Leann wanted to stay in Ralph's arms, but he turned and untied his horse.
With the reins in one hand, he gave her another kiss. "Nobody can keep us apart." He mounted the horse.
"When will you be back?"
"Don’t know. I have the winter wheat crop to harvest and spring planting's coming on." He flicked the reins, turned his horse and rode away.
Leann took a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and wiped her eyes. She would miss him terribly. She stood under the tree, watching her parents on the front porch. Pa reached over and patted Ma’s hand. Leann wouldn’t go back to the house until they went inside. She didn’t trust herself to speak to either one.
Leann's three sisters came out on the porch. They had finished gathering the eggs. Her brothers would join the family shortly after they finished with the chores. Usually on mild nights, the family laughed and talked and listened to Pa’s stories on the front porch until bedtime. Tonight, she wouldn’t join them.
"Leann, you might as well come on in here," Pa called to her. "Your pouting won’t make me change my mind. I want to talk to you."
Leann twisted her skirt until knots formed in the fabric and turned to look in the direction of Ralph’s retreat. If only he would come back to take her away with him. They could elope. The next time he came calling, if he did again, she would tell him to run away with her. She loved him and wanted to be with him. She couldn’t bear her life if he never came back.
A small breeze blew through the tree, rustling the green leaves. The gentle wind brushed across her face, cooling her hot skin. The heady smell of Ralph’s horse lingered around the tree. Someone caught her arm and jerked her around.
Pa stared at Leann with flames of fury burning deep in his eyes. "I told you to come on to the house. I want to talk to you."
She had very seldom seen him angry, especially with her, so she looked down at the ground to escape his gaze. Large fingers held her arm in a firm grasp.
Pa caught her under the chin, pulling her face up. "Look at me." Their eyes met. "Just a few days ago I explained to you about why I wouldn’t let you marry Ralph. You’re too young, and he can’t take care of you. The war put everybody here in a bind. Some folk can’t even feed their families. He just started farming on his own land, and he sure don’t have any cash saved for hard times. In a couple of years, things will be better all around."
Leann didn’t answer. Pa was right, but she didn’t want to wait to marry Ralph. He took her breath away when he kissed her. And when his hands discovered places they shouldn’t, desire for him swept through her body down to her toes. They couldn’t wait a year and a half to get married. Waiting was getting too hard.
"I told Ralph you two need some time apart. You’re too serious, and your relationship is getting out of hand." He released her chin but kept a firm hold on her arm.
"You told him to stay away?" Leann cried, trying to jerk free of her father’s grip. "How could you do that? You know how much I love Ralph. I want to be his wife."
"That’s the problem. I know how much you think you love him, and I know how much he desires you. If he really loves you, he’ll wait like I asked him to."
Leann jerked her arm. Her father released her. She ran from Pa toward the house, rushed up the porch steps and into the house, ignoring the rest of her family. The screen door slammed shut. Taking two steps at a time, she climbed the stairs to the bedroom she shared with her sisters, flung herself across the bed and cried, fearing her heart might break in a thousand pieces.