Catching Kent Read online

  Rose wondered if part of her life with Kent would involve traveling to different places. It sounded exciting. Her mother had come from Maine and Rachel had gone to Montana. It seemed to her that going somewhere new would be a grand adventure. Maybe sometime in the future, Kent would have to go back to Kansas City and she could join him.

  Harriett approached the mirror and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

  “Aren’t you going to dress up in something else?” Rose asked, scanning her sister’s faded blue dress.

  “Why should I bother? I go to Uncle Tom and Aunt Jessica’s harvest dance every year. It’s always the same people who go. Well, except for Kent. But he’s coming to take you there.”

  “Stan might be there again.”

  Harriett grimaced. “After the disaster I went through with him at the bachelor auction, I refuse to say another word to him.”

  Rose started to protest that her sister shouldn’t give up so soon but closed her mouth. Kent was right. Her sister was smart enough to make her own decisions and unless her sister asked for advice, Rose would do better to keep her mouth shut. With a smile, she said, “But there might be someone else.”

  “All the young men there will either be those we’re related to or will already have someone they’re interested in. It’s depressing when I think about it. I feel like I’m going on Noah’s Ark and I’m the only one without a mate.”

  “Adam will be there, and he doesn’t have anyone.”

  “No, he won’t. He decided to skip it this year.”

  “But who will play the fiddle?” Rose asked, shocked to hear her brother decided not to go.

  “Uncle Tom’s pretty good at it.”

  “I know, but they usually play together.”

  “Maybe someone else will fill in.” Harriett opened the bedroom door. “Anyway, since you’re anxious to see Kent, you might as well go out to the porch and wait for him as you usually do.” As Rose hurried out of the room, she added, “I just hope you manage to restrain yourself from jumping up and down in delight when he pulls his buggy up to the house.”

  Gasping, Rose paused. “I don’t jump up and down.”

  “Alright. For the sake of discussion, we’ll say you don’t.”

  “But…” She watched as Harriett breezed by her then followed her down the stairs. “I might be a little happy to see him—”

  “A little happy?”

  “A lot happy. Fine. I’m excited when he comes over, but I don’t jump up and down.”

  She chuckled but didn’t look back at Rose as she went to the kitchen.

  Rose waited at the foot of the stairs for her sister to return. Her first impulse had been to run out to the porch and see if Kent had arrived yet, but she decided it wouldn’t hurt to show more restraint, even if she hadn’t seen him in two weeks. She inwardly groaned as she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor. What was taking Harriett so long?

  “Why don’t you sit on the chair outside so you can see when Kent is here?”

  She glanced over her shoulder as her mother approached her with two baskets. “Oh, I thought I’d wait for Harriett.”

  “Are you going with Harriett, Eli, your pa and I?”

  “No,” she slowly replied with what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug, “but I thought I’d wait for her to bring me the basket of goodies she made for me to take so I wouldn’t have to show up empty-handed.” Her gaze went to the baskets in her mother’s hands. “Unless you brought one for me?”

  “You can take this one.”

  Rose took a basket and lifted the lid. “No one will believe I made apple pies.”

  Her mother chuckled. “Take it. It doesn’t matter if people think it’s from you or me. They’ll just be glad you brought more pies.”

  “Thank you, Ma.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, go on out there and tell me when you and Kent are leaving.”

  “Since you put it that way, I think I will.”

  And Harriett couldn’t tease her about it since their mother ordered her to do it, which was even better. After she put on her coat, she hurried out of the house. She set the basket next to a chair on the porch and sat down. She clasped her hands over her knees and impatiently tapped her heels on the wooden planks. She didn’t think it was possible, but every time she saw Kent, she fell deeper in love with him. It was such a wonderful feeling. There was no way she could feel this way about anyone but him.

  When she saw his familiar buggy heading down the pathway to the house, she bolted to her feet and opened the front door. “Ma, Kent’s here!”

  Eli’s head poked out of the parlor. “Ma’s in the kitchen.”

  “It’s alright, Eli. I heard her,” their mother called out from the other room. “Go on to your uncle’s. We’ll be there soon.”

  “Yes, please go,” Eli added. “I can’t stand hearing you talk about Kent all the time.”

  “You and me both,” Adam called out.

  Deciding not to respond, Rose shut the door and picked up the basket. She waited at the top of the steps until he pulled the buggy up to the house. Before he could get out, she went to the buggy and slid into the seat next to him. She leaned toward him and kissed him.

  Smiling, he chuckled as she settled the basket on her lap. “I was going to ask how your day went, but I think I know.”

  “Oh, any day that I get to be with you is a good one.”

  Putting his arm around her shoulders, he drew her close to his side and kissed her cheek. “It’s a good day for me, too. Now, tell me the truth. Am I dressed appropriately for a harvest dance at the barn?”

  She took a moment to inspect the clothes he wore. A dark plaid shirt, denim pants, and leather boots. “You look perfect. I adore the way you look, no matter what you’re wearing. But it’s funny how quickly I got used to seeing you in a suit.”

  “You prefer me in a suit?”

  She shrugged. “I know it seems strange, but a suit seems more like the person you are. It’s as if you’re supposed to wear it.”

  “Will I fit in at the barn tonight?”

  “Of course, you will. But you’ll be much better looking than the other men.”

  “I can handle that.”

  She giggled. “I don’t know. The other young ladies will be jealous because I have the best man there.”

  He squeezed her shoulders and shook his head, despite his chuckle. “I wish I’d met you sooner.”

  Pleased by his compliment, she felt her cheeks grow warm. On impulse, she kissed his cheek. “The important thing is that you met me.”

  They arrived at the end of her property, and he glanced at the fork along the path. “Which way to your uncle Tom’s?”

  She pointed to the left. “His house is the first one that way.”

  “Sounds easy enough. I just hope square dancing is as easy as you say.”

  “Oh, you have nothing to worry about. Just do the same thing the other men are doing, and you’ll be fine.”

  “After we get married, I’ll teach you how we danced in Virginia.”

  “Do we really have to wait until this spring before we marry?”

  He didn’t answer as he led the horse in the direction of her uncle’s farm, which alerted her to the fact that he was considering moving the wedding to a closer date.

  Encouraged, she turned toward him. “There wouldn’t be anything wrong with us marrying sooner. You said you already bought the house, and my pa has no objection to us marrying whenever we wish.”

  “I know.”

  Sensing his reluctance, she sighed. “Then why don’t you agree to marry me tonight?”

  “You deserve time to be courted, to be romanced. Then, years from now when I do or say something to make you wonder why you married me, you can think back on this time and remember why you wanted to be with me.”

  Amused, she nudged him in the side. “My parents married the same day they met, and my ma never has to wonder why she married my pa.”

  “We’re not you
r parents.”

  “Are we more like yours? How long did your pa court your ma before they married?”

  He shifted uncomfortably and she studied him.

  “You don’t have to tell me about them if you don’t want to,” she softly added and took his hand in hers.

  With a sigh, he said, “There’s not much to tell. They cared more about things than they did people. My uncle always put people first.”

  That was the most he’d ever said about his parents, and since he didn’t continue, she figured that was all he was prepared to say. But it was all she needed to know. Now it made sense why he didn’t want to talk about them or think about them. At some point, they had used him to get what they wanted, or at least they tried to use him. It was no wonder he wanted to put as much distance between himself and his past as possible.

  She leaned closer to him. “I’m sorry I won’t get a chance to meet your uncle.”

  “He would have liked you. He probably would have asked me why it took me so long to court you.”

  “Then he was also very smart.”

  He chuckled. “Why am I not surprised you’d say that?”

  Grinning, she pointed to the wagon ahead of them that was turning onto the path that would take them to her uncle’s house. “Go that way.”

  “As my lady wishes.” With a wink, he directed the horses to turn down the path.

  She edged away from him as they approached the barn where a large group of people had gathered to celebrate the fall harvest. This was one of her favorite times of year, especially since it meant enjoying an evening of dancing. “Kent, will we dance often after we marry?”

  “In my line of work, it’s common to mingle with clients and their families at social functions. We’ll be dancing, but we won’t be doing the square dancing you’re used to.”

  “I don’t mind what kind of dancing we do as long as we’re dancing.”

  “I have a feeling you’re in for a big surprise when you realize what you’re getting yourself into by marrying me.”

  Intrigued, she studied the way his eyes twinkled. “Oh, give me a hint. Please?”

  “Nope. You’re going to have to wait. I want to see the look on your face when I take you home.”

  She groaned. “It’s rude of you to not even give me a hint.”

  “Fine,” he relented as he parked the buggy between two wagons. He set the brake and turned to her. “But only a hint and I won’t go any further than this one.”

  Well, it was better than nothing. “Alright. What is it?”

  “Even you, with your wild imagination, won’t guess what kind of house I bought.”

  “That’s not a hint.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “How can it be if I can’t guess it?”

  Getting out of the buggy, he called out, “You’ll understand when you see it.”

  She rolled her eyes but held onto the handles of the basket so she was ready to accept his hand as he helped her down. “While you consider that an actual hint, I don’t.”

  “That’s all you’re getting out of me. You’re much too good at figuring things out.”

  “So my intelligence works against me.”

  “Your intuition works against you.”

  “What a horrible thing to say. I’m to be punished because I understand people too well?” To show him she was teasing, she kissed his cheek. “I look forward to being surprised, though I have no qualms about being surprised before the year ends.”

  “Rose.”

  Noting the exasperation in his voice, she shrugged. “You can’t blame a girl for trying.” She slipped her arm around his. “Are you ready to go to your first barn dance?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  She led him to the barn, marveling at how many people came out. “It’s not usually this crowded,” she told Kent over the noise around them. “I better find a place to put this basket while there’s some space left at the table. I’ll save you a seat so we can sit together.”

  She hurried over to a table where other desserts were and placed the basket on it. Seeing Lisa who was putting her basket down, she went over to her. “What did you bring?”

  “Two pumpkin pies.”

  “Oh, I tried making one once.”

  Lisa turned to her, eyebrows raised. “And?”

  “And once was all it took for me to know I can’t make pumpkin pie.”

  Lisa laughed and playfully nudged her friend. “You’re so funny, Rose. I’m glad you could make it, and I’m not just saying that because I want to meet the man who finally caught your attention. I heard you’re engaged.”

  “I am and he’s wonderful. Want to meet him?”

  “Of course. I’ve been dying of curiosity ever since Pa told me you and Kent were coming here tonight.”

  “It’s not the only reason you came, is it?”

  “No. I also came to dance. My parents offered to take care of Ida while my husband and I came here, and we thought we’d take them up on it. As much as I enjoy my little girl, it’s nice to get some time alone with him. So which one is Kent?”

  Rose scanned the crowd but didn’t see him. “I don’t know. But I’ll be sitting with him while we eat. Why don’t you and your husband sit with us? Then you can talk to him.”

  She nodded. “Alright. In the meantime, I’m going to start talking to some of our cousins. It’s not often I get to see them.”

  After Lisa hurried off, Rose turned from the table and almost bumped into Stan. She jerked back and pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh, Stan! You startled me.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” His cheeks grew pink and he shifted from one foot to the other. “Rose, I know you came here with someone.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Well, I was wondering how serious things are between you two. You see, a friend of mine had an accident. He left behind a child. A girl. She’s two. Her name is Maggie. Anyway, there’s no one who can take care of her except for me, and she needs a mother. I thought you’d be perfect. You’re sweet and fun and kind. I know we haven’t ever courted and this is all of the sudden, but I’d like for you to help me raise her. I’d do right by you and marry you, of course.” He cleared his throat. “What do you say?”

  Of all the things Stan could have said, she never expected this. She knew he liked her and had been too shy to ask her to marry him. She also knew he would never lie about having to take care of a child in order to manipulate her into being with him. And she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little girl and his predicament. But she didn’t want to marry him, and it wouldn’t be fair to either one of them if she did because of the girl. He needed someone who would marry him because she wanted to be with him. Otherwise, what good would the marriage be? The little girl not only needed a mother; she needed parents who would love each other.

  “Stan, I’m honored you thought of me, really I am,” she began, choosing her words carefully, “but I’m going to marry Kent.” She noticed the disappointment on his face and added, “Why don’t you ask my sister? She loves children, and she thinks the world of you. If anyone would be a wonderful mother and wife, it’s her.”

  His smile faltered. “Oh, I don’t doubt she’d be a good mother and wife.” He looked as if he was going to add something but decided against it.

  “Pardon me for being so forward, but why don’t you want to marry her? It can’t be the way she looks since she and I are twins.”

  He shrugged. “It’s hard to explain. I guess it’s because you’re always laughing and talking as if everything’s fun and exciting. Harriett doesn’t seem to say much at all.”

  “That’s because she’s quiet like our ma. You really should take the time to get to know her. She can be a lot of fun. She’s just shy.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Before you make a decision either way, you ought to do more than ask her about me. Ask about her. You might be surprised by what you find.”

  Figuring there
was nothing else she could say, she excused herself and searched for Kent in the merry group of people who had gathered to enjoy the evening.

  “Rose,” someone called out to her.

  She turned around in time to see Kent not too far from her. “I was looking for you,” she told him.

  He bypassed a couple of people and smiled at her. “Can we go outside to talk? It won’t take a moment.”

  “Sure.” She’d heard her uncle Tom give his “another year has passed” speech before. He said the same thing each time and ended it with a song on his fiddle before everyone went to eat. It wouldn’t hurt to miss his speech this year. She walked with Kent out of the barn and stopped by the well. “What is it? Did you want me to tell you what ‘promenade’ means again?”

  “No. I think I got all the directions down for square dancing.”

  “Then what is it? Are you having second thoughts about doing this tonight?”

  “No. I overheard what you told Stan. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I was on my way to you and didn’t want to interrupt. Anyway,” he cupped her elbow with his hand, “I wanted to tell you that it means a lot to me that you gave up Stan to be with me.”

  “What was there to give up? I’m meant to be with you. There isn’t anyone else who can take your place.”

  “It’s one thing to hear a lady say that, but when she follows through on it,” he shrugged, “it takes on a whole new meaning.”

  “You don’t have anything to worry about. I’ll never leave you for someone else.”

  “I know you won’t. You’re the perfect one for me. You make me complete. Rose, I know I’ve been telling you we should wait until spring before we marry, but let’s marry sooner than that.”

  It took all of her self-control—and a glance from her sister who was entering the barn—to remain still. What she really wanted to do was throw her arms around his neck and insist he carry her off to the preacher right away. But she managed a much more ladylike response and simply nodded. “When?”

  “Let me talk to your father.”