He drew to a lazy halt and sniffed. “I can smell it from here.” The blue of his eyes darkened as he met her gaze, holding it as if seeing her for the first time.
Her heart picked up speed.
Skip barked as if to ask why they didn’t move.
Dianne blinked. “Come and eat.” She hurried inside to putthe serving dishes on the table. What just happened? The burning in her cheeks was most certainly from leaning over hot food.
By the time Jace washed and took his place at the table, she had her thoughts firmly in control. She slid into her chair, checked on Eddie, and then turned to Jace.
The smile in his eyes undid her.
“I’ll ask the blessing.” He murmured the words he used from the first. Not that she was surprised. Except she was. It felt like something had shifted in him…between them. Obviously, she misread the situation.
“This is great.” His comment and look included the mashed potatoes, the meat in rich gravy, carrots, and two kinds of pickles—yellow mustard beans and dilled cucumbers.
“Thanks.” Not another word came to her head. What was wrong with her? She cleared her throat—the sound loud in the heavy air. “It’s a pleasure to have so many supplies.” Then she remembered. “Where do I find fresh meat?”
His fork clattered to the table. “We’re out. One of the cowboys can go hunting. We have a springhouse where we can store meat for a few days. Then, it has to be salted, dried, or preserved such as this. Chet favored this.” He retrieved his fork and jabbed at the stewed meat.
“I can do that. I saw canning supplies in the cellar.” She stirred gravy into her potatoes. “What cowboy is going hunting?” Her voice carried just a hint of accusation. Had he forgotten there were no cowboys on the place apart from him? But not wanting to ruin the peace between them, she cleaned her plate. “Are you ready for pie?”
“Bring it on.” He scraped his plate clean and let her take it.
“Eddie, finish up your meal before you have dessert.”
He gave a weary sigh. “I know.”
While the boy cleaned his plate, Dianne cut three pieces of pie—a small one for Eddie, a slightly larger one for herself, and a generous-sized piece for Jace. She carried the three desserts to the table and distributed them.
Jace considered the different sizes and burst out laughing.
Heat again seared her cheeks. “I hope you enjoy it.”
His gaze lingered, and then he cut a mouthful of pie and chewed it thoughtfully. “It’s delicious. Best pie I ever tasted.”
“Thank you.” Was it enough to persuade him to stay at the ranch and enjoy more? “Do you have a favorite kind?”
He swallowed his mouthful. “Ma made apple pie. Mae made one last fall.” He looked into the distance. “It was good but not as good as Ma’s.”
“No one will ever make something as tasty as our mothers did. I’ve tried and tried to make spice cake with brown sugar icing like my mother made. I don’t know what she did that was different.” Her plate sighed across the table as she pushed it away. “I’ve concluded it was flavored with her love, and I can never hope to find it again.” Did her voice sound heavy?
Jace touched her hand. “You miss her a lot.”
“I do.” She met his eyes, and saw a reflection of her feelings. “Just as you miss your parents.” She stopped before she added Chet. He was too mired in his guilt to experience the same sense of loss he felt about his parents.
“Mama, I’s done. Can I go?” Eddie pushed his chair back and hovered.
“You may be excused.”
The door banged shut after him.
“He’s enjoying Skip’s company. I feel I don’t have to watch him so carefully with the dog doing it for me.” Did she sound neglectful? “Not that I’m unaware of where he is.” She tipped her head toward the window to indicate she could see the pair.
“Skip’s a good dog. I don’t know how many times Chet said the dog needed a boy to play with but had to settle for an old man.” Jace pushed back from the table so fast that his chair squealed on the floor. He headed for the door in long hurried strides. “Thank you for the meal.” And then he was gone as fast as Eddie’s departure.
The merest mention of Chet sent Jace into flight, and herehe was surrounded by reminders. Not the least of which was the ruins of the barn. Dianne understood being at the ranch was difficult. But how far and how fast would he have to run to escape his memories? Wouldn’t it be just as easy to stay here and learn to deal with the guilt and be surrounded by happy reminders?
As she washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, she mulled over the question. It was vitally important for her sake that Jace stay. Was it just as important but in a different way for him?
