and uncle mind if you brought me along?”
Michael shook his head. “Not at all. Everything at the Cochran house is chaos anyway. There are always extra people at the supper table.” He shoveled up a spoonful of stew.
“Cochran?” Heidi gasped. “Your Uncle Jesse is Senator Jesse Cochran?”
“The one and only.” He winked.
“Now I’m really nervous.”
“Don’t be. Uncle Jesse is the most down-to-earth person you’ll ever meet.” The warmth of his smile echoed in his voice. “What do you say? Do you want to meet a woman who will probably scare you half to death?”
She stared at him for a moment. “Yes. Yes, I would. I would very much enjoy meeting this sister of yours.”
They ate in silence until Michael moved his empty bowl and rested his forearms on the table. “Now we have to discuss an unpleasant subject.”
Heidi winced. The hotel. Her parents. Clarence. For a short time she’d forgotten all about them. More determined than ever not to bow to their wishes, she raised her chin. “Unpleasant, perhaps. But they haven’t changed my mind. I’m staying.”
Michael threw her a gut-wrenching smile that set free dozens of butterflies in her stomach.
Don’t read too much into it, Heidi, he’s just a really nice man.
“Good girl. Remember, your family can talk all they want, but nobody can force you go anywhere you don’t want to.”
He signaled to the waitress for the check, then regarded Heidi as he reached in his back pocket for his wallet. “I would prefer not to argue with you about the check this time. I invited you to supper, so it’s my responsibility.”
Heidi laughed as his lips tightened. He looked so serious, as if he readied himself for an argument. “Fine. I’ll concede.” As her little cache of money slowly disappeared, she felt no angst in accepting his offer.
After Michael paid the cashier, Heidi wrapped her scarf around her mouth and nose, then buttoned up her coat. Ready for the cold weather, she headed out the door he held open.
“Do you still want me to accompany you to the hotel?” He took her arm in his and helped her over the icy patches in the road.
Warmth immediately diffused her body and her heart leapt. A scary matter. Everything about Michael Henderson appealed to her. The masculine smell of the woodsy soap he used, the strength of his body, as well as his character. She could easily fall for her employer, and she doubted he would be interested in such a milquetoast as her. Most likely he preferred women similar to his sister. Strong, capable, able to take care of themselves. He no doubt thought of her as a helpless waif. Amazing how that thought stung.
“I wish I could say no, but would you mind terribly? I’m not ready to face them all at one time.” She shivered with, and hated, her sniveling weakness.
He studied her. “Don’t fret. I’ll go with you. Given the way your life has been up to now, it’s understandable you’d be a bit nervous.” He drew her closer, then bent to whisper in her ear. “You definitely have to meet Ellie.” He chuckled, then they headed to the hotel.
“Where have you been?” Clarence jumped up from his seat in the lobby the minute he saw her.
“I . . . rather we . . . had supper.” Her heart thumped, almost choking her.
He eyed her suspiciously. “I checked the coffee shop and you weren’t there.”
Michael unbuttoned his coat and placed his hands on his hips. “Miss Henderson and I ate at The Harvey House down at the train station. We were both hungry after our long day and decided to eat first.”
Mr. Lester got to his feet and held his hand out toward Michael. “Mr. Henderson, I appreciate you looking after my little girl. Now if you will excuse us, we need to see Heidi packed up so we can return home in the morning.”
Michael stared at the hand and shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “I think you all should sit down and talk this out.” He touched Heidi briefly on her arm. “I need to
Michael shook his head. “Not at all. Everything at the Cochran house is chaos anyway. There are always extra people at the supper table.” He shoveled up a spoonful of stew.
“Cochran?” Heidi gasped. “Your Uncle Jesse is Senator Jesse Cochran?”
“The one and only.” He winked.
“Now I’m really nervous.”
“Don’t be. Uncle Jesse is the most down-to-earth person you’ll ever meet.” The warmth of his smile echoed in his voice. “What do you say? Do you want to meet a woman who will probably scare you half to death?”
She stared at him for a moment. “Yes. Yes, I would. I would very much enjoy meeting this sister of yours.”
They ate in silence until Michael moved his empty bowl and rested his forearms on the table. “Now we have to discuss an unpleasant subject.”
Heidi winced. The hotel. Her parents. Clarence. For a short time she’d forgotten all about them. More determined than ever not to bow to their wishes, she raised her chin. “Unpleasant, perhaps. But they haven’t changed my mind. I’m staying.”
Michael threw her a gut-wrenching smile that set free dozens of butterflies in her stomach.
Don’t read too much into it, Heidi, he’s just a really nice man.
“Good girl. Remember, your family can talk all they want, but nobody can force you go anywhere you don’t want to.”
He signaled to the waitress for the check, then regarded Heidi as he reached in his back pocket for his wallet. “I would prefer not to argue with you about the check this time. I invited you to supper, so it’s my responsibility.”
Heidi laughed as his lips tightened. He looked so serious, as if he readied himself for an argument. “Fine. I’ll concede.” As her little cache of money slowly disappeared, she felt no angst in accepting his offer.
After Michael paid the cashier, Heidi wrapped her scarf around her mouth and nose, then buttoned up her coat. Ready for the cold weather, she headed out the door he held open.
“Do you still want me to accompany you to the hotel?” He took her arm in his and helped her over the icy patches in the road.
Warmth immediately diffused her body and her heart leapt. A scary matter. Everything about Michael Henderson appealed to her. The masculine smell of the woodsy soap he used, the strength of his body, as well as his character. She could easily fall for her employer, and she doubted he would be interested in such a milquetoast as her. Most likely he preferred women similar to his sister. Strong, capable, able to take care of themselves. He no doubt thought of her as a helpless waif. Amazing how that thought stung.
“I wish I could say no, but would you mind terribly? I’m not ready to face them all at one time.” She shivered with, and hated, her sniveling weakness.
He studied her. “Don’t fret. I’ll go with you. Given the way your life has been up to now, it’s understandable you’d be a bit nervous.” He drew her closer, then bent to whisper in her ear. “You definitely have to meet Ellie.” He chuckled, then they headed to the hotel.
“Where have you been?” Clarence jumped up from his seat in the lobby the minute he saw her.
“I . . . rather we . . . had supper.” Her heart thumped, almost choking her.
He eyed her suspiciously. “I checked the coffee shop and you weren’t there.”
Michael unbuttoned his coat and placed his hands on his hips. “Miss Henderson and I ate at The Harvey House down at the train station. We were both hungry after our long day and decided to eat first.”
Mr. Lester got to his feet and held his hand out toward Michael. “Mr. Henderson, I appreciate you looking after my little girl. Now if you will excuse us, we need to see Heidi packed up so we can return home in the morning.”
Michael stared at the hand and shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “I think you all should sit down and talk this out.” He touched Heidi briefly on her arm. “I need to
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