used tonight?
She pumped a little cold water into the hot and swished the water until suds formed. “Are you the youngest child?”
“No, I’m near the top.” Nick nudged her aside. “Let me show you how it’s done.”
“You’re going to show me how to wash dishes?” She stepped to her right and he grinned at her. After rolling up his sleeves, he sunk his arms in the suds up to the elbows and set to work on the glasses first. Maybe he did know what he was doing.
“How many of you were there?” She measured the flour for tomorrow morning’s biscuits into her favorite stoneware mixing bowl.
“Ten altogether. Two older brothers and seven younger brothers and sisters. A whole peck of Perrins.” He laughed, low and warm. “Hey, where’s my half-pint helper?”
“I’ll check.” Lilly went into the dining room and found Levi’s head resting on his crossed arms. His steady breathing told her he was sound asleep. Poor guy. He’d had quite a day. A visit with Grammy, new crayons, dumping ants on his grandparents’ floor, building a snake cage—all the excitement must have taken its toll.
She returned to the kitchen and picked up a towel. “I’m afraid you’ve lost your assistant to dreamland. I guess you’ll have to settle for me.”
For several minutes, they worked in silence. Not once did Lilly have to return a dish back to the water because Nick had missed something. She prayed Eugenia had done as well with the dishes she’d washed and put away.
“What about you, Mrs. Hart? Only child?”
“How did you know?”
“Guessed.”
“Did my bossiness give me away?” Only half teasing, Lilly slipped the dried plate onto the stack.
“No, your independence.” Nick wiped his hands on a towel and leaned against the sink. “With ten of us, independence was an unusual trait—except in my youngest brother. He was determined to do things his way.”
“Where is he now?”
“Gone.” Nick’s voice caught, and he swallowed before going on. “He died when he was Levi’s age.”
“I’m sorry.” So that was why Nick had taken such an interest in Levi. He must have reminded Nick of his brother.
“If you’re ready to go, I’ll carry Levi back to your cottage.” Nick wiped his hands on a tea towel and walked into the other room.
“You needn’t trouble yourself. I can wake him.”
“Mrs. Hart, I realize you probably can out-stubborn me any day, but I can assure you, I will not let any lady and her son walk unescorted home in the dark—especially you.” He passed her cape to her from its hook on the wall.
She sucked in her breath, her stomach churning. This was wrong. All wrong. But it felt so right. How had she allowed Nick Perrin to spend the evening with her and Levi? And worse, she’d enjoyed it. How could she do that to Ben’s memory?
Goose bumps prickled her flesh. She wrapped her cape about her shoulders while Nick hefted Levi onto his shoulder with ease. Levi’s head lulled against Nick’s broad shoulder. A memory of Ben, doing much the same after Levi fell asleep in the parlor, flitted through her mind. Only three, Levi had been much smaller, but she’d never forget the way Ben had brushed the hair from Levi’s head and planted a kiss on his forehead.
Ben had left on his business trip the next morning, and Levi never saw his daddy again.
When had such a pleasant evening gone south? Nick shook his head, and Levi nestled further into his neck. Mrs. Hart had not spoken a word since they’d locked up the lunch counter. She walked beside him, her bearing stiff, her mouth clamped shut.
He shifted Levi in his arms. He hadn’t expected a forty-five-pound boy to grow so heavy in a half-mile walk. He kept his two charges on the graveled service road surrounding the lake, as it was much easier to navigate at night. Plus, as chilly as it was tonight, the grass would soon be frost covered. Mrs. Hart may not like how it happened, but he was glad she’d been forced into a
She pumped a little cold water into the hot and swished the water until suds formed. “Are you the youngest child?”
“No, I’m near the top.” Nick nudged her aside. “Let me show you how it’s done.”
“You’re going to show me how to wash dishes?” She stepped to her right and he grinned at her. After rolling up his sleeves, he sunk his arms in the suds up to the elbows and set to work on the glasses first. Maybe he did know what he was doing.
“How many of you were there?” She measured the flour for tomorrow morning’s biscuits into her favorite stoneware mixing bowl.
“Ten altogether. Two older brothers and seven younger brothers and sisters. A whole peck of Perrins.” He laughed, low and warm. “Hey, where’s my half-pint helper?”
“I’ll check.” Lilly went into the dining room and found Levi’s head resting on his crossed arms. His steady breathing told her he was sound asleep. Poor guy. He’d had quite a day. A visit with Grammy, new crayons, dumping ants on his grandparents’ floor, building a snake cage—all the excitement must have taken its toll.
She returned to the kitchen and picked up a towel. “I’m afraid you’ve lost your assistant to dreamland. I guess you’ll have to settle for me.”
For several minutes, they worked in silence. Not once did Lilly have to return a dish back to the water because Nick had missed something. She prayed Eugenia had done as well with the dishes she’d washed and put away.
“What about you, Mrs. Hart? Only child?”
“How did you know?”
“Guessed.”
“Did my bossiness give me away?” Only half teasing, Lilly slipped the dried plate onto the stack.
“No, your independence.” Nick wiped his hands on a towel and leaned against the sink. “With ten of us, independence was an unusual trait—except in my youngest brother. He was determined to do things his way.”
“Where is he now?”
“Gone.” Nick’s voice caught, and he swallowed before going on. “He died when he was Levi’s age.”
“I’m sorry.” So that was why Nick had taken such an interest in Levi. He must have reminded Nick of his brother.
“If you’re ready to go, I’ll carry Levi back to your cottage.” Nick wiped his hands on a tea towel and walked into the other room.
“You needn’t trouble yourself. I can wake him.”
“Mrs. Hart, I realize you probably can out-stubborn me any day, but I can assure you, I will not let any lady and her son walk unescorted home in the dark—especially you.” He passed her cape to her from its hook on the wall.
She sucked in her breath, her stomach churning. This was wrong. All wrong. But it felt so right. How had she allowed Nick Perrin to spend the evening with her and Levi? And worse, she’d enjoyed it. How could she do that to Ben’s memory?
Goose bumps prickled her flesh. She wrapped her cape about her shoulders while Nick hefted Levi onto his shoulder with ease. Levi’s head lulled against Nick’s broad shoulder. A memory of Ben, doing much the same after Levi fell asleep in the parlor, flitted through her mind. Only three, Levi had been much smaller, but she’d never forget the way Ben had brushed the hair from Levi’s head and planted a kiss on his forehead.
Ben had left on his business trip the next morning, and Levi never saw his daddy again.
When had such a pleasant evening gone south? Nick shook his head, and Levi nestled further into his neck. Mrs. Hart had not spoken a word since they’d locked up the lunch counter. She walked beside him, her bearing stiff, her mouth clamped shut.
He shifted Levi in his arms. He hadn’t expected a forty-five-pound boy to grow so heavy in a half-mile walk. He kept his two charges on the graveled service road surrounding the lake, as it was much easier to navigate at night. Plus, as chilly as it was tonight, the grass would soon be frost covered. Mrs. Hart may not like how it happened, but he was glad she’d been forced into a
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