Her skin chilled with irritation. “No, I don’t miss any of it except racing my horse across a flat stretch of land. Why?”
“No reason.” His eyes fixed on the road—unreadable.
Silence rode between them.
“I’m starved.” He avoided her gaze. “I know a good spot down to the right. It’s near a creek, lots of overhanging trees covered with moss.”
He suddenly sounded cold. What had happened since leaving the parsonage?
“I’m hungry, too.”
Morgan jumped to the ground and reached to help her from the wagon. The moment his hands grasped her firmly by the waist, a shiver raced from her head to her toes. Their gazes locked as he fairly swept her up into the air and down onto the soft earth. She remained motionless and dizzy beneath the cool shade, not wanting to break the spell or allow her feelings to rule the moment. He lifted a wisp of a curl from the side of her face and wound it around his finger while he searched her features. She questioned his thoughts, for his brow wrinkled in a curious manner.
With an inward sigh, she wondered if her eyes told what she could not say. His thumb traced the outline of her mouth, then lifted her chin. A slight curve played upon his lips as he descended upon hers, gently tasting, as if she were a fine porcelain doll ready to shatter into irreparable pieces. The touch, the unspoken feelings, everything she ever dared to believe in his kiss soared far beyond her deepest dreams. As his kiss deepened, her first real kiss, the reality of being alone with Morgan cautioned her, and she pulled herself away from him.
“I told you I might need to apologize.” He released her, yet his attention stayed focused on her.
“There’s no need.” She glanced away.
“I don’t understand why God put you in my life.” He took her clammy hands into his and inhaled deeply. “We are the two most unlikely people in the world to be together.”
“I think this has more to do with your past than what you’re telling me.” Was now the right time to ask about his deceased wife?
“Someday I might be able to talk about it.”
“Until then?”
“We’ll see what God brings.” Morgan touched her cheek. “I care about you, Casey. Don’t you know that by now? I’ve ridden miles looking for you. I’ve dreamed of you for weeks on end. And now . . . now you’re here in arm’s reach, and I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean? You’re talking in riddles. I agree for you to come courting. Then you tell me we’re an unlikely couple. Now you tell me you care.” When he reached for her, she shook her head. The tension between them blazed like a hot prairie fire.
He stepped closer, and again she stepped back.
“You tell me what you expect from me, and I’ll abide by it. I’ll even take you back to the parsonage, if that’s what you want.”
I should demand it this very minute. Casey peered up into the trees and listened to the rustle of the branches woven with the gurgling of the stream beside them. She refused to let him see what his nearness did to her. “Morgan, I don’t want this afternoon to end before it begins. I want today to be perfect, to spend it with you. Let’s not talk about unpleasant things, not now.”
She stopped herself before uttering another word. Too much had already been said, and she suspected Morgan already knew the love she held in her heart. Her vulnerability with him would get her into trouble. She’d heard the promises of men before and understood that their physical needs guided their words. Morgan seemed different from them, or maybe she just wanted to believe he was unlike any man she’d ever met.
“You’re right. We’re supposed to have a picnic.” He stared out over the creek where the sun cast diamond like patterns across the water. The light scent of wildflowers wafted in the still air.
“I want to understand.” Casey had long since realized he had a secret. She couldn’t ignore the pain in his eyes.
He shook his head. “Not today.” He waved his hand around them. “Look at this beautiful day.”
“When you’re ready, I’ll listen to every word.” She hesitated. “Is it my outlaw past?”
“Casey, you were never really an outlaw, just a naive young girl. How could you have known the price for following Tim?” His fingers brushed against