She blinked several times and forced the reminder to the back of her mind. “Look!” She pointed toward the drying creek bed.
He squinted. Leaning forward, his eyes narrowed even more. It was almost comical how hard he tried.
She watched and bit her lip. Over the years he’d gotten better at seeing what she saw, but most of the time, his guesses were incorrect.
“Is it ... a fossil?”
“Look who has gotten so smart.” She let the sarcastic words drip from her mouth and then smacked his arm with a playful swat. “Of course it’s a fossil, silly. Don’t you see the shape?”
He studied it for a moment longer. “You’re the expert when it comes to this, I’m afraid I don’t see anything specific jumping out at me.”
“It’sclearlya baby alligator, Devin. Come on.” She raced toward the small fossil peeking out of its hiding place.
“An alligator.Clearly. InPennsylvania. Where we have alligators around every corner.”
She just laughed and led him down to the trench.
The afternoon passed with them digging through all the mud and dirt that surrounded the rock and fossilized layer. The time was filled with their shared excitement for subjects his father had promised to cover this term, laughter over how much mud covered them both, and the discovery that her “fossil” was exactly what she thought. It wasn’t the fullskeleton, but the skull was enough to keep her smiling. She’d have several months of contentment working on retrieving the fossilized bones.
“An alligator in Pennsylvania. Who knew?” Devin sat down on the dry grass above the trench, wiping his hands on a towel.
“Deposited here by a great flood, no doubt.” She plopped down in the grass next to him, wiping her hands on another towel. Tossing it aside, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The pants she wore were filthy, but she would cover them with a skirt before she returned home. The real reason she’d brought him out here today wasn’t just another of their explorations, or Devin following her and helping her dig up fossils. Eliza hadn’t been certain when the right time would present itself, but at this moment, she couldn’t contain the request any longer. “Will you promise me something?”
“It won’t get me in trouble, will it?” He elbowed her side and sent her the lopsided grin she loved so much.
“I’m serious, Devin.” She stared into his blue eyes, hoping he’d take the hint.
“I’m sorry. I won’t tease.” He gazed back at her, and his face softened from mischievous to earnest attention.
As she held his gaze, the blue of his eyes intensified. Deepened. Maybe it was simply her imagination, but no matter. She adored his eyes and the way he looked at her. “Promise me we’ll always be best friends. That we won’t ever let anything come between us.” She drew her bottom lip in between her teeth as tears pooled in her eyes. Blinking as fast as she dared, she still couldn’t keep them from forming. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She hadn’t wanted to get all emotional and talk about him leaving.
For several seconds he studied her. He didn’t tease her or get annoyed that she was tearing up, but he also wasn’t saying anything. At all. Finally, he broke their connection and lookedout toward the horizon. “You’re my best friend. Never doubt that. But promising forever? I don’t think your future husband would appreciate you being best friends with a man. Especially not the son of your childhood tutor.”
He always knew how to rile her up and steer the attention off himself. How she hated it when he brought up class! “Oh, posh. I can’t lose you, Devin. I can’t. You’re the only person in the whole wide world who has ever understood me. You’ll be leaving for university after only three more terms. Three! My future husband—whoever it is,ifI even marry—will just have to deal with the fact that I won’t bemewithout ... you.” The begging in her voice made her cringe, but he had to know how important his friendship was to her.
Holding her breath, she watched him. But he wouldn’t even look at her.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
The moments that passed felt like an eternity. But then he turned and met her gaze once again.
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Reaching his hand forward, he wiped the tear off her face and then pulled his hand back. “I promise”—his voice cracked, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed—“I will always be your best friend.”
She surged toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could handle whatever life dealt her as long as he was by her side.
Eliza pulled back, kissed his cheek, and then sat in the grass again. “I promise I will always beyourbest friend.Nothingwill come between us.”
Back at the manor, Devin waved good-bye and shoved his hands into his pockets. As he walked home along the familiar lane, his eyes slid closed for a moment, and he relished thememory of Eliza’s warmth as she’d thrown her arms around him. The feel of her so close made his skin tingle.
Her thick, red hair crowned her like a halo. Every time he saw her—which was every day—she grew prettier and prettier. Why did she have to tug and yank at his heart like this? It was difficult enough to keep his feelings to himself.
When he’d wiped the tear off her cheek, his heart had flipped. It was the most intimate gesture he’d ever allowed, and all it did was make him want more.
His feet tripped over something, and he snapped his eyes open.
What had he just done? He’d made a promise to her that he doubted he could honorably keep. A man’s word was his bond. What would she think of him when he let her down?
