Instant Prairie Family (Love Inspired Historical) by Bonnie Navarro Page B
Authors: Bonnie Navarro
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stairs.
Tommy dropped his stick in the dust and let the hoop roll off as he sprinted to her. “Can we come in now? Pa said we needed to let you sleep, but it sure smells like you were cooking. Can you come see my room now?”
She grimaced at the last question. What would she find upstairs if the downstairs was so dirty? She wasn’t sure she could take any more surprises like that tonight. At least the mess gave her hope that if she could do her best job, she would show Mr. Hopkins how much he needed her. It wasn’t just a question of taking care of the mess. From the state of the pots and pans, she’d gotten the idea that Mr. Hopkins wasn’t a very good cook, either. He was strong and tall but lean. The boys were on the skinny side, too, but with a few weeks of her meals, she was sure that she could have them filling out very nicely.
“Do you want to let your pa and cousin know it’s time to eat?”
Without letting go of her hand, Tommy stopped, looked over his shoulder and let out a holler that almost left her deaf. “Auntie House says it’s time to eat.”
Turning again toward the house, he started to tug again, but she stood her ground. “Is there something else that you need to do before you head on in?” she prompted.
“Nope. I told ’em,” Tommy stated matter-of-factly.
“I was thinking about your toys. Do you always leave them in the middle of the yard?”
“Huh?” Tommy glanced around, confused, until he spotted Willy carrying in the other hoop and stick. “Oh. Wait here for me, Abby,” he called over his shoulder as he let go of her hand and charged off to collect his forgotten toys.
“Auntie Abby,” a deep voice corrected from the open doors of the barn. Mr. Hopkins had been observing from the shadows. Would he be angry for her familiarity with the boys? Would he approve of her work or was there something she had done that upset him? If only she didn’t feel like she was on trial.
“Auntie Abby,” Tommy repeated.
“Supper’s ready,” she announced, regretting it immediately since Tommy’s voice had probably been heard into the next county.
“So I heard.” His voice held dry humor. Could he actually be amused by Tommy’s antics?
From across the barnyard, Abby thought the corners of his lips twitched, and she wondered what his smile would look like. Although Mr. Hopkins seemed very reserved with her, the boys didn’t fear him. In fact, more than once she watched them climb all over him like playful little pups. From the wagon she had almost been sure she heard him laughing with the boys as they had settled down to sleep by the riverside the night before.
Abby’s brother-in-law, Palmer, had never interacted with his children like that. Trying to remember her own father, she felt sadness at the faded memories. Closing her eyes for a brief second, she remembered his scratchy chin nuzzling her at bedtime, after he had read her a story and listened to her prayers. Had they wrestled as well and she just couldn’t remember or was it a game reserved for boys only? Her nephews loved to wrestle each other and she delighted in tickling them. How would they be doing now?
Tommy ran back to her and started his now familiar tugging on her arm. “Let’s go!”
“Okay.” She smiled again and let him pull her along.
“Tomas Daniel!” It was a command, not a shout, but it brought Tommy up short and got her attention, as well. “You should never pull a lady. You need to learn to walk at her pace,” Mr. Hopkins instructed his son, having almost caught up to them with his long strides. He let the others enter first, holding the door open when they reached the porch.
Another young man stood there, too. He was thin and tall, with the same sandy-brown hair and light blue eyes as Mr. Hopkins, and he stood waiting on the porch while she and the boys washed their hands in the sink. Abby wondered where the other man had been as she hurried around to make sure that the table was ready. The
Tommy dropped his stick in the dust and let the hoop roll off as he sprinted to her. “Can we come in now? Pa said we needed to let you sleep, but it sure smells like you were cooking. Can you come see my room now?”
She grimaced at the last question. What would she find upstairs if the downstairs was so dirty? She wasn’t sure she could take any more surprises like that tonight. At least the mess gave her hope that if she could do her best job, she would show Mr. Hopkins how much he needed her. It wasn’t just a question of taking care of the mess. From the state of the pots and pans, she’d gotten the idea that Mr. Hopkins wasn’t a very good cook, either. He was strong and tall but lean. The boys were on the skinny side, too, but with a few weeks of her meals, she was sure that she could have them filling out very nicely.
“Do you want to let your pa and cousin know it’s time to eat?”
Without letting go of her hand, Tommy stopped, looked over his shoulder and let out a holler that almost left her deaf. “Auntie House says it’s time to eat.”
Turning again toward the house, he started to tug again, but she stood her ground. “Is there something else that you need to do before you head on in?” she prompted.
“Nope. I told ’em,” Tommy stated matter-of-factly.
“I was thinking about your toys. Do you always leave them in the middle of the yard?”
“Huh?” Tommy glanced around, confused, until he spotted Willy carrying in the other hoop and stick. “Oh. Wait here for me, Abby,” he called over his shoulder as he let go of her hand and charged off to collect his forgotten toys.
“Auntie Abby,” a deep voice corrected from the open doors of the barn. Mr. Hopkins had been observing from the shadows. Would he be angry for her familiarity with the boys? Would he approve of her work or was there something she had done that upset him? If only she didn’t feel like she was on trial.
“Auntie Abby,” Tommy repeated.
“Supper’s ready,” she announced, regretting it immediately since Tommy’s voice had probably been heard into the next county.
“So I heard.” His voice held dry humor. Could he actually be amused by Tommy’s antics?
From across the barnyard, Abby thought the corners of his lips twitched, and she wondered what his smile would look like. Although Mr. Hopkins seemed very reserved with her, the boys didn’t fear him. In fact, more than once she watched them climb all over him like playful little pups. From the wagon she had almost been sure she heard him laughing with the boys as they had settled down to sleep by the riverside the night before.
Abby’s brother-in-law, Palmer, had never interacted with his children like that. Trying to remember her own father, she felt sadness at the faded memories. Closing her eyes for a brief second, she remembered his scratchy chin nuzzling her at bedtime, after he had read her a story and listened to her prayers. Had they wrestled as well and she just couldn’t remember or was it a game reserved for boys only? Her nephews loved to wrestle each other and she delighted in tickling them. How would they be doing now?
Tommy ran back to her and started his now familiar tugging on her arm. “Let’s go!”
“Okay.” She smiled again and let him pull her along.
“Tomas Daniel!” It was a command, not a shout, but it brought Tommy up short and got her attention, as well. “You should never pull a lady. You need to learn to walk at her pace,” Mr. Hopkins instructed his son, having almost caught up to them with his long strides. He let the others enter first, holding the door open when they reached the porch.
Another young man stood there, too. He was thin and tall, with the same sandy-brown hair and light blue eyes as Mr. Hopkins, and he stood waiting on the porch while she and the boys washed their hands in the sink. Abby wondered where the other man had been as she hurried around to make sure that the table was ready. The
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