just hope those two in there settle their fuss before they come out here and spoil this celebration we’re about to put on the table,” Rachel said. She tilted her head to one side. “Are you sure you don’twant to use the dining room? There’s going to be a bunch of us around this table.”
Alicia shook her head. “You obviously haven’t taken a good look at the dining room for a while. It’s full of cobwebs and dust, and dark as a tomb. Once I get the parlor in hand, the dining room will be my next project.”
“And this plan goes into effect on Saturday? That’s not long to get a new dress made.”
“A new dress? Do you suppose I’d better be thinking along those lines, too?” Alicia felt panic strike. “I hate to go shopping. Nothing ever fits.”
“You won’t need to go shopping. I can sew up a storm,” Rachel told her. “We’ll buy some pretty yard goods and I’ll measure you, then you can decide how you want your dress made. It won’t take any time at all to have it ready.”
“You’re sure?” Alicia felt a bit dubious about taking advantage of the other woman, but the offer was too good to refuse.
“It’s decided already,” Rachel said firmly.
“What’s decided?” Cord asked from the doorway. His eyes pinned Alicia where she stood, and she thought his mouth was a bit too firm for friendly conversation. “Jake tells me the two of you are getting married,” he said.
Rachel moved to his side, her hand clutching hisforearm. “Isn’t it wonderful?” Her smile was directed at his face, and for a moment Cord’s expression faltered, softening at his wife’s query. As Alicia watched, Rachel’s fingers gripped Cord’s flesh tightly, and he grinned suddenly.
“All right, sweetheart,” he said agreeably. “I’ll back off.”
She leaned upward, standing on tiptoes to press a kiss against his cheek.
“Is that the best you can do?” he asked beneath his breath. Alicia heard the note in his voice that promised retribution at a future time, and then Rachel laughed.
“You’ll find out,” she said glibly. “Now, the two of you come in here. We’ve got supper about ready to put on the table. Call the children in, Cord. I think Matthew and Jason are teaching Melody the fine art of playing mumblety-peg.”
Cord muttered a word Alicia pretended she hadn’t heard and then looked at Rachel. “His language leaves a lot to be desired some days,” Rachel admitted with a shrug.
“If Melody gets cut, you get to take care of it,” Cord told his wife, and then as his half-grown daughter approached, his eyes lit with pride.
“She’s got him wrapped around her little finger,” Rachel whispered.
“Has not,” Cord responded automatically, and Aliciasuspected this was an ongoing conversation. For just a moment she envied the love these two obviously shared.
“Everything all right?” Jake was at her elbow and he touched her hand, drawing her attention. Sober as a judge, he was, she thought, and in an attempt to relieve his concern, she bent to him, aware of the unique scent of the man she’d promised to wed.
“Fine,” she whispered, her mouth close to his ear. “I like Rachel.”
His fingers clasped her hand and he squeezed it gently. “Good girl.”
She preened. There was no other word for it. Her mouth curved in a smile, her chin lifted proudly, and she returned the pressure of his fingers.
The children storming through the back door caught her attention then, and she moved away from Jake’s chair. “Wipe your feet,” she said, the words automatic as Jason crossed the threshold.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, and shot a look that reeked of pride at his cousins. See? What did I tell you? The words might as well have been spoken aloud, so obvious was the boy’s message.
“This is your aunt Alicia,” Rachel told her children quietly, drawing them within her arms, one on either side of her. “She and your uncle Jake are to be married.”
“No, Mama,”
Alicia shook her head. “You obviously haven’t taken a good look at the dining room for a while. It’s full of cobwebs and dust, and dark as a tomb. Once I get the parlor in hand, the dining room will be my next project.”
“And this plan goes into effect on Saturday? That’s not long to get a new dress made.”
“A new dress? Do you suppose I’d better be thinking along those lines, too?” Alicia felt panic strike. “I hate to go shopping. Nothing ever fits.”
“You won’t need to go shopping. I can sew up a storm,” Rachel told her. “We’ll buy some pretty yard goods and I’ll measure you, then you can decide how you want your dress made. It won’t take any time at all to have it ready.”
“You’re sure?” Alicia felt a bit dubious about taking advantage of the other woman, but the offer was too good to refuse.
“It’s decided already,” Rachel said firmly.
“What’s decided?” Cord asked from the doorway. His eyes pinned Alicia where she stood, and she thought his mouth was a bit too firm for friendly conversation. “Jake tells me the two of you are getting married,” he said.
Rachel moved to his side, her hand clutching hisforearm. “Isn’t it wonderful?” Her smile was directed at his face, and for a moment Cord’s expression faltered, softening at his wife’s query. As Alicia watched, Rachel’s fingers gripped Cord’s flesh tightly, and he grinned suddenly.
“All right, sweetheart,” he said agreeably. “I’ll back off.”
She leaned upward, standing on tiptoes to press a kiss against his cheek.
“Is that the best you can do?” he asked beneath his breath. Alicia heard the note in his voice that promised retribution at a future time, and then Rachel laughed.
“You’ll find out,” she said glibly. “Now, the two of you come in here. We’ve got supper about ready to put on the table. Call the children in, Cord. I think Matthew and Jason are teaching Melody the fine art of playing mumblety-peg.”
Cord muttered a word Alicia pretended she hadn’t heard and then looked at Rachel. “His language leaves a lot to be desired some days,” Rachel admitted with a shrug.
“If Melody gets cut, you get to take care of it,” Cord told his wife, and then as his half-grown daughter approached, his eyes lit with pride.
“She’s got him wrapped around her little finger,” Rachel whispered.
“Has not,” Cord responded automatically, and Aliciasuspected this was an ongoing conversation. For just a moment she envied the love these two obviously shared.
“Everything all right?” Jake was at her elbow and he touched her hand, drawing her attention. Sober as a judge, he was, she thought, and in an attempt to relieve his concern, she bent to him, aware of the unique scent of the man she’d promised to wed.
“Fine,” she whispered, her mouth close to his ear. “I like Rachel.”
His fingers clasped her hand and he squeezed it gently. “Good girl.”
She preened. There was no other word for it. Her mouth curved in a smile, her chin lifted proudly, and she returned the pressure of his fingers.
The children storming through the back door caught her attention then, and she moved away from Jake’s chair. “Wipe your feet,” she said, the words automatic as Jason crossed the threshold.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, and shot a look that reeked of pride at his cousins. See? What did I tell you? The words might as well have been spoken aloud, so obvious was the boy’s message.
“This is your aunt Alicia,” Rachel told her children quietly, drawing them within her arms, one on either side of her. “She and your uncle Jake are to be married.”
“No, Mama,”
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