forget-me-nots.’’ She waited. Would he ever say the words she so desperately longed to hear?
‘‘Meshach would find it good there too.’’
‘‘But he wants to go on to Oregon.’’
‘‘But he wants to go on ‘‘And Aunt Agatha?’’
Jesselynn closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath didn’t help. Aunt Agatha. Oh, my Lord, help me here—and there. How will I deal with Aunt Agatha? I know you are my life and you have the answers, but this man, Father, I love this man. Is there anything wrong with that? And I sense that if I don’t answer now, he’ll be gone .
She opened her eyes to find Wolf watching her; his hands had not loosened their grip, his thumb stroked the back of her right hand. ‘‘I . . . I will talk with Aunt Agatha.’’ Oh, Lord, preserve me. Put words of wisdom in my mouth .
‘‘It is of her I must ask for your hand in marriage?’’
Jesselynn shook her head. It should be Zachary. Now, if that wouldn’t be a scene . She tried to take a step back, but he moved with her.
‘‘No, I make my own decisions.’’ She looked deep into his eyes, trying to read his soul. Do you love me? Say it!
She swallowed hard, cleared her throat. ‘‘Wolf, in my world words are important. . . .’’ No, I’m saying it all wrong. This feels like love, looks like love, and acts like love. Can I trust that it is? Father, are you blessing this? I feel that you are .
‘‘Yes?’’ Now both his thumbs were sending messages screaming up her arms, setting her skin on fire, her heart to thundering.
Her head dropped forward, her forehead resting on his chest. His heart, too, beat faster, louder. When she looked up, she smiled into his eyes that carried a shadow. ‘‘Yes, Mr. Torstead, I will marry you.’’
The shadow fled, and the sun burst forth. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her waiting mouth. As if that weren’t enough, he tasted her nose, her chin, and returned to her mouth. When he drew away, he cupped her cheeks again, tenderly, as if holding a great and fragile treasure. ‘‘You are sure?’’
‘‘Yes. I am sure.’’ She sucked in another breath and laid her hands over his. ‘‘I am sure that I love you. I am sure that I want to be with you for the rest of my life.’’ And I am sure that the next few days will test everything I am .
‘‘We will be married here at the fort?’’
‘‘If you want.’’
‘‘I will go with you to bring in the wagons.’’
She now stepped back. ‘‘No, I will do that myself.’’
He studied her face, then nodded. ‘‘As you wish.’’
I can’t have you wounded by her words. She will go berserk . ‘‘Not what I wish, but what I must do.’’ She took another step back and realized they were no longer alone.
‘‘Here’s the dessert, Clara’s chocolate cake with whipped cream. You’ve never tasted anything so delicious west of the Mississippi.’’ Captain Jensen carried one tray, followed by his wife with another. When they set them on the low table, he looked up with a twinkle in his eye. ‘‘Your time was well spent, I gather?’’
Wolf nodded. He took Jesselynn’s hand. ‘‘She has agreed to marry me.’’
‘‘A wedding! Oh, Captain, we will have it right here.’’ Rebeccah beamed at her husband and then turned back to Jesselynn. ‘‘When? End of next week, of course. It must be soon if you are going to go north. Mr. Torstead, you are still going north, aren’t you? This is the most wonderful news. Wait until I talk with the chaplain, I—’’
Captain Jensen put his arm around his wife’s waist. ‘‘You can tell we don’t get a lot of opportunities to have a party here. Now, Rebeccah, you must let Miss Highwood do some of the planning.’’ The smile on his face and in his voice brought matching smiles from the others.
‘‘I . . . I haven’t had time to think.’’ This is all so new. Oh, what have I let myself in for?
Rebeccah took Jesselynn’s hands in hers. ‘‘I
‘‘Meshach would find it good there too.’’
‘‘But he wants to go on to Oregon.’’
‘‘But he wants to go on ‘‘And Aunt Agatha?’’
Jesselynn closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath didn’t help. Aunt Agatha. Oh, my Lord, help me here—and there. How will I deal with Aunt Agatha? I know you are my life and you have the answers, but this man, Father, I love this man. Is there anything wrong with that? And I sense that if I don’t answer now, he’ll be gone .
She opened her eyes to find Wolf watching her; his hands had not loosened their grip, his thumb stroked the back of her right hand. ‘‘I . . . I will talk with Aunt Agatha.’’ Oh, Lord, preserve me. Put words of wisdom in my mouth .
‘‘It is of her I must ask for your hand in marriage?’’
Jesselynn shook her head. It should be Zachary. Now, if that wouldn’t be a scene . She tried to take a step back, but he moved with her.
‘‘No, I make my own decisions.’’ She looked deep into his eyes, trying to read his soul. Do you love me? Say it!
She swallowed hard, cleared her throat. ‘‘Wolf, in my world words are important. . . .’’ No, I’m saying it all wrong. This feels like love, looks like love, and acts like love. Can I trust that it is? Father, are you blessing this? I feel that you are .
‘‘Yes?’’ Now both his thumbs were sending messages screaming up her arms, setting her skin on fire, her heart to thundering.
Her head dropped forward, her forehead resting on his chest. His heart, too, beat faster, louder. When she looked up, she smiled into his eyes that carried a shadow. ‘‘Yes, Mr. Torstead, I will marry you.’’
The shadow fled, and the sun burst forth. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her waiting mouth. As if that weren’t enough, he tasted her nose, her chin, and returned to her mouth. When he drew away, he cupped her cheeks again, tenderly, as if holding a great and fragile treasure. ‘‘You are sure?’’
‘‘Yes. I am sure.’’ She sucked in another breath and laid her hands over his. ‘‘I am sure that I love you. I am sure that I want to be with you for the rest of my life.’’ And I am sure that the next few days will test everything I am .
‘‘We will be married here at the fort?’’
‘‘If you want.’’
‘‘I will go with you to bring in the wagons.’’
She now stepped back. ‘‘No, I will do that myself.’’
He studied her face, then nodded. ‘‘As you wish.’’
I can’t have you wounded by her words. She will go berserk . ‘‘Not what I wish, but what I must do.’’ She took another step back and realized they were no longer alone.
‘‘Here’s the dessert, Clara’s chocolate cake with whipped cream. You’ve never tasted anything so delicious west of the Mississippi.’’ Captain Jensen carried one tray, followed by his wife with another. When they set them on the low table, he looked up with a twinkle in his eye. ‘‘Your time was well spent, I gather?’’
Wolf nodded. He took Jesselynn’s hand. ‘‘She has agreed to marry me.’’
‘‘A wedding! Oh, Captain, we will have it right here.’’ Rebeccah beamed at her husband and then turned back to Jesselynn. ‘‘When? End of next week, of course. It must be soon if you are going to go north. Mr. Torstead, you are still going north, aren’t you? This is the most wonderful news. Wait until I talk with the chaplain, I—’’
Captain Jensen put his arm around his wife’s waist. ‘‘You can tell we don’t get a lot of opportunities to have a party here. Now, Rebeccah, you must let Miss Highwood do some of the planning.’’ The smile on his face and in his voice brought matching smiles from the others.
‘‘I . . . I haven’t had time to think.’’ This is all so new. Oh, what have I let myself in for?
Rebeccah took Jesselynn’s hands in hers. ‘‘I
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