A Time to Bloom (Leah's Garden #2)(54)

“Are you still thinking you’d like to run the boardinghouse?” Del speared a bite of fried potato and savored the flavor. No one fried potatoes like Lilac.

“I am.” Climie gave a firm nod. “I like cooking and organizing things. And people . . . nice ones, anyway.” A flicker of shadow threatened the new steadiness in her eyes. She’d certainly had plenty of experience with those who weren’t so nice.

Del studied their friend’s face and the scars there, visible and unseen. How could a man be so cruel to such a gentle soul?

The same way one could injure a child and scare his sister into lying. The thought hardened the potatoes into a lump in her stomach.

Del set down her fork. “Well, we’d certainly hire others to help you, but it would be nice to have someone we trust in charge. Lark thinks another woman or two to assist with cooking and cleaning and laundry, and a couple of men for the stables and such.”

“Jesse said he’s going to build the furniture for inside?” Climie glanced down the table at the quiet young man.

“There’s none better.”

“No. There isn’t.”

Del wondered at the soft sheen in Climie’s gray eyes. Could there be—but no, surely not.

Jesse glanced up and met Climie’s glance. He gave a shy grin, then focused back on whatever Robbie was chattering into his ear at the moment.

This was a new twist to worry about. Lord, I sure don’t know what to do with that one. I guess I’ll leave that in your hands for now, as I should all things to begin with.

Dusk fell, and Lark had lit the lantern in the center of the table by the time RJ approached from the shadows.

“Behold, the matchmaker returns.” Adam lifted his tin cup in salute.

“Are we going to have a baby horsie?” Robbie piped up, sliding off the bench and running toward RJ. Del clapped her hand over her mouth.

RJ stared down at the child for a moment, nonplussed, then shrugged and grinned. “Well, maybe.” He lifted his head and looked at Lark. “In round about eleven months or so.”

At the scattered applause, Lark stood, beaming, and lifted the lid from the plate they’d kept covered for RJ. “Well, that deserves a full plate. And your fee, of course.”

RJ took the plate, then looked about for a space to sit.

“Here, take my place.” Climie stood, waving off his objections. “I’ll start washing up.”

“I’ll help you.” Del started to stand.

But Climie pushed her back down with a gentle hand. “You’ve been teaching all day. Sit.”

Del couldn’t deny that her limbs were weighted with weariness. But RJ, sitting next to her now, felt uncomfortably close. She scooted away an imperceptible inch on the bench.

RJ dug into his supper in silence.

Should she make conversation or just let him eat? Fireflies darted about in the darkness like elusive stars, Robbie and Sofie giving eager chase. Forsythia, Adam, and Jesse visited at the other end of the table. Lilac must have gone to help Climie.

“Sorry I sort of shooed you off earlier.” RJ shifted on the bench beside her.

Surprised, Del glanced at him. “Sort of?” She quirked a brow.

He had the grace to wince.

She chuckled. “Never mind. I needed to get supper ready anyway. We do thank you for . . . coming today.”

“The honor is mine.” He dipped his head, unexpectedly gallant. “Starbright’s a lovely little mare.”

“Lilac adores her. She’s special to all of us, the only one of our stock we brought from Ohio. Anders said you rode in the cattle car with Captain and Barker when you came out?”

“And Scamp, between Ohio and here. I tend to get along better with animals than people.”

Had it always been so? Or just since whatever had turned him so bitter?

RJ took another bite, then chewed in silence, watching the fireflies. “This reminds me of the woods behind my parents’ house back home. Well, my sister and brother-in-law’s now. But when we were little, my sister and I would spend hours chasing fireflies. It seemed like those days would never end.”

“They’re gone, your parents?”

He gave a slight nod.

Then he had indeed known loss. “Ours too.”

A quick glance at her. “Does it ever stop hurting?”

“I . . . don’t know yet. I don’t think so, somehow.” Her eyes stung, catching her off guard. “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t healing. In time.”

He nodded reluctantly. “Time.”

They sat in silence as RJ cleaned his plate. Yet the awkwardness had fled, leaving the quiet companionable.

The tuning of a fiddle made them look up. Lilac stood nearby in the lanternlight, fiddle in hand, Forsythia and Lark bringing the other instruments out of the soddy. “Come on, Del, get your guitar.”

Del quirked a brow at RJ and stood. “Ready for another Nielsen sing-along?”

“Sure.” He smiled, a softness in his face she hadn’t seen before. Or maybe the evening shadows made his eye patch seem less harsh.

Del headed for her guitar, a smile warming her face too.



His eye was killing him.

He’d enjoyed the evening until now, except for the awkward moments at the corral. He still thought women should keep well out of such sides of farm business. But the family, food, and companionship had loosened something deep within him tonight. Especially sitting and talking with Del. Talking and being listened to, as he hadn’t with anyone in some time, especially a woman.