her cheek. She returned the hug. “Good night, Ben.”
“Night.” He ran to take his mother’s hand.
In the next few moments while they were alone, Bobbie managed to look everywhere but at Jace.
“You’ve captured the hearts of my niece and nephew.” He held his breath when she smiled and rose from the floor, but instead of retiring for the night, Bobbie sat in the chair she’d been leaning against. He watched her pull her long legs under her and snuggle down into the softness of the chair.
“I ain’t—” She pursed her lips before starting again. “I haven’t stolen their hearts. I’ve just placed myself inside of them.”
“You’ve definitely done that. You’ve got a kind heart, Bobbie.” She didn’t respond, but a pink tinge spread over her face. “And you blush rather easily.”
Pete and Annie chose that moment to return. “What did you say to cause that blush, Jace Kincaid?” Annie grinned as she sat down.
“I just told her that she has a kind heart and that she blushes easily.”
Annie shook her finger at him, then looked at Bobbie. “Don’t mind him. He’s a terrible tease. Always has been.” Annie cast a look at Jace but then turned back to Bobbie. “We’re all going to church in the morning. Would you like to join us?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t been to church in years.”
Pete wrapped his arm around his wife and pulled her close. “Why did you stop?”
“My mother died.” Bobbie shrugged and gazed at each of them. “Mama used to attend church, and she always brought me along. My father never joined us because he was always busy working. So when Mama died, I just stayed home with my father.”
Pete picked up his newspaper and set it in his lap. “Did you ever miss it?”
“No, not really. I still went to school and saw my friends, so I didn’t feel the need for church.”
“We’d love for you to join us tomorrow,” Annie said.
Bobbie rubbed her hand back and forth on the leg of her trousers. “I think I’ll just laze around tomorrow.”
Jace swallowed his disappointment. “That’s fine. But if you don’t mind, we’ll continue to invite you.”
She smiled, but it didn’t seem to reach her eyes. “That’ll be fine. Thank you.” She stood and stretched. “I think the pillow is calling my name. Good night, everyone.”
The men stood. “Good night.”
Annie sat for a moment, then followed Bobbie out of the room.
Bobbie shut the door and dropped onto her bed, glad to escape their inquisition. At the light tapping on the door, she took a deep breath. When would the questions end? “Come in.”
Annie poked her head inside with a smile and entered. She closed the door and moved to sit on the side of the bed. “You told me you had two old dresses. If you had a nice one, would you be more willing to attend church?”
Bobbie rubbed her thumb along the seam of her denims. Being rough and tumble never bothered her until the last few years when the comments from other women about her lack of decorum left scars.
“Something nicer would probably go a long way in making me feel more comfortable around other people.”
Annie reached over and covered her hand. “Were people really that rude to you?”
She gave a small nod. “If they didn’t say something rude, they either snubbed me or treated me badly.”
Annie looked into her eyes. The compassionate smile warmed Bobbie’s heart.
“Would you be willing to wear one of my mom’s dresses? I’d have to make a few adjustments to the bodice, but you’re about the same height. I’d love to let you have one.”
She didn’t answer but stared at the hand covering her own.
“Bobbie?”
When she looked up again, tears pooled in Annie’s eyes. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop moisture from blurring her own vision. Annie moved closer and pulled her into a tight embrace. Bobbie hesitated and then lifted her arms to return the hug.
“I’m sorry if my questions hurt you, Bobbie.”
“Oh
“Night.” He ran to take his mother’s hand.
In the next few moments while they were alone, Bobbie managed to look everywhere but at Jace.
“You’ve captured the hearts of my niece and nephew.” He held his breath when she smiled and rose from the floor, but instead of retiring for the night, Bobbie sat in the chair she’d been leaning against. He watched her pull her long legs under her and snuggle down into the softness of the chair.
“I ain’t—” She pursed her lips before starting again. “I haven’t stolen their hearts. I’ve just placed myself inside of them.”
“You’ve definitely done that. You’ve got a kind heart, Bobbie.” She didn’t respond, but a pink tinge spread over her face. “And you blush rather easily.”
Pete and Annie chose that moment to return. “What did you say to cause that blush, Jace Kincaid?” Annie grinned as she sat down.
“I just told her that she has a kind heart and that she blushes easily.”
Annie shook her finger at him, then looked at Bobbie. “Don’t mind him. He’s a terrible tease. Always has been.” Annie cast a look at Jace but then turned back to Bobbie. “We’re all going to church in the morning. Would you like to join us?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t been to church in years.”
Pete wrapped his arm around his wife and pulled her close. “Why did you stop?”
“My mother died.” Bobbie shrugged and gazed at each of them. “Mama used to attend church, and she always brought me along. My father never joined us because he was always busy working. So when Mama died, I just stayed home with my father.”
Pete picked up his newspaper and set it in his lap. “Did you ever miss it?”
“No, not really. I still went to school and saw my friends, so I didn’t feel the need for church.”
“We’d love for you to join us tomorrow,” Annie said.
Bobbie rubbed her hand back and forth on the leg of her trousers. “I think I’ll just laze around tomorrow.”
Jace swallowed his disappointment. “That’s fine. But if you don’t mind, we’ll continue to invite you.”
She smiled, but it didn’t seem to reach her eyes. “That’ll be fine. Thank you.” She stood and stretched. “I think the pillow is calling my name. Good night, everyone.”
The men stood. “Good night.”
Annie sat for a moment, then followed Bobbie out of the room.
Bobbie shut the door and dropped onto her bed, glad to escape their inquisition. At the light tapping on the door, she took a deep breath. When would the questions end? “Come in.”
Annie poked her head inside with a smile and entered. She closed the door and moved to sit on the side of the bed. “You told me you had two old dresses. If you had a nice one, would you be more willing to attend church?”
Bobbie rubbed her thumb along the seam of her denims. Being rough and tumble never bothered her until the last few years when the comments from other women about her lack of decorum left scars.
“Something nicer would probably go a long way in making me feel more comfortable around other people.”
Annie reached over and covered her hand. “Were people really that rude to you?”
She gave a small nod. “If they didn’t say something rude, they either snubbed me or treated me badly.”
Annie looked into her eyes. The compassionate smile warmed Bobbie’s heart.
“Would you be willing to wear one of my mom’s dresses? I’d have to make a few adjustments to the bodice, but you’re about the same height. I’d love to let you have one.”
She didn’t answer but stared at the hand covering her own.
“Bobbie?”
When she looked up again, tears pooled in Annie’s eyes. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop moisture from blurring her own vision. Annie moved closer and pulled her into a tight embrace. Bobbie hesitated and then lifted her arms to return the hug.
“I’m sorry if my questions hurt you, Bobbie.”
“Oh
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