He picked up his knife and fork and continued eating.
The silence that fell over the room was deafening, and the only sound Luke heard were Belle’s quiet little sobs as she cried into Madelaine’s side. But before he could shove yet another spoonful into his mouth, he heard Madelaine’s voice as she quietly started to pray. “Heavenly Father, thank You for this blessed food. May it nourish our bodies and strengthen our spirits. And dear Lord, thank You for this gracious man, who took us into his home, who helped us heal, including poor Tinsel. We are forever grateful for his generosity. Thank You. Amen.”
When Madelaine opened her eyes, Luke was staring at her in utter disbelief. The fact that this woman had included him in her prayer, after everything he’d said just mere minutes ago, completely threw him for a loop.
As he continued eating, he watched Madelaine as she got up from her chair, then picked up Belle, who seemed inconsolable at this point, and grabbed Simon’s hand. Her mouth was pulled in a tight line when she nodded toward Evelyn and Caleb before she turned to leave the room.
Wiping his beard with a napkin—which was another lovely touch that was new in this house—he saw Evelyn wipe a tear from the corner of her eye before she took his empty plate to clear the table. Luke hated seeing that, because he truly loved his cousin. Before he could offer an apology, she had already disappeared into the kitchen. Caleb followed her without saying a word, leaving Luke alone in the dining room.
Luke lowered his head. He had hurt all these people by voicing his honest opinion, but he had told them the truth. Well,histruth.
The longer he sat there, the worse he felt, especially since he could hear Evelyn crying to Caleb in the kitchen. It was too much.
Pushing his chair back, he got up and marched with wide strides to the front door, grabbed his Stetson and coat, and left without saying a word.
Trudging through the falling snow, Luke blindly marched toward the small cemetery on the other side of the ranch, where he had buried his children and his wife up on a small hill. He had chosen that spot, so he would always be able to see them, and they would always be able to see him—if only in spirit.
There, in front of their gravestones, he sank to his knees, and all the pain and guilt he’d felt for so long broke out of him like a lake gushing through a broken dam.
Chapter Eight
Luke’s Ranch — The next day
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of a new day. Please give us the strength and wisdom to navigate the challenges ahead. Help us to be a source of kindness and support to those we meet, and to find joy in the blessings that come our way. Amen.” As they held hands, Madelaine smiled at Belle and Simon, who were kneeling on top of the bed, both praying with her.
After what all three of them had witnessed the night before, she was even more adamant to reinforce their belief in the good of God. So, they’d purposefully decided to start the new day on a good note and to forget about what had happened the night before.
It was still very early, and it was extra cold this morning, but by the time Madelaine walked into the kitchen, the fire in the hearth was already lit, and the kitchen felt warm and cozy.
Given the early hour, Belle and Simon were still a little sleepy, hovering near the fireplace. Every morning since their arrival, Evelyn had made it a point to heat up a pot of milk for the children, adding a little honey and cinnamon to the mix. At the same time, she brewed a large pot of coffee for the adults, and Madelaine appreciated this gesture greatly.
“I prayed for you last night,” she said to Evelyn. “For you, Caleb, and for Luke.”
“I prayed for you, too!” Evelyn exclaimed, visibly moved by Madelaine’s admission. “I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. That was very uncharacteristic of him.”
Madelaine waved her hand and shook her head. “Don’t mention it.” She went to grab a sleepy Belle and placed her into the highchair Caleb had made especially for her, then Evelyn handed her the cup of warm milk.
“Now be careful, Belle. Drink it in slow sips, until it’s not too hot anymore,” Evelyn said, tousling Belle’s wild, curly bed-hair. “After breakfast, we’ll go and braid your hair and put a nice big bow in it. Would you like that, darling?”
Belle made an excited screeching sound and crunched her nose before she stared at Evelyn with wide blue eyes. Meanwhile, Simon climbed onto his grown-up chair and kneeled on the seat to gain a bit of height. When Evelyn handed him his warm milk, he gifted her with the most admiring smile. Madelaine almost put her hand over her chest when she saw it.
“Luke isn’t normally like that,” Evelyn continued quietly while pouring steaming hot coffee into two mugs. She handed Madelaine one of them. “He’s a good man. Please don’t take his outburst the wrong way. It wasn’t against you,” she said.
“I haven’t,” Madelaine reassured her.
“Well, in that case, let’s begin this day with love and gratitude,” Evelyn said as she rolled up her sleeves. Madelaine did the same, and after both women had tied their aprons around their waists, they began to make breakfast.
It was quite remarkable how easily everyone had settled into their routine at Luke’s ranch in one week. Getting a lot of attention from every single person working there, Simon and Belle were happy and content in their new surroundings, quickly becoming favorites among the staff and ranch hands.
Not wanting to feel like a burden, Madelaine had immersed herself in a lot of chores the minute she was told that she was well enough to leave the bed.
She began helping out in the kitchen and the stables, checking on Tinsel and all the other resident horses as well. She and Alvarez, who very much had a heart of gold and a great love for horses, had long and interesting conversations about ways to improve the barn and stables for the animals.
However, Madelaine’s favorite people on the ranch were Evelyn and Caleb. Those two were not only caring, hardworking, and loyal to each other as well as Luke, but they were also hilariously funny and made each day extra special. It was an absolute joy to be around them, and Evelyn was fast becoming Madelaine’s best friend.
Not to mention that Evelyn was amazing with the two little ones, and it was somewhat surprising that she didn’t have a whole gaggle of children of her own.
“May I ask you a question?” Madelaine asked while she kneaded the dough for the dinner rolls for later. She was covered in flour almost all the way up to her elbows.
