“Thank you kindly, Miss Kizzie.” Isaac tagged a grin onto his gratitude, and a gentle warmth swelled into Kizzie's face.
“It's no trouble a'tall, Isaac.” She stood, dusting her hands off on her skirt. “I'd be happy to help any time.”
Kizzie stepped toward the other room to adjust Charlie against her for a feeding, and Nella followed, tugging off her soiled apron from the washing. “You have a way with young'uns.”
Kizzie sent her a smile. “I reckon I ought to be used to ’em. I got five younger siblings.” She ran a hand over Charlie's little fuzz of golden hair. “Though brothers and sisters ain't nothin’ like caring for your own child.”
“But it's a good trainin’ ground so you ain't caught off guard quite as often as you would be if you hadn't had those siblings.” Nella nodded toward the kitchen. “I'm glad you was here to give him some help.”
“It's the least I can do for all y'all have done for me and Charlie.” Kizzie patted Charlie's back as he made happy eating sounds. “I don't know where we'd be if not for your family.” A chill skittered up her spine. “Food for coyotes, I reckon.”
Nella's brows bunched, and she gave her head a shake. “I ain't never had a good mind for figures.”
“We all got our different smarts.” Kizzie grinned. “I ain't no good at writing letters, plus my penmanship is rotten. But math?” Her smile quivered a little, the recollection softening her response. “Well, I reckon I got it from my daddy. He has a good mind for math and measuring, like no one I've ever seen. He can just see the numbers in his head for a piece of furniture or buildings and … make it.”
“You any good with working figures for business?” Nella sent Kizzie a measured look. “Like managin’ a business or savin’ for one?”
Kizzie's thoughts flitted to a conversation she'd overheard between Joshua and Nella the day before about saving to buy their own land instead of being beholden to the Morgans. And Joshua had plans to start his own mill with skills he'd learned from working in Virginia a few years back.
“Nothing as big as my own business, but I helped manage a little grocery back home and learned a heap about tending a store. Me and my sister Laurel would take turns stayin’ with Mrs. Cappy, and she had no trouble giving us as much responsibility as we wanted.” Kizzie grinned. “Or didn't want, but she used my love of math a lot with keeping her books and helping with inventory.”
Nella studied Kizzie a little longer and then dipped her chin. “You know, we ain't expectin’ nothin’ in return for you bein’ here, Kizzie. Ain't never expected nothin’. But if you've a mind to help us out, I think I know a way.”
“You mean about wanting your own place? Opening up a shop of your own too?”
Nella nodded. “But Joshua and me, well, we didn't get school as young'uns. Wasn't no place for us.” She gestured to the kitchen. “Not like we're givin’ to our own. We could both use some learnin’ with numbers and plannin’.”
Kizzie's jaw dropped a little. “You want me to teach you math?”
Nella's gaze never wavered. “If you're willin’.”
“I ain't no teacher, Nella.” Kizzie drew in a breath. “But if there's something I can teach you, I'll be happy to try.”
“We'll take whatever you can give us.” She waved around the little house. “Workin’ your whole life for somebody else's property ain't where we want to stay. The world's a changed place since my parents came out of the war betwixt the states. If we can have our own home and land, and even shop, then we're willin’ to work hard for it.”
Kizzie had never put much thought into working for another person without having ownership of your own place. People in the mountains valued their land, their homes. But tenants gave part of their hard-earned produce or skills to the landowner in exchange for a place to stay.
Not their own.
“I don't have one doubt about that.” Kizzie's lips tipped. “And I'd love to see you have your own place.”
“That'd be mighty fine indeed.”
The sound of men's voices came from the front of the house, breaking into their conversation. Kizzie's body stilled. Her attention focused on the familiar timbre of one of the voices. Her attention flew to Nella, heat draining from her face.
She should be excited.
Charles had finally come.
She gripped the side of the chair, her breath lodged in her throat.
Why was she so skittish?
Nella's gaze dropped to the sling, and Kizzie turned her back to the door, gently tugging little Charlie from his meal, covering herself, and placing him up on her shoulder.
“You stand tall, girl.” Nella touched Kizzie's arm. “You ain't got no reason to hang your head to that man. He's your baby's daddy, and you ain't done no more wrong than him.”
The front door opened, and in walked a smiling Charles Morgan, looking as wonderful as the first time Kizzie had seen him with the sunlight behind him and his hair blowing wild about his head. He reminded her of a picture she'd once seen in a book at school of a Greek god. Until she caught sight of Joshua behind him. Kizzie blinked. Next to Joshua, Charles really wasn't so tall and those broad shoulders she'd always admired seemed narrow and small in comparison.
