there were plenty of chairs, although mismatched, for everyone.
Hannah stood at the table with a bowl of steaming mashed turnips. Two thoughts flew through his mind.
Turnips were the reason they’d met; and her expression was so full of longing it made his breath catch. She was watching the play between him and Catherine. With Mrs. Dolan as her only family, he knew right then Hannah had never really known the affection of siblings as his brothers and sisters did.
He turned away, uncomfortable with the personal knowledge she’d given him and unsure of what to do with it. Catherine dropped to her feet and scrambled around to one of the chairs.
“This is my seat.” She climbed onto the chair and pointed at the chair across from her. “That’s your seat.”
Matt sat down where she’d indicated while the others awkwardly found a place to perch. Hannah waited until everyone had found a spot before she put the food on the table. It was simple fare, but it smelled delicious.
With the Grahams filling the dining room, there was only one chair empty. Matt started to rise but Hannah shook her head.
“Don’t worry about us. Granny and I always eat in the kitchen. Eating in here would feel strange.” She shrugged. “I don’t mind, really.”
He didn’t know how to respond so he let her leave the room without saying a word. Caleb frowned at him and Catherine kicked him in the shin.
“Ow, why are you kicking me?” He rubbed his leg and scowled at his youngest sister.
“You let Granny and Hannah eat in the kitchen. That’s not very nice.” She crossed her little arms like a forty-year-old schoolteacher.
“Heck, Matt, we could have taken turns.” Caleb joined the blame party.
“I didn’t tell them to eat in the kitchen.”
“She’s your wife. You tell her where she eats.” Nicholas wasn’t prepared for the punch in his arm Olivia landed.
“I’m hitting you because that’s a stupid thing to say. Men don’t have the right to tell women where to eat.” She reached for the food and started filling the younger children’s plates.
“You’d best do something,” Caleb added. “I think Nick is right. She’s your wife.”
Matt pondered what they’d said and realized this was one of the first tests of their marriage. He couldn’t possibly let his wife eat in the kitchen on their wedding day. How was he going to stop her though? He didn’t want to just tell her what to do, but he also didn’t want her to think he wasn’t the head of their new family.
He got to his feet and all six pairs of eyes watched him, some judgmental, others curious, and one downright hostile. Livy and he would have to have a talk when they got back to the ranch. He couldn’t live with that kind of hostility from his sister.
Hannah and her grandmother sat at the kitchen table, talking quietly. When he walked in, they both looked up at him with identical expressions of surprise.
“Are you out of food already?” Hannah started to rise.
“No, nothing like that.” Matt knew there wasn’t room for both of them in the dining room, and he couldn’t leave Mrs. Dolan in the kitchen by herself. Likely Hannah wouldn’t let her eat alone either. He was in a tight situation again and this time it was over something as minor as a meal.
“I’ll be right back.” He went back into the dining room.
All six of them started talking at once but he ignored them and took the empty chair. Then the noise stopped and he allowed himself to snort at the fact that he’d shut them up.
When he returned to the kitchen with the chair, the two women were still watching him. Hannah stared at the chair, then returned her gaze to his.
“You don’t have to eat in the kitchen with us.” She shook her head. “It’s not proper for a guest to be in here for a meal.”
He chuckled. “I’m not a guest. I’m your husband.”
Her eyes widened at the word, and sure enough it made him pause, too. Husband. It almost fell out of his mouth like a
Hannah stood at the table with a bowl of steaming mashed turnips. Two thoughts flew through his mind.
Turnips were the reason they’d met; and her expression was so full of longing it made his breath catch. She was watching the play between him and Catherine. With Mrs. Dolan as her only family, he knew right then Hannah had never really known the affection of siblings as his brothers and sisters did.
He turned away, uncomfortable with the personal knowledge she’d given him and unsure of what to do with it. Catherine dropped to her feet and scrambled around to one of the chairs.
“This is my seat.” She climbed onto the chair and pointed at the chair across from her. “That’s your seat.”
Matt sat down where she’d indicated while the others awkwardly found a place to perch. Hannah waited until everyone had found a spot before she put the food on the table. It was simple fare, but it smelled delicious.
With the Grahams filling the dining room, there was only one chair empty. Matt started to rise but Hannah shook her head.
“Don’t worry about us. Granny and I always eat in the kitchen. Eating in here would feel strange.” She shrugged. “I don’t mind, really.”
He didn’t know how to respond so he let her leave the room without saying a word. Caleb frowned at him and Catherine kicked him in the shin.
“Ow, why are you kicking me?” He rubbed his leg and scowled at his youngest sister.
“You let Granny and Hannah eat in the kitchen. That’s not very nice.” She crossed her little arms like a forty-year-old schoolteacher.
“Heck, Matt, we could have taken turns.” Caleb joined the blame party.
“I didn’t tell them to eat in the kitchen.”
“She’s your wife. You tell her where she eats.” Nicholas wasn’t prepared for the punch in his arm Olivia landed.
“I’m hitting you because that’s a stupid thing to say. Men don’t have the right to tell women where to eat.” She reached for the food and started filling the younger children’s plates.
“You’d best do something,” Caleb added. “I think Nick is right. She’s your wife.”
Matt pondered what they’d said and realized this was one of the first tests of their marriage. He couldn’t possibly let his wife eat in the kitchen on their wedding day. How was he going to stop her though? He didn’t want to just tell her what to do, but he also didn’t want her to think he wasn’t the head of their new family.
He got to his feet and all six pairs of eyes watched him, some judgmental, others curious, and one downright hostile. Livy and he would have to have a talk when they got back to the ranch. He couldn’t live with that kind of hostility from his sister.
Hannah and her grandmother sat at the kitchen table, talking quietly. When he walked in, they both looked up at him with identical expressions of surprise.
“Are you out of food already?” Hannah started to rise.
“No, nothing like that.” Matt knew there wasn’t room for both of them in the dining room, and he couldn’t leave Mrs. Dolan in the kitchen by herself. Likely Hannah wouldn’t let her eat alone either. He was in a tight situation again and this time it was over something as minor as a meal.
“I’ll be right back.” He went back into the dining room.
All six of them started talking at once but he ignored them and took the empty chair. Then the noise stopped and he allowed himself to snort at the fact that he’d shut them up.
When he returned to the kitchen with the chair, the two women were still watching him. Hannah stared at the chair, then returned her gaze to his.
“You don’t have to eat in the kitchen with us.” She shook her head. “It’s not proper for a guest to be in here for a meal.”
He chuckled. “I’m not a guest. I’m your husband.”
Her eyes widened at the word, and sure enough it made him pause, too. Husband. It almost fell out of his mouth like a
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