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carried her to the bed, and set her down. “Are you all right?”
    No, she wasn’t all right! Wasn’t it obvious? But wait, did she almost faint? Maybe she wasn’t in as good shape as she thought. “I don’t know.”
    “Maybe you’d better lie down. I’ll finish unloading the wagon, and unhitch the horses.”
    His voice was gentle; his face inches from hers, and full of concern.
    She stared back. “I’m afraid I don’t know what happened.”
    “You’ve had a hard day. One you … weren’t ready for.”
    She didn’t speak, only nodded. “One point,” she whispered.
    He gazed at her, and brushed some hair from her face. “Whose?”
    She felt something pool in her belly at his touch. “Yours.”
    He raised his brows at that. “You’re giving me a point?”
    “Yes,” she nodded. “I’m afraid so. You’re quite right. I wasn’t as ready to get married as I thought. Now that I think on it, I wasn’t ready for a lot of this.”
    He sat up and sighed. “What does that make the score?”
    His question threw her. She expected him to get angry. She sucked in her breath and stared at him. “Well?” he asked, his voice gentle.
    “I do believe that makes it four to two, your favor.”
    “Confound it, you’re getting behind. I was hoping we’d stay even; just to make it fair, of course.”
    He looked so serious when he said it, yet his voice was tender. It made her smile. “I’m sure I’ll endeavor to catch up.”
    He studied her, and she wished she knew what he was thinking. All she did know was that he was not the man she’d first thought he was. Levi Stone the tease was also Levi Stone the man, and an interesting man he was. She likened learning about him to studying a painting she admired, examining every line, every brushstroke, in order to get to know something of the artist himself. So far she was able to tell he was very passionate, and not afraid to show his emotions. She wished she was the same, but it was hard to go against twenty-two years of upbringing and express herself to him all at once, no matter how he infuriated her. Or impassioned …
    “I think I’d better go unhitch the horses, or risk finding out what would happen if I kissed you.”
    His words hit her, and pulled her out of her musings. “What?”
    “Kissed you. Tell you what, if I’m right, I’ll give you the points.”
    “Right about what?”
    “What you’ll do if I …”
    “Kiss me?” she finished for him, her voice raising in pitch.
    Levi grinned down at her, and leaned in her direction. “Yes. Shall I see if I’m right, and help even the score?”
    She swallowed hard. “You’d better go unhitch the horses.”
    “Surely you’re not afraid. We are married, after all,” he said as his face drew closer.
    “I … you … unhitch the horses …”
    “You’re blushing, Fella. It gives you away.”
    “I’m doing no such thing …”
    His lips descended on hers, cutting her off. Her hands pressed against his chest as if to push him away but, instead, found his shirt, and gripped it as his tongue delved between her lips and invaded her mouth. Before she knew it, his weight pressed against her, holding her down as one of his hands went behind her head to anchor her in place.
    He deepened the kiss.
    Much to her dismay, and Levi’s pleasure, she moaned.
    He broke the kiss and brushed his nose against hers in a playful gesture. “You know what, Fella?” he whispered as he gazed into her eyes.
    “Wha…” Good grief! He’d rendered her speechless!
    “The score is now four to four.”
     
    * * *
     
    He left. Again.
    It was bad enough the first time he’d done it and abandoned her on the porch. But this time, as he lifted his warm body from the bed (not to mention her) a strange emptiness took hold, and it was all Fina could do not to reach out and pull him back down alongside her again.
    Fina sat up as Levi closed the door and went to unhitch the horses. At least she assumed that's what he was doing. Why