Read Online Love Finds You in Groom, Texas by Janice Hanna - Free Book Online
Authors: Janice Hanna
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the most delicious smell filled the house.
Anne could hardly wait to taste it. “Oh my. It smells wonderful!”
“Thank you.” Maggie’s cheeks flushed. “We’re beef eaters, as you might well imagine. Most of us who live on ranches depend on our cattle, not just for our income but also for our daily meals. And trust me when I say you’ve never had such tender meat in all your born days.” She paused. “I take no credit for that, by the way. My boys know just when to slaughter a cow to give us the most tender meat.”
“Ooh, I want to help slaughter a cow.” Emily looked up from the potato, breaking the long strand of peel. “Oh, bother.” She sighed. “If I keep this up, I won’t get any cobbler at all.”
“And you won’t get to slaughter any cows, either!” Kate giggled.
“That’s okay, honey.” Maggie grinned and handed Emily a second potato. “You’ll have another opportunity to get that extra-large piece of cobbler—and in response to what you just said, I’m afraid there won’t be any slaughtering around here for a while. We’ve got enough meat to keep us fed for months.”
“That’s a shame.” The edges of Emily’s lips curled down. “I would have loved slaughtering a cow.”
Anne did her best not to roll her eyes.
“Now it’s your turn, Anne.” Maggie led her through the process of breading the meat and dropping it in the skillet.
Before long, she almost had the hang of it.
Emily seemed to be doing pretty well with the potatoes too. Within a few minutes, most of the ones in the bowl were peeled. Mostly peeled, anyway. Anne still noticed a few smidges of peeling, but Maggie was gracious enough not to mention it. Instead, she went to work, chopping the potatoes and putting them on to boil.
As she worked, Maggie started another conversation about life on the ranch, her every word holding the littler girls spellbound. Anne, however, found herself distracted with unhappy thoughts of Uncle Bertrand.
When Maggie paused for air, Anne dove in. “I need to reach my uncle,” she explained, her words a bit rushed. “He is expecting us this afternoon, so I’m sure he’s going to be quite startled that we’re not arriving.”
“Hmm.” Maggie leaned against the countertop. “Surely when he goes to the station to fetch you he’ll get word about what’s happened. I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.”
“Still, I would feel better if we could reach him. Do you know where I could find a telephone?”
“Why, we have one right here in our home.” Maggie grinned and gave her a playful wink. “My older sister Bets is green with envy. Has been ever since we had the phone put in a couple of months back. Don’t know why she’s always bothered by such things. I’ve tried to tell her that jealousy is a sin, but she doesn’t seem to believe it. Then again, Bets has always been the jealous sort.” She finally paused for air. “What was your question again, honey?”
“Oh. I was just asking… Hmm.” Anne shook her head. She couldn’t seem to remember.
“She asked if we had a telephone.” Jake’s voice rang out from behind her. “She wants to call her uncle in Dallas.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Anne turned, her heart gravitating to her throat as she took in the cleaned-up version of Jake. He’d combed his hair, and she found the new style very appealing. It really accentuated his green eyes. And the plaid shirt showed off his broad shoulders, as well. My goodness, if that boy didn’t clean up nice.
He flashed her a boyish smile. “Ma’am, I took the liberty of asking the folks at the station to send your uncle a telegram. I hope you don’t think I’m out of line. Just wanted to give him your whereabouts.”
“But how did you… I mean, however did you know how to reach him?”
“Oh, easy.” He leaned against the wall, his gaze shifting to Emily. “Our young reporter over there gave me all the facts. She also gave me a lesson in Texas Panhandle
Anne could hardly wait to taste it. “Oh my. It smells wonderful!”
“Thank you.” Maggie’s cheeks flushed. “We’re beef eaters, as you might well imagine. Most of us who live on ranches depend on our cattle, not just for our income but also for our daily meals. And trust me when I say you’ve never had such tender meat in all your born days.” She paused. “I take no credit for that, by the way. My boys know just when to slaughter a cow to give us the most tender meat.”
“Ooh, I want to help slaughter a cow.” Emily looked up from the potato, breaking the long strand of peel. “Oh, bother.” She sighed. “If I keep this up, I won’t get any cobbler at all.”
“And you won’t get to slaughter any cows, either!” Kate giggled.
“That’s okay, honey.” Maggie grinned and handed Emily a second potato. “You’ll have another opportunity to get that extra-large piece of cobbler—and in response to what you just said, I’m afraid there won’t be any slaughtering around here for a while. We’ve got enough meat to keep us fed for months.”
“That’s a shame.” The edges of Emily’s lips curled down. “I would have loved slaughtering a cow.”
Anne did her best not to roll her eyes.
“Now it’s your turn, Anne.” Maggie led her through the process of breading the meat and dropping it in the skillet.
Before long, she almost had the hang of it.
Emily seemed to be doing pretty well with the potatoes too. Within a few minutes, most of the ones in the bowl were peeled. Mostly peeled, anyway. Anne still noticed a few smidges of peeling, but Maggie was gracious enough not to mention it. Instead, she went to work, chopping the potatoes and putting them on to boil.
As she worked, Maggie started another conversation about life on the ranch, her every word holding the littler girls spellbound. Anne, however, found herself distracted with unhappy thoughts of Uncle Bertrand.
When Maggie paused for air, Anne dove in. “I need to reach my uncle,” she explained, her words a bit rushed. “He is expecting us this afternoon, so I’m sure he’s going to be quite startled that we’re not arriving.”
“Hmm.” Maggie leaned against the countertop. “Surely when he goes to the station to fetch you he’ll get word about what’s happened. I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.”
“Still, I would feel better if we could reach him. Do you know where I could find a telephone?”
“Why, we have one right here in our home.” Maggie grinned and gave her a playful wink. “My older sister Bets is green with envy. Has been ever since we had the phone put in a couple of months back. Don’t know why she’s always bothered by such things. I’ve tried to tell her that jealousy is a sin, but she doesn’t seem to believe it. Then again, Bets has always been the jealous sort.” She finally paused for air. “What was your question again, honey?”
“Oh. I was just asking… Hmm.” Anne shook her head. She couldn’t seem to remember.
“She asked if we had a telephone.” Jake’s voice rang out from behind her. “She wants to call her uncle in Dallas.”
“Yes, that’s right.” Anne turned, her heart gravitating to her throat as she took in the cleaned-up version of Jake. He’d combed his hair, and she found the new style very appealing. It really accentuated his green eyes. And the plaid shirt showed off his broad shoulders, as well. My goodness, if that boy didn’t clean up nice.
He flashed her a boyish smile. “Ma’am, I took the liberty of asking the folks at the station to send your uncle a telegram. I hope you don’t think I’m out of line. Just wanted to give him your whereabouts.”
“But how did you… I mean, however did you know how to reach him?”
“Oh, easy.” He leaned against the wall, his gaze shifting to Emily. “Our young reporter over there gave me all the facts. She also gave me a lesson in Texas Panhandle
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