been a snake. “Just look what you’ve done!”
“Aw, I’m sorry,” Ned said.
“Pash!” Sissy shouted. “Whee!”
Lilly shook her skirts. “It’s all right, Armina. It’s only water. We’ll dry.”
“Well,” Armina said, “a body shouldn’t interfere unless a body’s been asked.”
Ned folded his arms and stood back.
Armina looked him over. She heaved Bubby higher on her hip and held the bucket toward Ned. “Since you asked.”
Lilly clamped her lips against laughter when she saw the look of fear and awe on Ned’s face. He looked like he’d just stumbled upon a mountain lion, a magnificent mountain lion.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ned said.
Armina puffed up like a wet hen. “Ma’am? Do I look like an old-maid schoolteacher?”
Ned seemed at a loss for words, but he took the bucket and headed toward the well house.
Lilly watched Armina watching Ned’s halting walk. Her eyes widened, then narrowed, but she didn’t ask. That was good, for Ned’s story was Ned’s to tell, not Lilly’s.
A clamor emanated from the fenced lot beside the barn. When they turned to look, a white goat with pointed horns gave up butting the fence and stuck its head over the rail to bleat hello. The bell around its neck tinkled merrily.
“See goes?” Sissy asked.
Armina sighed. “Dumb thing wants a carrot. Nanny’s spoiled plain silly, like everything else around here.” She gave Bubby to Lilly. “If you’ll take them over to the lot, I’ll run to the garden.”
Ned passed them carrying the water bucket.
“Don’t take it inside,” Armina said. “Aunt Orie don’t know you’re here.”
“Where do you want me to put it?”
“Set it on the porch,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Men—I don’t know why the good Lord bothered.”
Lilly seated both children on the top fence rail, keeping her arms firmly around them. The nanny explored Sissy’s bare toes. Sissy giggled and pulled her knees up. Bubby thumped the goat’s head in an awkward attempt to pat.
“Be easy, Bubby,” Lilly said.
Finished with his chore, Ned swung the boy up to sit astraddle his neck. Bubby’s eyes grew wide with amazement. He clutched fistfuls of Ned’s hair.
The nanny pranced over to Armina, who held a bright-orange carrot fresh from the garden. With dainty precision, the goat nibbled the carrot until all that was left was the lacy foliage.
“She saves the top for dessert,” Armina said.
Bite by bite, the greenery disappeared. “All gone,” Sissy said with a shrug. “Goes be full.”
Armina walked down the fence line. The nanny followed.
Ned lifted Bubby over his head, then reseated him. “Want to go for a ride?” Bubby drummed his heels against Ned’s chest when Ned whinnied and jounced the little boy on his shoulders.
Sissy was having none of it. She pointed to the horses tethered in the shade of a tree in the side yard. “Dere’s horsey.”
Ned stopped in his tracks. “I think this one takes after that one,” he said under his breath, tilting his head toward Armina.
Lilly nodded. “Smart as a tack.”
“And just as sharp.”
“Horsey,” Sissy demanded.
“Is it all right if I take them for a short ride?” Ned asked when Armina came back.
Armina snorted. “You think you can handle the two of them at once?”
Ned shifted Bubby from his shoulders to one arm, walked over to his horse, and expertly swung himself and the baby up. The pointed end of his wooden leg rested like a foot in the leather stirrup.
Lilly waited for Armina’s nod before she handed Sissy up.
“I’ll hold on tight,” Ned said.
“If you let anything happen to them kids, you’ll think you got your head in a bear’s mouth.”
Ned gave Armina a slow smile. Deep dimples appeared in his cheeks. “Well, you know what they say about having your head in a bear’s mouth.”
Armina’s eyes flashed. “I expect I don’t need no enlightenment from you concerning bears.”
My word, Lilly thought, the sparks from these
“Aw, I’m sorry,” Ned said.
“Pash!” Sissy shouted. “Whee!”
Lilly shook her skirts. “It’s all right, Armina. It’s only water. We’ll dry.”
“Well,” Armina said, “a body shouldn’t interfere unless a body’s been asked.”
Ned folded his arms and stood back.
Armina looked him over. She heaved Bubby higher on her hip and held the bucket toward Ned. “Since you asked.”
Lilly clamped her lips against laughter when she saw the look of fear and awe on Ned’s face. He looked like he’d just stumbled upon a mountain lion, a magnificent mountain lion.
“Yes, ma’am,” Ned said.
Armina puffed up like a wet hen. “Ma’am? Do I look like an old-maid schoolteacher?”
Ned seemed at a loss for words, but he took the bucket and headed toward the well house.
Lilly watched Armina watching Ned’s halting walk. Her eyes widened, then narrowed, but she didn’t ask. That was good, for Ned’s story was Ned’s to tell, not Lilly’s.
A clamor emanated from the fenced lot beside the barn. When they turned to look, a white goat with pointed horns gave up butting the fence and stuck its head over the rail to bleat hello. The bell around its neck tinkled merrily.
“See goes?” Sissy asked.
Armina sighed. “Dumb thing wants a carrot. Nanny’s spoiled plain silly, like everything else around here.” She gave Bubby to Lilly. “If you’ll take them over to the lot, I’ll run to the garden.”
Ned passed them carrying the water bucket.
“Don’t take it inside,” Armina said. “Aunt Orie don’t know you’re here.”
“Where do you want me to put it?”
“Set it on the porch,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Men—I don’t know why the good Lord bothered.”
Lilly seated both children on the top fence rail, keeping her arms firmly around them. The nanny explored Sissy’s bare toes. Sissy giggled and pulled her knees up. Bubby thumped the goat’s head in an awkward attempt to pat.
“Be easy, Bubby,” Lilly said.
Finished with his chore, Ned swung the boy up to sit astraddle his neck. Bubby’s eyes grew wide with amazement. He clutched fistfuls of Ned’s hair.
The nanny pranced over to Armina, who held a bright-orange carrot fresh from the garden. With dainty precision, the goat nibbled the carrot until all that was left was the lacy foliage.
“She saves the top for dessert,” Armina said.
Bite by bite, the greenery disappeared. “All gone,” Sissy said with a shrug. “Goes be full.”
Armina walked down the fence line. The nanny followed.
Ned lifted Bubby over his head, then reseated him. “Want to go for a ride?” Bubby drummed his heels against Ned’s chest when Ned whinnied and jounced the little boy on his shoulders.
Sissy was having none of it. She pointed to the horses tethered in the shade of a tree in the side yard. “Dere’s horsey.”
Ned stopped in his tracks. “I think this one takes after that one,” he said under his breath, tilting his head toward Armina.
Lilly nodded. “Smart as a tack.”
“And just as sharp.”
“Horsey,” Sissy demanded.
“Is it all right if I take them for a short ride?” Ned asked when Armina came back.
Armina snorted. “You think you can handle the two of them at once?”
Ned shifted Bubby from his shoulders to one arm, walked over to his horse, and expertly swung himself and the baby up. The pointed end of his wooden leg rested like a foot in the leather stirrup.
Lilly waited for Armina’s nod before she handed Sissy up.
“I’ll hold on tight,” Ned said.
“If you let anything happen to them kids, you’ll think you got your head in a bear’s mouth.”
Ned gave Armina a slow smile. Deep dimples appeared in his cheeks. “Well, you know what they say about having your head in a bear’s mouth.”
Armina’s eyes flashed. “I expect I don’t need no enlightenment from you concerning bears.”
My word, Lilly thought, the sparks from these
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