Leave a Candle Burning (9 page)

“Until puberty, and then she found Finn.”

“Your father?”

“Died before I was born.”

“That must have been hard on your mother.”

“If it was, she never let me see it.”

Dannan nodded, thinking what a strong person she must have been. Eli didn’t say anything else just then, so Dannan’s eyes went back to the shelves. He spotted several textbooks and realized that this man had quite literally lived his life in this room. Dannan looked to the bed again and found himself under Eli’s scrutiny.

“Pick a book,” Eli said, not wanting to give his thoughts away just then.

“Thank you, I will,” Dannan accepted.

“Now it comes with a condition,” Eli warned before Dannan had even made a choice. “When it’s read, you must come back and discuss it with me.”

“Something tells me I’ll be in over my head.”

“What makes you say that?” Eli asked, unable to mask the laughter in his voice.

“You’ve been through each of these volumes a thousand times. I’m a novice.”

Eli let a smile break through but wasn’t given a chance to reply. Both men heard Scottie’s voice in the hall. Eli turned toward the door with a welcoming smile, but Dannan did everything he could to brace his heart for her appearance.

Four

“You’ll be so proud of me” were the words that escaped Scottie before she realized her husband had a visitor. “I’m sorry, Dr. MacKay,” she said as she pulled up short and stopped.

“Please call me Dannan,” that man requested. “My uncle was the doctor in this town for so long, that title makes me feel old.”

Scottie smiled at him before turning to her husband.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes. If you recall, Dannan said he wanted to check back with me today. We’ve been talking about my books.”

Scottie turned again to the doctor and found a volume in his hand. She couldn’t stop another smile.

“Did he tell you they come with conditions?”

“He did, and I’m looking forward to our first discussion.”

The eyes she turned on her husband were full of laughter and fondness. Eli smiled at being caught out, and Dannan felt something catch inside. The things he’d been imagining about this couple were fading away. Clearly there was love and caring and not just an unaffectionate or convenient arrangement.

“I’ll be going,” Dannan announced when it seemed the time was right. “I’m glad to see you so improved.”

“Thank you for stopping,” Eli said sincerely. “Do let me know what you think of the book.”

“I’ll do that,” Dannan promised. “And if you like my evaluation enough, maybe I’ll be trusted with another.”

Eli’s eyes twinkled as he agreed to this, and Dannan noticed absently the way it took years off his face. A moment later, Dannan was gone, and husband and wife were alone.

“That was kind of him,” Scottie said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Yes, it was. I think kindness comes easily to him.”

“You must be impressed if you trusted him with a book after such a short acquaintance.”

“I am impressed,” Eli agreed, keeping most of his thoughts concerning Dannan MacKay to himself. “Now, to you. You said I would be proud.”

Scottie smiled and reached for the shopping basket she’d placed on the floor. Spreading her swatches carefully, she put samples from six different fabrics on the bed. The first had a green background with a yellow pattern running over it; next was a small yellow and blue check; then a yellow on yellow print; and then a green fabric with small white flowers. The last two were vertical stripes, one in green and the other in rust.

“You’ve been busy,” Eli said, picking up each one and examining it closely.

“Do you like any of them?”

“I like all of them.”

“But which one should I choose?”

“One?” Eli teased her, knowing he would want her to have more than she did.

“Yes, one. I’m sure I don’t need more.”

Eli reached for her wrist. The fabric on her dress was frayed at the cuff, a tear threatening during any daily activity.

“And all your dresses are doing this,” Eli said as though Scottie had argued. “I want you to choose three of these. I don’t care which.”

Scottie opened her mouth to argue and then realized how unthankful that would seem.

“I’ll do that,” she said, having trusted this man for a long time and seeing no reason to stop now.

Eli nodded and smiled at her, already looking forward to seeing which fabrics she chose. Not many minutes later, Scottie said she had work to get done. Eli didn’t try to detain her.

Reese frowned down at the recipe for veal soup, wondering why it didn’t taste the way she expected. She was getting ready to add more pepper when she wondered if it might be her. Many foods tasted differently right now, and she thought it might be wise to wait and hear what Conner thought. The only problem with that idea was that by the time he arrived home for dinner, the soup needed to be on the table.

Reese suddenly sat down. Why did such small things make her feel like crying? Conner never complained about the food. He and Troy were always thankful for meals, and their praise never sounded hollow. So why did she feel almost sad? She was not a melancholy person to begin with, and since coming to Christ and understanding the way He died for her, she had learned on a regular basis how much she had to be thankful for.

Reese pushed to her feet, telling herself she had better things to do than sit around and cry. She left the soup as it was and went to work on a dessert.

“How is dinner coming?” Scottie asked of Iris, who was in the kitchen bent over the worktable.

“I don’t have the biscuits cut yet. Do you have time?”

“Indeed I do.” Scottie didn’t hesitate, uncovering the bowl on the table corner and going to work.

“What did the doc say about Eli?”

“He was just checking back in,” Scottie explained. “Eli was fine before he even got here yesterday.”

“I didn’t meet him,” Iris noted, referring to the physician, “but Finn says he’s a decent sort.”

“He certainly seems to be,” Scottie had to agree. “Eli liked him. He left here with a book.”

Iris turned surprised eyes to her employer’s wife. Eli Peterson was a kind and giving man—extremely generous but ever so careful about his beloved book collection.

“What book was it?” Iris asked out of curiosity.

“I don’t think I noticed, but he said he’s looking forward to giving a report.”

Iris smiled. She liked it when Eli had company. She went up every day to visit with him for at least a few minutes and had done so every day she’d worked for the family, moving onto 18 years now.

“All set,” Scottie announced. Having cut the dough, she wiped her hands and laid out the biscuits in neat rows on the pan. “I’m headed into the garden for a bit. Call if I’m needed.”

“Don’t you be filling that water bucket until it’s too heavy,” Iris warned, giving her standard caution as Scottie slipped outside. Scottie agreed, knowing that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t be long before Iris sent Finn to check on her.

A corked jug dangling from one hand, Maddie walked across the field to where her husband worked. He wasn’t in the sawmill at this time of the year, but the fields and spring planting had a habit of eating up every available hour.

She had left Valerie in Cathy’s care, wondering how Jace was feeling. Clara, a woman who worked for Jace and Maddie a few days a week, suggested apple water when she learned that Jace’s stomach had been acting up the night before. It was a relief to get close enough to call to him and see the way he smiled at the sight of her.

“Apple water,” Maddie explained when he tipped the jug and took a huge drink. “How is it?”

“It’s good.”

“Clara suggested it when I mentioned your stomach.”

“Leave it to Clara to know such things.”

Maddie had no choice but to agree. She had learned plenty at the knee of her Aunt Cathy, but Clara sometimes knew things of which no one else seemed to be aware.

“How do you feel?” Maddie asked when Jace drained the jug and used his handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face.

“Not bad. I won’t mind coming in for dinner, so I take that to be a good sign.”

“Do you want to eat a little early?” Maddie asked, knowing how little he’d eaten the evening before.

“That might not be a bad idea.”

Jace handed the jug back and smiled down on her.

“How’s it going with Cathy?”

“I can tell she wants to be home. She’s over the moon about having Val to play with all day, but she misses her home.”

“What does Dannan say about her healing?”

“Nothing new that I know of. I think he might be out today. Cathy’s hoping he will be.”

“And what of you?” Jace reached up and fingered the ties on her bonnet. “Are you weary of company?”

“Not until evening,” Maddie admitted, “when I’d rather have you all to myself.”

Jace’s hand closed around the bonnet ties. He bent his own head even as he pulled until Maddie’s face was close to his own. Making himself hold back, he kissed her once gently when all he wanted was to put his arms around her and keep right on kissing.

“I was thinking,” Maddie whispered while their faces were still close. “I haven’t had a swimming lesson in a while. And it’s a warm day.”