Beyond the Green

4

His intimate tone made me blush and I swallowed back a smile. Why did I like the sound of that from his lips? Should I even be thinking that way about him?

"I was not worrying over my safety, I trust you with that..." clamping my lips closed, my face and neck went hot. Had I just said that aloud? Dell's expression softened, seeing my intense discomfort.

"Miss Connolly?" He reached out and took my hand. "I ain't got no right to say this, and I'm sorry if I'm bein' forward, but...maybe you and I have the same problem."

"What do you mean?" I made no move to retrieve my hand, thinking that if I moved at all he'd get up and walk away.

"I got a lot rattling around in my mind, and lately it all seems to center around you." He kept his voice down, aware of my cultured background. If others overheard us, he knew their attention would embarrass me. Even so, my heart was skipping, and it was suddenly hard to breathe.

"Tell me plainly, Dell." Licking my dry lips, I forced myself to look at him. "What is it you are thinking?"

"I got to figuring this would be my last wagon train. The Utah Territory is a good place, plenty of land. I've got a good stake set by, I could settle there, ya know? Build a home, provide for my own." He looked right into my eyes then. "Miss Connolly...Molly, will you build with me?"

Unsure what to say, my gaze dropped. I liked Dell immensely, finding him handsomely charming, and I imagined it would be easy to spend my life in his care. But marriage? Did I care for him enough to give him the rest of my life- it hit me like a slap, and I gasped, jerking my eyes to his. The rest of my life!

"Yes, yes, Dell Thorne, I will." Love was a new feeling to me, but all at once I couldn't deny that's what I'd been feeling. Slowly, gently, but without doubt, I was in love.

Shifting slightly closer to me, his smile widened as he held my hand tighter. It made my heart flutter, butterflies winging through my stomach. Only a few months into being nineteen, surrounded by a vast country that could swallow a person whole, I couldn't believe I'd just agreed to marry him. He was a good man, and he'd make me happy, I knew that. With such a drastic change I was struggling to wrap my mind around it.

Leaning my head against his chest, I closed my eyes as his arm went around my shoulders. The crackle of the fire was the only sound in the darkness. Sitting huddled close together for the first time, I soaked in the scent and feel of his as Dell held me, his chin on my head. In the comforting silence we watched the flames burn to embers.

~~~

"Miss Connolly, come now," a rough grip on my shoulder shook me from sound sleep. "We need to get moving."

Mrs. Martin's voice was sharp and impatient, grating on my ears. Dell and I had stayed up later than we should have the previous night, talking and becoming better acquainted, so the predawn darkness was unwelcome.

"Yes," voice thick, eyes glued closed, I sat up on my elbows, slowly rubbing them awake. "Thank you."

She grunted in disgust as she walked away, and I looked after her with a slight frown on my face. What had her in such a snit? Settling next to some of the other women they all began whispering to one another, nodding in my direction. Suddenly I understood. Young I was, but not stupid.

Spending time in high society had well versed me in gossip and speculation. Although we'd made no priority of announcing our engagement, neither had Dell or I gone out of our way to hide it. It seemed our private lives were food for loose tongues. Anger stirred in me as I sat up, briskly shoving off the blanket.