around the rest of the track. There will be a few more rises in the middle to keep things interesting.”
“How long will it be?”
“A little under two thousand feet.”
“It’s going to be shaped like a number eight.” Levi drew the number in the air with his index finger. “Right, Mr. Nick?”
“That’s right. And the whole thing will be painted white.”
“And it’ll have bright flags waving off the top of the . . . the coup.”
Mr. Perrin chuckled. “Cupola.”
Lilly tilted her head. “Cupola?”
“Ours will be a little pointed structure built on top of the highest point of the coaster. It will make it look even taller.”
“Very impressive, Mr. Perrin.”
“Please, call me Nick. Mr. Perrin was my father, and it makes me feel like I’m a hundred years old.”
“And is your father a hundred years old?”
Nick opened his mouth to speak, and nothing came out.
Poor Mr. Perrin didn’t know how sassy she could be. Except for Marguerite’s husband, Trip, and Emily’s husband, Carter, she’d not called another man by his given name since her husband passed. And if she called him Nick, would he expect to address her by Lilly?
He found his voice. “Even the boys call me Nick. I’d consider it a personal favor if you’d do the same.”
“Mama.” Levi rubbed his belly in a big circle. “All this work has made me powerful hungry.”
Lilly and Nick shared a look and a smile. Where had he heard that? “Well, perhaps I could find something back in the kitchen for you and Mr. Per—uh, Nick.”
Nick nodded, and they started down the path together. Levi bounded ahead with Lilly and Nick following. Nick again apologized for not bringing her son back on time and said she needn’t worry about feeding him.
“Nonsense,” Lilly said. “If I have to make something for Levi, I might as well fix two plates.”
“Three.” Nick stopped on the path.
“Excuse me?”
“Levi and I want you to eat with us too. Don’t we, Levi? I’m sure with all the fuss, you didn’t eat. Surely Mr. Thorton includes meals with your salary.”
“I’m allowed three meals a day.”
“And Levi said you gave the new girl your lunch, so I know you have to be powerful hungry, as your son would say.” He grinned, bringing a twinkle to his cobalt eyes. “So?”
“You’re as bad as Levi in the pestering department.”
“And?” He lifted his eyebrows.
“And I’ll join you both this once.”
7
“Pork chops have never tasted so good, Mrs. Hart.”
Lilly attempted to hide her smile by dabbing her lips with her napkin. She lowered it to her lap. “They aren’t difficult to make.”
“But they taste better with company.” Nick tickled Levi’s stomach. “What do you say we help your mama do up these dishes?”
“No, that’s not necessary. I can do them.” Lilly stood and collected the empty plates.
“Of course you can, but you shouldn’t have to.” He hurried to his feet and gathered the glasses. “Actually, why don’t you rest and let us men handle cleanup? After all, it’s our fault you had to cook an extra supper.”
“Nick, I can’t let you wash dishes.”
“Don’t you have other work to tend to before morning?”
“Yes, but—”
Nick tucked the glasses in the crook of his arm and gathered the silverware in his fist. “Then you see to that while we boys do these up. I used to help my mother with dishes all the time.”
“Where?”
Nick grinned. “In the kitchen.”
Lilly gave him a mock scowl and placed her load of dishes in the washbasin. “Where did you live?”
“Near Pittsburgh.” Nick removed his coat, rolled up his shirtsleeves, and tied a towel around his waist.
“Pennsylvania?”
“Is there a Pittsburgh, Iowa?”
She smiled. “No, I don’t think so.”
After pouring a kettle of hot water into the washbasin, Lilly added a small amount of Gold Dust Washing Powder, making a mental note to put another box of soap on her grocery list. How much had Eugenia
“How long will it be?”
“A little under two thousand feet.”
“It’s going to be shaped like a number eight.” Levi drew the number in the air with his index finger. “Right, Mr. Nick?”
“That’s right. And the whole thing will be painted white.”
“And it’ll have bright flags waving off the top of the . . . the coup.”
Mr. Perrin chuckled. “Cupola.”
Lilly tilted her head. “Cupola?”
“Ours will be a little pointed structure built on top of the highest point of the coaster. It will make it look even taller.”
“Very impressive, Mr. Perrin.”
“Please, call me Nick. Mr. Perrin was my father, and it makes me feel like I’m a hundred years old.”
“And is your father a hundred years old?”
Nick opened his mouth to speak, and nothing came out.
Poor Mr. Perrin didn’t know how sassy she could be. Except for Marguerite’s husband, Trip, and Emily’s husband, Carter, she’d not called another man by his given name since her husband passed. And if she called him Nick, would he expect to address her by Lilly?
He found his voice. “Even the boys call me Nick. I’d consider it a personal favor if you’d do the same.”
“Mama.” Levi rubbed his belly in a big circle. “All this work has made me powerful hungry.”
Lilly and Nick shared a look and a smile. Where had he heard that? “Well, perhaps I could find something back in the kitchen for you and Mr. Per—uh, Nick.”
Nick nodded, and they started down the path together. Levi bounded ahead with Lilly and Nick following. Nick again apologized for not bringing her son back on time and said she needn’t worry about feeding him.
“Nonsense,” Lilly said. “If I have to make something for Levi, I might as well fix two plates.”
“Three.” Nick stopped on the path.
“Excuse me?”
“Levi and I want you to eat with us too. Don’t we, Levi? I’m sure with all the fuss, you didn’t eat. Surely Mr. Thorton includes meals with your salary.”
“I’m allowed three meals a day.”
“And Levi said you gave the new girl your lunch, so I know you have to be powerful hungry, as your son would say.” He grinned, bringing a twinkle to his cobalt eyes. “So?”
“You’re as bad as Levi in the pestering department.”
“And?” He lifted his eyebrows.
“And I’ll join you both this once.”
7
“Pork chops have never tasted so good, Mrs. Hart.”
Lilly attempted to hide her smile by dabbing her lips with her napkin. She lowered it to her lap. “They aren’t difficult to make.”
“But they taste better with company.” Nick tickled Levi’s stomach. “What do you say we help your mama do up these dishes?”
“No, that’s not necessary. I can do them.” Lilly stood and collected the empty plates.
“Of course you can, but you shouldn’t have to.” He hurried to his feet and gathered the glasses. “Actually, why don’t you rest and let us men handle cleanup? After all, it’s our fault you had to cook an extra supper.”
“Nick, I can’t let you wash dishes.”
“Don’t you have other work to tend to before morning?”
“Yes, but—”
Nick tucked the glasses in the crook of his arm and gathered the silverware in his fist. “Then you see to that while we boys do these up. I used to help my mother with dishes all the time.”
“Where?”
Nick grinned. “In the kitchen.”
Lilly gave him a mock scowl and placed her load of dishes in the washbasin. “Where did you live?”
“Near Pittsburgh.” Nick removed his coat, rolled up his shirtsleeves, and tied a towel around his waist.
“Pennsylvania?”
“Is there a Pittsburgh, Iowa?”
She smiled. “No, I don’t think so.”
After pouring a kettle of hot water into the washbasin, Lilly added a small amount of Gold Dust Washing Powder, making a mental note to put another box of soap on her grocery list. How much had Eugenia
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