be able to breathe a sigh of relief that all would be calm and content until the spring thaw.
She looked towards Rose who was practically skipping back and forth in excitement. “Is it August?”
“Yes!” Rose clapped her hands.
“Then why not just announce him as such rather than as a caller?”
Rose rolled her eyes, her hands dropping to her sides. “Because there is positively no drama in such an entry.”
Seyah rose from her seat, tucking her book under her arm and gave her sister a confused look. “Who requires drama for an introduction?”
Rose’s hands shot out to the side and she groaned. “Us. Him. The world over and this quiet little town, that’s who. My efforts go wholly unappreciated here.”
“What a hardship you carry,” Delilah said eyes still on the needlework in her lap.
Rose pointed a finger at her sister. “Though I know perfectly well that you are mocking me, you have no idea how close you are to the truth. I am indeed taken for granted here. And that is why I have plans to make my move to New York as soon as I am able.”
Delilah raised her eyes to rose. “You’ll never convince our fathers.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Rose’s threats to leave Gold Sky for the big city were not new, and so Seylah slipped out of the room content to leave her sisters bickering behind. After all, she did have “a caller”, as Rose had put it, to greet. She smiled when she caught sight of August’s familiar form. He was standing on the front porch with his hands behind him, his back to her as he stared out towards the horizon.
She stepped out onto the porch and sighed in relief when she shut the door behind her leaving her sister and their bickering behind.
“August.”
He turned his head looking at her over his shoulder and smiled. “Honey.”
Seylah’s skin flushed at the simple endearment and she did her best to keep from running to him. She wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss his handsome face but she didn’t risk it, not with Rose inside going on about drama. If Rose caught one look at them kissing, then she would never hear the end of it.
“What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“Wanted to see you.”
She hummed and walked forward to the outstretched hand August was holding out to her. “That right?”
He nodded and brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “That’s about the measure of things.’
She grinned at him and reached out to wrap an arm around his waist. All of her earlier resolve about not giving her sisters the opportunity for drama slipping away. In her defense, it was entirely unrealistic for her not to give in to her wants when it came to August.
They had spent so many years apart. She hated to play at it any longer.
August moved to touch her face, but the sound of approaching horse hooves made them spring apart. She bit back a wince at seeing that it was her fathers on horseback. She cleared her throat and smoothed her hands over her skirts while August blew out a heavy sigh.
“Do you think they saw?” He asked, pulling at the collar of his shirt. Seylah rolled her eyes at him.
“You’re scared of them.”
He laughed and gave her look. “Of course, I am. Your pas are frightening. You forget they raised me. I know exactly what they would do if they caught me pawing at you.”
She scoffed. “You weren’t pawing at me,” she told him giving his arm a swat.
August grinned and caught her hand in his. “No, but I was plannin’ on it if they hadn’t arrived.”
“August!” She cried, a blush creeping over her cheeks as he laughed at her shocked expression. He winked at her and Seylah couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of her. She relished the lighthearted moment. It had been like this between them when they were children, and now the easiness she had grown up with had returned.
But now they were no longer children. They were adults. Adults that were in a courtship. What that meant, Seylah was still trying to understand, and for all her inexperience she was delighted that it so far encompassed being pawed at and stolen kisses.
Kissing, Seylah found, agreed with her very much.
The pair had just settled down when her fathers dismounted and joined them on the porch. It only took a few seconds for Seylah to know that something was