to join me for supper this evening or do you have other plans?”
“It is up to Holly.”
“It is a kind offer and would probably be most entertaining. I’m not sure I am ready to hear about Bryce and his college years. You make him sound a bit of a rogue.”
“Ah, but, Miss Landers, he was. He left many a girl’s heart broken when he would not get serious and date more than once.”
“Henry, you have a loose tongue,” Bryce chided.
“Only because I love seeing you squirm. So, will you join me this evening?”
Holly got up and slipped her hand in the crook of Bryce’s elbow. “Not tonight. But will you do us the honor of coming to my home tomorrow night? You can tell me then all the tales of your college adventures with Bryce.”
Bryce placed his hand on top of hers. “Not all of our tales.” Bryce gave Henry directions to Holly’s house.
They left the boat and settled back in the buggy before Holly spoke. “He is a bit untamed.”
Bryce laughed. “Yes, he is. I am afraid he helped me get into trouble I would not have done on my own. But it was not his fault. I chose to partake in the folly on more than one occasion.”
“This is a side of you I have never seen.”
“Of course you have. It is no different than the time we went out shrimping and ‘borrowed’ a boat. Unfortunately, Mr. Silvers did not see it as playful borrowing. I could not sit down for a week.”
Holly giggled. “I didn’t get in trouble for that one.”
“Because I took full responsibility. My father never told your parents. I think in part because they were embarrassed that their son would stoop so low as to steal a boat.”
“Yeah, but I was the one who suggested it.”
“Father did not know that.” Bryce smiled.
“I also turned down Henry’s dinner invitation in order for us to have time to read all these letters.” She glanced down at the stack. “Perhaps not all. There are a lot here.”
“It appears your father meant what he said about you always being a part of his thoughts.”
“It is reassuring but...” She let her words trail off. The horse’s hooves on the ballast-stone road clicked with a certain rhythm that mirrored the gentle rock of the carriage.
“I have just the place. Let me swing by a store and then I will take you...”
She glanced at him. “What?”
He closed his eyes then quickly glanced at the road and back again to Holly. “Last night I opened my mouth and blundered by suggesting you and I go to Venice as man and wife.”
She placed her fingers over his lips. They were warm and soft. Desire welled up inside her. “I understand.” She removed her fingers and looked away. “I have a confession to make. For years I longed for you and me to...to...be more than playmates, than childhood friends grown up. All those letters we shared while you were in college. It seemed like we were getting closer. And then you came back and...nothing. You pulled away. So I buried my feelings.”
“Holly, I am so sorry. I felt we were getting closer, as well. Your father would not allow me to court you until you were twenty-one. I struggled with my desires and my need to respect your father and his wishes. So I pulled away. My heart never left, but I could not tell you my heart’s intentions without compromising your father’s expressed desire that I not pursue you. I do love you, Holly. I always have. Although I admit I did not realize the depth of my love for you until I was away at college.”
Holly blushed at his brazen declaration. “Then why all the women at college that Henry mentioned? You certainly did not tell me about those in your letters.”
A red glow grew from the base of his neck up to his ears and flushed his cheeks. “No, I did not tell you. And Henry made me sound more of a rogue than I truly was. Yes, I did take several women out to various social functions at the school. I promise you that I provided nothing more than an escort. It seemed the right thing to do at the
“It is up to Holly.”
“It is a kind offer and would probably be most entertaining. I’m not sure I am ready to hear about Bryce and his college years. You make him sound a bit of a rogue.”
“Ah, but, Miss Landers, he was. He left many a girl’s heart broken when he would not get serious and date more than once.”
“Henry, you have a loose tongue,” Bryce chided.
“Only because I love seeing you squirm. So, will you join me this evening?”
Holly got up and slipped her hand in the crook of Bryce’s elbow. “Not tonight. But will you do us the honor of coming to my home tomorrow night? You can tell me then all the tales of your college adventures with Bryce.”
Bryce placed his hand on top of hers. “Not all of our tales.” Bryce gave Henry directions to Holly’s house.
They left the boat and settled back in the buggy before Holly spoke. “He is a bit untamed.”
Bryce laughed. “Yes, he is. I am afraid he helped me get into trouble I would not have done on my own. But it was not his fault. I chose to partake in the folly on more than one occasion.”
“This is a side of you I have never seen.”
“Of course you have. It is no different than the time we went out shrimping and ‘borrowed’ a boat. Unfortunately, Mr. Silvers did not see it as playful borrowing. I could not sit down for a week.”
Holly giggled. “I didn’t get in trouble for that one.”
“Because I took full responsibility. My father never told your parents. I think in part because they were embarrassed that their son would stoop so low as to steal a boat.”
“Yeah, but I was the one who suggested it.”
“Father did not know that.” Bryce smiled.
“I also turned down Henry’s dinner invitation in order for us to have time to read all these letters.” She glanced down at the stack. “Perhaps not all. There are a lot here.”
“It appears your father meant what he said about you always being a part of his thoughts.”
“It is reassuring but...” She let her words trail off. The horse’s hooves on the ballast-stone road clicked with a certain rhythm that mirrored the gentle rock of the carriage.
“I have just the place. Let me swing by a store and then I will take you...”
She glanced at him. “What?”
He closed his eyes then quickly glanced at the road and back again to Holly. “Last night I opened my mouth and blundered by suggesting you and I go to Venice as man and wife.”
She placed her fingers over his lips. They were warm and soft. Desire welled up inside her. “I understand.” She removed her fingers and looked away. “I have a confession to make. For years I longed for you and me to...to...be more than playmates, than childhood friends grown up. All those letters we shared while you were in college. It seemed like we were getting closer. And then you came back and...nothing. You pulled away. So I buried my feelings.”
“Holly, I am so sorry. I felt we were getting closer, as well. Your father would not allow me to court you until you were twenty-one. I struggled with my desires and my need to respect your father and his wishes. So I pulled away. My heart never left, but I could not tell you my heart’s intentions without compromising your father’s expressed desire that I not pursue you. I do love you, Holly. I always have. Although I admit I did not realize the depth of my love for you until I was away at college.”
Holly blushed at his brazen declaration. “Then why all the women at college that Henry mentioned? You certainly did not tell me about those in your letters.”
A red glow grew from the base of his neck up to his ears and flushed his cheeks. “No, I did not tell you. And Henry made me sound more of a rogue than I truly was. Yes, I did take several women out to various social functions at the school. I promise you that I provided nothing more than an escort. It seemed the right thing to do at the
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