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Tillie’s plea gave him the perfect opportunity to escape outside and talk to Rebekah. But Rebekah’s smile slipped the longer he hesitated.

Nick coughed to cover a grin, keeping his head low as Ed stood to join Rebekah and the children. Ed combed a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the awkwardness.

“If you don’t need my input for a bit, I’ll get some fresh air,” he said to Drew, who nodded.

His desire to talk to Rebekah must be more obvious than he liked to think. At least the children had been making enough fuss. Maybe Rebekah hadn’t caught all the glances exchanged by his brothers.

He stepped forward to hold the door open, thankful no one knew how his stomach flipped at the words he rehearsed in his head to tell Rebekah.

Tillie yelped as the children tumbled outside and off the porch, scattering in their pursuit of the glowing bugs. He hung back near the house, close to Rebekah. A million stars shone in the night sky, competing with the lightning bugs for attention.

“I’ve got one!” David let out the first holler from the other side of the house, and the girls rushed around to see.

Rebekah started down the steps of the porch with Ed, the edge of her skirt gently brushing against his legs in the light breeze. “The children seem to have fully recovered from the poisoning.”

Ed sidled away, putting a foot of empty air between them. “I’m grateful for all you did that day.”

Rebekah didn’t comment, keeping in step with him as they slowly walked beside each other. Not far away, the children’s shapes were shadows in the darkness.

She tilted her head to face him. “Can we talk?”

“I need to tell you—” His words had come tumbling out at the same time as hers.

Her nervous laugh wrapped around him. David’s shout rose and the girls’ laughter rang out as he caught them running by the clothesline.

“I saw you talking to Isaac.” He hadn’t meant to say that. He was supposed to confess about the letters. Saying the words aloud brought a beat of the old pain. Isaac was always between them.

Rebekah tipped her head to look at the stars. “There was something I needed to settle with him.”

He couldn’t decipher her quiet tone.

Had Isaac seen the light? Realized how amazing Rebekah was?

“Did you get the matter settled?” He choked the words out.

Before she could answer, the children’s figures drew closer in the deepening dark, running in a breathless clamor from the clothesline toward Ed and Rebekah.

“We caught five already.” Jo held up the jar.

“Excellent work.” Rebekah caught his eyes over Jo’s head. She wore a serious expression until one corner of her mouth kicked up in a partial smile.

One that made Ed’s heart thud with hope.

“I see more by the tree. Over there.” Tillie squealed and pointed, then huffed to catch up with Jo and David.

If Rebekah still wanted Isaac, Ed’s heart would be broken. But wasn’t it better to know?

Who knew how long before the kids would interrupt again?

He drew in a breath, praying for the right words. “There’s something you should know about those letters Isaac sent you.”

“Have you ever thought of getting married?” Rebekah asked quickly.

Ed blinked. What?

She stepped closer, her eyes on his face. Curious and serious and…“Kaitlyn told me?—”

“Miss Rebekah, you have to come see!”

The chorus of voices made him want to howl.

Rebekah sent him a chagrined smile and traipsed in the direction the kids had called from. He followed.

Kaitlyn had told her what? About his feelings? About the letters? The questions chased around his brain as Tillie and Jo swarmed them in their impatience to reveal the surprise.

“It’s a frog.” Jo opened her hand. The frog jumped away as Tillie screamed in delight. Both girls ran after it.

“I caught another one.” David’s call came from near the porch, causing Jo and Tillie to leave the frog and run in his direction.

Ed saw his chance.

“Why don’t we walk out by the barn? We can still keep an eye on them from there.” He’d never get the words out this way.

She nodded, then looped her arm in his, her warmth so close, creating goosebumps on his skin despite the mild night. They outpaced the children, the voices becoming hushed. The darkness offered an intimacy that made his heart race.

As they stopped close to the corral, Ed looked over his shoulder to see the children still chasing fireflies near the house. Rebekah unwound her arm from his and leaned on the railing, giving him her profile. The night air filtered between them, making him suddenly cold.

“When you delivered that ad for Isaac, I tried to control everything. The letters, the ones I gave you the other day, they were from the other women. I…I hid them. I figured if he didn’t get any other letters, things would have to go my way.”

He heard the hint of shame in her voice.

“Rebekah, I?—”

“Let me get this out.”

Ed swallowed back the words he’d worked so hard to push forward.

“I thought I wanted Isaac, tried to bend the circumstances to suit me, but it turns out that I don’t want to marry him after all.” Her speech that had begun so strongly had fallen to a whisper. Her eyes held his gaze for a long moment, then dropped.

“You don’t?”

She shook her head.

He reached out to touch her arm, letting his hand slide down to cup her elbow. If only he were more eloquent like she deserved. If he knew what she wanted him to say, he’d say it.

She rubbed a hand across one arm as if she were cold, trembling as she did.

He stepped closer, close enough to kiss.

Her head tilted. The look he’d wanted from her for so many years captivated him—if he wasn’t mistaken in his interpretation.

He hesitated, then slowly lifted his hand to cup her chin, tilting it further, closer.

Maybe we shouldn’t have done that. The words from five days ago filtered through his mind.

“I don’t want this to be a mistake,” he murmured.

Rebekah leaned up toward him on tiptoe. The warmth of her breath kissed his chin right before her lips met his.

So tender and soft. He wrapped her in his arms, pulling her closer as goosebumps prickled his neck.

This beginning felt more right than his stolen kiss before.

His heart raced all the quicker from their closeness.

Rebekah had kissed him. She didn’t want Isaac.

He let himself linger in the glory of their kiss, then pulled away. He needed to tell her the truth. Words that might ruin everything.

He slid a finger across her cheek.

He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Rebekah, I have to tell you something.” His mind was spinning with joy. It was hard to think what to say. What if he messed everything up?

A rush of commotion descended on them.

“There you are.” Jo careened to a halt, placing her hands on her hips, with Tillie close behind her.

The kids. He’d lost track of them.

Rebekah stepped away, smoothing out her skirt. What he’d give to pull her back to him…

“David put a May beetle and a frog on Tillie’s head.”

“Jo slugged me.” David approached them in the dark, rubbing his forearm.

“Because of what you did to Tillie.”

“Where is Tillie?” Rebekah put a hand on Jo’s shoulder, moving away from Ed as she did. But he caught the warm glance she aimed his way.

“Here.” A whimpering Tillie stepped out from somewhere behind Jo. She beelined for Ed, arms outstretched.

Tillie was almost too big to be carried anymore, but he reached out anyway. With her head on his shoulder, legs wrapped around him, Ed placed one hand around Tillie’s waist to secure her. With the other, he rubbed David’s head.

The moment with Rebekah was broken, the children serious. The jar of lightning bugs was nowhere in sight.

“Next time, stop after the bug.”

David shrugged and grinned, reminding Ed of a much younger Drew.

Rebekah shot Ed a bit of a glare over David’s head for encouraging him, but her eyes sparkled.

Ed reached out to tug a strand that had fallen loose from her bun, just like in school, earning him a wide-eyed look of stern reproach that only made him grin.

“Let’s get you all to the house.”

This time, there was no holding Rebekah’s arm. Jo walked between them, complaining about her brother. Rebekah led the weary troop to the porch, then opened the door so that a rectangle of light fell on them.

Inside, she stopped to give Kaitlyn an explanation of the children’s argument before turning back to Ed.

“How about a cup of coffee? Rebekah?” His hands went clammy as everyone gave him a questioning look. “We could…visit…a bit more.”

In the lamplight, the shadows beneath her eyes showed her weariness, even as she settled a soft smile on him. She’d told him she hadn’t slept.

The children made a ruckus behind them as Kaitlyn shooed them upstairs to get ready for bed.

“Time for me to head to the bunkhouse.” Nick rose to grab his hat.

“It is late.” Kaitlyn’s gaze wandered between Ed and Rebekah.

“Never mind,” he said quietly. “We can talk tomorrow.”

“Talk?” Nick teased in passing.

“Goodnight, all.” Ed bade Kaitlyn and Drew goodnight, still standing close to Rebekah. He never took his eyes off her. “See you in the morning.”

“In the morning.” She dipped her head, a shy smile beaming right at him.

Ed made his way to the door, casting a final glance over his shoulder.

Rebekah looked back over at him as she followed Kaitlyn upstairs.

His heart filled to bursting, but as he tromped outside, the jarring feeling returned—the very one he’d felt when he’d seen Rebekah and Isaac talking after supper.

She’d kissed him. But he still had to tell her the truth. He’d written those letters. What would she do then?