Sweet Autumn Surrender by Vivian Vaughan

Author:Vivian Vaughan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626818538
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 1915-06-08T16:00:00+00:00

The sun barely showed promise of rising when Kale called to Ellie from behind the quilt hanging in her doorway.

She rubbed sleep from her eyes and sat up. Hearing his voice again, she rushed to the quilt and threw it back, expecting something dreadful to have happened.

He stood casually, his arm propped on the door facing. The look in his eyes sent alarm of a different kind spiraling down her body.

“Morning.” With a wicked grin, he perused her flannel gown. “No green silk?”

“Kale!” She twirled back to the bed to see if Delta had heard, then sighed, seeing the girl was still sound asleep. But there were Ginny and Hollis only a wall away. Quickly draping the quilt around her body, she left exposed only her face, which frowned at him. “What do you want?”

“This.” Bending, he kissed her lips, leaving her quivering and hot and wanting him desperately. “We’ll be riding out soon, and I knew you wouldn’t let me do this in front of the family.”

A scuffling from the other room interrupted his second kiss and sent Ellie scurrying to throw on some clothes.

Kale had brought a ham with him from the smokehouse, and while he started coffee, Ellie began slicing it. Ginny came in and made biscuits, and Delta arrived in time to scramble the eggs.

The brothers drifted in, they ate, and they left. Soon, Kale had said. The sun wasn’t even fully up by the time they rode off leaving the women standing in the yard, waving to their dust.

The day was filled with milking and baking and weeding the garden. After the chores were finished, Ginny and Delta accompanied Ellie up the hill, where they watered the rosebush at Benjamin’s grave. They sat awhile beneath the oak tree, enjoying the balmy fall weather.

“What did Kale say when he saw the rosebush?” Ginny asked.

“It surprised him,” Ellie admitted. “Brought back memories—regrets. I’m afraid I wasn’t much help that night. I had sent for Carson, and when Kale showed up…Well, I wasn’t very welcoming.”

“Don’t blame yourself. Kale acquired that reputation of his all by his lonesome.”

“It wasn’t deserved,” Ellie protested. “Besides, he had just lost his brother, and I should have been more supportive. Instead, I was…” She paused to tell them about her parents. “I was afraid of him, as silly as that sounds.”

“Well, you aren’t afraid of him anymore.” Delta’s statement was issued with such vigor that Ginny laughed and Ellie stared at her, mouth ajar.

“No,” she finally managed. “No, I guess I’m not.”

“I think you’re in love with him,” Delta continued. “You may not know it yet, but—”

Ginny interrupted her. “Delta! Hush up. You’ve been raised not to meddle in other folks’ affairs.”

“Oh, Ginny, everyone can see it. Kale’s in love with Ellie, too. And I think it’s grand. It’ll surely play hell with Zachariah’s plan, though.”

Ellie recovered from the shock of Delta’s first pronouncements in time to question this last statement. “Zachariah’s plans?”

“Delta!” Ginny stood and shook dirt and leaves from her skirts. “You run along and wash up.

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