the floor. After setting down the tray of food, she hugged her waist. All those years of wearing a corset, and she suddenly felt naked without it. Mother’s words started to run through her mind as they so often did, but this time she squelched them. Instead she dared a glance at Haydon. Was that approval she saw in his eyes?
Before she had a chance to figure it out, Abby came barreling through the door followed by Michael and Smokey.
Rainee waited for Katherine to reprimand Abby for charging into the house, but the scolding never came. Mother would have made Rainee go back outside and come back in like a suitable young lady, and then she would sit her down to a long lecture on how proper youngladies should act, followed by a tender hug that left no doubt in Rainee’s mind about her mother’s love.
Everyone sat down at the table and bowed their heads.
“Heavenly Father.” Haydon’s reverent voice filled the room. “Thank You for what You’re doing in our lives and for Your healing power that is at work in Jesse. We thank You for this food and for Your bountiful provision. And, Lord, help us to be a blessing to Rainee.”
Rainee kept one eye closed, but the other one snuck a peek at Haydon. Never had she heard such humility or kindness in his voice, especially where she was concerned. In the quietness of her mind, she offered up her own gratitude as everyone said amen. She moved her bowl in front of her. “How is your brother doing, Haydon?”
Sapphire eyes settled on hers. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.”
He made a quick glance around the table and then looked down at his soup. Rainee wondered what the sudden change in his disposition was about. Was he still upset with Jesse for bringing her here, or was something else bothering him? She kept her wonderings to herself.
She picked up her spoon, dipped it in her bowl and brought it to her mouth. The thick split-pea and ham soup tasted heavenly. A nice change from the beans and rice Ferrin fed her once a day. If she was lucky.
Smokey cleared his throat. “Jesse’s doing a little better today.”
“You mean Hannah let you see him?” Leah asked with raised brows. “She wouldn’t let me. She said he was sleeping and she would not disturb him. She surehas changed.” She laughed. “Hannah’s like a protective mama bear watching over her cubs.”
Smokey nodded. “Must have something to do with her being in the family way. I pert-near had to beg her to let me check him. And even then she made me promise I’d only stay a minute.”
Everyone but Haydon laughed.
Rainee watched as he picked up his spoon and dipped it into the split-pea soup.
“Who knew Hannah could be so feisty?” Smokey commented with a deep rumble in his chest. “Since Jesse’s accident, her shyness seems to have fled.”
“What happened to Jesse anyway?” Rainee asked.
With a pained expression, Haydon looked at her, then at the rest of his family, then down at his soup. His jaw muscles worked back and forth. Without saying a word, he spooned his soup and ate.
The air thickened with silence.
Rainee scanned the table. Everyone seemed engrossed in the food on their plates. Everyone except Abby. Her bright blue eyes gazed around the table. It was as if she were waiting for someone to say something.
When no one else spoke, Abby did. “Haydon’s horse reared and hurted him.”
Rainee watched with interest as Haydon’s scowling gaze swung toward Abby.
The little girl blinked. Then as fast as she could she wrapped her potato bread around her sausage and took a big bite. Her cheeks bulged like a chipmunk, and she nervously glanced up and down and around the room.
“I think Jesse’s just wanting to get out of clipping the newborn piglet’s teeth,” Leah piped in.
All eyes swerved toward Leah, but no one said anything.
Curiosity and horror got the best of Rainee. “You clip the baby pigs’ teeth?”
“Yes.” Her gaze transferred to Haydon. “If we don’t,
Before she had a chance to figure it out, Abby came barreling through the door followed by Michael and Smokey.
Rainee waited for Katherine to reprimand Abby for charging into the house, but the scolding never came. Mother would have made Rainee go back outside and come back in like a suitable young lady, and then she would sit her down to a long lecture on how proper youngladies should act, followed by a tender hug that left no doubt in Rainee’s mind about her mother’s love.
Everyone sat down at the table and bowed their heads.
“Heavenly Father.” Haydon’s reverent voice filled the room. “Thank You for what You’re doing in our lives and for Your healing power that is at work in Jesse. We thank You for this food and for Your bountiful provision. And, Lord, help us to be a blessing to Rainee.”
Rainee kept one eye closed, but the other one snuck a peek at Haydon. Never had she heard such humility or kindness in his voice, especially where she was concerned. In the quietness of her mind, she offered up her own gratitude as everyone said amen. She moved her bowl in front of her. “How is your brother doing, Haydon?”
Sapphire eyes settled on hers. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.”
He made a quick glance around the table and then looked down at his soup. Rainee wondered what the sudden change in his disposition was about. Was he still upset with Jesse for bringing her here, or was something else bothering him? She kept her wonderings to herself.
She picked up her spoon, dipped it in her bowl and brought it to her mouth. The thick split-pea and ham soup tasted heavenly. A nice change from the beans and rice Ferrin fed her once a day. If she was lucky.
Smokey cleared his throat. “Jesse’s doing a little better today.”
“You mean Hannah let you see him?” Leah asked with raised brows. “She wouldn’t let me. She said he was sleeping and she would not disturb him. She surehas changed.” She laughed. “Hannah’s like a protective mama bear watching over her cubs.”
Smokey nodded. “Must have something to do with her being in the family way. I pert-near had to beg her to let me check him. And even then she made me promise I’d only stay a minute.”
Everyone but Haydon laughed.
Rainee watched as he picked up his spoon and dipped it into the split-pea soup.
“Who knew Hannah could be so feisty?” Smokey commented with a deep rumble in his chest. “Since Jesse’s accident, her shyness seems to have fled.”
“What happened to Jesse anyway?” Rainee asked.
With a pained expression, Haydon looked at her, then at the rest of his family, then down at his soup. His jaw muscles worked back and forth. Without saying a word, he spooned his soup and ate.
The air thickened with silence.
Rainee scanned the table. Everyone seemed engrossed in the food on their plates. Everyone except Abby. Her bright blue eyes gazed around the table. It was as if she were waiting for someone to say something.
When no one else spoke, Abby did. “Haydon’s horse reared and hurted him.”
Rainee watched with interest as Haydon’s scowling gaze swung toward Abby.
The little girl blinked. Then as fast as she could she wrapped her potato bread around her sausage and took a big bite. Her cheeks bulged like a chipmunk, and she nervously glanced up and down and around the room.
“I think Jesse’s just wanting to get out of clipping the newborn piglet’s teeth,” Leah piped in.
All eyes swerved toward Leah, but no one said anything.
Curiosity and horror got the best of Rainee. “You clip the baby pigs’ teeth?”
“Yes.” Her gaze transferred to Haydon. “If we don’t,
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