He led the way back to the house through the field to the north. The curl of smoke above the evergreens ahead wafted into the evening sky, the clouds now edged with pink and lavender.
He wanted to linger and admire the beauty until darkness fell. But they needed to return and check on the Kellers as well as tend to the evening chores. And even though the temperature had been moderate enough to begin melting the snow, he was afraid he’d kept her out too long.
He lifted one snowshoe and then the next, the footwear keeping them from sinking into the deep drifts. “You should travel.” He cast her a glance over his shoulder.
Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, her brown eyes were bright, and her hair was radiant against the white backdrop of snow. She looked like a snow fairy princess. Except that she leveled a stern glance at him. “Thank you for that excellent piece of advice. It was so wise and helpful.”
He grinned. “I am known for doling out wisdom once in a while.”
“You should do it more often. The world has been missing out.”
A deep sense of contentment welled within him. He loved being with her, quite possibly more than he loved being with anyone else.
He continued for several steps before pressing forward with the conversation. “Why can’t you travel? What’s stopping you?”
“First, I’m a single woman—”
“That’s an excuse. I’ve heard of an Englishwoman by the name of Isabella Bird who toured the West and the Rocky Mountains a few years ago by herself—without a chaperone or even a traveling companion.”
“Really?” Felicity’s question held disbelief.
“Really. Although, I’m not suggesting you do the same.” Actually, at the thought of Felicity riding on a horse throughout the desolate wilderness alone, a sharp panic clutched at his gut. “In fact, I do think you should have a traveling companion.”
“So should my traveling companion be another woman, or should I have a man to protect me?” Her tone held sarcasm.
His mind spun with the implications of both, and neither appealed to him, especially the prospect of her spending hours alone with another man. “Neither. At least, not with a man who isn’t also your husband.”
“Are you saying I’m not capable without a man?”
“No, I’m saying you’re too beautiful and would draw too much unwanted attention.”
“Who are you to say the attention is unwanted?”
He halted. With his knapsack and tripod slung over his shoulder, he pivoted carefully.
She stopped, too, her eyes narrowed upon him.
“Do you want other men to pay attention to you?” His voice came out gruffer than he’d intended. Was he jealous of future, unnamed men who might like her? If so, he had no right to be.
“Maybe among those men paying me attention, I’ll find a husband and travel with him.” She lifted her chin as though daring him to defy her.
His sights dropped to her perfect lips. A shaft of desire ripped through him. He wanted to close the distance between them and lavish kisses over her mouth. He’d show her that no other man could compare to him.
As if sensing the direction of his thoughts—or more likely seeing his desire and realizing that he wanted to kiss her—her gaze shifted to his mouth. She studied his lips like she did one of her baked creations after pulling it from the oven—hungrily.
If he could, he would let her sate herself with him. He’d let her taste him over and over. And then once she’d had her fill, he’d take his in return. Her lips would be better than any dessert, and he’d savor every tiny corner and curve.
He could only imagine what it would be like to travel with Felicity. With her, he’d never have a dull moment. Instead, when he wasn’t busy kissing her senseless, they’d have fun together, laughing and teasing and helping each other to find the brighter side of life. Yet they’d also have long and meaningful conversations about important topics. And they’d argue, like they were right now, but the air would sizzle between them until he dragged her into his arms and kissed her into silence.
Why did so many of his fantasies about her involve kissing?
He swallowed the need to kiss her and was thankful the snowshoes made getting too near her awkward. “I admit, I’m already jealous of the man who will be your husband.” He tried to keep his tone light.
“You should be.” She didn’t remove her gaze from his lips. “He’s going to be a good kisser—I mean traveler.” She lifted her mittened hands over her rapidly flushing cheeks, her eyes widening with mortification.
His grin kicked up. “So, you’re thinking about kissing me.”
“I was thinking about kissing my husband.” She started forward on her snowshoes, slipping past him. “Is there anything wrong with that? Or is that forbidden to me too?”
He wanted to tell her that she was forbidden from kissing any other man but him, but his bantering about kissing was already leading him back into dangerous territory, like walking out on thin ice that was already cracking. One wrong move and he would break through and take her with him.
She was several feet in front of him, taking the lead in the hike back to the house. She moved with such confidence and strength and purpose. What man would ever be worthy of marrying her? He couldn’t think of anyone. Except maybe Weston. But even he wasn’t good enough. “If you’re not thinking of kissing me, then you must be envisioning Weston.”
She released a scoffing sound.
The noise settled his nerves. “How many times has that man proposed? Surely by now you’ve thought of kissing him.”
“Just because a man is interested in me doesn’t mean I start thinking of ways I can get him alone and pounce on him.”
“Pounce?”
“You know what I mean.”
“No. Enlighten me. What would pouncing entail?”
“Stop.”
“I’m serious. Maybe you should demonstrate. I’ll allow you to do so with me. I’m your willing subject.”
This time she laughed lightly.
His grin worked its way free again. They walked quietly until he couldn’t hold back the question burning inside him. “Why haven’t you accepted his proposal yet?” The inquiry came out too seriously.
She continued on almost as if she hadn’t heard him.
“Weston is a good man.” He said the words that needed saying, even though he didn’t want to.
“He’s a very fine man.”
“Very?”
“Any woman who marries him will be very blessed.”
“And do you plan to be that woman?”
She walked several more feet before answering. “I don’t know.”
He wasn’t sure why he was pressing the matter, except that he wanted her to have a happy future. Would that be with Weston?
Holding back a sigh, he followed after her, letting the matter drop and stifling the wish that she could have a happy future with him instead.
14
A snowball hit the kitchen window near the sink. It startled Felicity for only a moment before it sent a shimmy of delight through her.
She moved away from the stove and the bread she’d just taken from the oven and peered out the window into the brightness of the sunshine pouring over the melting snow.