going to be able to say a thing.
Her eyelashes looked longer than ever, and they framed the most compassionate pair of blue eyes he’d ever had the good fortune to gaze into. When she blinked, his mouth went dry.
So all he did was jerk his head into a clumsy nod. And concentrate on his meal.
“When supper’s over, do you want to play with my animals?” Maggie asked. “I have a new goat.”
“You have a what?”
After a furtive glance right and left, she pulled out a plastic white goat from under her apron. “See?”
“I’d love to,” he said, knowing that little Maggie was surely wrapping his heart around her finger with every smile. “As long as I get to be in charge of the pig.”
As he hoped, Maggie giggled. “Okay.”
He was still smiling when he spooned up another amount of peas and carrots . . . and Maggie copied him.
And he knew he’d never felt so good as when Judith lightly squeezed his forearm at the end of the meal. Letting him know that everything was good—that he’d fit in just fine.
Of course, he knew things were much better than that.
Chapter Eight
“S o, Ben Knox seemed to like supper,” Caleb said to Judith as they waited outside in the hall for Maggie to finish in the bathroom.
Judith fought to control the vast array of emotions she was feeling. Though he hadn’t said as much, she knew Ben had loved supper, and not just because of the food.
He’d noticed the red candles on a counter in the kitchen, and the bowl in the living room that was filled to overflowing with Christmas cards. He’d ran a finger along a red-and-green star quilt she’d made years ago, and smiled when Mrs. Allen had given her mother a glass bowl filled with pinecones.
In addition he’d seemed to absorb the comfort of her family as if he’d been thirsty for days. “He truly liked Maggie.”
As she’d half expected, Caleb’s gaze turned warm. “Who wouldn’t?”
She really was the sweetest of all of them. Gentle and eager to please, their Maggie was the one member of the family who no one ever complained about. “Did you see him playing farm animals with her?” Judith shook her head. “I actually heard him squeal like a pig!”
“Maggie says he’s her new best friend.” Looking contemplative, he said, “So . . . what do you think of him?”
“Of Ben? Why, I don’t know.”
“He seems different than how I remember him.”
“I think so, too. He smiles more.”
“He smiles at you,” Caleb corrected. “So, what do you think of him?” he asked again. When she paused, he clicked his tongue. “Come on, you have to think something. He’s obviously half in love with you.”
Judith turned to her brother in shock. “He is not. We’re just friends . . .” Though, had they actually ever been friends? “Plus he was excited for a home-cooked meal. He’s on his own now, you know.”
“I heard Mamm tell Daed that she wants Ben to take you home as often as possible now. I think she wants to feed him!”
“He’d love that.”
“And maybe you would, too?”
Feeling awkward, she glared at him. “Why all the questions about me? I would’ve thought you wouldn’t have any thoughts except for Rebecca.”
“Oh, I think about Rebecca all the time.” He shrugged, not looking the slightest embarrassed about his feelings. “I can’t help it. It’s just . . . the way you are with Ben—I’ve never seen you look smitten before.”
She could understand that. After all, she’d never felt like this before. When she’d walked him outside, feeling so relieved that her father had made Ben borrow his bicycle so he wouldn’t have to walk home . . . she’d been tempted to hug him good-bye.
Anything to keep him nearby for just a little bit longer.
“It’s really too bad he’s not planning to stay here after Christmas,” Caleb said, just as he knocked on the bathroom door. “Maggie? Did you get lost in there? Hurry up.”
Judith was still thinking about Ben leaving
Her eyelashes looked longer than ever, and they framed the most compassionate pair of blue eyes he’d ever had the good fortune to gaze into. When she blinked, his mouth went dry.
So all he did was jerk his head into a clumsy nod. And concentrate on his meal.
“When supper’s over, do you want to play with my animals?” Maggie asked. “I have a new goat.”
“You have a what?”
After a furtive glance right and left, she pulled out a plastic white goat from under her apron. “See?”
“I’d love to,” he said, knowing that little Maggie was surely wrapping his heart around her finger with every smile. “As long as I get to be in charge of the pig.”
As he hoped, Maggie giggled. “Okay.”
He was still smiling when he spooned up another amount of peas and carrots . . . and Maggie copied him.
And he knew he’d never felt so good as when Judith lightly squeezed his forearm at the end of the meal. Letting him know that everything was good—that he’d fit in just fine.
Of course, he knew things were much better than that.
Chapter Eight
“S o, Ben Knox seemed to like supper,” Caleb said to Judith as they waited outside in the hall for Maggie to finish in the bathroom.
Judith fought to control the vast array of emotions she was feeling. Though he hadn’t said as much, she knew Ben had loved supper, and not just because of the food.
He’d noticed the red candles on a counter in the kitchen, and the bowl in the living room that was filled to overflowing with Christmas cards. He’d ran a finger along a red-and-green star quilt she’d made years ago, and smiled when Mrs. Allen had given her mother a glass bowl filled with pinecones.
In addition he’d seemed to absorb the comfort of her family as if he’d been thirsty for days. “He truly liked Maggie.”
As she’d half expected, Caleb’s gaze turned warm. “Who wouldn’t?”
She really was the sweetest of all of them. Gentle and eager to please, their Maggie was the one member of the family who no one ever complained about. “Did you see him playing farm animals with her?” Judith shook her head. “I actually heard him squeal like a pig!”
“Maggie says he’s her new best friend.” Looking contemplative, he said, “So . . . what do you think of him?”
“Of Ben? Why, I don’t know.”
“He seems different than how I remember him.”
“I think so, too. He smiles more.”
“He smiles at you,” Caleb corrected. “So, what do you think of him?” he asked again. When she paused, he clicked his tongue. “Come on, you have to think something. He’s obviously half in love with you.”
Judith turned to her brother in shock. “He is not. We’re just friends . . .” Though, had they actually ever been friends? “Plus he was excited for a home-cooked meal. He’s on his own now, you know.”
“I heard Mamm tell Daed that she wants Ben to take you home as often as possible now. I think she wants to feed him!”
“He’d love that.”
“And maybe you would, too?”
Feeling awkward, she glared at him. “Why all the questions about me? I would’ve thought you wouldn’t have any thoughts except for Rebecca.”
“Oh, I think about Rebecca all the time.” He shrugged, not looking the slightest embarrassed about his feelings. “I can’t help it. It’s just . . . the way you are with Ben—I’ve never seen you look smitten before.”
She could understand that. After all, she’d never felt like this before. When she’d walked him outside, feeling so relieved that her father had made Ben borrow his bicycle so he wouldn’t have to walk home . . . she’d been tempted to hug him good-bye.
Anything to keep him nearby for just a little bit longer.
“It’s really too bad he’s not planning to stay here after Christmas,” Caleb said, just as he knocked on the bathroom door. “Maggie? Did you get lost in there? Hurry up.”
Judith was still thinking about Ben leaving
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