Ella and her parents told and retold each other all the old stories about Andy so often that even Dove could repeat a lot of the funny tales now, though they had happened long before she was born.
“You have any foods you don’t eat, son?” Dad asked, pointing Dalton to the table.
“No, sir,” Dalton answered. “But why don’t you sit and let me get it.”
“Absolutely not,” Dad said. “You came all the way here. The least I can do is fix you a plate. Now, I’ve been craving grilled cheese and tomato soup. You have any objection?”
“No, sir,” Dalton replied. “Sounds delicious.”
“Wonderful,” Ella’s mom said, sitting down across from him and patting the seat next to her for Ella.
Ella pulled out her chair and perched on the edge of it, reminding herself that she shouldn’t get comfortable if she didn’t want to stay up too late.
But Dalton Tyler was on his feet before another syllable was spoken.
“I’ll just grab some plates and bowls, if you’ll allow me,” he said politely to Ella’s dad.
“That’d be nice,” Dad said with a funny little smile that told Ella he knew when he’d been beaten. “Plates are on the left over the sink, and bowls are above.”
“Did you take the train in, son?” Dad asked as he spread butter on thick slices of homemade bread.
“No, sir,” Dalton said. “I didn’t know there was one that comes out this far. That’s handy.”
“It sure is,” Dad agreed. “We’ll have a highway not too long from now, too. That’ll give folks another option, but I’m partial to trains myself.”
“How are things going on the farm?” Dalton asked, clearly not one for small talk. “Where would you like me to get started in the morning?”
“Well, that will be up to the ladies,” Dad said with a smile. “They run the place these days.”
Dalton blinked at him.
“My back isn’t what it used to be,” Dad admitted quietly.
The young man’s gaze swung over to the table and he observed Ella and her mother with what looked like thinly veiled horror.
“We enjoy working outside,” Ella said firmly.
It was true for herself, but she was pretty sure her mom would much rather be in the house knitting and having coffee with a gaggle of her retired schoolteacher friends.
But Ella wasn’t about to give Dalton Tyler the satisfactionof feeling sorry for them. After all, he wasn’t here to save them or anything. He was making a valiant offer of temporary help, and whether they took him up on it or not, he’d soon be off to do his own thing, and they would go back to handling the farm on their own.
If only Ella had finished college, maybe she would have had more choices for herself and Dove after Lee passed. As things were, she was lucky to be able to work the farm and spend so much time with family.
“I do too,” Dalton said suddenly, nodding once before he turned back to the task at hand.
“So, what’s your area of expertise, son?” Dad asked. “Didn’t Andy say something about communications?”
“I’ll just grab the cheese for you,” Dalton said, heading to the fridge. “I haven’t worked a farm before, but I’ve done warehouse work. I’m plenty strong and I learn fast. I won’t let you down, sir.”
“Oh, we aren’t worried about that,” Dad said fondly.
“Things are fine here,” Ella heard herself put in. “You don’t have to feel like you need to stay.”
Dalton turned his gaze to Ella and she couldn’t help noticing that his eyes were a surprisingly bright shade of blue.
“I made a promise,” he said simply.
Ella opened her mouth to argue, but her father shook his head at her from behind Dalton.
