deliberately to provide a buffer?
No, she thought not. Timmy had said his mother was sick. Still, Honor wasn’t ready for a truce.
Jeth followed them into the kitchen. “How about heating up the coffee?” he asked.
The muscles around her mouth tightened. “Very well.” But her expression softened when she gazed back at Timmy. “And what would you like, young man? We have cookies and milk. Would you like some?”
“Yes, ma’am, I sure would.”
Jeth removed his heavy, woolen jacket and draped it over the back of his chair. Then he sat down at the table.
“You’re still upset with me,” he said, “aren’t you.”
Ignoring his question, Honor turned to Timmy. “Just put your coat and cap on the back of a chair like the reverend did.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Honor went over to the sideboard and started putting cookies on a white plate. Timmy hung up his coat and trailed right behind her.
“Timmy,” she said, “I hear you have a birthday coming up. Is that right?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is.”
“And how old will you be?”
“Six.”
“Six years old? Why, that’s big, isn’t it? What do you want for your birthday?”
“A new kite. I busted my old one.”
“That’s what Reverend Peters was telling me.” Leaning over, she offered him the platter of cookies. “How did it happen?”
“Playin’.” He grabbed three cookies from the platter. “I was just running down the road one day trying to get my kite to fly…and it happened.”
Timmy put one of the cookies in the pocket of his wool breeches and held the other two, one in each hand. Honor tried not to smile. When she glanced at Jeth, he appeared to be holding back a grin as well.
“So what exactly happened?” she asked.
“Well, I just kept on running. I didn’t see the old speckled hen and her baby chicks when they ran across in front of me. Guess I wasn’t lookin’.”
“You didn’t step on one of the babies, did you?” Jeth asked.
“No, but I almost did. Anyway, the old hen fluffed out her feathers and started chasing me. She was real mad. I ran so hard my kite hit the trunk of a tree.”
“You weren’t hurt, were you?” Honor asked.
“No, but my kite sure was.” His expression matched the sound of his crestfallen voice. “And it was the best one I ever had, too.”
“How many kites have you owned, Timmy?” Jeth asked.
He shrugged, a cookie lodged in his jaw. “Just that one.” The words came out muffled through his mouthful.
Honor and Jeth both laughed, but she recovered quickly.
“So why don’t you sit down now, Timmy, and I’ll pour you that glass of milk?”
The child nodded. “All right. And can I have some extra cookies to take home—for later.”
“Take all you want. But you have to agree to ask your mama before you eat them. Promise?”
Timmy grinned. “Yes, ma’am, I promise.”
Later, Timmy went outside to check on Mama Cat and her litter of baby kittens living in the barn. Honor and Jeth continued to sit at the table a while longer, drinking their coffee.
“So far, it’s been a warm winter.” He glanced out a kitchen window. “Just a trickle of cold rain and snow nowand then. But it sure looks like snow’s coming. Maybe tonight.”
“That’s what your mother said.” Honor moved to the stove and stoked the flames to warm the coffee. When she heard his chair move, she looked back at Jeth. “Is it too hot in here for you?” she asked.
“Not at all. I like it warm and cozy like this.”
He fingered his empty cup. She wondered if something was bothering him—like the fact that he’d scolded her when he’d seen her wearing his wife’s dress.
“I really am sorry, ma’am, for mentioning the green dress the way I did. As a Christian, I should have known better. But when I saw you wearing Selma’s clothes, I kind of flew over the chicken coop—so to speak.”
She knew she should accept his apology. Someday, she probably would. Now, all she felt was embarrassment.
A
No, she thought not. Timmy had said his mother was sick. Still, Honor wasn’t ready for a truce.
Jeth followed them into the kitchen. “How about heating up the coffee?” he asked.
The muscles around her mouth tightened. “Very well.” But her expression softened when she gazed back at Timmy. “And what would you like, young man? We have cookies and milk. Would you like some?”
“Yes, ma’am, I sure would.”
Jeth removed his heavy, woolen jacket and draped it over the back of his chair. Then he sat down at the table.
“You’re still upset with me,” he said, “aren’t you.”
Ignoring his question, Honor turned to Timmy. “Just put your coat and cap on the back of a chair like the reverend did.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Honor went over to the sideboard and started putting cookies on a white plate. Timmy hung up his coat and trailed right behind her.
“Timmy,” she said, “I hear you have a birthday coming up. Is that right?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is.”
“And how old will you be?”
“Six.”
“Six years old? Why, that’s big, isn’t it? What do you want for your birthday?”
“A new kite. I busted my old one.”
“That’s what Reverend Peters was telling me.” Leaning over, she offered him the platter of cookies. “How did it happen?”
“Playin’.” He grabbed three cookies from the platter. “I was just running down the road one day trying to get my kite to fly…and it happened.”
Timmy put one of the cookies in the pocket of his wool breeches and held the other two, one in each hand. Honor tried not to smile. When she glanced at Jeth, he appeared to be holding back a grin as well.
“So what exactly happened?” she asked.
“Well, I just kept on running. I didn’t see the old speckled hen and her baby chicks when they ran across in front of me. Guess I wasn’t lookin’.”
“You didn’t step on one of the babies, did you?” Jeth asked.
“No, but I almost did. Anyway, the old hen fluffed out her feathers and started chasing me. She was real mad. I ran so hard my kite hit the trunk of a tree.”
“You weren’t hurt, were you?” Honor asked.
“No, but my kite sure was.” His expression matched the sound of his crestfallen voice. “And it was the best one I ever had, too.”
“How many kites have you owned, Timmy?” Jeth asked.
He shrugged, a cookie lodged in his jaw. “Just that one.” The words came out muffled through his mouthful.
Honor and Jeth both laughed, but she recovered quickly.
“So why don’t you sit down now, Timmy, and I’ll pour you that glass of milk?”
The child nodded. “All right. And can I have some extra cookies to take home—for later.”
“Take all you want. But you have to agree to ask your mama before you eat them. Promise?”
Timmy grinned. “Yes, ma’am, I promise.”
Later, Timmy went outside to check on Mama Cat and her litter of baby kittens living in the barn. Honor and Jeth continued to sit at the table a while longer, drinking their coffee.
“So far, it’s been a warm winter.” He glanced out a kitchen window. “Just a trickle of cold rain and snow nowand then. But it sure looks like snow’s coming. Maybe tonight.”
“That’s what your mother said.” Honor moved to the stove and stoked the flames to warm the coffee. When she heard his chair move, she looked back at Jeth. “Is it too hot in here for you?” she asked.
“Not at all. I like it warm and cozy like this.”
He fingered his empty cup. She wondered if something was bothering him—like the fact that he’d scolded her when he’d seen her wearing his wife’s dress.
“I really am sorry, ma’am, for mentioning the green dress the way I did. As a Christian, I should have known better. But when I saw you wearing Selma’s clothes, I kind of flew over the chicken coop—so to speak.”
She knew she should accept his apology. Someday, she probably would. Now, all she felt was embarrassment.
A
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