“Don’t apologize, please.” He walked to the counter and picked up a piece of bread, putting a piece of ham on it and folding it over.
“I’m not sure how your husband treated you, exactly, but I can tell it wasn’t good.”
She turned to the counter.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It was his fault, not yours.”
She nodded, even though she didn’t feel that way.
“I want you to be comfortable, and I’d like to get to know you better. After all, we’re living under the same roof.”
“Yes, we are.”
“Good.” He took a few quick bites and washed it down with a glass of milk that she poured for him.
“What’s for dinner?”
“I’m making some stew. This afternoon I’m going to plant some of those seeds we got from your brother’s store yesterday.”
“We should wait a while. We’re sure to get at least one or two more snows before May. There’s still vegetables stored downstairs, right?”
“Yes, there are still some jars.”
“Good. Let’s use those up, and plant sometime in late April.”
“All right.”
He started for the door.
“I need to measure you for your new shirt.”
“Fine. We’ll do it after dinner. Have a good afternoon, Dawn.”
His voice had been so happy and carefree that she swirled toward him, but he was already out the door. She wasn’t sure how to handle him. She was afraid that if she let her guard down, and allowed herself to like him, that he’d try to use her in ways that she didn’t want.
She bit into a piece of bread and smiled. Who was she kidding? She already liked him, liked the way he made her feel and liked the time that she spent with him. But that didn’t mean they had to be romantically involved, because she would never, ever let a man touch her in that way again.
* * *
“That was delicious, Dawn. Thank you very much.” Rob smiled at her and then looked pointedly at her sons, lifting his eyebrows.
“Thanks, Ma,” Anthony and Mark said almost in unison. Frank mumbled a thank you under his breath.
“After dishes and dessert, I’m going to teach your mother how to play chess. Would you boys like to learn?”
All three of them sat up straighter.
“Yes,” Frank said eagerly while the others nodded.
“Good. Then let’s get cracking.”
Dawn thought Frank would object to ‘doing a woman’s job’, but the pull of learning chess was too much. He stood and accepted the towel Rob gave to him. A look passed between them and Dawn wondered if it was the lure of chess, or if whatever Rob had said to Frank that morning still lingered.
“We should sit in here at the table,” Rob said. “There’s more room for everyone to see what is what.”
He sat up the board and named off each of the pieces. Dawn watched her boys with interest. They were totally enthralled with what Rob was teaching them. Not that Hank hadn’t taught them anything. He’d taught them to ride horses, fish, set traps for wild animals, and how to camp.
Hopefully, Rob would teach them to be more like him. She frowned at the idea, then shook her head. She couldn’t allow herself to like him too much. She pushed the idea to the back of her mind and watched carefully as Rob explained the various pieces, and the way they could move on the chessboard. Interesting, she thought, that the queen was one of the most powerful pieces. So different than in real life, where a woman was subjected to the wiles of men, forced to serve their every need.
Her mind wandered as she wondered what it would be like to be the queen of a household instead of the servant. Would she feel free? Would she feel able to do what she wanted to do, instead of doing what she was told?
What if she was the queen and Rob was the king? According to the rules of chess, the king was still the main piece in the game, but the queen at least had respect, and had the privilege of moving around as she saw fit. Would Rob be that way with his queen, or would he be like Hank, forcing her into darkness.
“Ma!”
Frank’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
“What?”
“Mr. MacAllister wants you to play the first game.” The disappointment in Frank’s voice was obvious. He wanted to get the chance to play the first game, to be the leader in their group.
“I’ll watch,” she said softly. “You go ahead.”
“No,” Rob said. “I want the chance to redeem myself after losing to you so badly last night in checkers.”
Anthony laughed and Dawn turned toward him.
“Ma’s always been good at checkers,” he said. “She taught us how to play when Pa was gone.”
Dawn focused on Rob, who was watching her intently.
“Afraid to play me?” There was a grin on his face that made her stomach turn over, made her heart beat faster.
“Not at all. I believe that I can at least make a fair showing the first time around.”
“We’ll see,” he replied.
She and Frank exchanged places, so that she was sitting opposite from Rob. It felt so strange, sitting here, with the man of the house. And he wasn’t screaming at her. He acted like her playing games instead of cleaning or cooking was normal. It was just plain odd.
She tentatively moved out a pawn and turned to Frank, who nodded his approval. Several moves later, she was confused about what to do next. If she moved her bishop, Rob would take him. But, moving the bishop would protect her queen. Could she sacrifice the bishop to save the queen?
She turned to Frank for help, turning back to Rob when he cleared his throat.
“No help from the spectators.”
“Women aren’t as sma…”
Rob interrupted Frank before he could complete his sentence.
“If you’re fixing to tell me that women aren’t as smart as men, I’m going to reach across this table and box your ears. Women are very smart, especially your mother. Sit back and see if she doesn’t make the right move. Unless she’s afraid to do it on her own.”
* * *
Rob saw her eyes light up and fought back a smile. He was right, Dawn was very smart. She just needed to remember that, needed to gain confidence again after being oppressed by Hank.
He cocked his head at her and indicated the board.
“It’s your turn.”
“Don’t rush me.” She focused on the pieces and he nodded at Frank, who stared intently at the board. Rob could tell that Frank had inherited his mother’s intelligence. He just had to work on his behavior, and his unfortunate ideas about women.
Dawn moved her bishop to protect her queen. Rob quickly captured her bishop with a knight. She grinned at him and he laughed outright.
“You haven’t won yet,” he said.
“I might, though.”
“You might.”
Dawn examined the board. She’d already lost most of her pawns, and one of her rooks, and one of her knights. Rob had just taken her second bishop. She glanced at his side of the board. He still had both of his rooks, both of his knights and one of his bishops left. There was not much chance of her winning this game.
“I might not win, but I will get better.” She moved her remaining rook to protect her queen.
“You will,” Rob said. He looked at her from under lowered lashes and she wondered exactly what he meant by that. Somehow she didn’t think it related to the game at hand.
He quickly captured her remaining rook, and on the next move, her queen.
She took one of his knights, and then sighed when he said, “checkmate,” on his next move.
She studied the board, then nodded.
“You’ll get him next time, Ma,” Anthony said, nodding his head seriously.
Dawn swallowed a grin.
“You’re right, I will.”
Frank straightened. “Can I play?”
“Sure,” Rob said. “You can try and beat me.”
Frank puffed out hi
s chest. “I’m pretty smart. Ma always said so.”
“The boys are much smarter than I am,” Dawn said. She saw a scowl appear on Rob’s face.
They set the board back up and the game began. Frank played aggressively, but in the end Rob was victorious.
Mark and Anthony vied for the chance to play, and Rob told them they could choose between themselves, and one of them could play Frank.
When Rob stood and walked to the counter, Dawn followed him.
“Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water?”
“No, thanks, I’m perfectly capable of getting things for myself.”
“But it’s my job.” She closed her mouth at the look he gave her.
“Get me some milk, Ma.” Frank didn’t bat an eyelash as he focused on the board.
She moved to do her son’s bidding, stopping when Rob held up his hand.
“Get it yourself,” Rob said, turning to Frank. “You’ve got two feet and two hands.”
He turned to her. “Let’s go to the living room so you can measure me for my shirt.”
She followed him to the other room.
“I’ve been thinking about this, and you just need to give me a shirt that fits,” Dawn said. “One that you like, that is.”
“I can do that,” Rob said. “I’ll go and get it in a minute. But first, I want to say something.”
Dawn braced herself. She knew the past day had been too good to be true. He was about to tell her something bad, she just knew it. She wondered what she’d done wrong? Dinner hadn’t been burned. The dishes were done. Maybe she should have been sewing instead of playing games with him and the boys, but he was the one who’d started it.
“I had a good talk with Frank this morning about his attitude. Now, I’m going to talk with you about yours. There will be no talk of you not being good, or smart, or a servant. You are not a servant, but an employee. In my house, all people are created equal, and employees are treated with respect and dignity. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. The next time I hear you downgrade yourself, or allow yourself to be downgraded by your sons, or jump to do work that isn’t part of your job, I’m going to take you over my knee and spank your little bottom. Maybe that will get my point across.”
Dawn felt her mouth drop open.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious. Seeing a beautiful, smart woman like yourself allow herself to be treated like a second class citizen really burns my behind. My parents didn’t allow it and neither will I. I hope you understand what I’m saying.”
“I do.”
“Good.” He walked back to the kitchen and Dawn stared after him. The threat he’d just issued of a spanking should scare the life out of her. Instead, his words warmed her heart and brought about a tingly feeling in her belly.
Would he really spank her? She doubted it. Just the same, she thought it strange that the idea didn’t scare her. Hank had never spanked her, just told her how stupid she was. The idea of being over Rob MacAllister’s knee brought up feelings she’d rather ignore.
She made a mental note to behave herself, and to act more like a member of the house instead of a servant. The idea made her smile brightly.
Chapter 3
The next afternoon, Dawn sat at the table, her fingers working the thread and needle through the shirt she was making for Rob. Her eyes, however, strayed between the shirt and the chessboard. She’d set it up on the table and was now playing both sides in an effort to see how she could improve her game.
She’d been quiet around Rob that morning, trying to make sure that she didn’t act like a servant. It was hard, though, since that was the way Hank had expected her to act for the past seventeen years.
She wasn’t sure what to do, exactly. She focused on how things had been when she was at home. Her mother, although she did the work around the house, had been happy and content. And her parents had been loving, teasing each other and their daughter.
After her marriage, she’d thought to ask her mother why things were different with Hank, but she’d been afraid of making him angry. So she’d kept her mouth shut and done what her husband said to do.
Breakfast had gone well this morning, and when the boys had sat down to eat, she’d done what Rob had told her to do yesterday. She’d made sure everything was done for the hands, then sat down at the table.
It had felt strange, but at the same time it had felt nice. She’d even teased Anthony about not eating his oatmeal, and he’d teased her back, making her smile.
After they’d left for school, she’d done the dishes and started work on Rob’s shirt, cutting out the material in quick fashion and now sewing, at the same time she was studying the chessboard. She was so intent on what she was doing that she didn’t hear the back door open.
When Rob cleared his throat, she jumped, pricking her finger on the needle and yelling, “Dang it!”
“Trying to figure out how to beat me?” The laughter in his voice was evident and she grinned.
“Yes.”
“Good luck. I’ve been at this a heck of a lot longer than you have.”
“You’re the one who told me I was smart.”
Rob, who had been talking a glass from the counter, turned to her.
“You’re right, I did. So do you think you’ve learned how to beat me?”
“Yes, I do.”
He sat down opposite from her. “Care to make a wager?”
“That depends on the stakes.” Her heart beat wildly, and she wondered exactly what he was talking about.
“If I win, you have to make your dress before you make everyone’s shirts.”
“I can’t do that. I want this shirt to be ready for when your brother comes on Saturday. That’s just a few days away.”
Rob ignored her and kept on talking. “If you win, you get to take the afternoon off and sit in a chair and read one of my mother’s books.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t make that bet.”
“Afraid you’ll lose?”
“Of course not, but both sides of the wager are beneficial to me. You get nothing out of them, and it’s not fair.”
“But I do get something out of them. I get to see you do something for yourself, or take a rest, something you haven’t done since you got here. I’d like both of those things very much.”
Dawn was at a loss of what to say. If she declined the wager because she was a ‘servant’, then she would be taken over Rob’s knee. She had no doubt of that. He’d made it perfectly clear last night that he expected her to act like a woman, not a beast of burden. But if she accepted it, then she would spend the afternoon lazing around the house, either reading, something she hadn’t done since she was in school, or sewing her own clothing when she should be working on sewing for the boys and for Rob.
“Can we change the wager to include something that would benefit you.”
“I already told you that I would enjoy either victory.” His eyes strayed to the board, then his fingers went to work moving pieces to their original positions.
“But it’s not…”
“Don’t argue with me.”
“I’m not.”
“No?” He grinned at her. “If I’m the man of the house, and I get to make the decisions, then I decide on the wager? If you say otherwise, then you’re arguing.”
“But last night you said…”
It dawned on her that he was teasing her, the same way he and his brother had teased each other in the store that day. She arched her eyebrows and cocked her head.
“Fine. I accept your wager.”
“Good, now let’s play.”
* * *
He watched her from the kitchen as she placed the material on the floor. She’d chosen the pretty print with roses for her dress, and he’d loved the way her eyes sparkled when she’d held it up to her neck after he’d beat her at chess.
It hadn’t been an easy win, though, proving exactly what he’d t
old her boys. Dawn was smart. Very smart. She’d studied the board and learned to watch his moves, countering with her own and anticipating what she thought his next move would be.
Partway into the game he’d realized that unless he played very close attention, she just might beat him. And she almost had. Only at the last minute did he realize that she’d not only snuck a rook across the board while distracting him with a bishop, but she’d moved a knight into position to capture his queen.
He’d barely made it through with the win intact.
She hadn’t argued about collecting her winnings. Instead, she’d taken the floral material and started to cut out her dress.
The look on her face was happy, and since he knew that dinner was already in the works, there was no need to call her back to work.
He watched her for a few more minutes, until he felt his lower regions quicken. Then he knew that staying in the same room with her was a bad idea. She was far from ready for any relationship with him, and he didn’t want to push her.
He picked up an apple and left the house quickly, surprised when he saw her three boys enter the yard from the far pasture. He hadn’t realized it was that late in the day, and he didn’t want them to go inside and disrupt what he’d worked so hard to achieve.
“School over already?”
“Yes,” Frank said. “We’re going inside to get a snack.”
“There’s some jerky in the barn. I know that the men are looking forward to the three of you helping them out, so you could eat that on your way out.”
They readily agreed and moved toward the barn in a hurry.
Rob decided to go inside and let Dawn know that her boys were home, and going out to the fields to work. Inside the house he found her where he’d left her, in the living room with her sewing in hand.
But it wasn’t the dress she was working on, but the shirt that she was making for him. The dress sat forgotten by her feet as she worked on a seam for the shirt.
He shook his head and frowned. The minute his back was turned, she’d gone against the wager and again made herself a servant, making sure that everything was done for someone else before she did anything for herself.
Heart and Home: The MacAllister Brothers Page 10
