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road. When he saw Byron and Elliott riding by, he could scarcely believe his eyes. He waited until they had passed, then leapt to his feet and pulled Melissa to hers.
    "That was your brothers. Is there a way we can still beat them home?"
    Melissa had expected Byron and Elliott to remain at the Raleigh Tavern all afternoon, and unable to believe Hunter had seen them, she edged past him to take a look for herself. She recognized her brothers only too well, however, and appalled by how close they had come to discovering her with Hunter, she hurriedly pulled her clothes back into place.
    "There's a narrow trail through the fields. If we hurry, we can still be home first."
    Hunter slipped on his shirt and retied his hair, as he started toward his mount. "You lead the way, I'll follow."
    Melissa had not expected a few stolen kisses to get so wildly out of hand, and she was shaking so badly she needed his help to get into her saddle. She dared not imagine what her brothers would have done had they found her with Hunter, and the terror of that possibility inspired such a wild ride that they arrived home in plenty of time. She rode straight into the barn, slid off her mare's back, removed the purchases she had stored behind her saddle, and handed her reins to one of the stable boys. Hunter drew his mount to a halt at the stable doors, uncinched his saddle, yanked it off, and grabbing up a brush, began to curry his horse's glistening coat with long, savage strokes.
    Melissa dared not waste a minute, and rushed by Hunter with no more than a hint of a wave. She gulped in air as she walked toward the kitchen, and by the time she reached it, she could draw breath enough to speak to Alanna, who had just finished making candles. The spicy scent of bayberry filled the air, and drawn to the sweet coziness of the kitchen, Melissa tarried by the door.
    "I brought you some ribbon," she announced.
    Polly McBride, and two of her daughters, Catherine and Rosemary, worked in the kitchen. She noted Melissa's presence only because it made a difference in how much food they would need to send to the house for the midday meal. "Thought you and your brothers were staying in town, Miss Melissa."
    "We came home earlier than expected," Melissa managed to explain.
    Alanna assumed the color in her cousin's cheeks was due to exposure to the sun and would have given it no further thought, had she not noticed a sprig of grass caught in one of the ribbons adorning Melissa's cap. She stepped close, and after removing it, sent Melissa a questioning glance. When Melissa's face flooded with an incriminating blush, Alanna was puzzled as to the cause, but before she could comment, she saw Hunter approaching.
    He paused several steps away from the kitchen door. "If they're looking for me, tell Byron and Elliott I'll be down at the dock."
    Alanna expected Melissa to respond, and when her cousin only nodded shyly before quickly looking away, she grew even more suspicious. She stepped outside to watch Hunter walk away. There had been something in his manner just now that she hadn't seen earlier that day. It certainly hadn't been diffidence, but could it possibly have been guilt? she wondered.
    Alanna twirled the curious sprig of grass between her fingers, and when she noticed the horror with which her cousin was regarding her gesture, she grew faint. She reached out for the kitchen door to steady herself and prayed that her suspicions could not possibly be true. Melissa was a flirt, but surely she could not have been with Hunter.
    "Just where are Byron and Elliott?" Alanna finally had the presence of mind to ask.
    "We came home by ourselves, but I'm sure they'll be here soon."
    "You were alone with Hunter?" Alanna whispered accusingly.
    Finally seizing the initiative, Melissa reached out to yank the sprig of grass from Alanna's hand and quickly tossed it aside. "So what if I was? It's a lovely day, and we had a pleasant ride. Now come on, let's go up to the house and get