excerpt

“Look here,” he said suddenly as he raised his head and leaned
forward in his chair, “I know the place is a mess but I’m gonna fix
it up. It’s just that I haven’t had much reason for doin’ anythin’, not
since … not since my maw died.” His head went down again, and his
eyes appeared focussed on one booted foot.
Sarah felt tears rise in her throat. She swallowed and looked away.
They sat like that for several minutes without moving, avoiding
each other’s eyes. Apparently he had said all he would say on the
matter. He wouldn’t coax, of this Sarah was sure. And in that moment
she experienced a strong surge of feeling for him, whether of
compassion or attraction she could not be sure.
Suddenly he reached out with a work-roughened hand and covered
her own where it lay on the table. He did not smile but his
voice was low as he looked into her face. “I guess I’m not what you
expected, all right. I …uh … shouldn’t have pretended I was somethin’
I’m not.” He cleared his throat and looked down at the table.
“But I work hard, and I’m dependable. And I ….” He raised his head
and looked directly at her. “And I sure would like you to stay.”
The love that had blossomed in Sarah’s heart over the past months
suddenly overwhelmed her. Blinking against tears, she said quietly,
“All right, Ben, I will marry you.”
If she had expected a further moment of shared intimacy following
what amounted to her acceptance of his marriage proposal, it
was not forthcoming. He rose from the table and, going to the door,
slapped his straw hat onto his head before turning around to look
at her.
“Friday then? I’ll get the licence from the town hall in Bradshaw.”
He turned and, with a jaunty step, hurried outside.
Sarah sat with her hands clasped together in her lap, staring at
the flies swarming in through the open door.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0981073530