Free Place Of Her Own by Lynn A. Coleman Page B

moonlight. The sight made his heart pound and his palms sweat. “You’re even more beautiful now than when you were seventeen.”
    “Shelton, please don’t.”
    “Don’t what? Tell you that I love you? That I’ve always loved you, from the first moment you came to my home?”
    Tears ran down her cheeks. She trembled.
    He stepped toward her, opening his arms, willing her to come to him. Katherine eased forward and leaned into his chest.
    “My dear, sweet Katherine.” He held her gently in his arms. He inhaled the wonderful scent that was hers alone.
Lord, give me strength.
    “I’m damaged,” she sobbed.
    He held her tighter.
Lord, I wish I could take away her pain.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” She shook her head.
    “That’s all right, sweetheart. Whenever you’re ready.” Shelton closed his eyes and held the woman he loved. For the first time, she’d come to him, willingly, openly. He would cherish this moment for as long as he lived. He kissed her gently on top of her red curls.
    “I thought I was nearly free from the past,” she choked out. “But since you came back I’ve been having nightmares. I never completely stopped having them, but they’ve been more frequent since you arrived.”
    “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
    “I feel dirty for liking you,” she confessed.
    He cradled her head in his hands and encouraged her to look at him. “My dear, sweet Katherine, I love you. What happened in the past couldn’t be your fault.”
    Katherine pulled away. “You don’t understand.”
    “Tell me so I will,” he pleaded.
    “I can’t,” she cried, and bolted toward Grandma Mac’s farmhouse.
    He ran after her.
I pushed too hard.
“Katherine, stop. Please!”
    She stumbled. He caught her. He held her gently, fighting the desire to kiss her and hold on to her until she saw and felt how much he loved her. “Whenever you’re ready, you can come to me. I will not force you. I respect you too much to make you do something you don’t want to do.”
    “You have no idea,” she mumbled.

nine
    Katherine kept to herself for the next three days. Spending time with Shelton was dangerous to her soul. She desired to be in his arms. She ached to kiss him. But she couldn’t give in to such temptations, even if Grandma Mac did say God gave those desires for the holy purposes of marriage. She knew in her mind that was the truth. But she had no way to know whether she would respond positively to his kiss or if the ugly past would come back and taint the love she felt for Shelton. She didn’t want to soil something as precious as his love for her and hers for him.
    Not that she’d confessed her feelings for him yet.
    She sat in her bedroom, working on her sewing. She’d sold several shirts to the mercantile and had an order for a dozen more.
    “Katherine,” Shelton’s voice called out from behind the door. “May I come in?”
    She set aside her sewing and opened the door. “What can I do for you?”
    “I could use a favor, if you don’t mind.”
    “What is it?”
    “I’m wondering if you can take care of Mrs. MacKenneth’s livestock for the next two days.”
    “I could try.” She wanted to ask why he couldn’t do it, but didn’t feel she had the right to.
    “Thank you. Can I show you where I keep everything?”
    “Please.” She followed him out of the house.
    In the barn, Shelton showed her the sacks of grain and instructed her in how Grandma Mac liked to mix her pig slop. “Any questions?” he asked.
    “Nope. Looks pretty straightforward.”
    “I appreciate this. I’ll be happy to pay you for your time.”
    Katherine placed her hands on her hips.
    Shelton laughed. “I didn’t think so, but I was duty bound to offer.”
    “You have a strong sense of duty and honor, don’t you?”
    “I get that from my father. I know it doesn’t make sense, with his gambling and all, but he wasn’t always irresponsible. He taught us that a man’s word isn’t worth