“That’s all anyone can ask.” He glanced toward the bank of the creek and saw that Jenny was still in view, even though she had her back to them for the moment.

He dropped his voice even lower. “I want very much to kiss you.” He allowed the thought to linger between them, allowed the color to climb in her cheeks and the anticipation to shine in her eyes before adding, “But I won’t. Not with Jenny so close by again.”

It might have been his imagination or wishful thinking, but he thought he detected disappointment shadowing the depths of her eyes even as she murmured her thanks.

He grinned. “That doesn’t mean I can’t tell you what I think kissing you would be like. Your mouth is soft as a rose petal, Janet Runningbear, and your breath is just as sweet. I love the way your eyes darken when my mouth is this close to yours,” he said, leaning down to within a hairbreadth of her lips, then retreating almost at once. This time he heard the shock of her indrawn breath and knew, absolutely knew, that what he saw in her eyes was disappointment.

He ran his thumb along her lower lip. “There will be other times,” he assured her. “Private times.”

He released her then, amused that she stood as if his hands were still on her, quiet and shaken. He hoped his own emotions weren’t half so apparent. One thing for sure, he wasn’t half as frightened of what the future might hold as she appeared to be. For the first time since they’d met, she seemed truly vulnerable.

For the life of him, he couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. Until he could figure it out, he settled for taming the electricity arcing through the air so they could get through the rest of the day without giving Jenny something more to fret about.

He winked at her. “Come on, woman. Why are you standing there? We’ve got fried chicken and potato salad and coleslaw to serve up. You must be starving after that ride.”

She visibly shook off the uncertainties that had held her still. “You’re right. I am famished.” She scanned the creek bank until she found Jenny, then called her, just a hint of desperation in her voice. “Come on, sweetie. Lunch is ready.”

Harlan settled himself in his favorite position against the tree and listened to Janet and Jenny chatter through lunch. If there was a nervous edge to the conversation, he chalked it up to the electricity that his best effort had failed to diffuse. For better or worse, the attraction humming between Janet and him was powerful stuff. It needed only a chance look, a casual touch, to set it off.

“Is the creek deep enough to swim in?” Jenny asked after they’d eaten. “I wore my suit under my jeans.”