Emma hummed to herself as she shelled peas for tonight's supper on the porch. It had been a long time since she'd felt this light, this happy. Although she still didn't know where her future would take her, for once, it seemed as if she finally had a path to follow. Of course, that path forked off in two widely different directions, but she knew either direction would take her somewhere good. But as she thought back on Katie's words, she couldn't help but wonder which path was the right one for her. How was she even supposed to begin to choose? Especially as the harvest season neared an end, she knew she had to make up her mind before then, before Papa took Peter back to the depot.

"Hello there, Miss Emma," Biddy O'Connor had turned in at the gate. Emma's heart began jumping about when she noticed Finbarr's tall form behind her. She knew he couldn't see her, but he seemed to know where she was as he turned his face toward her and smiled. Grady bounded past him, yipping joyfully as he sniffed at the cow tethered just outside the barn.

"Hello to the both of you," Emma smiled. "What brings you by today?"

"I've come for a good gab with Katie," Biddy replied, an impish look in her eyes. "And I ran into this fine young man on his way here to get cozy with a certain special lass."

She blushed to the roots of her hair. So did Finbarr.

"I'll leave you to it," Biddy grinned as she stepped past her into the kitchen. She watched her go, a small smile quirking up her lips as Finbarr came and sat on the porch steps.

"What are you up to today, Miss Emma?" he asked, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

"Nothing too terribly exciting," she laughed as she let a handful of peas fall into the bucket. "I'm just shelling peas for supper."

"Can I help you?" he asked, reaching out and grazing the bucket with his fingers.

"Of course," she chuckled, handing him the basket of peas. "I'll never turn down an offer of help."

His smile set her traitorous heart tripping over itself. Heavens above, she loved his smile. Just when she thought she had worked out in her mind what she wanted, her heart would leap at the very mention of Finbarr's name. She was no nearer sorting it out than she had been on the first day she had met Peter.

"Where is the competition today?" he asked, his voice holding more than a touch of laughter along with a small note of jealousy. He seemed to have guessed the direction of her thoughts.

"Jeremiah Johnson took him hunting this morning," she replied. "He promised to come by when they returned."

"So, what I'm hearing is that I get you to myself this afternoon." His grin widened, and she laughed, giving his shoulder a little push.

"You are incorrigible and that's a fact."

He laughed. "And that's an awfully big word, sweet girl. You forget I'm a simple farmer, cut me some slack and tell me what exactly it is I'm being accused of."

"I mean you're a hopeless tease, Finbarr O'Connor," she laughed. "Completely hopeless."

Finbarr's laugh joined her. Heavens, she had missed that laugh.

"Does that mean it's working then?"

She rolled her eyes. "Incorrigible. Simply incorrigible."

"I suppose I must be, though I don't think that's a bad thing," he teased, shelling the peas deftly as he spoke. Emma was impressed that he could do it so easily without his sight. She closed her eyes, attempting to shell the peas without her sight but sent them rolling all across the porch.

"I think you missed the bucket," he grinned, tipping a handful of peas into the bucket. "What were you doing?"

Emma's cheeks flushed faintly and for once, she was grateful he couldn't see her. "I was trying to shell the peas with my eyes closed."

Her sheepish answer made his smile widen once more. How could one person's smile be so big?

"Why were you doing that?" he asked, although she knew he had already sorted it in his mind.

"I was curious what it's like to be you. You make it seem so easy."

"It was far from easy when I first started learning," he replied, reaching a hand up to her. "Come down here with me and I'll show you."

She took his offered hand with her right, bringing the bucket and peas around in front of them with her left.

"Here's what you have to do," he said, reaching around her so he could guide her hands in each of his. "Pick up a pea pod."

Her heart raced at his nearness, his work-hardened hands gentle on her own. Thank heavens no one was about, She was fairly certain she was completely scarlet by now. She obediently picked up a pea pod, trying to force her heart to slow as she closed her eyes once more.

"Do you feel that seam in the pod?" he asked, running his thumb nail along the place he indicated.

"Yes," she said, and she felt him nod before he ran his thumb nail again across the pea pod so it split the skin.

"Keep it fairly flat, that way you don't lose any," he continued, his breath tickling the back of her neck. "And pick them out of the pod. It feels slow at first but once you get the hang of it you can move pretty quickly."

She picked the peas out, placing them in the bucket as she opened her eyes. Finbarr nodded, smiling his approval.

"Good work. Keep this up and you'll be faster than me."

"I have no doubt," she laughed, automatically settling back into the crook of his arm. That place felt as familiar as home to her. She felt him tense in surprise for the briefest of moments before he relaxed into her. They worked that way for several minutes in companionable silence. She debated with herself whether to tell Finbarr her idea about teaching, but worry held her back. What if he thought the prospect was unlikely? Her hope was so tenuous, she worried telling it would sound ridiculous.

"So, when are you going to tell Biddy you know full well how to make jam?" Finbarr commented after several minutes, interrupting her internal debate. A sly smile played around the corners of his mouth.

She gasped, she truly hadn't thought he had noticed her ploy to draw his family's attention away from him.

"How did you know?"

Chuckling, he replied, "I helped you and Ivy once when you were small, remember? You girls were at Mary's house when Tavish was making jam and you offered to help."

"I was hoping you had forgotten," she laughed softly. "But, you have to admit, it was effective."

She felt Finbarr's laugh rumble against her back. "That it was. I was more worried about you at first, but they were really quite merciless to me, weren't they?"

"Quite," she agreed. "A regular bunch of savages."

He chuckled again. "I know they do it because they love me, but sometimes I think they forget I'm not the Finbarr O'Connor I used to be. Since the fire, I've had to relearn who that man is."

This was the first time they had truly come close to discussing the fire since it had happened. She held very still, like she would with Papa's horse when she didn't want to spook him.

"And I suppose I've had to relearn my place in our relationship as well," he sighed. "Have I told you yet how deeply sorry I am for pushing you away so much?"

Emma slid her fingers into his, an instinctive gesture that had always been comforting. Finbarr had protected and comforted her through the feuding and the fear all those years ago. He had been there for her, cared for her tenderly when she was too young to have captured his notice. The instinct to take his hand was almost as natural as breathing to her.

"I know. I'm sorry too. We've both had some growing up to do, haven't we?"

"That we have," he agreed, his finger rubbing a smooth circle over the back of her hand. "Emma, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Peter's voice echoed across the yard. "Emma, where are you?"

She and Finbarr practically leaped apart as Peter approached, carrying a brown paper package. Emma willed her cheeks not to turn pink. If Peter had noticed anything about their previous cozy position as he approached, he said nothing.

"The Johnsons told me that the Bartletts are having a barn raising tomorrow evening," he said, sitting down on the other side of her. "Would you care to accompany me?"

Emma cast a nervous glance at Finbarr, whose expression remained neutral but she could see fire in his eyes. What could she do? Finbarr's pull had certainly grown stronger over the last few days, but Emma still felt some uncertainty. And he hadn't asked her to the barn raising at all.

"I should go," he grunted, standing up and letting out a piercing whistle for Grady. The dog bounded into view in the next instant. "I've got chores to be done. I'll see you both tomorrow at the barn raising then."

Watching him leave, Emma chewed her lower lip fretfully.

"Umm," she wavered, unsure what to do. Her lungs had tightened painfully with worry. Peter was unmistakably marking his territory, and she wasn't certain whether she was ready to be claimed by either man yet. "I'm actually going to help Katie bring the pies she promised. Perhaps I'll see you there?"

Peter nodded, if he was annoyed by her answer, he didn't show it. Instead, he smiled at her. "That would be just fine. Save me a dance?"

"I can do that," she agreed, some of the tension she felt releasing from her body. "How was the hunt?"

"It went well," he smiled, handing her the package he carried. "That's actually why I'm here, I brought your family some venison."

Emma's heart softening at the thoughtful gesture. "Venison is my favorite. How did you know?"

"Your father mentioned it. I thought you might enjoy some." Peter shrugged, scuffing the toe of his shoe in the dirt almost shyly. The gesture was so uncertain, her heart softened still further.

"That was very sweet of you," she smiled, standing up on her toes and brushing his cheek with a light kiss. "Katie will make this into a wonderful stew. Perhaps you could come join us for dinner when she makes it?"

Peter looked relieved that she had accepted his gift, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"I'd love to. Would you like to go for a buggy ride with me? Jeremiah lent me his, it's tied up on the other side of the house."

Emma nodded and dropped the last of the peas into the bucket. "That sounds like fun, let me take these inside to Katie and let her know where we're going."

She turned up the steps and bumped the door open with her hip. Biddy and Katie looked up at her entrance, surprise filling both of their faces when Peter, not Finbarr, stepped inside with her.

"Where did Finbarr go?" Biddy asked, concern clouding her eyes.

"He said he had chores to see to," she replied. "Peter has offered to take me for a buggy ride this afternoon. Katie, is that alright?"

"Yes, it is," Katie replied, her expression was kind, but her smile appeared slightly forced. "Only be careful."

"We will be careful," Peter promised. "I'll go see to the buggy, Emma."

As soon as the screen door clacked behind Peter, Katie and Biddy's gazes sharpened on her.

"What?" she asked, feeling slightly defensive. She wasn't even certain what she had to be defensive about exactly.

"Finbarr loves you. Give the poor lad a chance to court you," Biddy said, not unkindly, but with a touch of frustration in her voice. "He's doing his best."

She frowned. "I never said he wasn't. He left of his own accord when Peter arrived."

Katie and Biddy exchanged glances.

"I'm going to have to have a talk with that lad," Biddy sighed. "If he ever hopes to marry Emma..."

"Why does everyone seem to think I ought to marry Finbarr O'Connor?" Emma said petulantly.

"Because you were made and meant for each other, Emma—that's why," Biddy replied sagely. "You needn't toss that young head of yours. It's a fact."

"Cut her some slack, Biddy," Katie said softly. "She needs to figure out what her heart needs for its own self."

Emma left the kitchen quickly, heat staining her cheeks. What on earth was she to do? She had two men pursuing her and each of them was charming. Her heart didn't even know what it wanted, why did everyone else think they did?

"Are you ready, Miss Emma?"

Peter's voice drew her attention to where he stood with her horse saddled and ready to go.

"I am," she said as she forced a smile to her lips and stepped off the porch, letting him hand her up into the buggy. The sky was one of those clear deep blue Wyoming skies overhead, the air smelled of sweet grass as they trundled toward the main road. There weren't many places to go in Hope Springs, but she found herself enjoying it all the same.

"When I return to Baltimore, I think I will miss these wide open spaces," he commented as they drove. "Especially that sky. I never grow tired of looking at the stars at night."

"Neither do I," she murmured, her thoughts immediately turning to Finbarr and the nights they had spent stargazing together when she was small. "Papa bought me a book of the constellations years ago, I think I have it memorized by now."

He turned his face toward her, tilting his head in a look of challenge. "Well, we should put that knowledge to the test. We can stargaze on the banks of the river one of these nights. I'll pack a picnic."

"You cook?" she teased lightly, trying not to dwell on the fact that stargazing had once been something special for her and Finbarr alone. It didn't matter, they couldn't do it any longer.

"Well... Carol Johnson cooks," Peter laughed. "But she seems to like me so perhaps I can convince her to take pity on me."

Emma giggled as Peter took her hand in his free one. "I think you could convince just about anyone of anything. Isn't that what lawyers do?"

"I can convince almost anyone of anything," he winked, bringing her knuckles to his lips and kissing them lightly. "I don't think I've convinced a certain beautiful woman yet that I'm falling in love with her."

Emma's heart jumped, not in quite the same way it had with Finbarr, but a jump nonetheless. They continued their drive, talking of pleasant nothings, but inside, her stomach writhed uncomfortably. She knew she would have to choose eventually, but her heart seemed to be withholding from her mind. With a sigh, she brought her thoughts back to the present and focused instead on enjoying the drive.