Chapter 16

Worried Lee or Mrs. Rose might be watching him through one of the house’s dark windows, he turned away from the small structure and headed toward the barn. There was a possibility Christian would be waiting for him there, or at least left a message for him there. She could write, after a fashion, and sometimes she left him small notes on torn corners of paper.

He heard her as soon as he stepped into the dark building.

“I’m sorry.”

Mal stopped short, stretching his senses to find her. She could have been in front of him, on either side of him, or above him. It was just impossible to tell. “For what?”

“For not believing you.”

“It’s fine.”

“I didn’t think…” There was a hitch in her voice, like a sob was threatening to escape. He tried to move closer to her, but she was still obscured by shadows. “Do you really want to marry me?”

“Yes. Don’t you want to marry me?”

“Yes, I do. I’ve never known anybody like you, Malachi. I didn’t even think there could be anybody like you.”