position to take her friend’s offer. Staying in a warm cabin was better than some chilly tent.
The path wound around the lake’s southeast tip before reaching the rows of neat cottages. In the distance, the lake lapped the shores.
Levi’s breath tickled Nick’s cheek. The boy was a great deal like Nick’s brother Toby. Toby would have liked the lake and would have loved the roller coaster. What had his mother said boys were made of? Snips and snails and puppy dog tails? Well, that sure described both Toby and Levi.
Nick patted Levi’s back when he stirred. “Which one is your place?”
“None of them.”
Her voice sounded far away. What had she been thinking? “Mrs. Hart, in which cabin are you staying?”
“The fourth one.” She reached for Levi. “I can take him from here.”
He turned to the side to prevent her from removing Levi from his arms. “I’ve got him. Lead the way.”
She huffed but continued down the path. In a few more yards, they reached the Graham cottage. Only a couple of small lights flickered inside, but the wails of an infant filled the air.
Levi lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. “Baby Kate, shhh. You cry too much.”
His head dropped back onto Nick’s shoulder, and Nick laughed. “He’s not fond of the baby, I take it.”
“Emily’s Katie has colic.” Mrs. Hart opened the screen door and held out her arms for Levi.
“I can carry him in if you like.” After all, if Lilly’s friend was there, no rules of propriety would be breeched.
“No, really, I’ll carry him inside.”
Nick eased the six-year-old into his mother’s arms. “Good night, Mrs. Hart, and thank you for a pleasant evening. Perhaps next time you’ll allow me to treat you and Levi to an evening in town.”
She didn’t lift her eyes to meet his gaze. “There can’t be a next time, Mr. Perrin. I’m sorry.” Without a glance back, she slipped through the door of the cottage.
Nick stared at the door for a few seconds before stepping off the stoop and onto the path back to the service road. What had he said? He’d only suggested another family outing.
Realization hit him. Mrs. Hart and Levi were not his family.
Levi looked so sweet when he slept. Lilly brushed the sandy hair off his forehead and glanced around the small room she shared with him in the Graham family cottage. Emily had left a lamp burning there for her, and its light bathed the little room in a warm glow. It was still early enough that she should probably go spend some time with Emily or spell her with Kate.
“I’m not sleepy.” Levi, slurring his s ’s, tried to open his eyes.
Lilly pulled the covers around his shoulders and laughed to herself. “I can see that.”
“Got to finish my snake cage ’morrow.”
“We’ll see.”
“Mama?” He opened his eyes a slit.
“What, sweetheart?”
“You like Mr. Nick now?”
She kissed his forehead. “Go to sleep, my sweet boy. I love you.”
“Mama, you like him lots now. Don’t you?” His voice trailed off as sleep claimed him again.
She fingered a little curl forming around his ear. “Yes, Son,” she whispered. “I do like Mr. Nick, but I shouldn’t.” Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t, and I won’t.”
Frost crystals glittered on the cobweb hanging from the eaves of Thorton’s Lunch Counter. The sunrise pinked the sky as Lilly unlocked the back door and entered. Thank goodness Emily offered to keep Levi and let him sleep in this morning.
If she hurried, perhaps she could get the biscuits in the oven for breakfast and the ham and beans started for lunch before she had to fry the eggs and bacon for the men. Soon she’d have Eugenia trained to help her. She chuckled. At least, she hoped she could teach the girl, although it might take a miracle.
She sent up a prayer asking for one, knowing that probably would not be God’s plan since He had a tendency to teach her patience in concrete ways.
After mixing the biscuits, Lilly rolled them out on a
The path wound around the lake’s southeast tip before reaching the rows of neat cottages. In the distance, the lake lapped the shores.
Levi’s breath tickled Nick’s cheek. The boy was a great deal like Nick’s brother Toby. Toby would have liked the lake and would have loved the roller coaster. What had his mother said boys were made of? Snips and snails and puppy dog tails? Well, that sure described both Toby and Levi.
Nick patted Levi’s back when he stirred. “Which one is your place?”
“None of them.”
Her voice sounded far away. What had she been thinking? “Mrs. Hart, in which cabin are you staying?”
“The fourth one.” She reached for Levi. “I can take him from here.”
He turned to the side to prevent her from removing Levi from his arms. “I’ve got him. Lead the way.”
She huffed but continued down the path. In a few more yards, they reached the Graham cottage. Only a couple of small lights flickered inside, but the wails of an infant filled the air.
Levi lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. “Baby Kate, shhh. You cry too much.”
His head dropped back onto Nick’s shoulder, and Nick laughed. “He’s not fond of the baby, I take it.”
“Emily’s Katie has colic.” Mrs. Hart opened the screen door and held out her arms for Levi.
“I can carry him in if you like.” After all, if Lilly’s friend was there, no rules of propriety would be breeched.
“No, really, I’ll carry him inside.”
Nick eased the six-year-old into his mother’s arms. “Good night, Mrs. Hart, and thank you for a pleasant evening. Perhaps next time you’ll allow me to treat you and Levi to an evening in town.”
She didn’t lift her eyes to meet his gaze. “There can’t be a next time, Mr. Perrin. I’m sorry.” Without a glance back, she slipped through the door of the cottage.
Nick stared at the door for a few seconds before stepping off the stoop and onto the path back to the service road. What had he said? He’d only suggested another family outing.
Realization hit him. Mrs. Hart and Levi were not his family.
Levi looked so sweet when he slept. Lilly brushed the sandy hair off his forehead and glanced around the small room she shared with him in the Graham family cottage. Emily had left a lamp burning there for her, and its light bathed the little room in a warm glow. It was still early enough that she should probably go spend some time with Emily or spell her with Kate.
“I’m not sleepy.” Levi, slurring his s ’s, tried to open his eyes.
Lilly pulled the covers around his shoulders and laughed to herself. “I can see that.”
“Got to finish my snake cage ’morrow.”
“We’ll see.”
“Mama?” He opened his eyes a slit.
“What, sweetheart?”
“You like Mr. Nick now?”
She kissed his forehead. “Go to sleep, my sweet boy. I love you.”
“Mama, you like him lots now. Don’t you?” His voice trailed off as sleep claimed him again.
She fingered a little curl forming around his ear. “Yes, Son,” she whispered. “I do like Mr. Nick, but I shouldn’t.” Tears filled her eyes. “I can’t, and I won’t.”
Frost crystals glittered on the cobweb hanging from the eaves of Thorton’s Lunch Counter. The sunrise pinked the sky as Lilly unlocked the back door and entered. Thank goodness Emily offered to keep Levi and let him sleep in this morning.
If she hurried, perhaps she could get the biscuits in the oven for breakfast and the ham and beans started for lunch before she had to fry the eggs and bacon for the men. Soon she’d have Eugenia trained to help her. She chuckled. At least, she hoped she could teach the girl, although it might take a miracle.
She sent up a prayer asking for one, knowing that probably would not be God’s plan since He had a tendency to teach her patience in concrete ways.
After mixing the biscuits, Lilly rolled them out on a
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