Evie plucked the last strawberry from her plate and popped it in her mouth, then sat back and watched Jake interact with the children. He even teased Ramón in his highchair, making funny faces at the boy to make him giggle and for a short time, he sat with Toughie on his lap. It amazed her that the boy sat still for more than five minutes. It was obvious they liked him, and he returned the feeling. It was also obvious that Felicity and Charley, as well as Hilde and Antonio liked him, too, and that made her heart glad.
“That was the best roast I’ve ever had, Miss Felicity. Just about melted in my mouth.” Jake said.
Felicity blushed. Even the tips of her ears turned red. “Well, thank you, Jake. I’m glad you liked it.”
“And Miss Hilde, I’ve never had a more delicious Angel Food cake, not even in San Francisco.” He smiled. “Or anywhere else.” He paused and his smile grew a little wider. “Have you ever been to Seattle?”
“No, I have not.”
“There’s a little café on the waterfront that serves the lightest, fluffiest Angel Food cake I have ever had, but it doesn’t compare to yours.”
Evie smothered a laugh as Hilde turned bright red, almost redder than Felicity.
“When were you in Seattle?” Antonio asked. “I’ve never been off the ranch. Never had the bug to travel though.” He glanced at his wife, then patted her hand. “I have everything I need right here.”
Hilde, her face flushed from the compliments from both men, rose from her seat and clapped her hands. “All right, children, let’s get these dishes done.”
“Years ago,” Jake waved his hand, picking up the conversation, “when I worked on a steamer that delivered supplies and passengers up and down the coast.” He sat back in his chair and fiddled with the fork in his hand, but his gaze found her and stayed.
It didn’t take long for the butterflies to start dancing in her stomach.
“Where else have you been?” Antonio asked, then turned his attention to Savannah and tugged on one of her long braids as she reached for his dirty plate. He whispered something in her ear. She looked at him and grinned, her smile a little crooked since she’d lost that tooth. She eagerly nodded and left thekitchen at a run. Evie watched her go, then turned to look at Antonio as she, too, rose from her seat to help with the dishes, curious to know what that was all about.
Antonio said nothing as he gestured to Jake to answer the question.
“Too many places to name. Some of them awe-inspiring, like Bridal Veil Falls in Oregon, some not so much. I will tell you, though, out of all the places I’ve been,” he said, his gaze once again finding hers, “I have never seen a place as beautiful as this ranch.”
The statement touched her and she was about tell him so when Savannah raced back into the kitchen, making the swinging door bang against the wall, something hidden behind her back.
“This is for you, Mr. Jake.” She handed him a sketchpad as well as several pencils sharpened to a precise point. The book wasn’t new, but there were plenty of pages left, and the pencils, some short, some longer, still had a lot of life in them.
The look on his face, a combination of confusion as well as gratitude as he accepted the gift, warmed her heart even more. He glanced at her, questions in his beautiful amber eyes. “What is this?”
Evie shook her head. She had no answers, but obviously, Antonio knew. “Antonio?”
“I saw what happened to your old sketchbook. Thought you could use a new one.”
Evie closed her eyes for a moment as realization slammed her. It was Jake who had drawn the picture of her. She opened her eyes and simply stared at him.
Color infused Jake’s face. “I don’t know what to say, except thank you.”
“Draw me,” Savannah demanded, then plopped in her chair and struck a pose with her elbows on the table, her folded hands supporting her chin.
Jake leaned back in his chair a little and flipped open the cover of the sketch pad to reveal a clean page. He chose a pencil from the handful he’d been given, studied the girl for a moment, then started drawing.
Evie continued to clear the table, but stopped several times to stand behind him and watch with amazement as his pencil flew over the paper. In moments, he captured Savannah’s sweet face and charming grin. He ripped the page from the book and handed it to the beaming girl. The expression on her face was priceless.
“I want one, too!” Miguel, not to be outdone by his sister, took a seat next to her and posed as well. Once again, Jake studied the boy and quickly drew him, managing to capture the devilish glint in Miguel’s dark eyes.
“That’s enough now,” Hilde spoke up as she filled the sink with hot water from the kettle and little slivers of soap to make suds. She added cold water from the pump so she could put her hands in the water without scalding herself. “Time to wash the dishes.”
“But we were having fun!” Savannah pouted.
“Hilde’s right. It’s time for dishes.” Jake closed the cover on the sketchbook. “Maybe tomorrow, we’ll do some more drawings.”
Savannah scooted from her chair and rested her hands on the table, her direct gaze on him. “You promise?”
He laughed. “I do.”
