“Father in Heaven,” he began. “Thank you for this amazing meal. Bless the food to our nourishment and bless the hands that prepared it. Thank you, also, for this wonderful day Mary and I are spending together. Keep us safe from all harm, and watch over all those that we love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
Mary nearly teared up, hearing and feeling the heartfelt sentiment, and the sure faith behind the words. “Amen,” she echoed heartily.
For the next few minutes, they dug into their food, nearly moaning in pleasure and chuckling at one another’s reactions.
Thinking about that morning, Mary looked over at her companion as he munched happily on a juicy piece of fried chicken. She saw in her mind’s eye the finesse with which he had questioned the potential witnesses. Overcome with pride, she offered, “You were very good today…how you handled the interviews and all.” He looked up into her eyes as she added, unable to keep her admiration from gushing forth, “I think you’re going to make a wonderful attorney, Dwight. Why you…you already seem to be one.”
The shine in those eyes of his. Oh my. As if her words meant the world to him. He swallowed his bite of chicken and murmured, “Why…thank you, Mary.” Then, he grinned at her mischievously. “You couldn’t see how nervous I was while interviewing Mr. Austin? I was sure you could hear my knees knocking all the way to the buggy,” he teased, making her laugh and shake her head.
“Do you think there was someone in the loft who pushed Mr. Swigert out?” she asked him point blank.
He stopped chewing as he thought about the question. “I don’t know, Mary. Right now it sure looks that way. But if it’s true…the person is guilty of attempted murder, and that thought strikes fear in my heart. We don’t need someone capable of that running around loose.”
“I agree,” she murmured, fighting off a tiny shiver of fear.
Later, after they finished eating and had cleaned up their mess, they settled side by side with their legs dangling over the edge of the outlook. Staring out at the mesmerizing scene below, with Dwight’s thigh practically touching hers, Mary felt safer and more satisfied than she ever had before.
She released a sigh of pure contentment. “Thank you for today, Dwight. For bringing me along on your assignment. It’s so lovely up here. I could spend the rest of my days right here and never want for another thing,” she added, only half joking.
Well…maybe one thing…like a kiss… They hadn’t truly kissed since that afternoon in Charise’s kitchen, except pretenses for the sake of an audience.
As if he’d heard her thoughts, Dwight turned and she felt him studying her profile in much the way she would his. She moved her head to peer into the warm windows of his heart and as before their eyes locked.
“Except for maybe…” he whispered as he brought up a hand and with a featherlight touch his fingertips caressed her cheek.
There was nothing for it but to lean toward him, as if she were being pulled by an invisible cord.
Her heart began to race as her eyes fluttered closed and her head tipped gently to one side, allowing Dwight’s lips, warm and smooth and tasting faintly of apple pie, to touch and then press against hers; intertwining and moving in exquisite rhythm, as if they were seasoned lovers. She felt tingles sweep all the way to her toes.
Flawless. Delectable. And oh, so right. A perfect kiss for an absolutely blissful moment.
Hazily, she wondered if she had fallen asleep on the blanket and was merely dreaming…then, he deepened the kiss and she knew she wasn’t.
Ripples of delight rolled through her body. The realization hadn’t escaped her that this kiss was for nobody else’s benefit, but purely their own. Still, she tried not to read more into it than she should, as her father’s voice came floating from the past, “Mary girl, don’t ever be alone with a man and let him take liberties. ‘Cause a man don’t have to have his heart engaged to activate his body. Just remember that…” Indeed…if she had remembered that advice that night on the J. Houston, she wouldn’t have fallen prey to that awful man…
Then, Dwight was slowly pulling back, a lazy smile curling the edges of those amazing lips.
“I agree,” he said in answer to her earlier comment.
Picking up her hand, he interlaced his fingers with hers and raised them to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckle. “So, there’s nothing you want, then, Mary? Nothing you would change? No flies in the ointment? No worries to mar the vista?”
She thought about that for a moment, before the unbidden image of that man, Hobbs, swam behind her eyes. That hateful grin making her want to squirm. “Well…I guess I am worried and afraid of…”
Dwight waited a few heartbeats, and then prompted softly, “Afraid, Mary? Of what?”
“I’m afraid that…” she faltered as a tremor of revulsion swept over her. “I’m afraid that somehow Washington Hobbs escaped and it was him who hurt Mr. Swigert.”
Dwight was silent for a moment, and then he murmured, “I must admit, that thought has crossed my mind more than once. But surely if he had escaped, Tobias would have been contacted.”
She didn’t answer, but she hoped so as well.
“Mary…I know that you don’t like to speak about him, but…” Dwight paused and placed a finger under her chin, gently drawing her face toward his again. “Mary, please tell me. Did he…did he force you?” Seeing her reaction, he rushed on, “I have to know. It’s…it’s killing me not
