They Blamed Me for Mama's Death, So I Healed Their Worst Enemy novel · Chapter 23 of 24
Chapter 23: The Thaw
I said yes in the springhouse creek, standing in water to my knees that was cold enough to hurt.
The thaw had come late that year.
Up on the mountain the ice had gone out of the creek on the first of April, and the dogwood opened on the ninth.
Duncan had asked me to walk up past the springhouse with him that Saturday, and I had known why.
Burl had eaten at the bottom of the Roan's table since my birthday.
He had said nothing at it but thank you, and I had said nothing to him but pass the beans.
It was a start, and I had not decided about more.
I had decided about this man.
He stood on the bank with a bunch of ramps in his fist and dirt on his knees.
He had stopped on the way up to dig them.
He saw me in the creek in my slip, with white dogwood stuck in my braid, and he forgot what he meant to say.
"Dovie," he said.
"Don't ask me," I said. "I'm going to say it first."
He stood very still.
"Yes," I said. "I'll take your name, and your hearth, and your hand. I'll take the end of the road with you. Yes."
The ramps fell out of his hand.
"I wanted to be the one who asked."
"You asked in January. I've had the answer since the day you cut her stone." I held out my hand. "Come in here."
"It's freezing."
"Then you'd better warm me up."
He came into the creek in his boots and his coat.
The water took him to the knee, and he swore.
I laughed so hard that I nearly fell.
He caught me, and then he stopped laughing, because he had hold of me.
He kissed me.
It was the best kiss of my life, with the snowmelt running over our feet and the sun on my wet shoulders.
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–6 of They Blamed Me for Mama's Death, So I Healed Their Worst Enemy are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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