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It was also kind of sad considering that she had been young, and he shouldn’t have even noticed her.
Still, he had not acted improperly with her at all, and even now, he would keep in mind that she always had the right to say no, and he would accept it.
He might not like it, but he would accept it.
“Yes please,” she answered as she grabbed the spatula from the drawer and brought it to the table.
They all sat down, and Aunt Carol looked at him to say grace.
It was something he had done for every meal he’d eaten at Aunt Carol’s house since his mother had died, but he felt a little shot of nervousness go through him now that Mabel was sitting at the table too.
But Silas’s words rang in his ear. He was not going to try to be someone he wasn’t. He would just be who he was, and if that was good enough for Mabel, then that was right.
So, he bowed his head and said a simple prayer. He had never been the kind of person who said big, long prayers while the food was growing cold.
He’d save those for the devotion time he had every evening before he went to bed.
He said amen, and Aunt Carol spoke immediately.
“James, would you dish the lasagna for us?”
“Sure,” he said and reached for the spatula.
He gave some to Aunt Carol first, and then to Mabel, and then dished himself last. Very aware the entire time of Mabel watching.
He wished he could read her thoughts, know what she was thinking of all this. Of whether he was doing it right or not, but then he reminded himself again of Silas’s words.
Just be yourself.
That eased his nervousness somewhat, and he said, “I’ve been curious about the box. I hope that I get to be around when you guys open it. You said it was from Annie Oakley?”
“That’s what I heard. I brought it with me from Oklahoma. There was a friend of mine who wanted me to pass it along to someone who...loved Annie and who could use it. I thought of Mabel, not long after I moved here and she talked about moving in with me. She has a great heart, and I know she loves Annie Oakley.”
“I used to try to figure out how I could make a living with something that had to do with Annie. I suppose I could start a museum, but that didn’t seem like a very profitable venture. And I like to eat almost as well as I like Annie Oakley.”
They laughed around the table, and James forgot his nervousness as they talked about some of the facts of the great sharpshooter, things he hadn’t known. Annie had never been someone on his radar. He wasn’t exactly brought up to be a lover of the Old West. New technology, new business innovations, and always trying to figure out how to work people to his advantage were the things that his dad had tried to teach him.
Spending time with Aunt Carol had been a relief from all that pressure, but he still hadn’t gotten interested in the Old West.
Still, as Mabel discussed some of the facts of Annie’s life, he found himself intrigued. He also wondered what kind of artifact would be in the box.
He supposed he would find out soon enough.
