Firefly Hollow (14 page)

The suggestion was about as subtle as a brick bat, but Sarah didn’t protest. She led Owen to the porch, but she was too restless to sit. “Do you mind walking? I’ve been sitting most of the day, and I’d like to stretch my legs.”

“Not at all. I walked down here; we could head back toward my side of the mountain, if you want.”

“Let me get my boots and let Mama know.” Hurrying inside, Sarah told Eliza where they were going.

“You might want to put something else on,” Eliza said with a pointed look at Sarah’s bare legs. “Those shorts are fine for inside the house when we don’t have company, but there’s no reason for you to tempt the boy into a frenzy. At least not until you know him better.”

“Mama!”

The impish grin Eliza sent her made Sarah laugh, and she rushed upstairs to change and grab her boots. Soon, she was back on the porch with Owen, and they set off. He stopped at the edge of the porch to grab a sturdy walking stick he’d propped up there. Neither of them spoke until they’d reached the edge of the woods.

“I take it your mother leaving is still something of a raw topic. I’m sorry.”

Sarah crossed her arms, sending him a quick smile. “It’s okay. And it’s still a little new, yes. Plus my sister… never mind. That’s not worth getting into.”

“She’s married to Randall Begley, right?”

“She is. They had their second child over the weekend. I’m the proud aunt of a bouncing baby boy—Randall, Junior.”

Owen half-smiled. “Poor kid.” A stunned look crossed his face, and he quickly apologized. “I don’t know why I said that.”

Sarah laughed. “Probably because you know Randall. He’s… um…”

Owen nodded. “He was friends with my brother. Drinking buddies, if you want the truth. I never had much in common with either of them. Still, I shouldn’t pass judgment. Sorry.”

They reached the rock that used to be Sarah’s thinking place, and she stopped to lean against the wall the boulder formed. The ground sloped away sharply from the other side of the path, and with the leaves on the trees only half budded, she and Owen had a clear view all the way to the foot of the mountain.

“This is where I used to come before I found that pool on your land,” she confessed.

Owen studied the rock and the landscape around it. “Where would you sit? Up top?”

“Yes. Want to see?”

“Sure.”

She led him up to the top of the rock and gestured to the ledge. “It’s a little smaller than your boulder,” she said with a laugh. “But it sufficed.” Going to the ledge, she carefully checked around it to make sure no snakes were lurking. Satisfied the rock was safe, she sat down. Owen followed, and Sarah drew in a breath as he settled beside her. The ledge was so small, they were practically touching all along her right side.

“This isn’t bad,” he commented. “It does have some advantages over my rock.” Though he’d said the words casually, the look he sent her was full of heat.

Sarah ducked her head. “Perhaps. I suppose there are worse places.” She let her posture relax so that their shoulders were touching, if only lightly. When Owen didn’t move away, she smiled. “So… Tennessee Williams?”

“Yes, Tennessee Williams. I find it difficult to believe that you don’t see the romanticism in that play.”

“It isn’t that I don’t see the romanticism,” Sarah protested. “I do. I saw the movie a couple of years ago when I went to Berea. The tension rolling off that screen was almost palpable, an alive thing in the theater. But I don’t think unrequited love is romantic. It may be pedestrian of me, but I prefer the story to have a happy, satisfying ending.”

“Then I guess you aren’t a fan of
Romeo and Juliet
?”

She laughed. “No. First off, they weren’t old enough to be as seriously involved as they were. I know it happens all the time. I have cousins galore who had their first child before they were old enough to drive. Shoot, look at Kathy. But I feel more thought should go into marriage than how good a provider the man is, or how good a breeder the woman.” As the last words left her mouth, she flushed.

Owen grinned down at her. “And here you are, the same woman who accused
me
of being a romantic. You’ve got me beat all to pieces.”

“Hush.”

He bumped his shoulder into hers, and Sarah rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling.

“So, the other day at the pool,” he said. “You’d been crying?”

“Yes, I had. Mama had just told me she was going to Aunt Nancy’s. I wasn’t expecting that.” Drawing her legs up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees. “And then today, when I went to see Kathy and the baby, she… she made me very angry with some things she said about Mama, about her decision. My sister can be very selfish at times, Owen. I don’t understand her, any more than she understands me. And I shouldn’t say that, especially to you. It’s my own dirty laundry. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t say anything for a little while. When he did speak, his voice was low. “Don’t apologize. I understand what you’re saying. I don’t know your sister. But I knew my brother, and from what I’ve seen of Randall, he and Harlan had a lot in common. I can’t imagine Kathy can be married to a man like that and not be a little bit like him.”

Sarah nodded. “She is. And she’s always resented me. God knows I’m not perfect. I tend to be more stubborn than I ought, and I like getting my way, but I’ve never tried to compete with Kathy. That hasn’t made a bit of difference. Do you know how many little sneers I’ve had to listen to over the years? How many times I’ve been told I’m getting above my raising by going away to school? It bothered me, but I let it go because I knew it didn’t matter. But when she said what she did about Mama? That I’m not willing to let go.”

“I barely know your mother, but I don’t think she’d do something that wasn’t in the best interests of all concerned. I know my own mother thought a lot of her. They worked together a few times before my mother stopped going to church. And I think you’re pretty levelheaded, too. I’m sure your anger is justified.”

Tipping her head to the side to study him, Sarah smiled. “You barely know me, as far as that goes. How do you know if I’m levelheaded or not?”

Owen returned her gaze steadily. “I know what I’ve seen. You have a temper, but you’re logical. And I’d very much like to get to know you better. If you’re interested, that is.”

Chapter Twenty-One

O
WEN’S HEART POUNDED SO LOUDLY in his ears that he wasn’t sure he would be able to hear Sarah when she answered. The declaration had surprised her, he had no doubt of that, but he couldn’t tell if the surprise was positive or not.

She stared at him for a full minute, then looked away. “Um. I’m not sure I… Are you asking me out? Like on a date?”

He nodded. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m asking.”

Sarah fell still, almost as though she were listening to an internal voice. She tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear and licked her lips. The latter gesture sent an uncomfortable wave of heat through him. They were sitting so close that he could easily lean over and steal a kiss if he were so inclined. He’d be lying if he said the thought hadn’t occurred to him more than once.

A soft blush rose on her cheeks, and she turned her head in his direction, but kept her gaze on the path below them. “I’d like that.”

“You would?” he blurted.

She smiled. “Yes, I would. Were you expecting me to say no?”

He grinned. “I wasn’t sure what you’d say.”

She shook her head and laughed softly. “Silly Owen.”

They didn’t speak for a while after that. When a twinkle of light flashed nearby, Sarah drew in a breath.

“What is it?” Owen asked.

She answered him without taking her gaze from the spot where the flash had come from. “I think it was a lightning bug. It’s a little early for them, but I swear, I think it was one.” When she was rewarded by a second blink, she clapped her hands. “Did you see that?”

Owen laughed. “I did. And you do remember where you live, right? Firefly Hollow?”

Sarah stuck her tongue out at him. “Of course I remember. But it’s something I never get tired of seeing.”

“You should see them up at the homeplace when the grass gets tall in the pasture. They like the alfalfa, I guess, because they float in clouds across the ground.”

“That has to be a sight to behold,” Sarah whispered.

“It is.”

Before long, it turned more dark than dusk, and Owen knew it was time to escort her home. With reluctance, he stood and held out his hand. “Come on. Your mom will be ready to send out a search party if we don’t get back soon.”

“She wouldn’t do that,” Sarah assured him as they made their way back down to the path. “Not unless we were gone until after dark, anyhow.”

There was a bit of a jump to get back on the path, and Owen made it easily. Turning, he held out his hands to assist her down. She jumped, but when she landed, her feet went out from under her a little, and she stumbled.

Moving quickly, he caught her, pulling her close to his chest. “You okay?”

She nodded. To Owen’s pleasure, she didn’t pull away, but let her hands rest on his upper arms. They were pressed together from chest to hips, and he sucked in a breath at the feel of her against him. When he felt himself start to harden, he carefully shifted his lower body away, but didn’t let her go.

It was a perfect moment, Owen thought. Sarah was tall, the top of her head nearly reaching his chin. She didn’t look at him, but very slowly, let herself relax against him, her head eventually coming to rest on his shoulder. He felt her release a long breath against his shirt, and his eyes drifted shut as he brought his arms more fully around her to deepen the embrace.

He didn’t know how long they would have stood there if an owl hadn’t hooted nearby, causing them both to jump. Reluctantly, he took a step back, letting one of his hands trail down her arm to capture her hand. Without speaking, he started walking back down the path toward her house, with Sarah a step behind him. Because of his shifter nature, he was able to see the ground in front of him clearly, and he stopped as they came to a snake crawling across the path.

“Black snake,” he told her over his shoulder. Sarah’s hand tightened around his, and she drew in a sharp breath, but she didn’t overreact. Given that they were nearly at the same spot where the rattlesnake had cornered her, Owen was impressed.

“How can you see it? I can barely see the path.”

“I have really strong night vision.”

“That must come in handy.”

He squeezed her hand. “It does. Okay, the snake’s gone.” They resumed walking, but Owen slowed as they reached the edge of the trees and drew her abreast of him. “Do you ever go walking at night?” He knew the answer, but he couldn’t tell her that. Not yet.

“Sometimes. But unless it’s a full moon, I have to use a flashlight.”

“Well, promise me you won’t go out without one. I’d hate to see you encounter a copperhead or rattlesnake in the dark and not know it until it was too late.”

Sarah looked up at him with an indulgent smile. “I won’t, and thank you for your concern. But what do I do if I happen across a poisonous snake, and it’s between me and the house? Wait for a gallant knight to ride along on his trusty steed and rescue me? I had that happen once before, and I don’t look to repeat the experience.”

“A gallant knight came riding along? I didn’t know we had any of those in these parts.”

“No, silly. The snake. I narrowly escaped from a rattlesnake a few years ago. And if I told you what saved me, you wouldn’t believe me. I learned to carry a stick and wear sturdy boots after that.”

He let go of her hand long enough to tug on the end of her ponytail. “You should put a sharp nail in the end of your walking stick, just in case.”

She was horrified. “For what, to spear it? Ewww, no!”

Owen laughed at her expression. It was the first time he had seen her act even slightly squeamish. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her around and around. Laughter spilled out of her, interspersed with delighted shrieks.

When they were both dizzy, he stopped, stepping back from her enough to satisfy propriety and any eyes that might be watching. However, he kept his hands resting lightly on her waist. “There is another option. If you ran across a poor, hapless snake, you could always turn around and come to my house. The path from the top of the boulder continues straight on up the mountain.”

Before he could get Sarah’s response to his suggestion, her mother came out onto the back porch, and Owen slowly dropped his hands.

Eliza raised an eyebrow, but she didn’t chastise him. A smile very much like Sarah’s spread across her face, and she came down the steps into the yard. “Did the two of you have a nice walk? I was starting to think I might have to gather a search posse to come find you. You didn’t take a flashlight.”

Sarah laughed and moved to Eliza’s side. “Oh, now, Mama, I told Owen he’d have at least until after dark before you sent men with torches out after us.”

Owen shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned at her impertinence. From the indulgent look her mother gave her, Eliza didn’t mind the teasing one bit.

“It’s time I head back up the mountain,” he said.

“Not without a flashlight, surely. Sarah, go up to my room and get that big flashlight out of the dresser.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Eliza waited until Sarah was safely in the house before she moved to stand a couple of feet away from Owen. She studied him intently in the light shining out from the kitchen. “Mind if I ask what your intentions are toward my daughter, Owen Campbell? She told me that the two of you had some words over her trespassing. Which she never should have been doing, by the way.”

“No, that argument was my fault. I shouldn’t have come down on her for being over there.” He tried to figure out what to say to reassure Eliza, but he didn’t have the words. Finally, he settled on what was as close to the truth as could manage. “I like Sarah. I like her a lot. She’s… not like anyone I’ve ever met. And I want to see what that means, if it means anything. If she feels the same way. And I won’t take advantage of her. That’s all I can promise you right now.”

“Sarah is a very attractive young woman. I’m sure you’ve noticed that.”

As much as he tried, he couldn’t meet her gaze. He kept remembering the minutes on the path when he’d held Sarah close and the way his body had reacted. He cleared his throat. “It hasn’t escaped my attention.”

Eliza laid a hand on his arm, and Owen glanced down at her. She was grinning, looking so much like Sarah that it almost hurt.

“Your mother was a very nice lady, Owen. From the way she talked about you, I gather you were her favorite. God rest your brother’s soul. I can’t imagine that Lucy could raise you to be anything other than a gentleman. And I know you’ve protected Sarah in the past.” She gave his arm a squeeze, then crossed her arms over her chest. “I give you my blessing to court my daughter. I know you’re young, and I know how powerful attraction can be, especially if it’s more than physical. But if you hurt Sarah, I will take it out of your hide. Do we understand each other?”

“Yes, ma’am. We do.” Owen wasn’t sure whether to ask her more about what she knew, or not. He didn’t get the chance, though, as Sarah returned with the flashlight.

“I’m going to head back inside now. Sarah Jane, don’t stay out here too long. Owen, stop by any time.”

Owen waited until Eliza was inside before saying, “So as to this date…” He let his voice trail off as Sarah handed him the flashlight.

“Yes, as to this date,” Sarah responded. “When would you like to… that is to say, what did you have in mind?”

“Uh, I hadn’t really thought much beyond whether you’d say yes or no, to tell the truth. I’ll probably be at the library tomorrow, doing research again. We could maybe grab lunch together, if you aren’t busy. But that’s not really a date.”

“I wouldn’t mind having lunch with you,” Sarah said.

“In addition to the date?”

She moved one shoulder. “Maybe. Depending on how the lunch goes.”

Surprised by her coy response, his jaw dropped.

Sarah laughed. “Oh, your face.”

Owen narrowed his gaze and stepped closer to her. Very slowly, he reached up and tapped her on the nose with his index finger. “You, Miss Browning, are an imp.”

She grabbed his hand and held it. “How long did it take you to figure that out, Mr. Campbell?”

“Oh, about five minutes. So why don’t we plan on lunch tomorrow, and we’ll figure out what to do about our date then?”

“Okay. I usually take lunch at noon, if we don’t get too busy.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.” Raising their hands, which were still joined, Owen kissed the back of hers. Her eyes softened and heated, and it was all he could do not to pull her into his arms right then and there.

“Be careful going home,” she said.

“Always.”

Before the temptation grew too strong, he turned and headed toward the woods. He heard Sarah give a soft sigh behind him, and he groaned inwardly. Somehow, he doubted he’d get much sleep that night.

“A nice, cold dip in the pool on the way home might be in order, old man,” he told himself. Adjusting the fit of his pants to accommodate his arousal more comfortably, he sighed. “Definitely, a cold dunk is in order. A long one.”

Sarah stood on the porch and watched Owen go into the woods. She didn’t go inside the house until she could no longer see the light from the flashlight. When she did, her mother was at the refrigerator, getting some milk. She waited until Eliza had set the milk down, then squealed like a little girl on Christmas morning and jumped up and down.

“He asked me out, he asked me out, he asked me out!” She threw her arms around Eliza, who stumbled against her weight.

“Well, gosh, I wonder what you said,” her mother teased. “I’ll bet you turned him down.”

Sarah laughed. “Oh, Mama. He asked me out. We’re having lunch together tomorrow. Can you believe it? He asked me out!” She did a boogie around the kitchen.

“Oh, I can believe it. Given the way he was looking at you, I feel like we need to start planning your wedding.”

“Mama!”

“I do. I’m guessing the two of you settled whatever differences you had, if tonight was any indication.”

Sarah forced herself to calm down. “We did. But I wasn’t expecting this. Oh, my Lord, what am I going to wear?”

To her surprise, her mother started laughing so hard she had to hold on to the counter. “Oh, Sarah. You don’t know how long I’ve waited to see you this excited over a boy. Well, a man, really. It’s about time.” She met Sarah’s eyes, and they both started giggling.