base.”
“Then you’d better hang around and tell me when to go.”
“You bet.”
Julie’s heart swelled with joy for her little brother, who tried so hard to be like other boys in spite of his crippled foot. He had been only six years old when their mother died. Not much more than a child herself, Julie had tried to fill the void.
The game was called after seven innings in order to give the neighbors time to get home before night settled in. Jason’s team won and he was ecstatic.
Joe brought out the big granite coffeepot from the kitchen and filled cups while the women cut the cakes and pies and handed out the slices. Men squatted on the grass with cups of coffee and slabs of cake in their hands. The children gobbled down the first serving and came back for more.
“Wait until everyone has been served, then you can have more.” Grace herded the Birch children, hers and lona’s, into a line.
Julie noticed that Evan had chosen a piece of Birdie Stuart’s custard pie, as had her father, who had passed up the coconut cake and the raisin pie, which was his favorite. Evan had taken his pie and gone back to sink down on the grass beside Joe, but her father had stayed to talk with Birdie.
He’s making a fool of himself by being so obvious
, Julie thought when she noticed Ruth watching him as he lingered to talk to her sister-in-law. Then a thought hit her that almost sent her reeling.
What if Papa marries Birdie Stuart and brings her here to live?
She took a deep quivering breath. She knew that it was his right to marry whomever he pleased, but what would she do? The house and the children would no longer be hers.
Pushing these disturbing thoughts to the back of her mind, she loaded a plate with slices of cake and carried it to the men sitting on the grass. By the time she reached Joe and Evan, all that was left on the plate were pieces of her spice cake.
“Cake, Mr. Johnson?”
“Hold it, Evan.” Joe grabbed Evan’s wrist when he reached for a slice. “Julie made that cake. Ain’t no tellin’ what’s in it. Could be mouse droppin’s.” His teasing dark eyes glinted up at Julie.
“Joseph Jones!” Julie kicked her brother’s foot. “Mr. Johnson will think you mean it.”
“I do mean it. She’s sneaky, Evan.”
“Guess, I’ll just have to risk it.” He reached for a piece of the cake, and for the first time she saw him smile. Julie’s heart thumped until she saw his eyes shift past her and realized that Birdie was beside her holding out the last piece of custard pie.
“I saved it for you, Mr. Johnson.” Birdie’s voice was no more than a husky whisper. Julie caught a whiff of Lily of the Valley perfume.
Julie stepped aside. She felt big and awkward beside the petite woman.
“Well, thank you, but I’ve had my share of custard pie tonight. Joe was complaining he’d not had any.” Evan took the pan from Birdie’s hand and held it out to Joe.
“You sure?” Joe said, but he was already dipping his hand into the pie dish.
Julie moved away and offered cake to the circle of men seated on the ground. Their talk and the squeals of the children chasing fireflies prevented her from hearing what else Birdie Stuart had to say to Evan and Joe. Birdie didn’t linger, Julie noticed. She was back at the picnic table when Julie returned with her empty plate. Her father had gone to squat down beside Wilbur Humphrey, Birdie’s brother.
Julie was aware that none of this had escaped the attention of Ruth Humphrey.
Chapter 5
T HE TAYLORS WERE THE FIRST TO LEAVE and the Humphreys the last, after it was decided to have another ball game on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ll be here,” Ruth called gaily as she lifted her two-year-old up onto the wagon bed.
“If you need help putting the roof on that cow shed,
“Then you’d better hang around and tell me when to go.”
“You bet.”
Julie’s heart swelled with joy for her little brother, who tried so hard to be like other boys in spite of his crippled foot. He had been only six years old when their mother died. Not much more than a child herself, Julie had tried to fill the void.
The game was called after seven innings in order to give the neighbors time to get home before night settled in. Jason’s team won and he was ecstatic.
Joe brought out the big granite coffeepot from the kitchen and filled cups while the women cut the cakes and pies and handed out the slices. Men squatted on the grass with cups of coffee and slabs of cake in their hands. The children gobbled down the first serving and came back for more.
“Wait until everyone has been served, then you can have more.” Grace herded the Birch children, hers and lona’s, into a line.
Julie noticed that Evan had chosen a piece of Birdie Stuart’s custard pie, as had her father, who had passed up the coconut cake and the raisin pie, which was his favorite. Evan had taken his pie and gone back to sink down on the grass beside Joe, but her father had stayed to talk with Birdie.
He’s making a fool of himself by being so obvious
, Julie thought when she noticed Ruth watching him as he lingered to talk to her sister-in-law. Then a thought hit her that almost sent her reeling.
What if Papa marries Birdie Stuart and brings her here to live?
She took a deep quivering breath. She knew that it was his right to marry whomever he pleased, but what would she do? The house and the children would no longer be hers.
Pushing these disturbing thoughts to the back of her mind, she loaded a plate with slices of cake and carried it to the men sitting on the grass. By the time she reached Joe and Evan, all that was left on the plate were pieces of her spice cake.
“Cake, Mr. Johnson?”
“Hold it, Evan.” Joe grabbed Evan’s wrist when he reached for a slice. “Julie made that cake. Ain’t no tellin’ what’s in it. Could be mouse droppin’s.” His teasing dark eyes glinted up at Julie.
“Joseph Jones!” Julie kicked her brother’s foot. “Mr. Johnson will think you mean it.”
“I do mean it. She’s sneaky, Evan.”
“Guess, I’ll just have to risk it.” He reached for a piece of the cake, and for the first time she saw him smile. Julie’s heart thumped until she saw his eyes shift past her and realized that Birdie was beside her holding out the last piece of custard pie.
“I saved it for you, Mr. Johnson.” Birdie’s voice was no more than a husky whisper. Julie caught a whiff of Lily of the Valley perfume.
Julie stepped aside. She felt big and awkward beside the petite woman.
“Well, thank you, but I’ve had my share of custard pie tonight. Joe was complaining he’d not had any.” Evan took the pan from Birdie’s hand and held it out to Joe.
“You sure?” Joe said, but he was already dipping his hand into the pie dish.
Julie moved away and offered cake to the circle of men seated on the ground. Their talk and the squeals of the children chasing fireflies prevented her from hearing what else Birdie Stuart had to say to Evan and Joe. Birdie didn’t linger, Julie noticed. She was back at the picnic table when Julie returned with her empty plate. Her father had gone to squat down beside Wilbur Humphrey, Birdie’s brother.
Julie was aware that none of this had escaped the attention of Ruth Humphrey.
Chapter 5
T HE TAYLORS WERE THE FIRST TO LEAVE and the Humphreys the last, after it was decided to have another ball game on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ll be here,” Ruth called gaily as she lifted her two-year-old up onto the wagon bed.
“If you need help putting the roof on that cow shed,
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