Page 102 of My Heart Will Find You

Etta was serious. “Beautiful naked men on top of you are weightless.”

Max clenched his teeth.

“Too soon?”

He blinked at the unfamiliar term. “You say the oddest things.”

“And youdothe oddest things. Where did you learn about watercolors? You were brilliant with Nellie.”

“That was the first time I ever picked up a paintbrush.” He paused. “That’s all? Just Henry and Martha?”

“Well... Your sister wants to open a school.”

That absurdity made him laugh so deeply she could feel it in his stomach.

“That’s just what I thought too, but I saw a woman in town who might be able to run a school.”

“Who is she?”

“No idea. She was leaving the dressmaker, but she didn’t know who the woman was. I’d know her if I saw her again, so—”

“You and I have to go searching. Like finding your blacksmith. I hope the woman is smaller. No matchmaking?”

“I, uh, think Tobias and the woman might be a pair.”

“He’ll like that. What else?”

“That’s all.”

“Sure?”

“I think so, but then Rufus and Freddy caught me by surprise.”

He looked at her as though trying to figure out something. He lifted her off of him, got out of bed, pulled on his trousers, then turned back to her. “Since I met you so many strange things have happened. I thought about it all as I came back.” He looked at her nude body stretched out on the bed. “I think better when you’re not there to distract me.” He gave her a serious look. “Do you think that what is between us is...?” He didn’t finish.

“Normal?” she asked. “Is this what other people feel?”

He nodded. Yes, that’s what he meant.

“I don’t know about other people,” she said, “but I do know that I’ve come a very long way to find you. Not even time has been able to keep me away from you.” She swallowed as tears were coming to her. “This time, I want to stay. With all my heart and soul, I want to be with you forever.”

“Why wouldn’t you be? Barring death, we’ll be together.”

“Death. That’s the easy one. I worry about the end of dreams, and worse, of never dreaming again.” She looked at him. “I fear not seeing you. There’ll be a time when all of this—” she waved her hand about “—all of this will be gone. As though it never existed. Places and people will be forgotten. I—”

He took her hand and pulled her out of bed. “You’re only allowed to cry in happiness. Let’s go get in the water and wash off.” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Usually, you’re mincing about over this.” He raised his hand with finger and thumb extended, as though holding something smelly. His face had a look of disgust. “This isn’t clean,” he said in a high, mocking tone. “How can I touch this if it isn’t cleaner than Kansas sunshine?”

“I don’t sound like that!”

“Ha! I’m surprised you touchedme. I must smell like a horse.”

She was serious. “And that’s why I tolerate you. You wouldn’t mind putting on your shirt and pouring water over yourself, would you?”

“So I look like my men?” He sounded shocked.

She shrugged. “You could do worse.”

He grabbed her to him and kissed her, then held her head against his bare chest. “You make me laugh.” He stroked her hair. “Before I met you, I thought my life was complete, that I needed no one else.”

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