Her light laughter filled the air. “Liar. It’s all I’ve been able to think about.”
“Glad to know I’m not the only one.”
“I want to give you my answer and then I need to ask you something.”
“All right.” Deep breath.
“My answer is yes. I would love to marry you, Joshua Ziegler.”
He couldn’t resist it—he picked her up by the waist and spun around. When he set her back down, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Then he stepped back. “I’m sorry, I know you said you wanted to ask me something.”
The gleam in her eyes told him she didn’t mind. She put her fingers to her lips. “Your kisses are dangerous to my heart.” She patted her chest.
“Mine too. Now go ahead. I’m all ears.”
“How do you feel about me continuing my work with my father? I mean, not just this next year while you finish schooling. But after that? What are your expectations?”
They walked several more steps and he thought hard about her question.
“From where I stand, our home base will be here. I will work with Doc Walsh and you will work with your father. This is what you are called to do, Anna. I understand that now. Whether you want to continue with the sketching, or if you want to dig, or if you want to write the scientific papers ... I will support you.”
“Really?” Her eyes shimmered with tears.
“Yes, really.” He pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Anna. I love everything about you. And I love the work that you do. I would never ask you to stop.”
She hugged him tight.
“Well ... I take that back.”
With a frown, she pulled back. “What do you mean?”
“I might ask you to stop if ... well ... at least for a little while ... if you were in the family way.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
She swatted at him as her cheeks turned fiery pink. “Joshua Ziegler!”
But as much as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp, he held on. “You know, you keep on blushing like that and I might never let you go.”
She sputtered and pushed at his chest. “You, sir, are incorrigible.”
“And you, miss, love it.”
WEDNESDAY, JULY3
Helping Anna in her garden was almost as good as working in his own. Granted, hers was much smaller and didn’t have as much care put into it as his own, but it would be beautiful. It would give Mr. Lakeman something to look at while he recovered.
At least, that’s what Anna wanted. If it made her happy, then Julian was happy.
He’d waited years and years for the blackness to go away. Had begged for God or whoever was up there in the sky to make him normal.
Damian’s snide words pushed to the forefront of his mind.“But God hasn’tdone anything to help you. Besides, Anna doesn’t loveyou. She can’t. Not as long as Ziegler isaround. You just need to let me take care ofit.”
It wasn’t wise to have these thoughts now. When Julian finished the row he’d been planting, he stood up and looked down at their work. “Anna?”
“Yes?” She was lovely with her sunbonnet on, kneeling in the dirt, planting the last few seedlings.
“We’re almost done.” He risked a smile. He didn’t do it often because his father had always smacked it off his face.
Leaning back, she surveyed the garden. “You’re right! I only see five more.” She stood up and went to the window. “Dad, you’re going to love it! We’re almost done planting.”
