Chapter 142

"I apologize, Miss Tucker," Judah, said, sliding his light blue shirt back over his head. It clung to his wet torso, and he wiggled his shoulders to loosen it as he refastened the top three buttons. "It is intolerably hot up there."

With the heat rolling through her own flesh, she imagined she knew the feeling. She felt like her cheeks were aflame, and there was a tightness in her stomach like she'd never experienced before. He was fully dressed now, his shirt tucked in, and his hat, which had been resting atop the pump, was back on his head, but Hope thought it might take the rest of her life to get the image of Judah's bare chest out of her mind.

"Hope? Are you all right?" His expression was a mixture of true concern and that amusement she often saw play across his face whenever they interacted.