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If he stayed around he could hope to see more of Sybil. It was a futile, foolish idea, but what harm could possibly come of it? Her interest in him was surely no more than curiosity or politeness.
He alone would bear the pain of their final goodbye, either when he forced himself to move on or when she returned to England. There would be a pain for every pleasure, but it would be worth it.
He glanced at the house up the hill as he left the cookhouse with Slim to fix the fences of the wintering pens. Did he see someone at the window? Was it Sybil? Just in case, he touched the brim of his hat in a pretense of adjusting its position.
A few hours later he and Slim put down their tools and headed to the cookhouse for dinner.
“You done good,” Slim said. “I appreciate a hard worker.”
“Just doin’ my job.”
Slim slapped him on the back. “You’ll do just fine here. Glad to have you on the crew.”
Crew? As if he belonged? Could it be possible?
Brand and Slim returned to the task after a satisfying meal, and worked throughout the afternoon.
Slim didn’t say much, which left Brand lots of time for thinking. Try as he did with every bit of energy he could muster to avoid one topic, his thoughts continually circled back to Sybil.
Would she again traipse down the hill after supper and spend a precious hour or two with him? He grinned in anticipation even as he told himself it was a foolish wish. Then, hoping Slim hadn’t noticed his silly grin, he forced it away.
Later, as soon as he’d scraped his plate clean after two helpings of Cookie’s mashed potatoes, gravy, roast beef and carrots, he left the cookhouse and parked himself by the barn door. Someone had lit the lantern hanging there and he stood at the edge of the circle of light. Sybil could see him if she cared to check. He told himself he wasn’t waiting, even though his gaze was glued to the house up the hill.
When the door opened and the light flashed golden, his breath caught partway down his throat.
Dawg rose and whined eagerly. “Settle down,” Brand murmured to the animal, and told himself the same.
A door slammed to his left and children’s voices called out.
Both he and Dawg shifted their gaze in that direction. The foreman’s three oldest children scampered down the trail toward them.
Dawg whined again.
“You like kids?” It surprised Brand, though they’d never been around children much, so maybe the dog had always been this way.
Dawg, taking Brand’s surprise for disapproval, flopped down and put his head on his paws.
“It’s okay. Kids are kind of...” He had no idea what word to use. Friendly. Innocent. Accepting. Maybe all that and more.
The children drew abreast. Neil, the oldest boy, saw Brand first. “Hi. We’re going to get Grady and play tag.”
At that moment, Sybil reached the corrals. Although his attention was on the youngsters, he’d been aware of her the whole time. Every step she took closer made his heart beat stronger, until it now thumped against his ribs like a trapped animal trying to escape.
She spoke to the children, who paused long enough to respond to her greeting, then she turned toward Brand, the width of the corral separating them. “Nice evening, isn’t it?”
He had paid scant attention, but now realized the full golden moon gave everything a shimmering appearance. The warm kiss of a gentle evening breeze brushed against his cheek. He inhaled the scent of fresh hay and poplar leaves. “Very nice,” he murmured.
“It’s a perfect evening for a walk.” Her words carried warmth and welcome. “Care to join me?”
Brand jolted from the wall. He swallowed hard and forced himself to saunter, when every muscle wanted to gallop. “Sounds like a fine idea.” He fumbled with the gate, his fingers stiff, and finally managed to release the latch and slip through. “Where are we going?”
Her merry laugh sang through the air, danced through his veins and vibrated in his heart. “Do we need a destination? Can’t we simply enjoy the evening?”
He could have said they wouldn’t need to move from this spot and the evening would be special enough to stay in his thoughts the rest of his life. Instead, he managed one word. “Sure.” And fell in at her side. His arm brushed hers, sending a rush of tingles up his skin.
