Chapter Six

      Isabel’s sisters were aware of her preference for neatness, even in the midst of a task such as preparing flapjacks. If Eli’s circumstances had been different, she would’ve had no qualms guiding his attempts to help. But he was motherless and lost, stuck with strangers mere weeks before Christmas—the most special time of year for any child. He’d tossed and turned during the long night, at times calling out for his mama. How could she manage a single stern word to this hurting child?

      As Ben approached, Eli pressed flat against the counter, apprehension in his thickly lashed blue eyes.

      “Are you angry?”

      “Angry? No, sir. Accidents happen.” Ben indicated the chair. “I promised Miss Isabel I’d clean this up, though. Once that’s done, how about we watch her make breakfast and later, after we’ve eaten, you can help me wash the dishes?”

      Eli looked to Isabel for confirmation. She nodded in encouragement.

      “Okay.”

      “Good. Mind if I help you down from there?”

      Without waiting for an answer, Ben picked him up and deposited him beside the doorway, close to where Isabel stood watching them. Eli toyed with his hair, knotting it further. Somehow she was going to have to coax him into the bath.

      As Ben hunted for a clean washrag, she couldn’t help noticing his bedraggled allure. Auburn-tinted whiskers shadowed his jaw, and his hair refused to stay out of his eyes. He’d divested himself of the suit jacket, and his shirt and pants were slightly creased from sleeping in them. Even so, his shirt’s pale green fabric added a rich sheen to his hair and deepened the sea-glass hue of his eyes.

      If anyone had suggested she’d be fixing breakfast in the company of Ben MacGregor, she’d have marked it off as an insane notion. She glanced at Eli and, resisting the impulse to tidy his out-of-control curls, admitted she was grateful for Ben’s company.

      “Where’s Honor and Carmen?” he asked.

      “In the barn tending our animals.” They shared her curiosity and concern about Eli, but sensing his shy nature, had decided not to crowd him. “We divide the chores. I’m responsible for breakfast and supper, and Honor fixes the noon meal.”

      “Carmen doesn’t cook?”

      “You don’t want her to cook, believe me.”

      Wiping the floorboards clean, he said, “With my ma and three sisters in the house, I didn’t see the need to learn. I could use the skill now, though.”

      “Are any of them married?”

      “Anne’s married with one child. According to Ma, the other two are enjoying the attentions of multiple beaus.”

      “They’ve learned from your example.”

      His gaze enigmatic, he lifted one shoulder. “Or I’ve learned from them.”

      The girls returned then, glad to find Ben in their home. They chatted with him as if they were a group of old chums. Isabel prepared another bowl of batter while Honor set the table and Carmen poured coffee for the adults and milk for Eli. Content to quietly absorb the activity around him, Eli remained close to watch Isabel cook.

      When the meal was ready, Honor and Carmen abandoned their usual spots in order to accommodate their guests. That put Isabel between Eli and Ben. Squelching the complaint springing to mind, she busied herself tucking a cloth into Eli’s collar.

      “Is that necessary?” Carmen smoothed her napkin on her lap. Her bright yellow blouse, combined with her tanned skin and flashing brown eyes, put Isabel in mind of summer and sunflowers. “Extra stains on that shirt will hardly be visible.”

      “Carmen,” Honor said in exasperation, “don’t be rude.”

      “When will you stop chiding me as if I’m eight years old?”

      Isabel caught Ben’s sparkling gaze upon her. “I miss this.”

      “What? Constant squabbling?”

      “Family,” he said simply.

      She averted her eyes. Never had she thought of the deputy as lonely. He had enough admirers to keep him entertained during his nonworking hours. She envisioned her fragile mother and the many moments over the past months when Isabel had wished she was around. And while her siblings sometimes annoyed her, she couldn’t imagine living an entire day’s journey away.

      “When was the last time you saw your family?” Carmen shifted the molasses closer to her plate.

      “I spent a couple of weeks in Georgia last summer. My father’s not one for traveling, so if I want to see them, I have to go out there.”

      Impatient, Eli ambled onto his knees and reached for the topmost flapjack.

      “We haven’t said grace yet, Eli.”

      She placed her hand on his back, compassion and consternation mingling when she felt his leanness. He could be part of a destitute family with a guardian who struggled to put food in the children’s bellies. Or he could be in the care of someone who put their selfish desires above his welfare. Isabel found herself hoping he’d stay with her long enough to see him gain weight.

      “Who’s Grace?” Eli said.

      Carmen snickered. Honor shot her a quelling glance.