She dimpled. "I wasn't flirting!" she protested. "If you want to see flirting, I'll-"
"No, please!" he said, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "I'll wait until I get back from town and we're in a very private place. Then you can feel free to drive me absolutely crazy. Until then," he warned, grabbing her chin, "behave yourself!" He gave her another quick kiss and made a hasty escape to the horse that was waiting to take him to town.
Felicity watched him ride away, standing on the porch and waving until he was out of sight. Then she sighed and moved over to the porch swing, where she slumped down wearily. Closing her eyes, she fought the wave of fatigue that threatened to overwhelm her and considered the wisdom of taking a short nap before Joshua returned home.
In Philadelphia, she had blamed her lassitude on missing Joshua and on the late hours she and Richard had kept by attending parties and plays and social events. Hadn't Dr. Strong explained to her how the human mind could play tricks on the body? Her worry about Joshua and about Richard's unwanted attentions had worn her out physically. That was all there was to it.
Except her simple rationalization did not explain why she continued to be so tired now that she and Joshua were together again and everything was fine.
"Are you all right, Miss Felicity?" Candace's voice cut into her thoughts.
"Yes, I'm fine," Felicity said, managing to smile reassuringly at the black woman who had just come out onto the porch. She was glad to see Candace had regained her old spirit once Felicity had managed to convince her that Jeremiah no longer held her responsible for what had happened to him. The fact that he had saved her life and Joshua's proved it.
The old domineering Candace glared down at her now. Joshua Logan's mammy was not fooled by Felicity's protests that she felt fine. Candace shook her head and clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "That man's trying to wear you out. You ought to tell him 'no' once in a while. It wouldn't hurt him none," she advised.
Felicity smiled tiredly at Candace's tone. "You're right, Candace," Felicity said, eager to accept this explanation for her tiredness. She couldn't let herself consider any other possibilities, not when everything was going so well for her and Joshua. "And I think I will lie down for a while… just so I won't have to tell him 'no' tonight!" she added with a twinkle.
Asa Gordon had the oddest sensation of deja vu as he reined up in Blanche Delano's front yard. The only difference was that this time the flowerpots were full of lush greenery and vibrant color. And this time, instead of freezing, he was sweating, and not just from the late June heat, either.
How long had it been since he'd been this nervous over seeing a woman? Never, he admitted, realizing that no other woman's reaction had ever been quite so important to him. Would she be happy to see him, as Felicity had promised before he had left her house this morning, or would Blanche send him packing, as he so richly deserved? Taking a deep breath to control his anxiety, he called out.
"Hello, the house!"
Inside the ranch house, Blanche Delano shook her head, wondering if her ears could be playing tricks on her. Cautiously, not daring to hope, she moved toward the front door. She could see a man sitting a horse in her front yard. She told herself that he was probably a drifter looking for work. There must be hundreds of men built like Asa Gordon with deep baritone voices. But this man was dressed in a suit, as if he was going someplace very special. And then he lifted his hat to wipe the moisture from his brow, and she got a good look at his face. Her heart did a little flip-flop in her chest and her stomach seemed to drop all the way to her toes and bounce back up again. It was Asa! He had come to see her. But why?
The question echoed in her mind for a moment before she was able to get a grip on her emotions again. She was wasting time standing here wondering, she told herself sternly. She should go on out there and find out.
She opened the screen door carefully and stepped onto the porch. He seemed to stiffen at the sight of her, as if he, too, was wary.
"Well, hello, Mr. Gordon," she said, hoping her voice sounded more normal than she felt. "You're a long way from home. Not lost again, are you?"
Asa managed a smile, even though he felt as nervous as a schoolboy with his first girl. "I hope not."
Blanche hoped not, too, but she didn't say so. "I reckon you'd like to come in out of that hot sun. There's a nice shady spot here on the porch, if you'd like to join me," she said.
Asa almost sighed aloud, so great was his relief at the invitation. At least he would have a chance to plead his case. As he dismounted and tethered his horse at the hitching post in front of the house, Blanche called to her maid to bring them some lemonade.
Blanche was waiting for him when he climbed the steps to the porch. She was wearing a bright blue Mother Hubbard without corsets, in deference to the heat, and the sight of her unfettered figure made his mouth grow dry. He would be glad for some lemonade.
"What brings you back to Texas?" she asked, crossing her arms beneath the fullness of her bosom in a defensive gesture. She needed all the protection she could get from his potent male presence. For the second time in her life she felt weak and vulnerable and intensely feminine. It was a delicious sensation, but a dangerous one, too. She would have to be careful.
Asa stopped before her and removed his hat as he took in the smooth whiteness of her skin and the glossy ebony of her hair, but most of all the glittering emerald of her eyes. He considered telling her his real reason for coming but decided that could wait. Instead, he settled for a half truth. "The Logans invited me."
That surprised her and irritated her just a bit. To cover her reaction, she turned and led the way over to where two cushioned wicker chairs sat in a coolly shaded spot on the porch. Why hadn't Felicity told her they had invited him or at least warned her that he was coming? Surely she must have known.
"How long have you been here?" she asked, hiding her annoyance.
"Since last night," he said, watching closely for her reaction. He was not disappointed.
"Last night!" she repeated, both surprised and pleased. "You certainly didn't waste any time coming to call, did you?" she asked, glancing at the morning sun and thinking that it could not yet be nine o'clock.
Asa smiled, glad that he had impressed her. "I would have been here sooner, but I wanted to be sure you'd finished breakfast."
Blanche considered all the ramifications of this confession. "And now that you are here, maybe you'll tell me why you've come," she said, suddenly suspicious. Had Felicity sent him? And what was he up to?
Asa gave an inward sigh. This was it, his one remaining chance. If he ruined it, there would be no third opportunity. "I came to see if I could get you to understand why I had to lie to you about being Felicity's uncle. I know it's hard-"
But Blanche interrupted him with an impatient noise and a wave of her hand. "I already told you I forgive you for all that. I don't want to hear about it again. What I want to know is why you're here now."
Asa stared at her, momentarily nonplussed. He had planned it all out. He would ask her forgiveness. If she granted it, he would obtain her permission to call on her. After a suitable length of time, when he was more certain of her feelings for him, he would confess his own. Now she was insisting he bypass all the preliminaries and simply blurt out his intentions. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "I… I'd like to court you, Blanche."
She was instantly wary. Had he traveled ail this way with the express purpose of marrying her? This was too sudden and too drastic a move fora cautious man like Asa Gordon, a man who had spent his adult life carefully investigating every situation. "Why do you want to court me?" she demanded.
"Why?" he repeated incredulously, searching frantically for a respectable-sounding reason. He certainly couldn't afford to offend her at this point by telling her how he had been dreaming for months of having her in his bed, as his wife, for the rest of his life. "Well, you're a very attractive woman and-"