"Are you sure I'm not the dream, and she's the reality?" she answered quickly.
"Oh, you are a dream alright, sweetheart. I want you Trudy, and that's the truth of the matter. I want to hold you in my arms, kiss you silly, and make love to you all night long."
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her wildly.
"Lance, we need to stop and think this over." She pushed him away and held him by the arms.
"Honey, you had me tied in knots the minute I laid eyes on you at that train station."
"But you thought I was Priscilla." She reminded him.
"Yeah, that's true. But I fell in love with what I saw. A beautiful woman, and the more I learned about you, the more I wanted you and the more beautiful you became to me. Every time I kissed you, you kissed me back. Hell, woman you’re the only woman that's seen me naked."
She broke out in a soft laugh. "You really want me to tell Pricilla we're married if she shows up?"
"Of course, I do. It's the truth. Okay, I'll admit I didn't have the guts to tell her myself. I don't like hurting females. But she's gotta know I'm taken. I don't think we have to worry about her any longer. I don’t think she'll show up, honey. I think maybe she's already found someone else and didn't have to guts to tell me about him."
"What if she gets mad and throws a fit?"
"Have Chico run her off the place."
"Your serious?" Her brows shot up in shock.
"I don't want you having to take care of her."
She blushed. "Lance, you proposed to her, you owe her an explanation of sorts." she called to him as he headed back to the wagon. He turned to look at her. "Are you sure about this? I mean, getting married was one thing, that can be fixed. But going through with the marriage, it's a big step, and we haven't known each other long. And I'm sorry, but until this thing with Priscilla is settled one way or another, I can't sleep with you."
"You refuse my bed?"
"I have to. It only takes once to get pregnant Lance. And I won't be pregnant, and this not even settled."
He moved away from her, as though thinking about what she said.
He frowned. "I guess you're right. I hadn't considered that. This is my fault. I should have told Priscilla."
"Lance," she came up to him, grabbing his hand, "You've only known me a little while. And you owe her an explanation and a decision. We can't consummate our marriage until you put things right. And if you choose Priscilla, I'll understand. You proposed to her, you owe her to see her and talk to her."
"I don't have to see her to talk to her. We've done nothing but correspond by letters all along."
He turned around and came toward her once more and sighed heavily before looking into her beautiful eyes. "We haven't known each other long, that's true. But I honestly feel I know you better than Priscilla, and I like what I know about you. I don't care about who or what you are, I care about our future life together. You’re a hard worker, a good person, a beautiful woman. I think I would have married you no matter who you were, I was spellbound by you when I saw you getting off the platform of the train. You were like a vision, a dream a man has that comes to life. But it's your sweetness and honesty that I love most about you. We were meant to be together."
"That's very romantic, and terribly sweet. But, I'm just afraid that if Priscilla does show up, that maybe you would change your mind. Maybe you would realize that I was more a dream than a reality. Sometimes when a person is lonely and wants something so bad, when the wrong circumstances happen, it's not real."
"Why do you kiss me back when I kiss you?"
She stared into his eyes, "I can't help it, I'm human, I'll admit it."
"So am I."
"We've only been together a few days… "
"I know that. I come from a long line of men that are rather impulsive. And I guess you aren't used to that."
"Not at all. I’m a woman in the flesh, she's a woman in a letter. That's the difference. I want to make sure, Lance. I want you to face her and be sure. Because until you do, how can we be sure what we are feeling. I don't want her coming a year or so after we become one, and you realize you made a big mistake. I don't want to be pregnant with your child and she shows up either."
Now he stopped talking, stopped everything and stared into her eyes. "You want me to go off for six months, not seeing or being with you for all that time. Without touching you?"
"It'll give you time to be sure."