we hurt or disappoint our Father. We are forgiven if we believe in Him.”
“I want to believe in Him.”
He smiled and brought her knuckles to his lips.
“Your fields,” she continued, taking hold of his heart, convincing him that his life would never be the same without her, “are proof that hard work and dedication will reap benefits. You are proof that your Lord cares about this land because he planted you in it. You make me believe in Him.”
He smiled. “Yes,” he remembered what he’d told her. She remembered it too. “Maybe He’s planting you here, as well.”
“I hope so,” she answered.
“I believe He is,” Caleb told her leaving his chair and kneeling at her feet, “because I want you to be my wife. I want to be the father of your children.”
Willow stared at him and bit her lip at the tempting thought of it. “Have your children?”
He nodded and smiled.
“How many do you want?”
“Many.”
She couldn’t help but smile. She would have to think about many after seeing what Susannah had gone through. But Willow thought she would enjoy having children with him.
“I wish to come with you today and help,” she volunteered.
“All right. I’ll be seeing to the fields first. Then I’ll be helping plant some things. After that, I need to repair old Benjamin’s roof. The last rain caused six different leaks. After that—”
Willow held up her palms. “Let’s just take it as we go, hmm?”
He smiled. “Of course. I like to have my plans laid out.”
“But plans change,” she reminded him. She herself was proof.
They ate breakfast together, with Caleb marveling that his headache was gone, and his appetite was back. After breakfast they cleaned up and headed out to the fields.
There wasn’t much to do since they used the sun to power the tanks and spread water through the tubes.
Willow watched Caleb hold a thick tube and pull the lever, releasing a shower of water into his wheat. She tried to hold the tube next, but it was too powerful and almost knocked her off balance.
“Now isn’t this better than being in some big ugly palace?” he teased under the hot sun.
“No.” Willow sighed playfully. “In the palace, it would be me getting the massages.”
He turned to look at her. “By a man or a woman?”
Willow was careful to hide the echo of a smile that played over her lips. He was jealous, and the thought lit flames of fire deep within her belly. “By a woman,” she assured him. When he began to smile, she added, “But I have many male servants.”
She giggled silently over him as his gaze fell to her again. “And what do they do for you, these male servants?”
“Anything I want.”
“Pitiful things,” Caleb muttered, shaking his head.
Willow let out an indignant humph, then laughed. “Why do you call them pitiful? It’s their honor to serve me.”
“What do you have them do?”
A satisfied smirk curled her lips and she moved closer to him while he watered the ground. “Are you jealous?”
“I would be,” he yawned. “But you were too haughty to be with a servant. You probably didn’t even speak to the pathetic fools.”
She started to protest but then snatched the water hose from his hands and aimed the nozzle on him. He opened his mouth to protest and she sprayed him in it. She didn’t spray him long, but a moment or two was enough to soak him. He tried to warn her to give him the hose, but she wet him again. She laughed too hard to fight him or even run, so when he took the hose, she knew she was about to get wet.
She felt bad for wasting the water but laughing with him in it was worth five or ten gallons.
Jonas took a hearty bite from an apple and grinned as Caleb entered the kitchen, his hair still wet from Willow soaking him.
“Had a bath?” the bald Warrior asked as he chewed.
“No.” Caleb eyed the apple, then rubbed his flat, empty belly. He went to the table to get an apple for himself and polished it against his shirt. “Where’s my deranged sister?” He crunched into the sweet fruit.
Jonas smiled. “Are you two at it again? Why don’t you just battle it out and whoever wins can be the leader.”
“Because I would kill her.” Caleb scowled. “And then I would have to listen to your heartsick pining for the remainder of my days.”
“I’d never let you kill her.” Jonas took another bite, offering Caleb a challenging