Country Bride: Country Bride / Woodrose Mountain

“Well, then,” Linda said, with a grin, “why did you?”

“If I knew the answer to that, I’d be enjoying my lunch instead of worrying about the tales Sally’s going to spread about me...and Luke Rivers.”

Linda walked into the room.

“The least you could’ve done was rescue me,” Kate complained.

“Hey, I leave that kind of work to the fire department.” Linda planted her hands on the edge of Kate’s desk. “Besides, I was curious myself.”

“Curious about what? Luke and me? All we did was dance a couple of times. I...was feeling warm and went outside for a little bit. Luke met me there and after a few minutes, he...drove me home. What’s the big deal, anyway?”

“A couple of dances... I see,” Linda said, her words slow and thoughtful.

“I’d be interested in knowing exactly what you see. Everyone keeps making an issue of the dancing. Taylor came into class this morning and the first thing he said was that he’d seen me at the wedding. He didn’t talk about running into me at the grocery store earlier that day.”

“Did you have your arms wrapped around a man there, too?”

“Don’t be silly!”

“I wasn’t. Honestly, Kate, nearly everyone in Nightingale saw the way you and Luke were dancing. You acted as though there wasn’t anyone else at the reception. Needless to say, rumors were floating in every direction. Everyone was watching the two of you, and neither you or Luke even noticed. Or cared. I heard the pastor mumble something about maybe performing another wedding soon, and he wasn’t referring to your father and Dorothea Murphy—which is another matter entirely.” Linda paused to suck in a deep breath. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle this on top of—”

“Clay and Rorie? Yes,” Kate answered her own question emphatically. “Oh, I had a few bad moments when Dad first told me, but I got over it.” The comfort she’d found in Luke’s arms had helped her more than she cared to admit. He seemed to be making a habit of helping her through difficult moments.

Linda eyed her sceptically. “There’s been so much upheaval in your life these past few weeks. You know, sometimes people go into shock for weeks after a major change in their lives.”

“Linda,” Kate cried, “everyone keeps looking at me as though they expect me to have a nervous breakdown. What is it with you people?”

“It isn’t us, Katie girl, it’s you.”

Kate pushed her hair off her forehead and kept her hand there. “What do I have to do to convince you that I’m fine? I’m happy for Clay and Rorie. I consider myself resilient and emotionally strong, but this makes me wonder why you and Sally and the others don’t.”

“I don’t think anyone’s waiting for you to fall apart,” Linda countered. “We all have your best interests at heart. In fact, with one obvious exception, everyone’s really pleased you have Luke.”

“But I don’t have him. Luke isn’t a possession, he’s a man. We’re friends. You know that.” Kate expected Linda, of all her friends and colleagues, to recognize the truth when she heard it. Instead she’d made it sound as though Kate’s dancing with Luke and then letting him take her home meant instant wedding bells.

Linda shook her head. “To be honest, Kate, you’re doing a whole lot of denying and I don’t understand why. It seems to me that the person you’re really trying to convince is yourself.”

By the time Kate arrived home that evening, she was in a fine temper. Her father had already left for a meeting at the Eagles Lodge. He’d taped a note to the refrigerator door telling her not to worry about fixing him any dinner because he planned to stop at Dorothea’s later for a bite to eat.

Kate read his scrawled note, pulled it off the fridge and crumpled it with both hands. She was angry and impatient for no reason she could identify.

Heating a bowl of soup, Kate stood by the stove stirring it briskly when Luke let himself in the back door. After her encounter with Sally and Linda, Luke was the last person she wanted to see. Nevertheless, her eyes flew anxiously to his.

“Evening, Kate.”

“Hi.”

He hung his hat on the peg next to the door, then walked to the kitchen counter and examined the empty soup can. “I hope you’re going to eat more than this.”

“Luke,” she said, slowly expelling her breath, “I had a terrible day and I’m rotten company.”

“What happened?”

Kate didn’t want to talk about it. Dredging up her lunch-hour conversation with Sally Daley would only refuel her unhappiness.

“Kate?” Luke coaxed.

She shrugged. “The other teachers heard about Dad and Dorothea and seemed to think the shock would do me in, if you know what I mean.”

“I think I do.” As he was speaking, he took two bowls out of the cupboard and set them on the table.

Kate stirred the soup energetically, not looking at him, almost afraid of his reaction. “In addition, people are talking about us.”

When she glanced in his direction, Luke nodded, his eyes twinkling. “I thought they might be.”

“I don’t like it!” she burst out. The least Luke could do was show the proper amount of concern. “Sally Daley told me how pleased she was with the way I’d rebounded from a broken heart.” She paused, waiting for his response. When he didn’t give one, she added, “Sally seems to think you and I are perfect together.”

Luke grinned. “And that upset you?”

“Yes!” she cried.

“Sally didn’t mean anything. She’s got a big heart.”

“And an even bigger mouth,” Kate retorted. “We’re in trouble here, Luke Rivers, and I need to know how we’re going to get out of it.”

“The answer to that is simple. We should get married and put an end to all the speculation.”

Kate’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “Luke, please, I’m not in the mood for your teasing tonight. We have to get serious about...”

Her voice dwindled away as Luke, standing behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders and nuzzled her neck. “I’m willing.”

His touch had a curious effect on Kate’s senses, which sprang to sudden life. It took every ounce of fortitude she possessed to resist melting into his arms and accepting his comfort. But that was how they’d got into this mess in the first place.

“The gossips are having a field day and I hate it.”

Luke drew her away from the stove and turned her toward him. He searched her face, but his own revealed not a hint of annoyance or distress. “I don’t mind if folks talk. It’s only natural, don’t you think?”

“How can you say that?”

“Kate, you’re making this out to be some kind of disaster.”

“But don’t you see? It is! There are people out there who actually believe we’re falling in love.”

“You do love me. I told you that earlier. Remember?”

“Oh, Luke,” she cried, so disheartened she wanted to weep. “I know what you’re trying to do and I appreciate it with all my heart, but it isn’t necessary. It really isn’t.”

Luke looked baffled. “I don’t understand.”