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Authors: Cheryl St.john
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stomach growl. He found a large fork to lift the roast from the pan to a platter and sliced. A small piece fell to the side and he tasted the tender meat. “You’re no stranger to a kitchen. This is perfect.”
“I’ve been cooking since I was old enough to fire up a stove. What about you? You seem to know what you’re doing.”
“I’ve helped Ellie a time or two.”
She moved beside him to spoon the carrots into a bowl. “Were you young when your mother died?”
Ben simply nodded.
“But your father had already passed away by then?”
Ben never lied. And he detested avoiding a question. He glanced to see if Flynn had returned, but his brother was still in the dining room. “Never had a father.”
Of course everyone had a father. It just sounded worse to say he didn’t know who his was.
She took the pan from him, placed it on the stove, and stirred flour into the drippings. Ben couldn’t help noticing her efficient yet graceful movements. She wore a plain brown skirt and a white shirtwaist with her sleeves rolled back to her elbows. “Would you mind watching this for a moment? Just keep stirring.”
He took over the gravy while Lorabeth scraped a heaping mound of mashed potatoes into a serving bowl and made a well for a dollop of butter.
“Have you seen Ellie or spoken with Caleb?”
She nodded. “Her back was hurting something fierce when she woke up from her nap this afternoon. Caleb came around two to check on her. That was when he said it wasn’t going to be long before the baby was born. I stayed with her while he went and canceled the rest of his appointments.
“She asked me to get the children from school, and once they were home and she’d seen and hugged them all, she told them to busy themselves. That was when Dr. Chaney sent me to get Mrs. Connor.”
Sophie Connor was a friend of Ellie’s. She’d been a Harvey Girl at the Arcade Hotel and restaurant before meeting and marrying the city marshal. Sophie had a couple children of her own. “Sophie’s been down for water and tea a few times.”
Lorabeth gave the gravy a final stir and used her apron to protect her hands from the hot handles as she poured the steaming liquid from the pan into a serving bowl. She reached for a ladle on a wall hook.
Ben unwrapped two loaves of bread and sliced both, stacking the slices on a plate.
“The carrots and green beans are warming back here,” she said, taking bowls from the back of the stove.
Ben picked up the platter and followed her into the dining room. The boys had done a pretty decent job of setting the table.
“Nate, will you call your sisters now, please?” she asked. “I’ll go let Dr. Chaney and Mrs. Connor know that the food is ready and see if they want to eat.”
Ben nodded and watched her head for the stairs, the braid swinging across her back.
The children were subdued as they took their seats around the table. Their parents’ chairs were glaringly empty. Ben and Flynn served portions and cut meat into bites for the young ones.
Ben didn’t give Lillith any green beans.
Lorabeth returned.
The kids looked at her and then at Ben. “Who’s gonna say grace?”
Lorabeth asked a blessing for their meal and included a petition for Ellie’s comfort and the baby’s health.
Ben didn’t look up, but the confident words of her softly-spoken prayer stayed with him throughout the meal.
Caleb arrived a few minutes later, his shirtsleeves rolled up and a look of preoccupation on his face.
“Mama’s doing just fine,” he told his children.
“When’s the baby gonna come?” Lillith asked.
“When he’s ready,” Caleb replied. “It won’t be long now.”
“Maybe you should go back,” David said with a frown of concern.
“Mrs. Connor is with her, and it will be a little while longer.” He glanced at Lorabeth. “I’ll send Sophie down to eat once I’ve finished.”
“I saved some broth from the meat,” Lorabeth told him. “When Mrs. Chaney is up to it,
“I’ve been cooking since I was old enough to fire up a stove. What about you? You seem to know what you’re doing.”
“I’ve helped Ellie a time or two.”
She moved beside him to spoon the carrots into a bowl. “Were you young when your mother died?”
Ben simply nodded.
“But your father had already passed away by then?”
Ben never lied. And he detested avoiding a question. He glanced to see if Flynn had returned, but his brother was still in the dining room. “Never had a father.”
Of course everyone had a father. It just sounded worse to say he didn’t know who his was.
She took the pan from him, placed it on the stove, and stirred flour into the drippings. Ben couldn’t help noticing her efficient yet graceful movements. She wore a plain brown skirt and a white shirtwaist with her sleeves rolled back to her elbows. “Would you mind watching this for a moment? Just keep stirring.”
He took over the gravy while Lorabeth scraped a heaping mound of mashed potatoes into a serving bowl and made a well for a dollop of butter.
“Have you seen Ellie or spoken with Caleb?”
She nodded. “Her back was hurting something fierce when she woke up from her nap this afternoon. Caleb came around two to check on her. That was when he said it wasn’t going to be long before the baby was born. I stayed with her while he went and canceled the rest of his appointments.
“She asked me to get the children from school, and once they were home and she’d seen and hugged them all, she told them to busy themselves. That was when Dr. Chaney sent me to get Mrs. Connor.”
Sophie Connor was a friend of Ellie’s. She’d been a Harvey Girl at the Arcade Hotel and restaurant before meeting and marrying the city marshal. Sophie had a couple children of her own. “Sophie’s been down for water and tea a few times.”
Lorabeth gave the gravy a final stir and used her apron to protect her hands from the hot handles as she poured the steaming liquid from the pan into a serving bowl. She reached for a ladle on a wall hook.
Ben unwrapped two loaves of bread and sliced both, stacking the slices on a plate.
“The carrots and green beans are warming back here,” she said, taking bowls from the back of the stove.
Ben picked up the platter and followed her into the dining room. The boys had done a pretty decent job of setting the table.
“Nate, will you call your sisters now, please?” she asked. “I’ll go let Dr. Chaney and Mrs. Connor know that the food is ready and see if they want to eat.”
Ben nodded and watched her head for the stairs, the braid swinging across her back.
The children were subdued as they took their seats around the table. Their parents’ chairs were glaringly empty. Ben and Flynn served portions and cut meat into bites for the young ones.
Ben didn’t give Lillith any green beans.
Lorabeth returned.
The kids looked at her and then at Ben. “Who’s gonna say grace?”
Lorabeth asked a blessing for their meal and included a petition for Ellie’s comfort and the baby’s health.
Ben didn’t look up, but the confident words of her softly-spoken prayer stayed with him throughout the meal.
Caleb arrived a few minutes later, his shirtsleeves rolled up and a look of preoccupation on his face.
“Mama’s doing just fine,” he told his children.
“When’s the baby gonna come?” Lillith asked.
“When he’s ready,” Caleb replied. “It won’t be long now.”
“Maybe you should go back,” David said with a frown of concern.
“Mrs. Connor is with her, and it will be a little while longer.” He glanced at Lorabeth. “I’ll send Sophie down to eat once I’ve finished.”
“I saved some broth from the meat,” Lorabeth told him. “When Mrs. Chaney is up to it,
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