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her face. “Thank
you, Madam. It’s a pleasure to be invited into your home.”
    She took his
hat and placed it on the entry table then led him into the parlor. “Pat will
probably have bourbon. What would you like?”
    “I…”
    An elegantly
dressed woman stood on the other side of the room. The rich fabric of her blue
satin gown spoke of a refined city woman, but the demure curves matched
Catherine’s. Pleasure, quickly followed by doubt, sped through his thoughts. He
wanted a woman who could charm his guests and looked elegant, but she also had
to work hard and enjoy the rough lifestyle of ranching. Could Catherine be that
woman?
    Or would she
head back to town like his mother when things didn’t pan out the way she
planned? Her father said differently, but Trent couldn’t forget the years she
spent in Boston. She might decide she wanted to go back. Then what?
    He edged
forward and, for the first time, noticed the polished, young man beside her.
Jealousy twisted a hole through Trent’s gut, and the desire to deck the man
sped to his fists. How dare she entertain another man when he came to propose
marriage?
    “Catherine,
why don’t you introduce Joel’s friend to Trent?” The sound of her mother’s
voice pulled Catherine from an argument with Kirk.
    She turned
and drank in the beautiful sight of Trent. In a starched white dress shirt, his
tanned face and dark hair radiated with a healthy glow. He marched forward, and
the thud of his boots against the floor rang through the room.
    The dark
glint in his eyes confused her for a moment. What was his problem? Could he be
jealous? Ridiculous. Something else had to be wrong. She strolled forward and
reached out her hand, seeking comfort from the misery of both her brother and
his friend heading off to war. “I’m so glad to see you.”
    He glared at
Kirk. “I didn’t know you were entertaining another guest.”
    “Kirk, I’d like
you to meet Trent McCall.” Catherine laid her hand on Trent’s arm. “Trent, this
is my brother’s best friend, Kirk Murphy. He’s going off with Joel to join the
war.”
    Trent
extended his hand but refused to look at her. “And when are y’all planning to
leave?”
    Catherine dropped
her hold on Trent’s arm and returned to Kirk’s side. They were leaving way too
soon as it was. How could Trent encourage their departure? Why was he acting
this way when she was trying so hard to stop them from going?
    A laugh burst
from behind Trent, and her brother slapped him on the back. “Not for a few more
days. So you best behave when you’re around my sister.”
    Trent clasped
hands with Joel’s and offered a hearty shake. “And how long do you expect to be
gone?”
    Catherine
scowled at Trent’s back. What was his problem?
    “Not nearly
as long as you’d like me to be,” Joel teased and released Trent’s hand. “We’re
heading over to Dallas. We plan to follow the Trinity River to the coast before
making our way over to New Orleans.”
    Catherine’s
heart sank. They didn’t need to fight in this war. She’d argued with both men
for days now, but they refused to listen. “You could always change your mind
and not go.”
    Joel grinned
and Kirk slung his arm around her shoulders. The warm circle of his arms soothed
some of the heartache she felt at them leaving. Maybe, she could convince him
to stay behind. But her gaze met his and she knew it was useless when she saw
the determination reflected in his solemn blue eyes. He wouldn’t budge no
matter how much she’d begged. “We’re going to miss you, too. But this is
something we have to do.”
    She turned
into his embrace, hugged him close as tears blurred her vision. “Just promise
me you’ll come back.”
    Kirk squeezed
her tight for a moment then released her. “Maybe, if we don’t find some sweet
southern belle and decide to get hitched.”
    “Oh, you.”
She smiled at his attempt to lighten her mood. “Just bring her back with you.”
    “And have you
tell