Page 28 of Words Unspoken

“I make eggs and bacon. Brown toast. How you like egg?”

“Scrambled please,” Ann looked around. “Is Michael up already?”

“He take coffee and sit on deck. I make him breakfast too as soon as I finish kitchen. No car in driveway. I not know he here. Good thing I have grocery in car for me.”

“Are we eating your groceries? FenLei, you shouldn’t give us your groceries.”

“Why not? I buy more. I buy grocery for Mr. Michael all the time,” she put away the gloves and grabbed out a couple of pans. “Give ten minutes, breakfast ready.”

“Thank you, FenLei,” Ann said but the little woman waved her away. Ann took her coffee and went to the deck to find Michael sitting in one of the deck chairs, sipping from a mug, the knit hat still camouflaging the bandage. He smiled at her, and she could not help the tenderness that flowed through her. She sat next to him.

“Have you been up for long?”

He shrugged.

“I met your housekeeper.”

He looked at her expectantly.

“She says you call her bossy,” Ann lifted an eyebrow.

Michael gave a guilty but amused nod with a bit of a shrug.

“I like her,” Ann turned her attention to the water. It was very calming. She could sit out here every morning with a coffee in good weather. “Did she show up one day and refuse to go away? Kind of like I did?”

Michael had a small snort.

Ann turned to look at him. “She did, didn’t she?”

He smiled and nodded.

“What did she say? That she had eight children to feed and so you could not turn her away?”

He held up five fingers.

“Oh? Only five? I am disappointed,” Ann sipped her coffee. “I still like her. And since the house is sparkling, I suppose she earns whatever you pay her.”

He nodded.

“Any headache this morning?”

He indicated no.

“Dizziness?”

Again, no.

“Good,” Ann was relieved.

A moment later FenLei was at the door. “Ten minute up. Breakfast ready.”

She waved a spatula at Michael. “Now, Mr. Michael. Why you two share bed? I look. Guestroom not used. Missy Ann say no sex but I wonder.”

Ann felt her face turn red and even Michael got a little ruddy. He rolled his eyes at the little woman and shook his head.

“You have sex you marry her. I good Christian woman. No work for bad men,” she winked at Ann. “I make some coffee cake for you eat later.”

Ann sputtered. “FenLei!”