“Oh, look at the little one, covered in chocolate.” Lynda fussed over Delphi, who sat on the chair with her legs swinging. “Now then, Hattie, I was thinking that on Thursday I could come over to you and babysit. It will give me an excuse to sit quietly with a book for a while and it will give you a chance to get out and have some time to yourself. You’ve been working yourself hard. You need a break.”
Hattie froze on her chair. She hadn’t expected Lynda to be so direct. “I don’t really—”
“Noah is going to buy you dinner. He has been working hard, too, and I’m worried about him. You’d be doing me a favor.”
Noah frowned. “There’s no—”
“You don’t have to thank me. You spend all the hours taking care of the farm for us and you deserve a night out. You young things should go and enjoy yourselves. Roy and I will cope just fine, won’t we, Roy?”
Roy looked like a man who knew when he was trapped. “I’m sure I can struggle on if I put my mind to it.”
Hattie cleared her throat.“I’m fine, really. I don’t need a night off.”
Lynda gave her shoulder a squeeze. “When did you last dress up and go out?”
“Well, I—”
“Exactly, you can’t remember. You’re young, Hattie. You should be getting out there and having some adult time. Don’t you agree, Roy?”
Roy studied the cookie in his hand. “I think Hattie should probably have a say in it? Maybe she doesn’t want to go to dinner.”
“Well, of course she does. The girl has to eat, doesn’t she? And she doesn’t want to eat alone. So that’s sorted.” Lynda cleared up the glasses and loaded them into the dishwasher. “It’s bitterly cold out there and snowing again so you’re not walking home. Noah will give you a ride.”
Hattie glanced out the window and saw that it was indeed snowing. Big, fat flakes were swirling past the window and she hadn’t even noticed. She’d end up carrying Delphi, which was fine for short distances, but after a while it made her arms and her back ache. Also, she didn’t want to make Delphi’s cough worse.
Noah scooped up his keys and this time didn’t argue with his mother. “Good plan. Let’s get you both safely home.”
Hattie thanked Roy, gave Lynda a hug, and then dressed a wriggling Delphi in her coat, hat and scarf.
The moment they opened the door to the kitchen the cold air slammed into them.
Noah turned up the collar of his coat and turned to check on her but Hattie had survived enough New England winters to know how to dress for the occasion.
They stomped through the fresh snow to his car. The cold air bit through her clothing,making her long to return to the warm kitchen.
“You don’t need to do this. Delphi and I could perfectly well walk. We didn’t need rescuing.”
He opened the car door for her. “Maybe you didn’t need rescuing, but I did. If we’d stayed in that kitchen much longer my mother would have mapped out the rest of my life and not just the next week.” He lifted Delphi into the back and fastened her seat belt carefully. “You comfortable, honey?”
Delphi nodded and Noah winked at her and then waited for Hattie to get in the car before settling himself in the driver’s seat.
Here in the confines of the car she was even more aware of the size and power of him. She told herself that it was his kindness to her child that was making her feel this intense and almost painful longing.
She wondered if he was annoyed at the prospect of driving her home. “Your parents are so kind.”
“They love you. Think of you as a daughter.”
“So what does that make you—my brother?” She saw his smile flash.
“Definitely not that. And you wouldn’t want me as a brother. I’m annoying. Only child, so terrible at sharing. If there’s one piece of shortbread left on the plate, then that’s going to be mine. You wouldn’t get special treatment. I’d run right over you.”
She didn’t believe it for a moment. She already knew how generous he was. She’d seen evidence of it repeatedly.
“I’m an only child.” And she’d often wished she’d had someone to share the ups and downs of life with.
“There you go. Can you imagine the scene in the kitchen? Both of us fighting over that single piece of shortbread?It could get vicious.” He started the engine and headed down the track toward the road. “So, about dinner. What time shall I pick you up on Thursday?”
She glanced at him. “You’re not seriously going to take me to dinner?”
