Just Above a Whisper (33 page)

“Vera?”

Reese turned to the large man who had come into her kitchen after dinner and tried not to smile.

“No,” she told him softly.

“All right.” He wasn’t put off in the least; indeed, he looked like a man with a mission. “Next question: Why is he Troy, and I’m Mr. Kingsley?”

Reese didn’t even remember using the men’s names when they came home to eat, but her employer clearly wanted to know.

“Why do you ask?”

“Just curious how you decide. You call Dooner Douglas, but use Mr. Leffler and Mr. Jenness for those men. How do you decide which name to use?”

“Troy asked me to call him Troy, and I didn’t meet Douglas as a pastor. They were just Douglas and Alison, so I’ve never used their formal names.”

“So if I told you to call me Conner, would you do it?”

Reese had to think about this. “I don’t know,” she admitted.

“You don’t seem to have an issue with Troy.”

“He’s a grandpa,” Reese said, mentioning the first thing that came to mind.

The lift of Conner’s brows was hysterical. Reese put her hand to her mouth, but the laugh still escaped.

“On second thought,” Conner spoke when she was quiet, “your logic might scare me, so don’t tell me.”

“I won’t,” Reese agreed, but she was still smiling.

Conner shook his head as he exited, not sure what had compelled him to ask but glad that he had. Her answer had given him another glimpse of her personality, a personality that was beginning to captivate him.

Reese did not expect to see Conner and Troy at the Muldoon house, but she still had a smile for both men before going to the kitchen to see what she could do. As usual, Alison was very organized, but Reese’s hands still joined Alison’s and Hillary’s, and soon they were sitting down to eat.

Reese was between Martin and Peter. Douglas prayed to thank God for the food, and the dishes were passed. Reese waited only until she’d served herself to stand and go to Alison. She took Jeffrey from his mother’s arms and went back to her seat. Happy to eat with one hand and hold the baby with the other, Reese managed both tasks, gaining an adoring smile from Jeffrey every time she looked his way. At the same time, both Peter and Martin talked to her.

Troy was sitting across from Reese, quietly taking all of this in. Not certain when he’d last met someone of Reese’s skills, he shot subtle glances her way unless a question was put to him. In the course of the meal, Reese worked on her food, put her nose in the baby’s cheek whenever she could, and rubbed until he smiled. And when Martin needed something, Reese managed that as well.

Amazed just watching her, Troy knew in his heart that she was the woman for Conner Kingsley. He knew that saying something would never work, but in the time he’d known Reese, he was very impressed.

A question came his way from Douglas, and Troy was glad for the diversion. The thoughts running through his mind were very emotionally draining. It was far easier to answer a question concerning banking.

When everyone had eaten their fill, Reese and Hillary offered to do the dishes. The parlor door was closed, and the women went to work. There was quite a bit to wash, but the youngest women in the house were making quick work of it when Hillary had a question for Reese.

“Do you ever think about getting married?”

“Sometimes,” Reese answered. “How about you, Hillary?”

“Sometimes,” Hillary echoed, a smile in her voice.

“What made you think of that?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Hillary hedged. “I just got to daydreaming about seeing you married.”

“Why me?”

“I just think I could find a great husband for you.”

“Is that right?” Reese teased, not taking her seriously.

“Um hm.”

Hearing her very satisfied tone, Reese turned completely away from the dishpan in order to face the younger woman.

“You have someone in mind,” she accused.

“Did I say that?” Hillary asked with all the innocence she could muster, but her act didn’t work.

“Hillary Muldoon, you do have someone in mind!”

Hillary didn’t answer, but neither could she stop smiling.

Douglas chose that moment to come into the kitchen, and Reese turned to him.

“Douglas, since I’m the older woman, does Hillary have to do what I say?”

Douglas laughed and said, “I’m not going to get into this.”

“She has a husband picked out for me and won’t tell me who it is,” Reese complained, and Douglas was all at once interested.

“As a matter of fact, Hillary, I think it only right that you respect Reese’s age and tell her what she wants to know.”

His mock serious tone and face sent his daughter into gales of laughter, and she couldn’t say a word. Her laughter only caused Reese and Douglas to start, and this was the way Conner found them.

“This sounds fun,” he said, eyes taking in all of them.

“Ignore us, Conner,” Douglas contained himself long enough to say. “What can I get you?”

“A glass of water, please.”

Conner’s needs were taken care of, and he and Douglas returned to the parlor.

“Are you ever going to tell me?” Reese asked when they were finally alone.

“I don’t know,” Hillary smiled, never intending to tease or make fun. “Maybe in time.”

Reese asked a few more times, even trying to gain a hint while they finished in the kitchen, but not at any point would Hillary reveal who she had in mind.

“What did you do this afternoon?” Reese asked her landlady after she had taken a seat in the parlor. She had once again invited her to the meetinghouse, but the older woman had again declined.

“Just some sewing,” Mrs. Greenlowe answered, looking a little tired. “Who was at Muldoons’?”

“Just Mr. Thaden and Mr. Kingsley.”

“Was that a little strange for you?”

“No,” Reese said sincerely. “I see them off and on all day, and they’re at the meetinghouse on Sundays, so it’s not that unusual.”

As soon as the words were out of Reese’s mouth, she realized how true they were. Life around the two men had become very routine. And in a very short time. It wasn’t too many days ago that she feared displeasing Troy Thaden. At the same time, terror was the only way she could have described her feelings for Conner Kingsley, but she’d been all wrong about that.

“I’m going to head over and see Mr. Somer,” Reese announced when the room stayed quiet. “I’ll come home in time to put tea on.”

“You’re a good girl, Reese,” Mrs. Greenlowe said, once again giving her the long-standing compliment. Reese thought about it as she walked to the Somer home. One day she’d be thinking fast enough to ask Mrs. Greenlowe what she meant by that.

“Come and see me this week,” Doyle said softly to Jace as he and Maddie were leaving the Shephard home.

“Okay,” Jace agreed, but his eyes were full of questions. He was about to voice his thoughts when Cathy came back from seeing Maddie into the wagon. The very small shake of Doyle’s head arrested all ideas of that. Jace simply thanked Doyle and gave Cathy a hug.

Once in the wagon, Maddie didn’t seem to notice that Jace was quiet and thoughtful. It was just as well. He didn’t know what was going on and really had nothing to report.

“Are you asleep?” Douglas asked his daughter when he checked on her that night.

“No, I just put the light out.”

Douglas sat on the side of Hillary’s bed and found her hand.

“Do you really have someone in mind for Reese?”

Hillary’s laughter sounded in the darkness, and Douglas, having to soften his own laughter, hushed her.

“You’re going to wake the boys.”

“I can’t help it. You were the one to come in and start that subject again.”

“That’s true, but I’m also the one who wants an answer.”

“In the morning,” Hillary said.

“Why then?”

“I can’t see your face right now.”

Hillary’s whole bed shook with silent laughter as she heard her father finding the flint to light her bedside candle. When he had it lit, he held it close to his face and grinned at her. Hillary, who was not normally a silly girl, found herself giggling.

“Come on now,” Douglas coaxed. “Let’s have it.”

“Mr. Kingsley.”

Hillary would not have missed her father’s expression for a fortune. He looked surprised, doubtful, and then thoughtful, all in the space of a few moments.