Lightning illuminated the shadows where Nathaniel stood.  He walked closer to the foot of the bed.  “The house will be fine.”

Her brows knitted.  “How can you be so sure?”

“I used to help my uncle build houses when I was younger.  This house was made sturdy.”

Grace smiled.  “My father built it.”

“He knew what he was doing.”

She hunched her shoulders.  “He always seemed to.”

Nathaniel moved around the bed and stood next to Grace’s side.  “Are you feeling better?”

She nodded once then shook her head.  “I keep thinking what might have happened, what I would do if I lost Henry.”

He sat down beside her and took hold of her hands.  “You’re not going to lose Henry.”

“How can you be so sure?  Look what almost happened.”  Even she heard the note of hysteria in her voice.

“But you’re safe.  Just because that happened down there doesn’t mean you’re going to face some kind of doom every day.”  He brought her hands to his lips and kissed the knuckles gently.  “You worry too much about things beyond your control.”

Her lashed fluttered and she lowered her eyes.  “I have to worry about Henry.”

Nathaniel began to stroke her hair with one hand.  “He’s going to be fine.  So are you.”

“I know we are.  That’s why I’ve made a decision.”

He lifted one eyebrow.  “What’s that?”

She drew in a deep breath as the thought took root.  “I’m going to move Henry into town.  He needs to be closer to boys his age.  He’d have plenty more to do.  He could see his friends more often and be around some of their fathers.  It will be good for him.”

Nathaniel’s hand dropped.  “So you just came to that decision suddenly like that?”

She bit her lower lip.  “Yes.”

“It’s never a good thing to make a decision after you’ve experienced a trauma.”

“Who says?”

His brow wrinkled.  “I’m not sure, but I’m sure it’s written somewhere.”

Grace allowed herself a fleeting smile at his attempt to lighten the mood.  “Henry will be safer in town.”

“Grace.”  Nathaniel sighed.  “Storms can come to town, too.”

He didn’t need to remind her of that.  She tugged her hand free of his and sat back against the headboard.  “I don’t know what I was thinking.  I shouldn’t be trying to run a farm.  I’m just one person and I can’t do it all.  I mean, it takes me all day to get the chores done and by the time night falls, I’m exhausted. All I want to do is fall into bed and I don’t even know why I’m telling you all of this when you’re here to take the farm.”  The last few words ended on a low-pitched wail.

Nathaniel scooted forward and captured her body into his arms.  He dragged her closer to him, pillowing her head on his shoulder.  He didn’t speak to her, he just rocked and soothed.

Grace clung to him, absorbing his strength.  She needed to find her own ability to stand strong again, just like she’d done her entire life, before Nathaniel.  She didn’t know why she allowed herself to need him now.

He tipped her face up to his with two fingers under her chin and he kissed her.  Grace closed her eyes to savor the feel of his lips against hers. She knew she’d remember his kisses forever.  He didn’t just press his lips to hers, he savored the touch, tasting her with infinite gentleness, as if she were a precious piece of porcelain he had to protect.

He cupped her face and deepened the kiss, his tongue lightly tracing the outline of her mouth.  Warmth curled low in Grace’s stomach and she held tightly to his wrists.  She never wanted the kiss to end.

Nathaniel whispered her name and slid his lips across her cheek, planting tiny kisses along her jawline.  His hand dropped to her shoulder and massaged the skin.

Grace forgot to think.  She fell into the emotions buffeting her body and when Nathaniel lowered her back against the mattress, she looked up at him with no fear.  She didn’t know much about a physical relationship between a man and a woman, but when Nathaniel kissed her, she wanted to know more.

He trailed his fingers along her neck and Grace closed her eyes.  Such a simple caress and yet, her body reacted with more fire than she’d felt in a lifetime.  She wanted him to keep touching her, to teach her everything there was to know about this type of intimacy.

Nathaniel laid down beside her, lowering his hand to the flat part of her stomach.  She held her breath, wondering where his touch would take him next.  His breath bathed her ear and Grace turned her head to capture his lips in a soft kiss.  She might not know what she was doing, but she caught on quickly.

“Grace,” he whispered, drawing his hand upward.

His fingertips touched the underside of her breast and Grace tingled from head to toe.  No man had ever touched her there.  She tried to swallow, but the lump in her throat prevented even that simple action.

She pressed a kiss against his cheek and Nathaniel’s hand moved up to cover her breast.  She’d heard the ladies in town talking about the delicious feelings, but she’d never really paid much attention to it.  Her father never would have allowed her to get so close to a man she wasn’t married to.

She tried to drown out the thoughts with the simple pleasures Nathaniel offered her, but suddenly, Henry rolled to his back and loud snores filtered up to the bed.  Grace froze.

“I, we can’t do this.  Henry is here.”  She rolled to her side and slung her legs over the side of the bed.  Shoving her hair back from her face, she sat ramrod straight, her hands shaking.

Nathaniel came to his knees behind her and curled his hands over her shoulders.  “Grace, it’s okay.”

She shook her head.  “No, it’s not.  Do you realize what could have just happened, what almost happened?”

He sighed and scooted forward to sit beside her.  He took one of her hands and pressed it against his knee.  “Nothing happened.  We kissed and for a little while, you forgot about the storm and your fear.  What could possibly be wrong with that?”

Grace knew her grandmother would have said something about a man spinning a yarn, but she figured there would be no harm in allowing Nathaniel’s words to calm her yet again.  She even managed a smile for him.  “You’re right.  I overreacted.  I’m sorry.”

His fingers tightened around hers.  “There’s no need to apologize, Grace.  Had Henry not been in the room, the story would have ended differently.”

She looked at him, unsure what to say next.

He curled the fingers of his free hand under her chin.  “I do want to make love to you, but to everything there is a time.”

The lump in her throat grew in size.  “But, but, we’re not married.”  The words burst out before she could stop them and she leapt to her feet, more embarrassed than she’d ever been in her entire life.  She hadn’t wanted Nathaniel to know that she was so innocent, but even before she spoke, she suspected he knew.  How could he not when she’d just lain there not knowing what to do with her hands?

Nathaniel chuckled softly and got to his feet.  “Nothing is going to happen that you don’t want to happen.  I promise.  I would never hurt you.”

She dropped her eyes and ran her hands down the front of her wrinkled dress.  “We’d better try to get some sleep.  The storm seems to be calming down some.”  Even as she said the words, the walls reverberated with the crash of thunder.  She jerked and wrapped her arms around her waist.

Nathaniel sighed, stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants and walked toward her.  “Do you have any cards?”

She blinked up at him, confused.  “What?”

“Cards.  Do you have a deck of cards?”

“I think Daddy had a set in the nightstand over there, but why?”

Nathaniel strolled around the bed toward the battered nightstand.  “Well, I figure if the storm is going to keep us awake, we’d better find something to do to occupy our hands.”