An Old Fashioned Romance

From The Windswept Flame by Marcia Lynn McClure

“Was he a good lover?” Tom repeated.  “Did he…did he know how to kiss ya and do a good job of it?”  Cedar felt her mouth gape open in astonishment.  She was befuddled, stunned, at a complete loss for words.  Logan had kissed her…often, but she’d never considered whether or not he had done a good job of it.  She enjoyed his kisses, yes.  But in truth…she’d always been a bit disappointed in kissing.  Somehow it never quite measured up to what she dreamed it should’ve been, and until that moment, with Tom Evans sitting at her feet, asking her if Logan had done a good job of kissing her…she’d never really considered that, perhaps, a kiss could be more near to perfect.

“I…I…I…” Cedar stammered.

Tom raised his eyebrows, picked up a nearby twig and snapped it between his thumb and index finger before saying, “I’ll take that as a no.  No disrespect to your young man, ya understand.  I’m bettin’ he was as good as they come and ya should remember him fondly. Still…and again I’m meanin’ no disrespect of yer young hero…it’s plain as day he didn’t put yer knees to knockin’.”

“Didn’t put my knees to knocking?” Cedar exclaimed in a dismayed whisper.

“Yeah,” Tom said, standing once more.  “Ya know what I mean, don’t ya?”  His brow puckered with a puzzled frown.  “Ya know…he didn’t stir up yer blood.”

Cedar swallowed hard, tried to steady her breathing, tried to understand why her breathing was unsteady in the first place.

“Well…I’m quite sure I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Evans,” she stammered.

Tom smiled, winked at her, bent toward her and whispered, “That’s why I’m sure…good a boy as he was…he didn’t do either knockin’ knees, or blood a stirrin’.”  He moved closer to her until he stood so close she could feel his breath on her forehead.

“But don’t you worry none, Miss Cedar Dale,” he said, taking hold of her hand.  She hadn’t even realized she’d begun to twist a strand of her hair around one finger.  “Come Friday…while we’re waltzin’ in the moonlight…I’ll show ya what I mean.”

He bent, placing a quick kiss on the bridge of her nose and Cedar knew that Logan, as much as she loved him, had never put her ‘knees to knocking’ the way Tom Evans could.

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