He scooped her up and blew on her belly, making her squeal with delight.
Judith refrained from huffing, as she would have done when she’d first arrived. Whenever her brother interacted with his daughters, he forgot he was a man of dignity, a prosperous landowner. A Breckinridge of New York City.
He would have nothing of her reprimands, and she was slowly coming to appreciate the difference in the atmosphere in his home compared to the home of their youth. Was living in Lilac City going to tear downallher beliefs? Would the day come when Judith would don split skirts and go riding with the men like Frances?
“Let me get my hat and coat,” Judith said.
Except for church, she hadn’t seen Luke Hamblin since the disastrous lunch. She made sure not to look at him, and he made no effort to get her attention. Why had she spoken so disparagingly of Tom McDaniel’s artwork? The man was truly gifted. It was almost as though she wanted people to assume the worst about her.
“I’m so glad Lydia was able to talk you into coming,” Doris said, giving Judith a quick hug. “Wait, Florence. Your hat isn’t tied right, and your ears will freeze.”
While the others chattered happily, Judith sat in the back of the sleigh with her nieces, making changes to her mental list of things needed for the Christmas Fair, which the schoolchildren had begun to call it. Marshall had been able to help with a few scheduling questions she’d had since they’d made the initial list. She wasn’t sure how to move from the more boisterous activities into a reverent telling of the Christmas story by the children at the end.
When the sleigh came to a stop in front of the Hamblin home, Judith was pulled from her musings. She actually found it quite an attractive house. It was more rustic than Marshall’s, though the difference was a subtle one. Both suited their purposes, however, as they also served as the lodging for the dude ranch guests during the summer.
“Let me give you a hand,” Luke said when Judith stood and prepared to step from the sleigh.
She hesitated only a second before taking his offered hand, and she didn’t pull back when he tucked her hand in his arm. He patted it, his expression full of approval. The complete contrast to his response at the hotel made her wary.
“That was a wonderful thing you did for Tom,” Luke said. “I’ve never seen the man so excited. And adding a book of instructions on watercolor painting was perfect. Thank you.”
Judith stared into his dark eyes. Never in her life had a man looked at her with such admiration. It would be easy for her to lose herself in them. She was suddenly aware, as she had been the day of her brother’s wedding to Doris, of how attractive he was. Judith wondered again what it would be like to be kissed by him.
“I’d like to talk with you about it,” Luke said, his voice low, “when we have some time.”
She blinked. He couldn’t mean the kiss she’d been imagining. Judith’s chest tightened. Of course not. Only in her dreams would this man ever consider kissingher.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said.
They’d reached the house. Judith released his arm and stepped forward to greet Maude and Charles.
“Well, get inside and shut the door,” Mrs. McDaniel called from inside. “You’ll freeze us out.”
Everyone did as she bade and, in the chaos that followed, Judith made sure to keep far away from Luke Hamblin. Once she’d removed her coat and hat, she hurried over to Mrs. McDaniel to assist with putting the final touches on the table.
“It smells wonderful,” Judith said to the housekeeper. “My brother mentions often how he’s tried several times to steal you away from the Lucky L.”
“As if I’d be likely to jump ship when Luke Hamblin’s been like one of my boys.” The plump woman chuckled. “You don’t abandon family. For too many years, we were all he had.”
The others had entered the dining room, so Judith didn’t say anything more. The housekeeper’s comment stayed with Judith as she moved to take a seat at the table.
“Here, Judith,” Luke said, pulling out a chair near the end and indicating she should sit there.
Chagrined to find it was the chair on his right, she paused. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, she took it. Having spent so much time out here in the wilderness, had he forgotten the significance of placing her in the seat of the guest of honor? Her brother wouldn’t have missed it, but she dared not glance his way.
“I’d like to thank everyone for joining us for supper tonight. It’s actually a celebratory meal.” Luke glanced at Charles expectantly, and the man gave a little nod as he took his wife’s hand. Luke said, his chest puffing, “I’m finally going to be an uncle.”
The adults offered congratulations while Maude’s face turned a bright red.
“Are you going to write to Aunt Hortense about this?” Doris asked. “I think you should.”
“But what about me?” six-year-old Florence asked, tugging on Luke’s sleeve and pulling him from the conversation.
“And me. Aren’t you our uncle?” Lydia’s sweet little face grew confused, and her eyes filled with tears. “Don’twecount?”
Realizing what he’d done and not knowing how to fix it, Luke shot Judith a terrified glance.
“My guess is he meant he would be an uncleagain,” Judith said. “You have to remember he’s still getting used to being an uncle at all.”
