He had never expected that from her, but then he should have known better than to think she would have handled it any other way. She’d been blunt and honest about everything since the day he had met her. It had taken a bit getting used to since he was accustomed to lies slipping off tongues far too easily. It made spending time with her that more desirable.
The problem was… how would he ever see and talk with Sorrell day in and day out without kissing her again, and remain sane? He couldn’t. He would wind up taking her to his bed and whether she intended it or not, her words had let him know that she wouldn’t refuse him.
“I will take my leave soon,” he said.
“You don’t have to leave, unless you want to.”
I want you far too much. A dangerous thought and a good reason to leave.
“It’s time for me to go,” he said. It would do him no good to stay. Besides, she was honest with him, but he was far from honest with her. “I will finish the shed, since Melvin will never get it done before winter sets in, then I will take my leave. Two days, no more.”
“As you wish,” she said and stood and walked off, annoyed that an empty hollow ache settled in her heart and tears tickled at her eyes. This was for the best. It had to be this way. So why did she feel as though she had just lost someone she loved?
Chapter 9
Sorrell kept herself busy. It was the only way to keep John out of her thoughts, and that she had to fight to do that annoyed her. And that her stomach churned every time she thought about him leaving annoyed her even more. If this was love, she wasn’t good with it. Love should be simple not complex. But this situation was anything but simple.
It wouldn’t be if she wasn’t obligated to wed Seth MacCannish. Or would it? She didn’t know if John felt the same about her as she did him. And how did she truly feel about him? He may have kissed her, but she wasn’t foolish enough to believe one kiss meant you were in love. She might not have any experience when it came to men, but she knew enough to know that a man often favored a poke but nothing beyond that.
Was that what John looked for… a quick poke and nothing more?
She groaned at her endless thoughts that got her nowhere and at the aches in her body. It was mid-afternoon and she was feeling the consequences of the tasks she had set for herself. Her arms ached terribly from digging in the kitchen garden, though she had more pounded away at the soil than dug. Then there was the vigorous rub down she had given Prince, her horse, who had thoroughly enjoyed it. After that she had decided to see that a bed was brought to John’s cottage. It would be there and ready for anyone to use once he left, and he’d have use of it until he did. There was some talk of a couple of marriages soon to take place and she hoped a recently wed couple would move in it and start a good life together, raise a fine family, and be happy.
She had gotten hold of Melvin and Dole for the task, both complaining the whole way as they carried a bed from an empty cottage to John’s place. Their complaints and whining continued as they struggled to get the bed into the cottage and when they finally did, they stood heaving hefty breaths as if they had just moved a mountain.
“I need you to get the mattress now,” Sorrell ordered.
You would think she was sending them to suffer the tortures of hell, they moaned and groaned so much.
“This isn’t fair, Sorrell,” Melvin complained with a drawn out moan. “We were all done with work for the day and you got us working again.”
“Aye, Melvin’s right,” Dole agreed, but then he always agreed with Melvin, though most of the time he didn’t know what he was agreeing to.
They didn’t stop, on and on they went until Sorrell wanted to strangle the both of them, not wanting to hear their whining a moment longer.
“Stop!” she shouted at the both of them. Get me the mattress and you can go.”
Melvin took off, Dole on his heels and they were back with the mattress in no time, dropped it on the floor in the cottage and took off before she had a chance to tell them to put it on the rope that supported the mattress and held the bed together.
“Worthless idiots,” she said, staring at the mattress.
This was when she disliked her petite size. A bit more height to her and she wouldn’t have a problem getting the mattress on the bed, but with her small size and slim weight it wouldn’t be an easy task. Not impossible, but not easy. And she needed to get it done before John returned home, not wanting to be here when he did.