Shivering in the biting cold wind, Amara shook the snow from her skirts as she continued to trudge back toward town. When she’d gone out that morning to gather the last of the berries before winter, the sun had been shining and it had been reasonably warm.
Now the sun had fast disappeared behind storm clouds that had come out of nowhere. The snow had dumped until she was up to her cold ankles in icy snow. Already she could hear her mother’s disappointed sigh, for she knew that she must look like a bedraggled mess by now.
Making it to the road had been a huge accomplishment but she had too far to go to slow down now. So instead she trudged on. Several minutes later she heard a horse’s hooves fast approaching. Hurriedly moving to the small ditch on the side of the road, she looked back to watch for the approaching rider. Instead of flying past her kicking up snow, the horse and its rider pulled up to a stop next to her.
“Can I assist you in some way?” A deep voice muffled by a warm dark blue scarf mumbled. “A ride perhaps?”
With a glare Amara turned to the rider. “Keep moving sir. I am uninterested in being accosted today. If you get off your horse I will make sure you sincerely regret it before you can do anything.” She kept a wary eye on him as she took several steps away.
“Mari?” Despite her warning the rider dropped to the ground, unwrapping the scarf from where it was obscuring his face.
“Milo!” Amara flew over to him, leaping into his arms. He easily caught her, laughing. Her momentum was enough that they both fell to the side of the road as his horse patiently waited.
“When did you get home?” Amara asked, breathlessly lying in the snow, giggling next to him. Milo sat up, pulling her with him and brushed some of the snow from her hair.
He shrugged. “Yesterday. Sorry I didn’t come to see you sooner.”
“After 5 years? What’s one little day? Was boarding school awful?” Amara began to shiver again.
Immediately Milo tightened his arms around her. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing.”
“Berries.” She confessed, blushing.
“Are you still going to kill me if I haul you onto my horse and get you someplace warm? Because as of now, I still don’t regret getting down from my horse.” Even as he asked Milo stood up and tossed her easily over his shoulder.
She hit his back as she laughed. “Put me down.”
Striding to his horse, he helped her up. Then, after tossing her a cheery smile he climbed up behind her. They began a slow canter as Amara cuddled back into Milo’s chest, remembering all the times he had let her go riding with him when they were younger.
“Where does your father think you are?” In the past she had hoped his father would look past her lack of wealth and acknowledge that her family name was still a respectable one but by now, with all the time she had spent in his company and faced his scorn she doubted that would ever happen.
Milo hugged her as he laid his chin on her shoulder and whispered, “With you.”
“But he hates me.” Amara turned her head to look into his hazel eyes. “He would never let you come see me. Last I heard, he was adamant about being sure I didn’t get any foolish ideas of a future with you. He even went out of his way to inform me that he had found you the perfect wife.”
He pulled his horse to a stop and gently turned her in his lap. “Last night I told him, in no uncertain terms, that he was going to learn to treat you respectfully as a member of the family.” His steady gaze never left her face.
“What?” A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold coursed through her.
Milo quickly dissembled. “I know that I have been gone for a long time and you may have found someone else…” He paused as fear touched his eyes.
With a nervous laugh she shook her head. “Much to my mother’s dismay, I have not been deemed marriageable by any of the young men or their families. Something about a wild streak? Or impertinence? I think one of the good mothers I met informed me that I would never be a bride because I was appalling at being a good biddable girl. So no, there is no one else.” Amara leaned in. “And aside from all that, there is no one else I would want Milo. Just you.”
“Oh good. Then, I was saying that I know it has been a long time. I want you to know that you were never far from my thoughts. And now I am back and not going anywhere anytime soon. I figured now would be the best time to state my intentions. Amara, I want to court you so that when the appropriate time comes, I can marry you. Please tell me that is something you want as well.”
Stunned and overcome by the swell of emotion crashing through her, it took her more than a moment to respond. The worry once again creeping onto his hopeful face jolted her from her shock. She flung her arms around his neck. “Yes!” Immediately she pulled back and blushed. “I mean, yes good sir, you may court me so long as you are able to obtain my father’s approval…and my mother’s.”
He laughed. “That was a very good attempt. I almost believed that you were a good biddable girl. Too bad I know you better than that.” He tickled her.
With a screech she smacked his shoulder. “I know how to behave well when the situation calls for it, you lout.”
“Indeed?” He swept her into a huge warm hug. “You will have a chance to prove it tonight at our dinner party.”
She pushed on his chest. “Tonight? With your family? That is sudden. What if you hadn’t happened upon me on the road?”
“I was on my way to your house you goose.”
“Oh.” Amara took a deep breath. “Then I suppose you better take me the rest of the way so you can formalize it all with my parents while I throw on a decent dress.”
They rode the rest of the way in cheerful silence, smiling at each other every few seconds as if to reassure each other that they were together.
