idea.
“Yes, Sadie Fisher, you amuse me.” His grin broadened. “I get the point—that you’re not asking me to supper, not as a date or anything. This is something you do for guests.”
In all her years, Sadie was certain she’d never been as embarrassed as she was at this moment. Except perhaps when she awoke on the couch with Kade leaning over her.
“What time?” Kade turned and headed toward the kitchen, but glanced at her over his shoulder. “I was going to make myself a cup of hot tea. Would you like some?”
“No. I must go. Supper is at seven o’clock.” She turned to leave.
“Wait,” he said as he walked back into the den. He stopped in front of her and put his hands in the pockets of his denim breeches. His forehead creased with worry, and then he sighed. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea for us to come.”
“Why not?” Sadie’s response shone with disappointment, which caught her completely off guard.
Kade leaned toward her and whispered. “Tyler might not be ready for a social environment. I don’t know how he’ll do.” His brows drew downward in a frown. “I don’t know how I will do.”
Sadie looked over at Tyler, who was still reading. Then she smiled at Kade. “Tyler is special. A blessed gift from God. You have to learn his ways. Although he seems happy and gut at the moment.”
“Right now he is.” Kade ran his hand through his wavy, brown hair. “Breakfast was another story.”
“Cereal for breakfast,” Tyler said.
Kade turned briefly toward Tyler. “Yes, cereal,” he said. He shifted his eyes back to Sadie, his expression warm. “He didn’t really like the cereal, but we did okay.”
“You will be fine, Kade. You will learn Tyler’s ways and he will learn yours while he’s here.”
Sadie continued toward the door and was almost there when someone knocked. Lillian, perhaps?
Sadie turned the knob and pulled the door open.
Her eyes grew wide, her jaw dropped, and she fumbled for words that weren’t coming. Definitely not Lillian .
7
BISHOP EBERSOL TIPPED THE RIM OF HIS STRAW HAT back, drew his brows inward, and stared Sadie down the same way her father had when she misbehaved as a child.
“Bishop Ebersol.” Her voice rose in surprise. “How gut to see you.”
The bishop shifted his eyes and glanced over her shoulder. Sadie could hear footsteps approaching from behind. She stood, waited, and feared what Kade might say.
“Can we help you?” Kade asked. He was so close behind Sadie that she could feel his breath against her neck. We? There’s no we , Sadie thought, hoping he’d hush.
She stepped forward onto the porch, forcing Bishop Ebersol to take a step backward. She twisted slightly to face Kade. “Good-bye, Mr. Saunders. I’m glad to see that your son is doing well.” She smiled, then faced the bishop. “What brings you here, Bishop Ebersol?” She headed down the porch steps with hopes that the bishop would follow. He did.
Sadie took two steps into the packed snow and turned to see Kade still standing in the threshold. Go in the house!
Bishop Ebersol held firmly to the handrail and made his way down the steps. A man in his seventies, he wore a gray beard that stretched to the end of his chest. But he stood tall in his black overcoat and took each step slow and steady.
“Well, okay . . .” she heard Kade say. “Thanks for coming over. I’ll see you at supper tonight.”
Sadie cringed and knew she was about to get a good talking-to. She waited for the bishop to catch up with her and wondered if Kade was ever going to go back in the cottage.
“I think it would be gut for us to have kaffi , Sadie,” Bishop Ebersol said in a tone that challenged her to argue. He pulled his coat tight around his neck, blocking a blast of cool air that seemed to come out of nowhere. The sun was shining, but it was a reminder of what was to come. By tomorrow, temperatures would be consistently below freezing. By Friday they predicted terrible
“Yes, Sadie Fisher, you amuse me.” His grin broadened. “I get the point—that you’re not asking me to supper, not as a date or anything. This is something you do for guests.”
In all her years, Sadie was certain she’d never been as embarrassed as she was at this moment. Except perhaps when she awoke on the couch with Kade leaning over her.
“What time?” Kade turned and headed toward the kitchen, but glanced at her over his shoulder. “I was going to make myself a cup of hot tea. Would you like some?”
“No. I must go. Supper is at seven o’clock.” She turned to leave.
“Wait,” he said as he walked back into the den. He stopped in front of her and put his hands in the pockets of his denim breeches. His forehead creased with worry, and then he sighed. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea for us to come.”
“Why not?” Sadie’s response shone with disappointment, which caught her completely off guard.
Kade leaned toward her and whispered. “Tyler might not be ready for a social environment. I don’t know how he’ll do.” His brows drew downward in a frown. “I don’t know how I will do.”
Sadie looked over at Tyler, who was still reading. Then she smiled at Kade. “Tyler is special. A blessed gift from God. You have to learn his ways. Although he seems happy and gut at the moment.”
“Right now he is.” Kade ran his hand through his wavy, brown hair. “Breakfast was another story.”
“Cereal for breakfast,” Tyler said.
Kade turned briefly toward Tyler. “Yes, cereal,” he said. He shifted his eyes back to Sadie, his expression warm. “He didn’t really like the cereal, but we did okay.”
“You will be fine, Kade. You will learn Tyler’s ways and he will learn yours while he’s here.”
Sadie continued toward the door and was almost there when someone knocked. Lillian, perhaps?
Sadie turned the knob and pulled the door open.
Her eyes grew wide, her jaw dropped, and she fumbled for words that weren’t coming. Definitely not Lillian .
7
BISHOP EBERSOL TIPPED THE RIM OF HIS STRAW HAT back, drew his brows inward, and stared Sadie down the same way her father had when she misbehaved as a child.
“Bishop Ebersol.” Her voice rose in surprise. “How gut to see you.”
The bishop shifted his eyes and glanced over her shoulder. Sadie could hear footsteps approaching from behind. She stood, waited, and feared what Kade might say.
“Can we help you?” Kade asked. He was so close behind Sadie that she could feel his breath against her neck. We? There’s no we , Sadie thought, hoping he’d hush.
She stepped forward onto the porch, forcing Bishop Ebersol to take a step backward. She twisted slightly to face Kade. “Good-bye, Mr. Saunders. I’m glad to see that your son is doing well.” She smiled, then faced the bishop. “What brings you here, Bishop Ebersol?” She headed down the porch steps with hopes that the bishop would follow. He did.
Sadie took two steps into the packed snow and turned to see Kade still standing in the threshold. Go in the house!
Bishop Ebersol held firmly to the handrail and made his way down the steps. A man in his seventies, he wore a gray beard that stretched to the end of his chest. But he stood tall in his black overcoat and took each step slow and steady.
“Well, okay . . .” she heard Kade say. “Thanks for coming over. I’ll see you at supper tonight.”
Sadie cringed and knew she was about to get a good talking-to. She waited for the bishop to catch up with her and wondered if Kade was ever going to go back in the cottage.
“I think it would be gut for us to have kaffi , Sadie,” Bishop Ebersol said in a tone that challenged her to argue. He pulled his coat tight around his neck, blocking a blast of cool air that seemed to come out of nowhere. The sun was shining, but it was a reminder of what was to come. By tomorrow, temperatures would be consistently below freezing. By Friday they predicted terrible
Similar Books
