footsteps approached, and Cal winced as he turned his head slightly. Holding Adam’s hand, Sophie stood in the doorway. “Is he going to be okay?”
“Uncle Cal will be just fine. How are you, sweetheart? You’re very brave.” Jim went and hugged his daughter close, Adam clinging to his legs.
Sophie met Cal’s gaze for a moment. Then she buried her face in Jim’s shirt and wept.
A few hours later, Cal was ensconced in the guest room, propped up on pillows with a bandage wrapped around his head. The good news, as Dr. O’Brien had seen it, was that he suspected only a mild concussion. The bad news was the splitting headache would take days to go away.
As Jim peered around the half-open door, Cal chuckled. “I’m still alive. Don’t you have some work to do?”
He shrugged. “It can wait.” Perching on the side of the bed, Jim asked, “You still remember who the president is?”
“I do believe it’s Mr. Harry S. Truman of Missouri. At least it will be until November. I don’t like his chances, personally.” Movement in the doorway caught Cal’s eye. “I think we have company.”
Jim called, “Sophie, is that you?”
After a pause, she appeared with a plate of cookies in her hands.
“Come in and say hi to Uncle Cal.” Jim beckoned her. To Cal he added, “She was too upset to go to school.”
Sophie stepped just inside the room with eyes downcast.
“I promise I won’t bite.” Cal kept his tone light. “I thought I smelled cookies baking. That’s real nice of you to bring some up.”
In a rush, she placed the plate on the bed by Cal’s feet and backed up.
Jim frowned. “Sophie, it’s all right. It was an accident.” He went to her and dropped a kiss onto her head. “You’re not in trouble.”
“But…” She trailed off, glancing at Cal, guilt written large all over her face.
“But what?” Jim’s frown deepened and he eyed her carefully. “Sophie, you showed Uncle Cal the right way to milk Mabel, didn’t you?”
Cal jumped in. “She did. It was all my fault, squeezing too hard. Couldn’t get a drop out. I don’t think I’m suited for milking. I’ll stick to the apples.”
“Sophie.” Jim’s tone was razor sharp. “Did you show Uncle Cal how to do it properly?”
Head down, she mumbled something.
“Look at me.”
Tears swimming in her eyes, Sophie did as she was told. “I thought it would be funny. I didn’t think she’d kick him like that! She’s never kicked me.”
“Because you milk her every morning and you do it the right way!” Jim’s nostrils flared. For a moment, he just stared at her with his jaw clenched. Then he pointed to the door. “Go to your room. We’ll discuss your punishment later.”
A sob echoing in her wake, Sophie ran.
Cal’s head throbbed. “Hey, don’t be too hard on her. She didn’t mean any harm. I probably would have done the same thing at her age. It was only meant to be a joke.”
Jim shook his head. “I taught her better than that. I don’t understand why she’s acting like this.”
“Hell, she’s a kid. Why do kids do anything?”
“You could have—” Jim paced to the window and blew out a sharp breath, his eyes on the horizon. “You could have really been hurt.”
“I’m fine.” Cal couldn’t help but be warmed by Jim’s concern.
“If something happened to you, I…”
Cal’s heart fluttered. “What?”
Jim was stock still, looking out the window. After a long moment he straightened up and cleared his throat. “After all this, if you’re having second thoughts about…” He waved his hand. “This whole thing. I’ll understand.”
“What, you think I’m going to call it quits because of a little love tap from a bovine? You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Bennett.”
Smiling softly, Jim turned. “You sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. It’s nothing.”
Jim sat on the side of the bed again. “Thanks.”
“Hey, in case I ever have to milk a cow again, was I not supposed to
“Uncle Cal will be just fine. How are you, sweetheart? You’re very brave.” Jim went and hugged his daughter close, Adam clinging to his legs.
Sophie met Cal’s gaze for a moment. Then she buried her face in Jim’s shirt and wept.
A few hours later, Cal was ensconced in the guest room, propped up on pillows with a bandage wrapped around his head. The good news, as Dr. O’Brien had seen it, was that he suspected only a mild concussion. The bad news was the splitting headache would take days to go away.
As Jim peered around the half-open door, Cal chuckled. “I’m still alive. Don’t you have some work to do?”
He shrugged. “It can wait.” Perching on the side of the bed, Jim asked, “You still remember who the president is?”
“I do believe it’s Mr. Harry S. Truman of Missouri. At least it will be until November. I don’t like his chances, personally.” Movement in the doorway caught Cal’s eye. “I think we have company.”
Jim called, “Sophie, is that you?”
After a pause, she appeared with a plate of cookies in her hands.
“Come in and say hi to Uncle Cal.” Jim beckoned her. To Cal he added, “She was too upset to go to school.”
Sophie stepped just inside the room with eyes downcast.
“I promise I won’t bite.” Cal kept his tone light. “I thought I smelled cookies baking. That’s real nice of you to bring some up.”
In a rush, she placed the plate on the bed by Cal’s feet and backed up.
Jim frowned. “Sophie, it’s all right. It was an accident.” He went to her and dropped a kiss onto her head. “You’re not in trouble.”
“But…” She trailed off, glancing at Cal, guilt written large all over her face.
“But what?” Jim’s frown deepened and he eyed her carefully. “Sophie, you showed Uncle Cal the right way to milk Mabel, didn’t you?”
Cal jumped in. “She did. It was all my fault, squeezing too hard. Couldn’t get a drop out. I don’t think I’m suited for milking. I’ll stick to the apples.”
“Sophie.” Jim’s tone was razor sharp. “Did you show Uncle Cal how to do it properly?”
Head down, she mumbled something.
“Look at me.”
Tears swimming in her eyes, Sophie did as she was told. “I thought it would be funny. I didn’t think she’d kick him like that! She’s never kicked me.”
“Because you milk her every morning and you do it the right way!” Jim’s nostrils flared. For a moment, he just stared at her with his jaw clenched. Then he pointed to the door. “Go to your room. We’ll discuss your punishment later.”
A sob echoing in her wake, Sophie ran.
Cal’s head throbbed. “Hey, don’t be too hard on her. She didn’t mean any harm. I probably would have done the same thing at her age. It was only meant to be a joke.”
Jim shook his head. “I taught her better than that. I don’t understand why she’s acting like this.”
“Hell, she’s a kid. Why do kids do anything?”
“You could have—” Jim paced to the window and blew out a sharp breath, his eyes on the horizon. “You could have really been hurt.”
“I’m fine.” Cal couldn’t help but be warmed by Jim’s concern.
“If something happened to you, I…”
Cal’s heart fluttered. “What?”
Jim was stock still, looking out the window. After a long moment he straightened up and cleared his throat. “After all this, if you’re having second thoughts about…” He waved his hand. “This whole thing. I’ll understand.”
“What, you think I’m going to call it quits because of a little love tap from a bovine? You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Bennett.”
Smiling softly, Jim turned. “You sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. It’s nothing.”
Jim sat on the side of the bed again. “Thanks.”
“Hey, in case I ever have to milk a cow again, was I not supposed to
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