pale gray eyes. “You brought me a pig?”
“Yes, ma’am. I sure did.” Her nieces squealed in delight but Donovan sent a glare over his shoulder at the sound of Lawson’s disbelieving laugh. “It’s the best of the litter. I thought you could use it on the farm.”
She bit her lip to keep from laughing then couldn’t stop the incredulous smile that followed. “That’s very thoughtful, but I can’t accept a gift like that.”
“Sure you can.”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t because I’m not going to let you court me. You’re a very nice man but I just don’t feel that way about you.”
He dropped his head and pulled the piglet closer. “Shucks, ma’am. I know that you feel that way now. I just had to take a chance and let you know how I felt so’s I can try to change your mind.” Each time he spoke, the sleeping pig’s ears jerked toward the sound. The man lifted his head to stare at her. “I’ve watched you at church, Ms. O’Brien, and your faith is inspiring.”
“That’s nice of you to say.” She glanced over his shoulder to meet Nathan’s suspicious gaze.
“I watch you every time you come to town. Sometimes I even follow you a little. It always brightens my day to see you.”
“That’s...” She paused. Very strange. “Something you probably shouldn’t do. Follow me around, I mean. You should stop.”
“Yes, ma’am, I understand.” He glanced down at the pig then thrust it under her nose. “You should still take the pig.”
“I don’t think—” She stopped trying to reason when he lifted one of her arms and slid the pig into it. “Oh, well, if you’re sure.”
“I’m positive. It’s yours. No strings attached. Just because you’re you.” He smiled hopefully. “If you like, I can stop by to check on it—”
She cut him off with a shake of her hand. “If you leave it, that’s it.”
“I reckon that’s all right.” He patted the pig on its head. “Cute little fella, isn’t he?”
She glanced down at the animal in her arms and smiled. “He is cute and very little. Thank you.”
When she glanced up she found Donovan was still watching her. “Yes, sir. The man who takes you for a wife is going to be a mighty lucky man.”
Nathan must have seen that as his cue because he stepped forward. “Donovan, I think you and I should have a talk about what’s appropriate when it comes to young ladies.”
Ellie slipped away just as Kate and her children stepped forward to look at the pig. Kate’s wary eyes darted to Donovan as her children crooned to the animal. “He’s a strange man. You’d do well to stay away from him. He may be harmless, but it pays to be careful.”
“I’ve been doing my best.”
“Well, Nathan will be on high alert, too, as I’m sure Lawson will.”
“I appreciate that.” She left the piglet in an empty stall under the watchful eyes of the children then went to finish Delilah’s hooves. She found Lawson had beaten her to it. “You don’t have to do that. I can finish what I started.”
“It’s fine,” he said, but didn’t glance up from his work. “Maybe you could start on Samson.”
“Delilah was the last one.” She propped her boot on the gate of the stall and watched him work, noticing the controlled power that surged through each motion.
“This will only take a minute.” He released Delilah’s hoof then straightened to meet her gaze. “It looks like our supposed engagement lit a fire under some of your suitors.”
She crossed her arms along the stall’s gate and leaned against it. “It’s awfully silly.”
“Silly?” He eyed her carefully, then turned away to run his hand down Delilah’s back leg to get the horse to lift her foot. “You know I think I’ve got you figured out, Ms. O’Brien. The ruse is up.”
She frowned at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“You don’t really want to get married.”
“Of course I do. That’s the most ridiculous statement I’ve ever heard.”
“So you say.” He finished cleaning Delilah’s hoof and turned to face her. “Yet, over the past few days, you’ve managed to discourage two completely different types of men.”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “So what if I did? I didn’t like them, that’s all.”
Lawson rubbed his chin in thoughtful speculation. Delilah nudged him in the back, forcing him to take two steps toward her. “What about Chris?”
She narrowed her eyes. “What about him?”
“He said his feelings for you changed a long time ago.” He braced his hands on either side of her arms and tilted his head. “Are you saying you really didn’t notice?”
“I had no idea,” she said honestly.
“I think that leads us to the crux of the matter.”
She raised her brows expectantly. “Which would be?”
He gave a slow smile, and shook his head. “You, Ellie O’Brien, are afraid to take off the blinders you’ve fashioned.”
“What blinders?”
“The ones that keep you from seeing yourself as everyone else sees you—as a kind, beautiful, spontaneous woman.”
She stared at him in awe. He thought she was beautiful? Hadn’t he always thought of her as one of the boys? Hadn’t he always seen her as a surrogate little sister? Apparently, somehow that had changed. He now saw her as beautiful—a woman. She swallowed. Why did that send her heart galloping in her chest?
He carefully guided her chin up until she was forced to meet the knowing smile in his eyes. “You’re the kind of woman who wouldn’t have any trouble finding herself a husband, if she didn’t try so hard to cross every suitable man off her list or give him away to her friends.”
She didn’t have anything to say because she’d suddenly realized why those relatively suitable men had seemed so unsuitable. She realized it because she was staring the reason right in the face. She, Ellie O’Brien, had a crush on Lawson Williams.
She barely withheld a groan. She had no idea how long this had been going on but she needed it to stop. Talk about embarrassing! He obviously didn’t feel the same way. He thought proposing to her was so ridiculous that he’d turned it into a joke! Just because he said she was a beautiful woman didn’t mean he considered her a woman he’d want to pursue. Goodness, he’d only been trying to encourage her. It didn’t mean anything. As though to confirm her assessment, he stepped back and shook his head. “You need to give one of those men on your list a chance, Ellie.”
She gathered
