means I have more time to catch up!”
“I wish you luck, since I’m still ahead by several points!”
Silence.
Ha! That got her! He was about to leave the bedroom when he looked at the trunk. He stared at it a moment before he went to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Sorting through his socks, he found the pair he wanted, unfolded them, and then reached into one and pulled out a key. Levi then went to the trunk and locked it.
* * *
Levi had said very little since he’d walked into the bedroom and found her sitting on his trunk. She debated on whether or not to ask him about what she’d found, then thought better of it. Such a thing might only lead to trouble, and she certainly didn't want any of that. She watched him closely as he made them fried eggs for dinner and then whipped up some gravy to go with the leftover biscuits from lunch. “Who taught you how to cook?” she asked, and hoped her voice sounded steady and even.
“If you must know, my mother taught me.”
Her brows rose in question. “Your mother? Since when does a man learn how to cook from his mother? I thought all men were resigned to the fact that cooking was strictly women’s work.”
“My mother was very wise, and taught not only me, but my brothers, as well.”
“You have brothers?”
He turned to her and, skillet in hand, joined her at the table. “Does it surprise you that I have brothers? That the world has been blessed with more than one man with the last name of Stone?”
“Hardly,” she said with a smile. “Stone isn’t that uncommon a name. But you haven't mentioned any brothers until now.”
“No, I haven’t. But don't think you get a point for finding out.”
“I wouldn't dream of it.”
He dished up their eggs, set the pan on the stove, and brought a small dish of gravy to the table and set it down. He sat and watched her, then cleared his throat when she didn't bow her head for the blessing, and smiled. “Would you like to pray over the food?” he asked.
“Me? Say the blessing?”
“Don’t people pray a blessing over their food in England?”
“Well of course we pray; it's just that…”
He leaned toward her with a smile. “What? Tell me, Mrs. Stone, what ?”
She straightened. “Will you stop being silly? I was about to tell you that my father always said the blessing.”
He sat back in his chair. “I see. Is it your opinion, then, that a woman shouldn't pray at this dinner table?”
“Anyone can pray, I suppose. It's just that my father was always the one to do it.”
“So, you’re used to a man doing certain… things?”
“I… I suppose so,” she stammered. He was up to something, she could tell.
“So then, you're used to a man taking the lead in certain things?”
She swallowed hard. He was trying to back her into some kind of corner, and she knew it! “Just as you're used to having a woman take the lead in other things, is my guess.”
He looked her up and down, and smiled. “Some things; but not all. Would you like some gravy?”
“Aren’t you going to say the blessing?”
He looked her over again. “My dear Mrs. Stone, you are the blessing.”
Fina swallowed, blushed, and clasped her hands before her. “Dear Lord, may you bless this food and those about to partake of it, amen.”
Levi smiled. “Short and to the point.”
She gave him a weak smile in return, and reached for a biscuit. “Are you going to tell me about your brothers?”
He opened a biscuit up, put it on his plate, and poured gravy over it. “In due time, my dear. But tell me, did you find out anything interesting about me today?”
Fina froze, a biscuit halfway to her mouth. What did he mean? Had he realized she'd found his…
“What's the matter, beautiful? Can’t speak?”
She set down her biscuit. “I’ve found you love to tease me, and that you're incorrigible.”
He smiled again. “That I am. What else?”
Her heart thumped in her chest loud enough that she wondered if he
“I wish you luck, since I’m still ahead by several points!”
Silence.
Ha! That got her! He was about to leave the bedroom when he looked at the trunk. He stared at it a moment before he went to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Sorting through his socks, he found the pair he wanted, unfolded them, and then reached into one and pulled out a key. Levi then went to the trunk and locked it.
* * *
Levi had said very little since he’d walked into the bedroom and found her sitting on his trunk. She debated on whether or not to ask him about what she’d found, then thought better of it. Such a thing might only lead to trouble, and she certainly didn't want any of that. She watched him closely as he made them fried eggs for dinner and then whipped up some gravy to go with the leftover biscuits from lunch. “Who taught you how to cook?” she asked, and hoped her voice sounded steady and even.
“If you must know, my mother taught me.”
Her brows rose in question. “Your mother? Since when does a man learn how to cook from his mother? I thought all men were resigned to the fact that cooking was strictly women’s work.”
“My mother was very wise, and taught not only me, but my brothers, as well.”
“You have brothers?”
He turned to her and, skillet in hand, joined her at the table. “Does it surprise you that I have brothers? That the world has been blessed with more than one man with the last name of Stone?”
“Hardly,” she said with a smile. “Stone isn’t that uncommon a name. But you haven't mentioned any brothers until now.”
“No, I haven’t. But don't think you get a point for finding out.”
“I wouldn't dream of it.”
He dished up their eggs, set the pan on the stove, and brought a small dish of gravy to the table and set it down. He sat and watched her, then cleared his throat when she didn't bow her head for the blessing, and smiled. “Would you like to pray over the food?” he asked.
“Me? Say the blessing?”
“Don’t people pray a blessing over their food in England?”
“Well of course we pray; it's just that…”
He leaned toward her with a smile. “What? Tell me, Mrs. Stone, what ?”
She straightened. “Will you stop being silly? I was about to tell you that my father always said the blessing.”
He sat back in his chair. “I see. Is it your opinion, then, that a woman shouldn't pray at this dinner table?”
“Anyone can pray, I suppose. It's just that my father was always the one to do it.”
“So, you’re used to a man doing certain… things?”
“I… I suppose so,” she stammered. He was up to something, she could tell.
“So then, you're used to a man taking the lead in certain things?”
She swallowed hard. He was trying to back her into some kind of corner, and she knew it! “Just as you're used to having a woman take the lead in other things, is my guess.”
He looked her up and down, and smiled. “Some things; but not all. Would you like some gravy?”
“Aren’t you going to say the blessing?”
He looked her over again. “My dear Mrs. Stone, you are the blessing.”
Fina swallowed, blushed, and clasped her hands before her. “Dear Lord, may you bless this food and those about to partake of it, amen.”
Levi smiled. “Short and to the point.”
She gave him a weak smile in return, and reached for a biscuit. “Are you going to tell me about your brothers?”
He opened a biscuit up, put it on his plate, and poured gravy over it. “In due time, my dear. But tell me, did you find out anything interesting about me today?”
Fina froze, a biscuit halfway to her mouth. What did he mean? Had he realized she'd found his…
“What's the matter, beautiful? Can’t speak?”
She set down her biscuit. “I’ve found you love to tease me, and that you're incorrigible.”
He smiled again. “That I am. What else?”
Her heart thumped in her chest loud enough that she wondered if he
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