shiver to run up her spine.
She heard his footsteps carry him back into the house, and almost without conscious thought she followed after him. He looked surprised at the sight of her entering the kitchen. Feeling the need for a reason to be there, she hurried to explain, “Mr. Dubois, your sister mentioned that you want to find a cook.”
“Yes.”
She took a moment to tell him about Sun Jie and her husband. When he seemed unconcerned that she was recommending a servant from Chinatown, relief swept over her. Though why she should feel relieved was a puzzle to her.
“Maybe I could stop by and speak to Sun Jie on my way back to the office,” Matthew suggested. “Would she be at the parsonage now?”
“Yes, she’s there.”
He set his hat over his dark hair. “Thanks. I’ll talk to her.” He paused, then added, “I appreciate all you’re doing for Alice, Miss Adair.”
“I’m glad I could be of service.”
Wordlessly, he continued to look at her, something unspoken swirling in his eyes. Nerves tumbled in her belly.
“You’ve been a godsend,” he said at last, sincerity in his gentle voice.
Unable to speak, she shook her head, the compliment making her uncomfortable for some reason. He made her uncomfortable for some reason.
“I’ll see you tonight.” He turned on his heel and left the house.
Matthew was halfway to the Wells, Fargo office before he remembered he’d intended to stop at the parsonage first. Something about Shannon’s expression, about the green of her eyes, about the way she’d looked at him as she stood in the kitchen, had made him forget everything else. Including speaking to his sister about Jack Dickson joining them for supper later in the week. Couldn’t do that without hiring a cook. Couldn’t expect Shannon to prepare a meal for not only his family but a guest too. Besides, he’d just as soon Jack didn’t meet Shannon Adair anytime soon.
A frown creased his brow at the return of that thought. He told himself it was only because he didn’t want any competition as he sought to woo Miss Adair—and he only needed to woo her because of Todd, because the boy would need someone to mother him after Alice died.
He turned on his heel and walked back up the hill, turning aside on Gold Hill Road. A short while later, he rapped on the door of the parsonage. It was opened not by the expected servant, but by the reverend himself.
Matthew removed his hat. “Good afternoon, Reverend Adair.”
A concerned expression crossed the pastor’s face. “I trust nothing is amiss with your sister, Mr. Dubois.”
“No, sir. Alice is doing better this week. I came to speak to Sun Jie. Your daughter thought she might know of someone we could hire as a cook.”
“Oh, thank the Lord. Of course.” The reverend stepped back from the door. “Come in.”
Prior to coming to Grand Coeur and moving into the large home farther up the hillside, Matthew hadn’t been the sort of man who noticed much about the places he stayed. Beyond the comfort of a bed and the quality of meals, nothing much mattered to him. Certainly not the size of a place or how a room was decorated or if there were enough windows to let in adequate sunlight.
But he noticed all of those things now, and he suspected the parsonage must feel a terrible comedown to Shannon Adair, who was unquestionably used to a home larger and finer than anything in Grand Coeur.
“Sun Jie,” the reverend said, pulling Matthew from his thoughts.
“Mr. Dubois has come to speak to you.”
Like other Chinese women Matthew had seen in gold camps through the years, Sun Jie was petite. He doubted she tipped the scales at more than ninety pounds, if that. But she had inner strength. He saw it clearly in the dark gaze that met his for a brief moment before she gave him a respectful bow.
When he explained why he’d come to see her, she smiled and said,
“My sister, she even better cook than Sun Jie. Sun Ling work for you, you want her to. I
She heard his footsteps carry him back into the house, and almost without conscious thought she followed after him. He looked surprised at the sight of her entering the kitchen. Feeling the need for a reason to be there, she hurried to explain, “Mr. Dubois, your sister mentioned that you want to find a cook.”
“Yes.”
She took a moment to tell him about Sun Jie and her husband. When he seemed unconcerned that she was recommending a servant from Chinatown, relief swept over her. Though why she should feel relieved was a puzzle to her.
“Maybe I could stop by and speak to Sun Jie on my way back to the office,” Matthew suggested. “Would she be at the parsonage now?”
“Yes, she’s there.”
He set his hat over his dark hair. “Thanks. I’ll talk to her.” He paused, then added, “I appreciate all you’re doing for Alice, Miss Adair.”
“I’m glad I could be of service.”
Wordlessly, he continued to look at her, something unspoken swirling in his eyes. Nerves tumbled in her belly.
“You’ve been a godsend,” he said at last, sincerity in his gentle voice.
Unable to speak, she shook her head, the compliment making her uncomfortable for some reason. He made her uncomfortable for some reason.
“I’ll see you tonight.” He turned on his heel and left the house.
Matthew was halfway to the Wells, Fargo office before he remembered he’d intended to stop at the parsonage first. Something about Shannon’s expression, about the green of her eyes, about the way she’d looked at him as she stood in the kitchen, had made him forget everything else. Including speaking to his sister about Jack Dickson joining them for supper later in the week. Couldn’t do that without hiring a cook. Couldn’t expect Shannon to prepare a meal for not only his family but a guest too. Besides, he’d just as soon Jack didn’t meet Shannon Adair anytime soon.
A frown creased his brow at the return of that thought. He told himself it was only because he didn’t want any competition as he sought to woo Miss Adair—and he only needed to woo her because of Todd, because the boy would need someone to mother him after Alice died.
He turned on his heel and walked back up the hill, turning aside on Gold Hill Road. A short while later, he rapped on the door of the parsonage. It was opened not by the expected servant, but by the reverend himself.
Matthew removed his hat. “Good afternoon, Reverend Adair.”
A concerned expression crossed the pastor’s face. “I trust nothing is amiss with your sister, Mr. Dubois.”
“No, sir. Alice is doing better this week. I came to speak to Sun Jie. Your daughter thought she might know of someone we could hire as a cook.”
“Oh, thank the Lord. Of course.” The reverend stepped back from the door. “Come in.”
Prior to coming to Grand Coeur and moving into the large home farther up the hillside, Matthew hadn’t been the sort of man who noticed much about the places he stayed. Beyond the comfort of a bed and the quality of meals, nothing much mattered to him. Certainly not the size of a place or how a room was decorated or if there were enough windows to let in adequate sunlight.
But he noticed all of those things now, and he suspected the parsonage must feel a terrible comedown to Shannon Adair, who was unquestionably used to a home larger and finer than anything in Grand Coeur.
“Sun Jie,” the reverend said, pulling Matthew from his thoughts.
“Mr. Dubois has come to speak to you.”
Like other Chinese women Matthew had seen in gold camps through the years, Sun Jie was petite. He doubted she tipped the scales at more than ninety pounds, if that. But she had inner strength. He saw it clearly in the dark gaze that met his for a brief moment before she gave him a respectful bow.
When he explained why he’d come to see her, she smiled and said,
“My sister, she even better cook than Sun Jie. Sun Ling work for you, you want her to. I
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