Of all the different places Michael had been stationed, he believed he loved Prince Edward Island the best. Depending on where he went, he could spend time on the beach or riding along country roads. He could fish or he could hunt. No matter which way he turned, he saw nothing but beauty. There simply wasn’t an ugly spot on the whole island.
But murder was very ugly, and the Mounties were beginning to get frustrated. They all felt some measure of guilt—maybe if they’d stayed late at the office with Timothy, they could have protected him. If they’d been more alert. If they’d been more aware. But this kind of thinking was getting them nowhere. They had to focus on the task at hand, and wallowing in all their regrets wasn’t helping them.
Michael turned his horse and guided it along the coastline. He chafed at riding rounds when he’d rather be helping with the investigation, but Ernie had them on rotation, which was a wise choice. They needed to keep their minds fresh, and changing out assignments was a good way to make sure that happened. And they definitely couldn’t neglect their rounds. Yes, Timothy’s death had shocked them all, but they couldn’t forget about the other citizens of Bison Bay and their sworn duties.
As Michael’s horse cantered along the beach trail, his thoughts turned to Kathryn. As soon as his shift was over, he’d go see her again. He prayed that she would recover quickly—no one deserved to be that ill, especially after making such a sacrifice to come here and start a new life. From what she’d said, her previous life hadn’t been all that glamorous, but it was familiar to her, and she’d shown courage in her choice. He admired that about her a great deal.
Of course, he also admired the lovely red shade of her hair, and her sweet voice, and her smile. There was something about her smile that warmed him down to his toes. He wanted to spend the rest of his life doing little things to make her happy so she would always have reasons to smile.
He was jolted from his thoughts by seeing some kind of movement up ahead. As he drew nearer, he recognized the MacDonalds’ boat, and he instinctively took to the trees that lined the sand. He slid off his horse and led it deeper into the shade, then peered out again. Angus MacDonald, the father of the MacDonald clan, was speaking to another man Michael didn’t recognize. It was odd for Michael not to recognize someone in Bison Bay, considering that all the Mounties made a point of being familiar with those they watched over.
As Michael watched, the two men shook hands, then the second man got into a smaller boat that had been floating in the shadow of Angus’s boat and rowed away. Michael tried to tell where he was going, but it was hard to make out. He didn’t see a larger ship farther out, so he supposed the second man didn’t have far to go. A boat his size wouldn’t make a long journey.
Michael remained where he was until he saw Angus climb back aboard his boat and prepare to leave. Then he led his horse out of the trees and headed back the way he’d come. He didn’t know why he felt the need to sneak around where the MacDonalds were concerned, but he didn’t want Angus to know that he’d seen that little exchange, whatever it had been.
***
As soon as Michael was off duty, he headed over to see Kathryn, just as he’d been daydreaming about. When he arrived, he visited with Nettie for a moment, then headed in to see Kathryn.
She was sitting up a little more and had some definite color in her cheeks. She smiled when she saw him, making his heart beat a little faster, and he held out the small flower he’d picked along the way.
“You look beautiful,” he said before he could think about his words. “That is to say, you look as though you’re feeling better.”
“I’m definitely making progress. A neighbor brought over some broth, and I’ve managed to have some. And look.” She motioned to a pile of yarn beside her on the bed. “Miss Hazel brought me a present, and I’m teaching Nettie how to knit.”
“I’m glad you feel well enough to do all that.” Michael sat down on the chair next to the bed. “I have a confession to make.”
“You do? I thought people were supposed to confess to Mounties, not the other way around.”
“Well, in this case, we’ll make an exception.” He cleared his throat. “The truth is, I spent quite a lot of time on my shift today thinking about you.”
“You did?” She gave him a look of mock surprise. “But you’re supposed to be concentrating on your duties, Mountie. Are the people of Bison Bay going to be in greater danger because you got distracted?”
“I certainly hope not, but it’s true that you’re a distraction. You’re the very nicest kind of distraction, though, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
She looked down and then back up, a shy smile on her face. “No, I don’t mind.”
Nettie stuck her head in the room. “I’m going to be nice and take Bryce a sandwich. Will the two of you be all right until I get back?”
“Of course,” Kathryn told her. “Michael will watch over me.”
Nettie gave Michael a pointed look. “That’s along the lines of what I meant.”
Michael grinned. “Mounties’ honor, ma’am. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
She shook her finger at him. “You’d better be.”
When Michael heard the door close, he turned back to Kathryn. “She seems very devoted to you.”
“She’s been a good friend. We got along well at Miss Hazel’s, and then when I got sick, she took me right under her wing. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”
Michael pulled in a breath, suddenly feeling awkward. They were alone together for the first time, and while he knew he would remain a perfect gentleman, he found that he had nothing to say. “Do you like the house?” he asked, mostly out of desperation of something to say. “We can paint it or do anything else you want if it doesn’t suit you.”
“Well, I haven’t seen much of it yet, but I do like what I’ve seen,” Kathryn replied. “I believe you just need a woman’s touch.”
“I’d love to see what you could do to soften my rustic decorating skills,” he said with a chuckle. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve changed a single thing since I moved in here. Some other Mountie chose out this furniture and so forth.”
“How long have you been here?”
“A year. I’ve been busy enough that I just sat my things down, got to work, and didn’t even stop to consider things like curtains. Are those all right?” He pointed to the window. It had never bothered him before, but now that he looked, the fabric seemed faded and limp.
“Honestly, Michael, everything’s just fine. And the things we want to update, we’ll take a few at a time. For right now, I’m just happy to be here and not be on a train or a ferry, and to be talking to you. Everything else can wait.”
He reached out and took her hand where it lay on the bed. “That sounds good to me. One day at a time, without worrying about tomorrow.”
“Exactly.”
***
Kathryn felt as though everything was passing in a dream. She’d been so sick on the trip to the island that it didn’t even seem real, which was likely a good thing, and now the time that passed was a whirl of minutes and hours. She took naps off and on, then sometimes found it hard to sleep at night, and she never knew what day it was. It was disconcerting, to say the least.
She was surprised in the best of ways when Nettie said she’d decided to stay on the island for a time. Apparently, something might have been brewing with Bryce, and while Nettie wasn’t giving details yet, Kathryn was delighted to see her friend with a new light in her eyes. Strangely, it seemed to be against Nettie’s will, as though she’d been determined not to care for Bryce at all.
Miss Hazel was departing as she’d planned, and she came to see Kathryn and tell her goodbye. “I wish you all the best, my dear,” she said, bending over to give Kathryn a hug. Kathryn had gotten up and wore a simple day dress, the most presentable she’d felt since her arrival, although she stayed in the chair by the window and hadn’t tried to do anything too adventurous. “Please write and tell me how you are.”
“I will, Miss Hazel, but only if you write back.”
“I’m excellent at writing letters, I assure you.” Miss Hazel gave her a smile, then gasped. Her hand flew to her heart. “Oh, it’s just Rocky.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Rocky. The flying squirrel. He ran across the branches of the tree out there just now and startled me.” Miss Hazel motioned toward the window. “He’s probably the only creature on this island I won’t miss.”
Kathryn laughed. “Then I’m sure you won’t mind if he doesn’t write you.”
“I won’t mind at all.” Miss Hazel bent over and gave Kathryn another hug. “Take care of yourself, and take care of that Mountie. I wish I could stay for the wedding, but as you aren’t sure yet when that will be, I must go. I have another group of brides to put together, you see.”
“I’m sure they’ll be as happy as we’ve been,” Kathryn replied. She hadn’t seen a great deal of her other friends over the last few days, but she understood that they were settling into their new lives and responsibilities. They’d stopped in when they could.
After Miss Hazel left, Kathryn leaned toward the window, hoping for another glimpse of Rocky. Sure enough, he was in the branches of the tree, chattering away about something. He certainly was a fat little fellow, and she wondered how he managed to stay so agile with that extra little bit of weight on his front. Of course, she supposed she wasn’t the proper judge of how much a flying squirrel should weigh, considering that she’d never seen one before.
As she watched, she noticed a lady passing by outside, and Rocky took flight. Coasting above his unsuspecting victim, he dropped a surprise in her hair, and she gasped and clutched at her head.
Kathryn couldn’t help it. She laughed.
Rocky coasted out of sight, and the lady picked up her skirts and ran. Kathryn assumed she was going back home, but maybe a friend’s house was closer. In either case, she hoped everything would wash out quickly.
Kathryn turned away from the window and sighed. She didn’t wish she was the one to receive Rocky’s generous gift, but she did wish she wasn’t cooped up inside. She’d never be able to take a walk, but perhaps there was another way.
When Michael came to see her that afternoon, she told him she’d like to try an outing.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his forehead wrinkling with concern.
“I’m positive. If you take a chair outside and sit it right here under that tree, I’ll be able to make it there just fine.”
He grinned. “That’s not much of an outing.”
“It’s more than I’ve had. Tomorrow I might ask for a buggy ride, but we can’t be too adventurous all at once.”
He picked up a kitchen chair and carried it out to the shady spot she’d chosen earlier, then came back to hold her arm while she walked. Her knees were still wobbly, but at this point, she figured that was more from a lack of use than anything. Walking over to the chair would be good for her, and she’d do even more as soon as she felt she could. Being idle just wasn’t who she was.
“This is perfect,” Michael said as he got her situated. “You can see what the neighbors are doing without them knowing you’re watching.”
“I didn’t come out here to spy,” she protested. “I’m out here for some fresh air, but I didn’t want to sit in the bright sunlight.”
“I’m just teasing you.” He rested his hand on her shoulder. “This is a nice spot for several reasons. The ability to spy on people is just an added bonus.”
She liked the way his hand felt, warm and protective. “I’ll sit here and enjoy the day, and you can do the spying. That way, we’re dividing the labor between us, and no one person is trying to do it all.”
“I like the way you think.” He sat down on the grass near her feet. “Bryce has been talking quite a lot more about Nettie lately.”
“She has been spending some time with him, but she hasn’t said much. She asks a lot of questions, but she doesn’t often answer when people ask her things. I suppose some people are just more private than others.” Kathryn paused. “I hope Bryce is saying positive things.”
“Oh, yes. He’s almost as starry-eyed as the rest of us are.”
Kathryn smiled, knowing Michael couldn’t see her face with the way he was sitting. “Are you starry-eyed?” she asked, feeling brave. They were meant to get married, after all, and it would be nice to know for sure how he felt. She had some glimmers of an idea, but hearing it would mean a lot to her.
“I might be the most starry-eyed of the bunch,” he replied.
Her heart gave a stuttering skip at that. “Oh?” She tried to sound casual. “Why is that?”
“Because I have you, and they don’t.”
She didn’t have words to reply to that. It was too wonderful, and she didn’t want to break the spell. Instead, she did what she’d wanted to do ever since she’d met him. She reached out and ran her fingers through the curls on the top of his head. He rested his head against the side of her knee, and they sat like that for quite some time. She didn’t think she’d ever been happier in her entire life.
She glanced up after several minutes and noticed movement in the trees. “Look out!” she cried as Rocky zoomed overhead. Instead of leaving them a gift, however, he continued on, and she noticed a glint of something shiny tangled around one of his paws.
“The little thief,” Michael said with a chuckle. “He’s carrying off more of someone’s treasure. I hope it was just a bit of trash and not something important.”
“You don’t suppose he’s starting up some kind of squirrel smuggling ring, do you?” Kathryn asked, amused at the thought.
“You never know. He might have a whole network of squirrels working for him,” Michael replied good-naturedly. Then he seemed to go still.
“Are you all right?” she asked, wondering if she’d managed to say something offensive.
“I’m fine. I’m just thinking,” he replied. “Let’s not ruin this lovely day by delving into my thoughts. I’m sure they’d bore you to tears.”
“I doubt that. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve learned about you so far.”
He turned and looked at her. “You don’t think I could possibly bore you?”
“No. Not at all.”
“All right, then. I enjoy studying calculus.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I’m rather fond of derivatives and integrals myself.”
His gaze didn’t waver. “I like Shakespeare.”
“The comedies or the tragedies? I’m rather of the opinion that Hero was a complete ninny.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched, and she could see that she was getting to him. She sat calmly, waiting for his next volley.
“I like eating liver.”
“I don’t, but I’m fascinated as to why you do.”
“And I organize my sock drawer when I have nothing else to do. I never have mismatched socks, and they never have holes.”
“One less task I’ll have to perform when we’re married.”
He held her gaze another long minute, then burst into laughter. “All right, I admit defeat. I’ve told you the most boring things about myself, and you’re still listening to me. You have the patience of a saint.”
“No, not really. I just enjoy learning about people and what makes them who they are.”
Michael turned and sat again. “I’m rather impressed by your breadth of knowledge. I didn’t think you’d had much chance for education, from what you were telling me about your past.”
“I’m not educated formally, but I was blessed to work in several large houses with expansive libraries, and in some of those houses, I was permitted to read the books as long as I took excellent care of them and didn’t remove them from the room. I read everything I could get my hands on, from philosophy to geography to world religions.”
Michael whistled. “You’re likely better educated than I am, then. They don’t teach some of those things at the academy.”
“Maybe that’s for the best. We wouldn’t want me to bore you, would we?”
He turned and looked at her again. “That’s not possible, Kathryn. Not in any way.”
The tone in his voice sent shivers down her arms. Was this what it was like to fall in love? She knew she was attracted to him and that she enjoyed spending time with him, but she could probably say that about any number of handsome men. There was something about Michael, though, that seemed to go beyond any of those things. When she looked at him, she could picture sitting across from him at a breakfast table or going on Sunday afternoon strolls pushing a baby carriage. She’d never anticipated feeling such a sense of permanence with someone, such a sense of belonging to someone and with someone.
“I think I’d like to go back inside,” she said, suddenly feeling worn out. They’d spent far longer under these trees than she’d first planned, and she wondered if that had been a mistake.
“Of course.” He stood and held out his hand. When she took it, she looked up into his eyes and became lost in them. He slid his arm around her waist, and the next thing she knew, he was kissing her.
She’d heard stories about first kisses, how wonderful and tingly and amazing they were. She’d always smiled and nodded, not believing any of it. In thinking about it, kissing was a rather odd custom. What could be so wonderful about pressing two mouths together? And who thought of it in the first place? Surely the person they practiced on thought they were deranged. All these thoughts disappeared, though, as she reached up and wrapped her arms around Michael’s neck. Whoever invented kissing must have been a genius.
When Michael ended the kiss, he smiled into her eyes. “What do you think, Kathryn? Will you marry me as soon as you’re well?”
“Yes,” she replied, a bit breathless. “But only if we can discuss calculus often.”
“Guaranteed. I’ll stop by the church and make the arrangements. Do you think a few days would be all right?”
“I think that would be perfect.”
For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her again, and she wouldn’t have minded at all. Instead, though, he picked up the chair in one hand, held her elbow with the other, and escorted her back to the house, making sure she didn’t stumble along the way. Now her knees really were weak, and she wasn’t sure if it was the illness or the kiss. At that point, it could have been either.
Michael escorted her back inside, and she sank gratefully onto the chair near the window again. She looked around and saw that Nettie had set some of her few things here and there on the mantel or a shelf, and the place was starting to look like a combination of both her and Michael. The thought made her smile.
When Nettie came in a short time later, Michael took his leave, saying that he needed to get some rest before his next shift. He brushed a light kiss across Kathryn’s forehead before pulling the door shut behind him.
When Kathryn turned to look at Nettie, she couldn’t help but chuckle. She’d found an old sheet in the cupboard, and after a little bit of experimentation, she’d come up with a pattern for a somewhat cute bonnet. Now each of the girls had a Rocky-proof hat of their own, something they could wear to protect their heads, and their nicer hats wouldn’t have to be sacrificed to the cause. Nettie was taking hers off and hanging it on a hook by the front door. Apparently, it had worked.
“Things are going well?” Nettie asked as she began to pull things from the cupboard for supper.
“Very well. He asked me to marry him.”
Nettie turned and gave Kathryn a quizzical look. “Aren’t you already planning to get married?”
“Yes, but it was nice to get an actual proposal. It was romantic.”
Nettie grinned. “Romantic things can be fun.”
“They can. And since you’ve decided not to run back to Ottawa right away, you can stay until our wedding, can’t you? We’ve decided to hold it in a few days, and I really can’t imagine it without you.”
“I think that can be arranged.” Nettie smiled again. “Now, what do you think? Can you manage anything more than broth? We do have some—Mrs. White brought more—but there’s also some bread and some milk that might work for you.”
“That actually sounds good, believe it or not.” Kathryn couldn’t wait until she’d finished healing. She kept having visions of roast beef and fried chicken and breaded veal, but as soon as she’d have one of those thoughts, her stomach would turn sour, and she knew it wasn’t time yet. Bread and milk, on the other hand, was a definite possibility, and she found herself looking forward to it, which made her laugh. Funny how going through something like this would change her perspective and make even the simplest food seem like a feast.