In June of 1880 on a Sunday evening, twenty-year-old Adam Wilson knocked on my front door for the very first time. I'd seen him talking with my Pa after church, Nathan had said something funny about the stuffy suit Adam wore. For the rest of the day, my Pa smiled at me like he knew some sort of exciting secret that he was bursting to tell me. As dinnertime drew near, he'd taken to sitting in Ma's chair by the window, glancing out frequently and was there at the door when Adam knocked like he'd been expecting him.

"Come in, Adam." Robert Barr was smiling as he held the door open for the younger man and shook his hand.

Adam ducked his head kindly and grasped Mr. Barr's hand firmly in his own. "Thank you for having me tonight, sir. I brought flowers." The young man held them up, a bouquet of wildflowers that looked handpicked from the side of the road. Mr. Barr grinned and clapped Adam on the back.

"Calm down, son. She'll love them." He turned and called out to his wife. "Amelia, our guest is here!"

The epitome of Southern beauty came gliding into the foyer, an ever-present smile on her face. Amelia Barr was a tall, willowy, blond-haired woman of few words. She didn't have to wear much rouge, a natural beauty warmed her features. "Mr. Wilson," Amelia smiled kindly, presenting her hand to the young man.

Adam took it gently and brushed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Mrs. Barr, thank you for having me in your lovely home this evening." His brown eyes flicked away to scan the room, obviously looking for the youngest Barr.

Robert chuckled and moved to the bottom of the stairs, calling up to his only daughter. "Katherine, you have a visitor!" Obediently, Kate answered her father and joined the three of them in the foyer.

She was the spitting image of her mother, though she was still a girl on the threshold of womanhood and had yet to reach her full potential. It was easy to see the child in her face, but the promise of adulthood was lurking just behind her eyes. "Mr. Wilson," Katie said, looking pleasantly surprised. She hadn't expected him, it seemed, and looked to her father and mother curiously.

Adam gave a nervous chuckle and held the flowers out stiffly. "Call me Adam, these are for you."

Amelia had to turn her face to hide her smile. She felt sorry for the poor boy who looked very much like he didn't know what he was doing. Reaching for her husband's hand, Amelia pulled him gently in the direction of the kitchen. "We'll leave you two alone. I'll call when dinner is ready."

"Why don't you take Adam into the sitting room, Katherine," Robert hinted, not hiding his smile as well as his wife. Call me naive, but I had no clue that Adam Wilson intended to court me. I was flattered that he'd brought me flowers, what girl doesn't like flowers? I thanked him kindly for the gift and put them in a vase with some water, then spent the next half hour in the sitting room smiling through awkward conversation.

It didn't take long for Adam to become comfortable in my presence. By December he found it easy to take my hand in his, to hold me in a hug and to press a chaste kiss to my cheek under the watchful eyes of my parents. On Christmas Eve he'd gotten permission from my parents to take me for a ride in his buggy.

"Are you warm enough?" Adam peered over at his companion who was covered with a thick, red wool blanket over her lap.

Though this particular winter hadn't gotten any colder than 45 degrees, Kate was bundled warmly with several petticoats, a heavy shawl, scarf and gloves. "Yes," she smiled up at Adam, rather comfortable sitting snugly against his side. They rode in a sleek black buggy pulled by Adam's horse, Lady. It was brand new, a gift from Adam's parents to him and, by extension, Kate.

"I've got a surprise for you," Adam said mysteriously, a sly smile creasing his features. "I was going to wait until tomorrow to give you your present, but I can't seem to help myself. I want to show you now."

Kate's eyes were alight with anticipation. "What is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you, we're almost there!"

Kate laughed and Adam draped an arm around her, hugging her tightly to his side. The buggy bounced along for another half mile or so before Adam reigned Lady in. They had turned off the road a few hundred yards back and now sat in the middle of a large field surrounded by oak trees. Adam eagerly climbed from the buggy and reached for Katie, hands gripping her waist as he helped her down.

"Where are we?" She asked, looking around.

Adam didn't answer right away, strolling over to a large tree that stood alone in the middle of that field. He rubbed his hand along the bark before turning to look at Kate. "Our future home." He held his breath, waiting for her reaction.

Kate's mouth fell open, shock the dominant feeling at the moment. "Our what?" It was a whisper, disbelief coloring her tone.

"Our home, Kate." Adam strode back to Katie, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I bought this land for us, to build a home. In another few months we'll be breaking ground and I'll have enough money to ask you to marry me." Kate blinked, not knowing how to respond. "Don't you understand, Kate?" Adam lifted one hand to gently touch her cheek. "I love you, Katherine Barr."

It seemed the perfect moment for a kiss. Their first kiss. Kate's head tilted back, the air rushing past her lips as she waited in anticipation for Adam's lips to touch hers. Her eyes closed and heart began to beat erratically. But nothing happened. When she focused those Amber eyes on Adam's face, she could see he had absolutely no intention of kissing her. Disappointment settled low in her stomach.

"I..I know you might not feel the same for me yet," Adam went on, releasing his hold. "But I can give you a good life. You will never want for anything." He stopped abruptly; Kate's silence getting the better of him. "Kate?"

Readjusting the shawl around herself, Kate managed to remember how to smile. "This is beautiful land, Adam." She said finally. "I just don't know what to say," Kate admitted honestly.

"That's alright," he assured her smoothly, taking her hand in his. "There's no rush."

The longer I stayed with Adam, the more comfortable being with him became. It was true, I did not love him in that way, but looking at that bare piece of land, I could see us together. I could see the grand house he'd build for me, our crops growing in the neighboring fields, our children playing in the grass. It was a good life. But I knew that I didn't want a life without love. Adam assumed that I would love him one day, and maybe I could have, but I didn't want to. While he walked me around the field, my mind envisioned another life. A life with a blue-eyed man. It was wrong of me to stay with Adam when I loved someone else, but I couldn't see the sense in throwing everything away for a boy who didn't reciprocate my feelings.

Over the next few months, I saw little of Nathan. Unknown to me, he continued to work several jobs so he could save money for our future. He never outright avoided me, but there was tension between us from that point on and I couldn't understand it. I missed spending time with him; my feelings never changed. In April I turned sixteen and my father gave Adam permission to ask me to marry him.

May 1881

Summer was just around the corner, but already it was hotter than was usual for this time of the year and it found Kate frequenting the inlet beach that bordered Beaufort. There was a small stretch of beach that was littered with large pieces of driftwood that folks used as benches to watch the ocean or as fuel for the large bonfire parties.

The past year had done much to blossom the teen and while there still wasn't much curve to her, she had thinned out and grown an inch or two. Where there had once been a child, a woman now stood but that didn't stop her from wiggling her toes in the sand at the water's edge. Kate was careful to keep the hem of her thin yellow dress out of the path of the waves, gripping the material tightly in her hands. Honey colored hair was piled on top of her head, intricate braids woven throughout.

"Hey Katie Belle," Nathan called out.

Her eyes had been closed, so when Nathan spoke she tried not to look surprised at his presence. "Hello, Nathan!" He was in naught but his trousers, wading out into the waves close by. His blond hair shone against the tanned skin, both signs of a man that'd been working in the sun. His suspenders hung at his hips and he was smiling as he backed away into the water. For seventeen, Nathan was well built. His muscles were cut and toned from long, laboring hours in the fields. Kate had to look away.

Nathan thought she looked beautiful as ever, but he disappeared under a large wave, before he could say anything.

Kate laughed as Nathan was overtaken by the ocean, waiting for him to break the surface of the water before calling out to him. "How are you?"

"I am rolling!" he called as he bobbed along the wave tops. Up, and Down. He watched her, and smiled, his hair now hanging limply into his face. "And you?"

Kate laughed again. "Envious!" She inched forward, dipping her toes in the water. "And it looks like you need a haircut," she commented, noting the length of his hair as it clung, wet, to his face.

Nate shrugged his shoulders, "I haven't had time." Before long he was out of the water and flopped by her in the sand. It may be May, but that Atlantic never seemed to warm. "Envious of what?"

"It's hot," she said, watching him with a smile as he joined her on the beach. "I'd love to just jump in."

"So what?s stopping you?" He smiled.

Amber eyes stared at him where he sat in the sand. "I'm not twelve anymore, Nathan. I can't just go jump in the ocean willy-nilly. Besides, I don't even have the proper attire for a swim in the ocean."

"I went in my trousers."

"You're not a lady."

"No Ma'am, I'm a workin' man." He grinned at her. "If you got into the water then laid out here, that dress would dry before you got home."

Kate moved to sit next to him, placing a palm in the sand between them. "And all I'd need is to trip or get knocked over by a wave and somehow get my hair wet. Now that would not dry before I got home."

He smiled. "You have to take chances, Kate."

"I take chances," she said defensively. His lips curled upward on one side of his mouth. "What?" Inclining her head towards him.

"Nothin' Katie Belle!" He grinned and fell back into the sand.

Kate brought her knees to her chest, careful to make sure her dress covered everything it was supposed to. Arms wrapped themselves around her knees, hugging them tightly. "Do you really think I don't take chances?" Amber eyes focused on the ocean, brows lightly furrowed.

"With things like this you don't."

"I don't with the big things, either," Kate replied glumly.

"What sort of big things?" He turned to look at her.

No matter what her feelings were, above all Nathan was her best friend. Perfect white teeth gnawed on her lower lip before sucking in a deep breath and turning to look at him. "Adam asked me to marry him on my birthday."

Nathan said nothing at first. "Is that such a good idea?"

"I told him I'd have to think about it." She flinched; from what, though, who knew" "Pa wasn't too happy with me, but Adam said he didn't mind waiting for me to make up my mind."

Nathan frowned then, "I see." He had to say something but what could he say' He'd been saving money from his jobs, as well as helping his ma.

That was all he'd had to say' Kate was disappointed, but it didn't show on her face. A sad smile fell into place as she watched him. "Papa says love will come in time. It did for him and Ma and they're very happy together. Adam would provide a steady home for me." She was quiet for a moment, still watching him. "We'd get married in August."

"I don't know Katherine, it's so real, so...final. You shouldn't have to wait on love, it should already be there, even thinly veiled, at least that's what I think."

"Not everyone has the luxury of love."

"Bullsh...Uh, that's not true." He gave a sheepish smile. "They should be friends, then whatever else."

Kate leveled him with a stern expression, but didn't say anything about his choice of words. "Adam and I are friends." She sighed. "He's told me he loves me, but..." her words died off, feeling that the rest of her thought might be too personal to share, even with Nathan.

He's not the only one. "But?" he encouraged.

Brows furrowed once more and she looked away, back out at the blue sea. "He's never even kissed me."

There was hope yet. He shook his head. "Ol' fancypants hasn't kissed you?"

Kate sighed, keeping her focus on the waves, trying not to let his snide remark get under her skin. "I shouldn't have told you, that's private."

"What about what?s right in front of you, Katie Belle?"

"What do you mean what?s right in front of me?"

Nathan lifted a hand, he was going to wave at her, but instead that hair was pushed from his face.

Katie finally looked back at Nathan and laid back on the sand beside him. "Maybe I should just go for it."

"Go for...what?"

"It's silly to wait for love. Adam will make me happy, why should I draw out my decision?"

"What about me?"

Kate froze, keeping her eyes trained on the sky. "What about you?"

"How do you feel about me?" She always griped he would never grow up, then we he did, she was talking marriage to another guy. He felt like those stumps were on his shoulders now. He wasn't going to go quietly with the idea of her marrying some pompous ass.

"How do I feel about you?" Kate's eyebrows rose, feeling put on the spot. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. She was supposed to be pursued, not the other way around. Katie smiled, head tipping to the side to look at him. "You've been my best friend for ten years, Nathan."

"I know that, but that's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" Kate looked away, wondering what good it would do to admit her feelings when she was considering marriage to another man.

"God, Kate, really' You aren't dim witted."

Anger instantly welled up within Kate and she sat up stiffly without answering him, stood, brushed the sand from her dress and started walking away.

He jumped up, following after her. "Stop it, Kate."

"Why?" She demanded. He reached for her arm then, trying to stop her. Kate halted, the frustration she felt evident on her face when she spun to face him. "Why can't you be man enough to tell me how you feel?"

"I..." she might as well have used his axe on him right then. He reached one hand up to slowly brush a few tendrils of hair that were blown free from her face, a feather light touch from a visibly shaking hand. "I've wanted to tell you, for years, Katie."

The anger and frustration drained away instantly to be replaced with sadness. "Then why haven't you? I've been waiting for years, Nathan."

"I love you, Kate..." his voice barely heard. "You can't marry him."

Kate thought her heart might burst from her chest in happiness. As it was, it swelled so much she felt her chest tighten and tears pricked the corner of her eyes. She'd waited years to hear those words come out of his mouth and had all but given up on it happening. "Why did you wait this long to tell me?" She had to grip her skirt with both hands to keep from touching him, something that would have been inappropriate.

"I don't know, Kate..." he sighed. "I've been saving money, to try to give you the proper home, and life you deserve."

"You should have said something. Anything. I....I had no idea, Nathan. I thought you didn't care about me the same way. I never would have.....oh." Adam's face swam into view and her heart plummeted. This would hurt him.

"What was I supposed to say' I thought you knew, Kate....I thought I showed you. 'Oh hey by the way, I'm saving up money for a house, and some dirt, cause I want to live my life wakin' up to you every mornin'."

"I can't read your mind, Nathan Faulkner. And I guess it was hard to tell when you haven't treated me any different in the past ten years."

"I thought I had, with the jobs an' all, Darlin'."

That made her stomach do cartwheels. "I've loved you my whole life, Nathan." Amber eyes stared up at his face intently, her voice barely above a whisper.

Proper or not, he bent his head down to do the only thing he could think of and that was something he wanted to do forever and that was to press his lips to her petal pink ones. Sure it was awkward, but it was their first kiss, and he was trying harder than her stuffy suitor had.

Kate froze beneath his gentle ministration, heart beating wildly. She kissed him back for a fraction of a second before stepping away abruptly. A deep rose blush crept up her neck and spilled over onto her cheeks. There was pleasure there in her face, but also regret. "Adam doesn't deserve this, Nate. I should talk to him first before....before..."

He took her hand a moment, nodding. "I know Kate...he's treated you good. I just," he sighed. "I couldn't sit by and let my best friend go."

Amber eyes fell to their fingers. Kate couldn't help but think of how right his hand felt in hers. This was how a relationship should feel. This was love. "I'm glad you didn't." Katie smiled and squeezed his hand before pulling away from him completely. "Adam should come calling tomorrow evening. I can talk to him then."

"Your Pa, he's not going to be real happy."

"No, I reckon he won't be."

"I can't help how I feel, anymore'n you can, Katie."

"He'll understand in time," she assured him gently.

"I hope sooner'n later, Kate."

"Pa's a hard man to please, but in the end he just wants me to be happy. He'll see you make me happy and everything will be fine. Just you wait."

"I hope so. Kate. He scares me."

That made her laugh. "Why?"

"Maybe it goes back to my arm?" He grinned.

"Hmm," she smiled wryly, arching a brow at him. "Shouldn't have tried peeking up my dress."

"I wasn't peeking."

Kate laughed again and started backing away. "Come for supper on Friday, alright?"

"Wait, you're leaving?"

"I have to."

He sighed, "I know."

"But you'll see me soon," she promised.

"I know," he said again, pausing to pick up his shirt and other things. "Friday supper" Isn't that when your mother makes chicken?"

"Every week."

"I'm sorry, Katie," he said, as he pushed his arms through the sleeves of his shirt, sliding one strap of the suspenders up.

Now she was confused. "For what?"

"Never tellin' you how I felt. That'll never happen again?

"Ah." Kate smiled, albeit sadly. "It can't be helped now. No use in dwelling." She started backing away again when the urge to throw her arms around him nearly overwhelmed her. "I'll see you Friday, Nathan."

"Friday, Kate." He lifted a hand in a wave, watching her back away. His Ma was going to kill him.

As I walked home from the beach, I was happier than I'd ever been. The moment my home came into view, however, I was filled with trepidation and anxiety. I had to tell my Pa that I'd made my decision and not only that, I'd have to tell Adam the next night. I loved Nathan with all my heart, but making my father angry and hurting Adam was not something I looked forward to doing.