“Miss Gemma over at Goldwater’s handles the mail. Have you met her yet?”
“I have.”
“I can drop it off for you, if you’d like.” She nodded toward the pile of clothing on the chair. “Avery and I will be heading over to the church later on this morning to drop those off. Reverend Parker, along with the Ladies’ Society, is collecting clothing for a young family who has fallen on tough times.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?”
“Victor Thromball fell from his horse and broke his back. He will mend, but it will take a long time before he’s on his feet again. The family is struggling. They have two small children plus the ranch to run so the Ladies Society is helping.” She fiddled with her spoon, but her gaze never left him. “Lucy arranged it. Mr. Goldwater is donating some food items like flour, sugar and other essentials. Mr. Crandall offered something from his butcher shop but was told they had plenty of meat, so he’s chipping in a few dollars. Elsie—you’ve met her I’m sure—has promised to bring them dinner a few times, and we’ve recruited several of their neighbors to help with the cattle.”
“I haven’t met the Thromballs yet. How can I help?”
“If you could stop by and see them, that would be wonderful, but really, anything will help. We’re taking up a collection for them so they can pay their bills. If I’m not mistaken, they have a mortgage on the ranch. I’d hate to see them lose it. Both of them are lovely people. The children, too.”
He didn’t hesitate. He rose from his seat, and walked into his study, taking the rolled up tube of Wanted posters with him, then returned moments later with a crisp, new twenty-dollar bill. He handed it to her. “I hope this will help some.”
Tresia looked at the money. “This is so generous of you, Marshal.” She smiled, her eyes wide as she tucked the money inher drawstring purse. “It’ll go a long way in helping them. Thank you. The Thromballs will appreciate it.”
He smiled in return as he took his seat. “Glad I could help.”
Avery wandered into the kitchen then, Cecily clutched tightly in one arm as she rubbed her eyes with her other hand.
“Well, good morning, sweet pea! Did you sleep well?”
Avery nodded, but rather sleepily, as she crawled into his lap and leaned her head against his chest. Such love filled him at that moment, his heart ached. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head as she snuggled a little closer.
“Are you ready for breakfast?”
She nodded against his chest even as Tresia rose and went to the ice box for the pitcher of milk. She poured a glass and set it down on the table in front of the chair Avery usually sat in, then moved to the stove. “We’re having French toast,” she said as she plopped a spoonful of butter from the crock into the cast-iron skillet.
“Okay.” Avery seemed to perk up at that and slid from his lap. She carefully placed Cecily on the chair beside her then took her own seat.
Devlin smiled at his daughter before he moved his focus to Tresia. She moved with an economy of motion—no step was wasted as she dipped the bread into the egg batter and placed it carefully in the skillet. The sizzling sound soon filled the small room, and the tantalizing aroma wafted to him. The first four pieces were done quickly. She transferred them to a plate and placed it onto the table.
Devlin glanced at Avery. “One or two?”
She grinned at him. “Two.”
He speared two pieces and cut them up into smaller bite size squares for her. “Syrup?”
She nodded and he drizzled the sweet maple syrup over her French toast. “Enough?”
She nodded again, the curls surrounding her head bouncing as she did.
“What are your plans today?” Tresia asked as she placed more slices of French toast on the table then took a piece for herself. She drizzled syrup over it then took a bite.
“Rafael is taking me out to more ranches and farms in the area.” He took a bite of his French toast, allowing the medley of flavors to settle on his tongue. “I’ve already been to a few over the past couple days, but he wants to introduce me to the rest.”
“Have you met the Silvas out on Montaña del Trueno?”
“No, not yet. I think that’s today.”
“You’ll like the Silvas. And you’ll love the ranch. It’s one of my favorite places. I spent some time there when I was younger. It’s Lucy’s family’s ranch. Her brothers, Teddy, Esteban, and Heath run it along with their wives. Make sure you meetTiaEvie.”
“TiaEvie? Who is that?”
“She’s the woman who raised Lucy and turned that ranch into one of the most profitable ones in the area. It’s not the biggest but it is, by far, the best, although Hacienda Zepeda is a close second.” She gathered the dirty breakfast dishes and placed them in the sink.
Devlin finished his coffee then rose to his feet. “Come give Daddy a kiss.”
