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but before she could tie them, Hunter stepped in front of her and took both her hands. “I shouldn’t have said that. You’re definitely the marrying kind of girl.”
    Channie’s heart leapt into her throat. Was Hunter declaring his intentions? They were a little young to get engaged, but Momma and Daddy had gotten married when they were sixteen.
    Hunter caressed the back of Channie’s hands with his thumbs. “And someday—”
    A shrill whistle interrupted Hunter. Someone yelled, “Grab a partner and line up!”
    Channie recognized “Fire on the Mountain” even before the fiddler joined in. Hunter grabbed her around the waist and ran with her to line up in front of the band.
    All the Feenie boys were light on their feet, but Hunter was by far the best dancer in the entire Ozark region. He whirled and twirled Channie ‘till she was so dizzy she could barely stand. His feet were a blur as he beat out a rhythm on the ground that had people dropping out to watch. When the music stopped, he kissed the back of Channie’s hand, thanked her for the dance … and disappeared.
    ~***~
    An hour later, Channie still hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Hunter, but she spotted Lovie Schmidt’s family. Lovie was not with them.
    When Momma started in on Abby for losing track of the trips, Channie jumped to her feet. “I’ll go look for ‘em.”
    She headed straight for the barn.
    Lovie's high-pitched giggle boiled Channie’s blood. But it was the husky sound of Hunter’s voice that drove a knife through her heart.
    “ Pleeease , Lovie. You’re making me crazy.”
    Channie froze then took a shaky breath and peeked through a gap between the rotting boards of the barn door. Dust motes swirled in the golden hued light of the setting sun.
    Hunter pressed Lovie against the back wall. He held her wrists above her head with one hand and tangled the other in her hair.
    Lovie’s lips parted as she lifted her chin.
    Hunter kissed his way up her throat to her mouth.
    Channie turned and fled into the lengthening shadows of the woods. Brambles snagged the fabric of her new dress and clawed at her skin; but she barely felt it. Why would Hunter practically propose to her then run off and do that with Lovie?
    ~***~
    “ Channie?” Aunt Wisdom’s voice drifted through the woods. “Where are you, sweetheart?”
    Channie swiped the tears out of her eyes and turned towards the sound of Aunt Wisdom’s voice. She reached out with her magic. “Over here.”
    The soft glow of a kerosene lantern wove a trail of light between the trees.
    Aunt Wisdom set the lantern on the ground then wrapped her arms around Channie. “He’s not worth it.”
    Channie pulled back and frowned. “What do you mean?”
    “ I mean…” Aunt Wisdom brushed the hair off Channie’s forehead. “That Feenie boy does not deserve you.”
    “ What makes you think this is about Hunter?” There was no point denying she was upset, but she might be able to salvage a scrap of pride.
    “ Well, my first clue was the way you lit up while you were dancing with him.”
    “ You read my energy field?” Channie pulled away from Aunt Wisdom.
    “ I didn’t have to. You were glowing like a sky full of lightening bugs.”
    Channie buried her face in her hands and groaned. “Everyone knows?” Could this get any more humiliating?
    Aunt Wisdom tugged Channie’s hands away from her face. “No one’s judging you, sweetheart. But that Feenie boy didn’t do himself any favors tonight.”
    “ Why doesn’t Hunter like me the way he likes Lovie Schmidt?”
    Aunt Wisdom gripped Channie’s chin between her thumb and index finger then tilted her face up. “You do not want any boy to like you the way they all like Lovie Schmidt.”
    “ But it hurts.” Channie pressed her hands against her chest, as if that could ease the pain. “It feels like Hunter ripped my heart out and stomped on it.”
    Aunt Wisdom hugged her again. “I know baby, I know.” She kissed the top of Channie’s