“I don’t want to think about it.  What do you suppose imminent means?”

“Maybe weeks.  Likely not though.”

“Days?”

“At least now you have some warning.”

“I’d almost rather just have him show up out of the blue and then say whatever comes out of my mouth when I see him.”

“I’d say that’s the first and most important reason he had for writing the letter.  He won’t win anything by taking you on and he must be more aware of that than anybody.”

“Thank you for your high opinion,” she said.  He reached out and ran his hand gently down her arm, stopping at her wrist.  It took a moment for her breath to return.  “Ellis and Miller have to know, though.  Can you get them to dinner tonight?”

“That’s never very hard.”

When he was gone, Ada sighed.  “Does he touch you like that all the time?”

“Ada, I don’t even know what to do with your questions anymore.  I’m no good at this.”

Ada was thoughtful for a moment, her mind elsewhere.  “I wonder if Miller’s ever kissed a girl.  He’s so shy.”

Charlotte started to say something else, then changed her mind.  What difference did it make anymore?  “Well, Ada, let me first tell you one more time not to grow up like me.  Then I’m going to let you know, just for information’s sake, that Miller has kissed someone, or rather, I should say, someone kissed him.  And it was me.”

“What?  You didn’t.  That’s crazy.  But did he kiss good?  Did he kiss like Chace kisses you?”

“Good Lord, no.  With Miller it was innocent.”  She realized what she’d just said.  “I mean…” she said and stopped.  “Oh never mind.  Though Miller’s close to me in age he’s obviously had no experience at all.  It was when I had to leave the wagon train, that morning.  He’d talked me through all of what was going on with Ellis, stood beside me when we met the grandfather.  I was so thankful for how kind he was.  So I did kiss him, once, quick, and I told him beforehand I was going to do it.  That was all.”

“What did he do?”

“He didn’t do anything.  He was shocked.”

“But he could learn to kiss, couldn’t he?”

“Anybody can learn to kiss.  At least I think so.  And it seems some people are just born knowing how.”

“So he helped you too.”

“That’s what I mean,” Charlotte said, “about making sure it’s the right one before you decide on doing anything.  If you ask me, there’s hardly a person with a better heart anywhere than Miller.”

“Do you think someday he’d talk to me?”