The words were spoken more slowly than most people talked, and she knew Clay had told him she was deaf. Normally, the fact that he did wouldn’t have bothered her. It was the truth, but for reasons she couldn’t name, in that moment, it made her feel—inadequate.
She didn’t have time to ponder why. Turning to hurry back into the kitchen, she smiled when she looked at it. Although it wasn’t as large as the one she had at home, the space was—comfy. This was her domain. Where she felt useful and whole.
It didn’t take her much time at all to light the stove or put water on to boil. Clay came out to get the bucket and poured the hot water into a bowl before she had time to do it herself. He gave her a wink before heading back into the bedroom, and she wandered the kitchen to explore.
Liam’s pantry was stocked full, the shelves overflowing with canned goods and dried meats. She knew without asking they all needed to eat and had ingredients for a meal collected and on the table, sorted and into pots as if she’d worked in Liam’s kitchen every day. By the time hot buttery biscuits were coming out of the oven, Clay and the doctor walked into the room.
Clay grinned at her when their eyes met before turning to say something to the doctor. The man shook his head in a gesture that meant no before tipping his hat at her and leaving the house.
“How is Liam?” she asked when Clay turned his attention back to her.
“Better now that he’s settled.” He motioned to the food his a tilt of his head. “Want to fix him a plate? He’s talked about nothing else since we started smelling those biscuits and knew you were cooking. He must be as hungry as I am.”
Daisy did as he asked, piling slices of ham, green beans cooked with bacon and onions, and corn swimming in butter onto a plate. She added a biscuit and turned to hand it to Clay, but he wasn’t behind her.
She found a small tray to put the food on and carried it into the bedroom. Clay helped Liam sit up when she stepped into the room. A pained expression flitted across Liam’s face as he slid up the bed, but he thanked Clay for helping him get settled.
A bandage covered the majority of his leg, the limb no longer twisted, and for once, she was glad she wasn't able to hear. His bone had been protruding from his pant leg when they’d lifted him from the floor. She’d seen injuries similar to Liam’s in the past and had seen people faint from nothing more than pain. She didn’t know if Liam had passed out or not, but knew without asking, he'd screamed himself hoarse. He smiled when he saw her, his gaze going to the tray of food in her hands.
She crossed the room and set it on his lap, then handed him a fork. He wasted no time digging in, and she knew by the way he ate that it was good.
Clay said something to Liam before ushering her back out into the kitchen. He went to the sink and washed up before turning to lean back against the counter as he dried his hands. “I don’t know what you fixed, but it smells better than anything I’ve had to pleasure to sniff.”
She laughed at his words, then rolled her eyes and grabbed a plate. She filled it full and set it on the table before putting a fork beside it. “Well, I suggest you sit and find out if it lives up to all that praise.”
Chapter 8
Unlike the night before, Clay didn’t wake to the sound of Daisy’s teeth chattering. Nor did he get to hold her close and steal any kisses, but he’d not trade this for anything.
Using several blankets, he'd made a pallet bed on the floor near the fireplace, giving Daisy the sofa. There was only one bedroom in Liam’s house, and after the old man had eaten his fill, praising Daisy on the meal, he had passed out cold. They’d spent the evening eating until he thought he would burst, then helped clean the mess before settling down. He glanced over at her. She was still asleep and looked like an angel. He wasn’t sure of the time, but he needed to go check on the horses. The walk across town in the snow wouldn’t be fun, but someone had to see to them.
Crawling from the floor, he folded up the blankets he’d used and noticed Daisy stirring when he set the bundle on the armchair.
She smiled up at him when she opened her eyes. “Good morning,” she said, with a stretch.
“Morning.” He grabbed his hat and put it on his head. “I need to go check on the horses.”
She sat up. “Oh. I can come with you.”
He shook his head. “No, you stay here where it's warm.” He glanced at Liam’s door. “Someone has to be here in case Liam needs something.”
“All right.” She stood and folded her blanket. “I’ll start on breakfast and have it ready when you get back.”
With plans made, he headed out and hurried across town. The snow had stopped falling, and people were trudging through the snowdrifts. The lamps in most of the businesses were lit, and he could see people through the glass panes.
He made quick work of tending the horses and headed out an hour later. The stagecoach station was beside the livery stable, and a portly man with a handlebar mustache was out front shoveling snow from his stoop. He nodded his head at him when he passed by and hurried back to Liam’s. The scent of bacon and fresh bread filled the house, and the moment he stepped inside and saw Daisy scurrying about the kitchen, longing hit him so hard it took his breath.
This was what he wanted. Her, in a home they both called their own as they went about their days blissfully unaffected by the rest of the world. He remembered a scene like this from his childhood. His parents had died when he was so young it was hard to pull up memories of them, but he remembered this. He still carried a vague memory of his mother in the kitchen, humming an old hymn as she prepared a meal, and the scene before him reminded him of that. It’s what home felt like.
“You’re back.”
Daisy’s voice drew him from his musings. He took off his coat and hat, hung them both, and crossed the room. “It didn’t take as long as I thought it would.”
He pointed toward Liam’s door. “Is he up?”
“Yes, he’s in some pain, though. I gave him a dose of whatever it was the doctor left, and hopefully that’ll help some.”
She grabbed a plate from the shelf on the wall. “Breakfast is ready. Just let me fix him something, and you can eat.”
