulled her to him and kissed her.
“I’m supposed to be taking my time,” she whispered into his neck as he caressed her throat.
“Fool idea,” he responded and kissed her full on the lips.
Chapter Sixteen
E mma filled her basket with cleaning supplies in the hardware shop and watched Mark out of the corner of her eye digging in a bin of square nails. A young girl had approached him, her hair very carefully styled, and she fawned for his attention. She was pretty enough, but her most noticeable feature was how flamboyantly she was dressed. It was apparent to Emma that Mark found the nails much more fascinating.
She finished her shopping and let the boy know she would be outside. On the walkway she nearly bumped into Mina Caudell as she exited the shop.
“Emma,” the woman was curt. She was smartly dressed, an expensive broach at her throat.
“Hello, Mina.” Emma nodded her greeting.
“Finished with Mr. Vancouver?” Mina purred.
“Pardon me?”
“I would think that by now you would have given up on Roland Vancouver. You do know about his accident.”
“I do,” Emma replied openly.
“Then you must know he’s worthless in bed. Everyone knows a man that is useless in bed is useless for most anything. Unless of course, it’s his money you’re after. I suppose you might be able to find a man for other things while you spend it.” Mina circled around Emma like a vulture assessing her prey.
Emma felt her temper rising. “I will be marrying Mr. Vancouver, Mina.” She faced the woman squarely. “I find that he lacks nothing. In fact, I think that, as a man, he’s very capable.”
Mina huffed and scowled at the girl in disgust. “Come talk to me after the honeymoon, dear,” Mina growled. “I’ll show you how to find a real man.”
Emma watched the woman saunter away and stomped her foot. No wonder Roland was so afraid of performing, Emma thought. She thought of several less than ladylike names to call the woman, but decided she wasn’t worth the effort.
“Oh, no. Not exactly.” She fumbled with her skirt. “I’m afraid that since you can make love, as you say, that maybe, since you and I, that maybe, it’s not me, but that you can.” She swallowed hard.
“Wait.” He got up on his knees. “You are afraid that I’m not in love with you and simply in love with making love to you?”
“I think so,” she sat up. “Yes, that’s it. It’s not me, it’s that you can.”
“Do I have to pick one or the other?” He scratched his head behind his ear.
“What?” she was becoming confused.
“Do you think I should choose loving you and making love to you? That’s a very difficult choice.”
“Well,” she sighed, “That’s not exactly what I’m concerned about either.”
“Can’t I love both? I think I can,” he announced. “I can love you, and I can love making love to you. I’d rather not choose.”
Emma frowned, considering his logic.
“Are you in love with me?” He touched her chin lightly.
“I am,” she admitted.
“Then what’s the problem? Of course I’m completely thrilled that I can make love to you, at all in fact, but mostly to you. The day I met you at the wedding, you brought me that beer. You listened to me. I never imagined I would ever be able to be more than a friend, but I really wanted that, I needed that. I wanted you then and I thought there was no hope.
“Ah!” He stood upright onto his feet and took her hands and pulled her to him. “Just marry me and forget all the rest. I told you I’d come courting like I ought to, but I’m simply terrible at it. I’ve not the patience.” He pulled her to him and kissed her.
“I’m supposed to be taking my time,” she whispered into his neck as he caressed her throat.
“Fool idea,” he responded and kissed her full on the lips.
Chapter Sixteen
E mma filled her basket with cleaning supplies in the hardware shop and watched Mark out of the corner of her eye digging in a bin of square nails. A young girl had approached him, her hair very carefully styled, and she fawned for his attention. She was pretty enough, but her most noticeable feature was how flamboyantly she was dressed. It was apparent to Emma that Mark found the nails much more fascinating.
She finished her shopping and let the boy know she would be outside. On the walkway she nearly bumped into Mina Caudell as she exited the shop.
“Emma,” the woman was curt. She was smartly dressed, an expensive broach at her throat.
“Hello, Mina.” Emma nodded her greeting.
“Finished with Mr. Vancouver?” Mina purred.
“Pardon me?”
“I would think that by now you would have given up on Roland Vancouver. You do know about his accident.”
“I do,” Emma replied openly.
“Then you must know he’s worthless in bed. Everyone knows a man that is useless in bed is useless for most anything. Unless of course, it’s his money you’re after. I suppose you might be able to find a man for other things while you spend it.” Mina circled around Emma like a vulture assessing her prey.
Emma felt her temper rising. “I will be marrying Mr. Vancouver, Mina.” She faced the woman squarely. “I find that he lacks nothing. In fact, I think that, as a man, he’s very capable.”
Mina huffed and scowled at the girl in disgust. “Come talk to me after the honeymoon, dear,” Mina growled. “I’ll show you how to find a real man.”
Emma watched the woman saunter away and stomped her foot. No wonder Roland was so afraid of performing, Emma thought. She thought of several less than ladylike names to call the woman, but decided she wasn’t worth the effort.
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