Winning the Gentleman (Hearts on the Heath #2) - Kristi Ann Hunter Page 0,126

satisfied with what he could offer.

She brought her chin down and looked at him. “You are?”

“There’s an old stable there they used for farm animals before the land around the house was turned into horse pasture. I’m going to build my yard there.” He took a deep breath. “And a house.”

Saying it out loud, hearing the statement in his own voice, crashed through him and nearly had him falling off his horse. If he could guarantee it would give Sophia the same clarity he’d gained when she’d fallen, he’d have happily tumbled to the ground.

He plunged on, afraid to look at her and see her reaction. “It will take a while. I’ll refurbish and expand the old stable first. I’ll work from Hawksworth until it’s done.”

“That’s wonderful.” Rhiannon pranced halfway around Shadow in a circle. Sophia started laughing. “I’m so excited I tried to come in and hug you. It doesn’t work well on a horse.”

Before she’d stopped speaking, Aaron was on the ground. “We can remedy that.”

It would be the first time they’d touched since her return from London, unless one counted the times their hands would connect when exchanging items. Her wide eyes indicated she was as aware of that fact as he was.

“Yes, I suppose we can,” she said quietly.

He reached up. She kicked her foot free of the stirrup and leaned over to place her hands on his shoulders. He grasped her waist and lowered her to the ground, leaving them standing in relative privacy between the two horses.

Then she was wrapped in his arms.

She held him tight and whispered, “Aaron, I’m so happy for you.” She eased back but didn’t lower her arms.

He looked down at her, taking in the fire of her hair, the emerald jewels of her eyes, the smoothness of her skin.

Patience. He needed patience.

And to remember they were standing atop a hill where anyone could look over and see them.

He stepped back and threaded his fingers together to give her a leg up onto her horse.

As he remounted, he rejoiced in her excitement about his plans. That brought him one step closer to making her a part of them.

SOPHIA WAS AN idiot.

Or Aaron Whitworth was an idiot.

Possibly the idiocy could be equally divided between the two of them.

Whatever way it fell, she was in agony.

“We should take a trip after Christmas,” Harriet said over breakfast, two days after what Sophia’s brain was fixating on as The Hug. Capital letters and dramatic emphasis included.

“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve,” Sophia reminded her.

“It’s not as if we’ve anyone to answer to.”

“What about your father?” She wouldn’t have dared ask about Harriet’s parents when she first started working, but she could no longer suppress her growing curiosity.

“He doesn’t have anyone to answer to either.” Harriet looked up, her eyes unfocused, seemingly lost in another world. Then she blinked. “Where should we go?”

Seeing as Sophia had no desire to go anywhere, she wasn’t about to offer an opinion. As much as she adored Harriet and enjoyed living here, she didn’t want to leave Aaron.

Even if he seemed perfectly happy with the way things were.

“London is pretty at Christmas,” Harriet mused.

“London?” Sophia’s cup rattled as she nearly dropped it on the table. “That’s . . . so close.” What had happened to touring the Continent or seeing the islands?

“We don’t want to go too far,” Harriet said with a wave of her hand. “Mr. Whitworth is a busy man. I’m sure he’d be willing to let it all slide in order to come fetch you, but there’s no reason to go through an excessive amount of trouble just to make a point.”

“He’s not going to come fetch me.” She was just north of town now, and he hadn’t made an effort.

“Does he know you’d like him to?”

Sophia opened her mouth and then snapped it shut. That was a rather excellent question. As much as they talked now, and it was still her far more than him, neither of them had ever mentioned wanting more.

Did he want more? Was he waiting on her? It wasn’t really fair of her to expect him to read her mind. Not when she knew how impossible it was for her to read his.

She wasn’t bold enough to say it. If he said no, it would shred her heart to pieces. But maybe she could show him.

THOUGH HARRIET WAS insistent that a trip to London was the best solution, she didn’t balk when Sophia suggested a dinner party. Whether she guessed Sophia’s plan or