“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’ll be more careful.”
Pavlo squeezed her hand, his voice low. “I’m just glad to be alone with you.”
Despite the relative newness of their romance, the ease born of a lifetime of close friendship made it feel natural to pull him closer. This evolution of their camaraderie into love rang true in every part of her being.
As they moved deep into the woods, Katya pointed to a large, gnarly oak that would be easy to find again. “There’s a hole in the base of that tree. We can hide everything there.”
Pavlo nodded. “We’ll fill it in with leaves, too, so no one will notice it.”
They worked as fast as they could, digging into the rotting leaves and dirt with a small spade Pavlo had brought before tucking the tins into the hole. As Katya brushed her hands off on her skirt, Pavlo leaned over and kissed her.
Her body stilled as his lips met hers. Even amid the fear and worry, his touch still made her tremble. When he pulled away, reality rushed back in like a cold splash of water, and she moved toward him again, desperate to erase the frightening truth of their lives. Pavlo gave a low groan and kissed her, his lips moving fast and hot across hers. His hands tangled in her hair and ran down her back before he pulled away again.
“We should get back before we do things we shouldn’t yet,” he said, his voice low and husky.
A surge of frustration flashed through her. “Yet? What are you waiting for? You love me, don’t you?”
Pavlo’s eyebrows shot up, and he began to laugh. He covered his mouth to muffle the sound, but his shoulders still shook with mirth.
“It’s not funny!” Katya stood and glowered at him.
“You’re right,” he sputtered out between throes of silent laughter. Finally, he took a few deep breaths and sighed. “Such spirit you have. This is why I love you. And this is why I want to marry you. Soon. Before we go any further down this path. But, with all of the uncertainty in our lives, I have not been able to earn the money I need to court you properly. Please, let me fix that.” He took her hands in his. “Katya, you have been my best friend forever. I love you more than life itself. Marry me. Say you’ll be my wife, and we can weather what comes together.”
“Yes! Yes!” She threw her arms around him with such gusto that they toppled backward, laughing out loud, and for a moment, forgetting they should be quiet. He kissed her then, silencing them both.
“Maybe we can marry alongside Kolya and Alina,” she said. “Their wedding isn’t far off.”
“The sooner the better,” Pavlo agreed, before giving a short chuckle. “Do you remember when you scattered the chickens after my mother asked me to fetch one for supper?”
Katya laughed, then slapped her hand over her mouth. “How could I forget? You were so mad you dangled me over the pigpen, threatening to drop me in. My mother would have killed me for ruining my good clothes!”
Pavlo stroked her cheek with his work–roughened hands. “You fought like a rabid dog. You’ve become a fierce and beautiful woman, but that was the first time I saw you as anything more than a bossy, trouble-making girl, and I knew, someday, I would marry you.”
“That was two years ago! You waited long enough to tell me of the plans you’d made with my life.”
“We were young yet. I didn’t want to scare you off.”
“Yes, very wise to avoid scaring me off by trying to throw me in with the pigs,” Katya giggled. “Well, since you’re sharing this with me, I’ll tell you what I noticed that day.”
“What did you notice, other than how bad the pigs smell?”
“Well, you were always a small boy. Skinny. No muscles.”
“I thought you were going to tell me something flattering.” Pavlo frowned.
“I am!” Katya said. “That day, when you were holding me, I noticed that you were no longer a skinny boy.”
“Oh.” Pavlo grinned. “Then what was I?”
“A man. A man with thick arms, strong from working in the fields. A man with a broad chest and an easy smile. I even noticed that you had some whiskers finally growing in.” She tickled his chin and shrugged. “Eh, I wouldn’t say I loved you, but I thought you were at least starting to improve.”
Pavlo threw his head back and shook with silent laughter, then wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. “I lied. I have loved you since the first time we toddled around the fields together while our parents harvested. You have always been the one for me.”