“She’s a remarkable woman,” Adam said.
Bethany jumped up and headed straight for the pond. “Birdie!”
Adam whisked her up and swung her onto his shoulders. “You need a grown-up with you to go near the water, Beth.”
Adam stood near the shore, and they watched a duck floating on the pond. “That’s a duck.”
He turned to see Greta sitting on the tablecloth, watching them.
Adam removed Bethany’s shoes and stockings and brought her to the pond to get her feet wet. She laughed and splashed in the shallow water while Adam held her hand.
He brought her back to the tablecloth, used a cloth napkin to dry her feet, and put her stockings and shoes back on. “There you go,” he said, and he kissed her cheek. He looked at Greta. “She’s already stolen my heart.”
~~~***~~~
Greta tossed and turned that night in bed. She didn’t know what to make of Adam. He seemed happy enough away from the sea. Did he really plan on staying? Or would he soon tire of Fort Worth and go back to the sea? She had to protect her heart and Bethany’s.
Every time their eyes met she felt her pulse quicken. She knew if she let herself, she’d fall hard for Adam, and she had to be sure he meant to stay on land before she allowed herself to go where her heart beckoned.
Every time Greta went into town, she ran into Miles Tanner, who worked at the lumberyard. He seemed anxious to court her and kept asking if her annulment had come through yet. What would happen if she let him court her? What might Adam do? How might her in-laws react? She’d probably have to leave the delightful home which had been built for her and Seth and was supposed to now be for her and Adam. She knew she was always welcome to live with Tilde in her small cottage, but taking Bethany from the Sutherland’s would be heart-wrenching. She’d have to assure them they could see her at any time.
Adam had asked her to dine with him at the hotel. What if they ran into Miles?
Greta punched her pillow and tried to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. She’d led a rather sheltered life and wasn’t used to making big decisions or facing any problems bigger than what to make for dinner.
Dinner at the hotel was delightful. Adam ordered them both a thick steak. She tried to keep her eyes on her plate as she melted whenever she looked into his dark eyes. Greta wanted nothing more than to throw herself into his arms. She wouldn’t, of course; at least not until she knew if he planned to stay on land.
She finally asked him, “Do you plan to go back to sea?”
Adam seemed to take forever to answer. “I guess that depends on how things play out here.”
“I understand you love the sea. I’ve wondered how long you’ll be able to stay away from it.”
“I could. That run-in with the pirates sort of soured me on sailing, but if things don’t work out here, I may go back.”
“Things…meaning?”
“You and I, of course.” He took a long look at her before continuing. “If you decide to run off with Miles Tanner, I may just return to the sea because there would be nothing here for me, then.”
“What would you do for a living if you stayed in Fort Worth?”
“I’d buy a business in town.”
“What kind of business would you choose?”
Adam tapped his chin in thought. “I like horses. I could start a horse breeding ranch, or I could take over running the family’s shipping company. I’d need to take a few trips to Philadelphia a year, but it would be better than being away at sea.”
Greta liked his answers—they gave her hope. “What’s it like sailing on a ship? Do you ever get bored?”
“It’s never boring—relaxing, maybe, at times. Sleeping with the roil of the waves is soothing. Waking up and going up on deck to see the sun gleaming on the waves is breathtaking. Nothing is more peaceful than early morning on a ship. Later, it gets noisy when all the hands are working the sails and such. I guess mornings and nights are my favorites aboard a ship.”
He still yearned for it. She could tell by the excitement in his voice and the sparkle in his eyes when he spoke of the sea and the ship.
“Does your ship have a name?” she asked.
“I named her Eve. We bought her used. The name painted on her side was The Everest, so I painted over all but the ‘Eve.’”
Greta laughed. “Adam’s Eve.”
When the couple walked back to Adam’s buggy, he took her hand in his, looked down at her, and said, “This was the most pleasant evening I’ve ever had.”
She smiled up at him. “It was pleasant, wasn’t it?” She pulled her hand from his and he helped her into the buggy.
When they were almost home, he pulled the buggy to a stop. “Greta, please reconsider the annulment.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I want to keep my family together. I think we could make a good team, and I love Bethany.”
“That’s very noble of you, but it takes more than that to make a marriage. What about love?” Greta was glad it was dark so he couldn’t see her blush at the words.
“Love would come, I’m sure of it. You have to water a garden to make the plants grow; we’d need to work at it.”
“How?” she asked.
“For a start...like this.” He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the
