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He shook his head. “No, you’re staying in my room.”
“All right. That’s where I unpacked, but then I wasn’t sure, so I asked.”
“You don’t want to go back to Massachusetts?” he asked.
“Of course not! Why would I?”
“I’m big. Scary to some.”
Heather blinked a couple of times. “Have other girls been afraid of you?”
He nodded.
“Well, I’m not other girls.” She pulled her hand out from under the water. “I think that’s enough. It barely hurts now.”
“Supper smells good,” he said, obviously trying to figure out what to say to his wife.
“It’s chicken and dumplings with green beans fresh from the garden. Do you like chicken and dumplings.”
“Never had ‘em.”
“Well, then you’re in for a treat. This is my favorite meal and the first one I learned to cook.”
Patrick looked into the pot. “Is it ready?”
Heather smiled, nodding. “It is. I’ll set the table, and as soon as your ma is done milking the cow, we’ll have supper.”
“I like to eat.” His words were simple, but she couldn’t help but smile.
“I noticed at breakfast.”
He smiled. “Good.”
While Heather set the table, he stood in the middle of the kitchen watching her, like he’d never seen a woman before. She had to keep walking around him, but it didn’t bother her.
When Sally came back inside it was to find her son and daughter-in-law in the kitchen together. “I hope you two are cozying up and getting to know each other,” she said.
Heather nodded. “I burned my hand, and Patrick helped me get it under cold water.”
“Did you get the cattle rounded up from the Applegates’ land?” Sally asked.
Patrick nodded. “Took all day.”
“I wondered why you weren’t here for lunch today!”
“Had to get the cattle.”
“Well, we missed you,’ll heat up what we fixed for lunch tomorrow. We missed you.” Sally said. She noticed that Heather had gotten all the food on the table. “Let’s eat.”
Patrick sat in his chair, waiting for the women to join him. As soon as the prayer was over, he started to fill his plate, and he filled it just as full as he had that morning.
“I would have made fresh bread to go with this, but there just wasn’t time today.” In fact, Heather was still wearing her dirty clothes from the train. She’d planned to be changed before he arrived, but there had been little time.
Patrick cleaned his plate before complimenting Heather on her cooking. “Food’s good.”
“Thank you.”
Sally looked back and forth between them, a huge smile on her face. “I’m so happy you two are getting along so well!”
