Shaking his head, Matthew led Noah and Reid into the kitchen. Mrs. O’Neal was busy setting food on the table and a glance at Noah showed him the boy was stunned by what he saw. The boy looked at him and Matthew nudged him over to one of the benches.
“Sit down, lad,” Matthew said as he took his own seat.
“And who is this?” asked Mrs. O’Neal.
“I am Noah. Abbie forgot me so I came here with her brother.” She placed a plate in front of each of them and set the rest around the table for the others who would soon arrive.
“And how old are you, Noah?” asked Mrs. O’Neal.
“Five. I had my birthday four days ago.” He sighed. “I got no cake or sweet.”
“Hey!” Reid carried over a large tureen filled with stew. “I gave you some of my beef jerky.”
“Yes, you did. It was very kind of you.” Noah turned his head and made a face that clearly showed what he truly thought of that kindness. Then he looked sweetly innocent again and Matthew coughed as he choked on a laugh. Mrs. O’Neal hid a smile behind her hand as his brothers and her children came in.
“Ah, I believe I hear the ladies returning,” Mrs. O’Neal said, wiped her hands, and left the kitchen to meet them.
* * *
Abbie smiled at Mrs. O’Neal as she took Jeremiah from her arms after the woman had held him while she had shed her coat. “Are we late for lunch?”
“No.” Mrs. O’Neal said hello to Ned as the boy hurried into the kitchen. She turned to put her arm around Iain’s daughter and smiled at Emily. “Food is on the table.”
“Then we best hurry,” said Emily.
They followed Mrs. O’Neal into the kitchen. Abbie smiled at everyone and then froze in midstep toward her seat. She stared hard at the man seated on Matthew’s left.
“Hello, Ab,” Reid said quietly and smiled at her.
Abbie burst into tears and ran over to him. He caught her easily and she slumped against him, pressing her face into his shirt. She heard herself rambling on and on, but even she was not sure of what she was saying.
“Ab, if you want answers to those questions, you have to calm down.”
She sat up and wiped her face with the handkerchief he handed her. “What questions?” She scowled at Matthew who laughed, but quickly returned her full attention to Reid. “You get wounded anywhere else?” she asked as she lightly stroked his scarred cheek.
“No. Now, I will answer those other questions as soon as someone stops punching me.” He turned his head and glared down at the boy by his side.
“You made her cry!” Noah punched his arm again.
“Noah? Noah!” Abbie sat up and stared at the child. “What are you doing here?”
“I came with him. You forgot me.”
“I did not forget you. I explained why I couldn’t take you. I thought you understood.”
Noah shook his head. “I needed to think of how to say why you were wrong but when I was ready, you were already gone.”
“And just how were you going to explain that I was wrong?”
“Well, how could you pick out the right house without me to help you?”
“I could pick out one. It just needs enough rooms and to be weather tight.”
Noah shook his head and sat down next to Reid. “And you were going to put two boys in it. I’m a boy and you needed one to tell you all the other things you needed to look for.”
“Such as what?” Abbie asked as she went and sat down across from Reid.
“A yard. Windows you can latch tight so bad boys don’t climb out and run around the yard at night.” His eyes widened and Abbie knew they were about to take a journey into Noah’s far too vivid imagination. “And secret passages.”
