The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope - By Rhonda Riley Page 0,63

changed, quickening, and he arched. I jumped back from him. “Come out. I don’t want babies now.”

He smiled down, amazed at the mess he’d made on my belly. “There’s so much,” he muttered apologetically. “I . . .”

I laughed. “I had me a virgin.” I wiped my fingers across my belly, touched my lips and then his. He tasted the bitter saltiness of himself and laughed. A big, deep, beautiful belly laugh. We smeared ourselves, laughing the relief of sin after drought.

We lay still for a long time in the echo of what we had just done. Then we turned toward each other again.

“Yes,” I told him.

“Yes?”

“Yes,” I said. “Yes. I will marry you.”

We decided to wait a few weeks before telling anyone about our plans to marry. A nine-day courtship would be short by anyone’s standards.

Soon, Adam had met everyone but Cole. Mr. Starnes had been sick lately. Also, with full-time work, and his girlfriend, I knew Cole had little extra time. He’d been coming around less even before Addie left, but still I was surprised that I hadn’t seen him yet. Adam and I planned to go see him and Mr. Starnes the next Sunday.

I stood in the kitchen Friday afternoon, dressed but still vague and soft from making love with Adam, when a sharp knock broke my reverie. Cole smiled at me through the door pane. His smile turned to concern as I smoothed my hair. I opened the door and let him in.

“Evelyn,” he said. “Are you . . .”

We both turned to the sound of footsteps in the hall. Adam appeared. Looking down as he zipped up his pants, he didn’t notice us. His boots were tucked under his arm, his hair messed up.

Cole shot me a glance of surprised disappointment and turned to leave.

“Cole!” Adam boomed, dropping his boots. “Good to see you!” He beamed, caught off guard, his arm out as if to hug Cole, who leapt back, knocking over one of the kitchen chairs.

I held my hand out to slow his retreat. “Cole, this is Adam Hope.”

Cole righted the chair. A short, awkward silence followed. Adam looked at me helplessly. Cole stared at the floor.

“Is Addie back? You heard anything?” Cole directed the question at me with a quick glance.

I shook my head. I wanted to say, “It is not what you think, Cole! I’ve known him for years. You know him.” Instead, I asked Cole, “Can you help me with something out by the barn? Can I show you?” Cole held his hand out stiffly. “Nice to meet you.” They shook hands briefly.

“Sure. Let’s go.” He stepped aside and I led him outside.

We squatted to inspect a split in one of the corral posts.

“Cole, it’s not what you think.”

“I think you hardly know this guy.”

“And how well did I know you before?”

“You knew stuff about me. I lived in the same town. Who is he?”

“This is different from . . .” I admitted, then added, “And now you’re with Eloise. Right?”

He examined the post, ignoring my question. “We can just bind this. Don’t have to pull it. With a two-by-four and a few long screws it should last a couple more years at least.” He stood up and brushed the dust off his hands and narrowed his eyes as he glanced toward the house.

I straightened up and moved into his line of sight. “Cole, I miss Addie something terrible. I’m alone here now, and I want something like what you have with Eloise. And he reminds me of Addie.”

Surprise flashed across his face. He glanced away at her name.

I continued, “Trust me, Cole. I was right about you. I’m right about him. He’s a good man. And I’m alone now.”

His face softened. He nodded, conceding. “The house still smells like Addie. It’s so strange, her going off like that and not even saying good-bye. Like her momma, I guess. But if she found a fella, I guess you should have one too. It’s just that it’s all so fast.” He scuffed his boot in the clay and studied the ground. When he looked up again, a slow smile crept across his lips. “Yeah, it’s been a year for me and Eloise. I’m going to ask her to marry me soon.”

“Cole! You’re getting married?”

“Shh! I haven’t officially asked her. Don’t tell anyone.” He nodded, suddenly as bashful as the boy I’d met in the cornfield a couple years before. He brushed away my surprise. Then his face was serious again. “You’ve got