Amily lowered her eyes.
She understood that kind of disappointment.
Not exactly.
But enough.
She'd never had a serious suitor.
There had been men who flirted with her in private but pretended not to recognize her when their fashionable friends were nearby.
Men who praised her pretty eyes, then joked about her figure when they thought she couldn't hear.
And one widower who suggested she might make an excellent wife because a substantial woman would surely be grateful for any respectable proposal.
Amily had declined.
He'd called her ungrateful.
She had spent years wondering whether she'd been foolish to refuse the only serious offer she received.
Now she looked across the table at Harlon.
“Do you still think about her?”
He considered the question.
“Sometimes.”
Amily nodded.
Then he added, “Not the way you're thinking.”
She blushed.
“I wasn't thinking anything.”
Harlon raised one eyebrow.
A teasing smile touched his mouth.
“Of course not.”
Amily tried to look offended.
Failed.
Then laughed.
He leaned back.
“I think about how close I came to building a life with somebody who would've been miserable living it.”
Amily grew thoughtful.
Harlon continued.
“And I'm grateful we both found that out before making promises we couldn't keep.”
For several seconds, the fire cracked softly between them.
Then Amily whispered, “I've never been in love.”
Harlon looked toward her.
She kept her eyes on the sewing.
“I always thought I might be, someday. But the years passed, and nobody seemed particularly interested.”
He frowned.
“That seems difficult to believe.”
Amily laughed bitterly.
“You haven't spent much time among the gentlemen I knew.”
Harlon's expression became serious.
She continued.
“Most wanted a wife small enough to appear delicate beside them. Somebody who could wear the latest fashions without needing extra fabric.”
Her smile faded.
“One man actually told me I ought to feel fortunate he was willing to overlook my size.”
Harlon's jaw tightened.
“What did you say?”
Amily looked up.
“I thanked him for his generosity.”
Harlon stared.
Then she smiled faintly.
“And told him I hoped he found a woman foolish enough to overlook his personality.”
For one stunned second, Harlon remained silent.
Then he burst out laughing.
Amily laughed too.
The sound echoed through the cabin.
But when their amusement faded, Harlon looked directly into her eyes.
“Amily?”