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Authors: Kelly Eileen Hake
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trickle of blood stopped, Daisy released him.
“You’re left-handed,” Bryce spoke the realization aloud. She’d held his injured hand in her right and used the left to work the tweezers. How had he not noticed it before? Little wonder she’d had so much trouble with the saw—he’d had Daisy using her right hand.
“Yes. Always have been.” Daisy gave the witch hazel back to Miz Willow.
“I never noticed before—I would’ve given you a different saw. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Didn’t think it was important.” She visibly bristled. “I don’t need any extry help.”
This is the way she lives her whole life. Not speaking up when she needs help, not trusting anyone else to care for her or her son properly. Does she even realize how thoroughly she cuts herself off from other people? She goes to church and teaches her son Bible verses, but Daisy relies only on herself. Who am I to point out her flaws when I’m not staying around anyway? Lord, she’s been hurt and survived a lot of loss, but she still needs to lean on You
.
It took the better part of the next day to get the stove set up and functioning properly. Bryce could hardly make heads or tails of the blurry, smudged instructions, so he ended up learning by trial and error.
Finally, Bryce stood back and surveyed his work. They’d put it in the original hearth cavity, but not all the way. The range and oven poked out for easy use. All in all, it didn’t take up hardly any more room than the original hearth, and it would work a lot better.
“Nice,” Daisy said appreciatively.
“I hope so.” Bryce scowled at the troublesome machine. “Two days to fetch and haul it back, one to destroy the doorway and get it inside. Another to repair the damage, and one more to set the contraption up. Five days of work.” Bryce shook his head. “I was beginning to think it wouldn’t be ready before Logan and Hattie got back!”
Daisy burst out laughing. The hearty, happy sound made
Bryce smile in and of itself, but …
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh!” Daisy gasped and pointed to the stove. “I was jist thinkin’ now might not be the best time to point out how we left two pie tins under the back legs.”
“No!” Bryce hunkered down and peered at the floor of the hearth. Sure enough, two pie tins lay beneath the stove legs, halfway into the recess of the hearth.
“I already put together the stovepipe and connected it to the flue.” Bryce hung his head in frustration. “I can’t lift it now.”
“Cain’t lift what now?” Miz Willow stood in the cabin doorway.
“The stove, Miz Willow.” Daisy gestured to the far wall. “We left two pie tins under the back feet.”
“Hunh.” Miz Willow squinted at her shelves for a minute. “Well, I had three, and Hattie brung a pair when she moved in, so I reckon we don’t need ‘em.”
“Praise be.” Bryce stood up and brushed stove black off his hands. “It’s done then.”
“Good thing, too.” Miz Willow turned back outside to resume her lesson with Jamie. “Logan and Hattie’ll be back tomorra.”
ten
Daisy didn’t see Hattie or Logan until the next night. But when the newly married couple arrived, they were tired and decided to go straight to bed. Daisy and Bryce met them in the barn to help unload the wagon and settle in the horses.
“It’s late, and we ate some jerky and biscuits on the ride here,” Logan explained.
“It’s good to be home.” Hattie yawned, but despite being tuckered out, she glowed from the time spent with her new husband.
Daisy felt a surge of gratitude toward Logan Chance for seeing beyond her sister-in-law’s barrenness to the worth of the woman herself. He’d made Hattie happier than Daisy had seen her since before Horace Thales passed on.
Now that Hattie’s remarried, she’s not a Thales anymore
, Daisy realized.
I wonder if that means we aren’t sisters-in-law no more. Not that it matters. Hattie will always be kin in my heart
.
“Daisy
“You’re left-handed,” Bryce spoke the realization aloud. She’d held his injured hand in her right and used the left to work the tweezers. How had he not noticed it before? Little wonder she’d had so much trouble with the saw—he’d had Daisy using her right hand.
“Yes. Always have been.” Daisy gave the witch hazel back to Miz Willow.
“I never noticed before—I would’ve given you a different saw. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Didn’t think it was important.” She visibly bristled. “I don’t need any extry help.”
This is the way she lives her whole life. Not speaking up when she needs help, not trusting anyone else to care for her or her son properly. Does she even realize how thoroughly she cuts herself off from other people? She goes to church and teaches her son Bible verses, but Daisy relies only on herself. Who am I to point out her flaws when I’m not staying around anyway? Lord, she’s been hurt and survived a lot of loss, but she still needs to lean on You
.
It took the better part of the next day to get the stove set up and functioning properly. Bryce could hardly make heads or tails of the blurry, smudged instructions, so he ended up learning by trial and error.
Finally, Bryce stood back and surveyed his work. They’d put it in the original hearth cavity, but not all the way. The range and oven poked out for easy use. All in all, it didn’t take up hardly any more room than the original hearth, and it would work a lot better.
“Nice,” Daisy said appreciatively.
“I hope so.” Bryce scowled at the troublesome machine. “Two days to fetch and haul it back, one to destroy the doorway and get it inside. Another to repair the damage, and one more to set the contraption up. Five days of work.” Bryce shook his head. “I was beginning to think it wouldn’t be ready before Logan and Hattie got back!”
Daisy burst out laughing. The hearty, happy sound made
Bryce smile in and of itself, but …
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh!” Daisy gasped and pointed to the stove. “I was jist thinkin’ now might not be the best time to point out how we left two pie tins under the back legs.”
“No!” Bryce hunkered down and peered at the floor of the hearth. Sure enough, two pie tins lay beneath the stove legs, halfway into the recess of the hearth.
“I already put together the stovepipe and connected it to the flue.” Bryce hung his head in frustration. “I can’t lift it now.”
“Cain’t lift what now?” Miz Willow stood in the cabin doorway.
“The stove, Miz Willow.” Daisy gestured to the far wall. “We left two pie tins under the back feet.”
“Hunh.” Miz Willow squinted at her shelves for a minute. “Well, I had three, and Hattie brung a pair when she moved in, so I reckon we don’t need ‘em.”
“Praise be.” Bryce stood up and brushed stove black off his hands. “It’s done then.”
“Good thing, too.” Miz Willow turned back outside to resume her lesson with Jamie. “Logan and Hattie’ll be back tomorra.”
ten
Daisy didn’t see Hattie or Logan until the next night. But when the newly married couple arrived, they were tired and decided to go straight to bed. Daisy and Bryce met them in the barn to help unload the wagon and settle in the horses.
“It’s late, and we ate some jerky and biscuits on the ride here,” Logan explained.
“It’s good to be home.” Hattie yawned, but despite being tuckered out, she glowed from the time spent with her new husband.
Daisy felt a surge of gratitude toward Logan Chance for seeing beyond her sister-in-law’s barrenness to the worth of the woman herself. He’d made Hattie happier than Daisy had seen her since before Horace Thales passed on.
Now that Hattie’s remarried, she’s not a Thales anymore
, Daisy realized.
I wonder if that means we aren’t sisters-in-law no more. Not that it matters. Hattie will always be kin in my heart
.
“Daisy
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