The captain turned to her in surprise. “So, you’re saying you’re going to stay on and watch after the girls until after Christmas?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying, Captain Bennett.”
She saw the twinkle of humor in his dark eyes and when he offered her a grin, her breath caught at the transformation. He was a handsome man to be sure, but his usually stoic demeanor made him seem unapproachable. That was a very good thing, because when he let his guard down, she found him very approachable indeed. As hard as she tried to remain unaffected, she couldn’t help herself. She grinned back at him.
“Well then Captain, I think under the circumstances, you should probably escort Mrs. Boyle home. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, I most certainly think she needs help and home would seem the best place for her right about now.”
“And perhaps a kind word to her husband about her little...problem. Sometimes, a husband can be so self-absorbed, he doesn’t see when his wife is hurting.”
She saw another look of surprise on the captain’s face and felt she owed him an explanation regarding her comment. “I have firsthand knowledge of marriages where the husband is only interested in himself. It leaves the wife to suffer in silence, sometimes with tragic results.”
The captain studied her for a moment and then nodded as if he understood although Abigail knew he had no experience of such goings-on. “I think I’d better get Hazel here back to her own home and I will say something to the sergeant, in case he hasn’t noticed his wife’s...problem.”
She watched the captain gently help the intoxicated woman out of the rocking chair and usher her to the front door. He opened it, but just before he stepped outside he turned to her. “Thank you, Miss Whittaker. It means a lot to me that you’ve agreed to stay on until after Christmas—for my nieces' sake, of course.”
The look in his dark eyes made Abigail’s heart stumble. Could it be the cocky captain was actually grateful to her for her help after all? Will wonders never cease, she mused.
“Now that you are planning to stay longer, I think it prudent for us to get to know each other better, don’t you?”
Exactly what was the captain suggesting? A romantic relationship was out of the question…or at least it should be, she reminded herself.
“I hope you don’t mind my familiarity, but I think under the circumstances it would be perfectly acceptable if we stopped addressing each other in such a formal manner, don’t you? Why don’t you call me Will, and I’ll call you by your first name. I think that would be the best course of action considering we are living in such close proximity to one another…unless you have objections, of course.”
A tiny sliver of disappointment surprised Abigail as the girls’ uncle made his meaning clear. He wasn’t suggesting a romantic entanglement. He was simply offering a more relaxed setting in which to care for his nieces.
She had known from the beginning of this arrangement that she would have to guard against her attraction to the handsome army officer. Theirs was a business arrangement, and to entertain any other possibilities would only lead to trouble. So, why was she having such a hard time remembering that important fact? Because she realized she liked the man very much.
“No, Will, I have no objections at all.”
Chapter 7
Abigail stood at the kitchen table surrounded by her three little charges. Violet sat in the chair opposite Abigail. Baby Rose sat in her high chair picking up pieces of food and stuffing them in her mouth learning to feed herself. Lily stood on a kitchen table chair next to Abigail so she could reach the top of the table where all the action was happening.
“Here, Violet. Take these eggs and crack them carefully one by one into this bowl.” She slid a large mixing bowl across the table. “Be careful not to get any of the shells in the bowl, alright?”
“Okay, Abigail. I won’t,” Violet assured her. She watched the six-year-old’s intense concentration as she tried to do as Abigail instructed.
“That’s it. You’re doing great, Violet. Now, put the rest of the eggs in the bowl. All of them.”
She watched Violet crack the eggs and place them in the large mixing bowl. “Now it’s your turn, Lily. I’ve already measured the flour in that bowl and we can mix the sugar and butter in this bowl. Then, we’ll take turns mixing the sugar and butter together until it is nice and creamy.”
The kitchen was quiet except for the sounds the girls made performing their kitchen tasks. Abigail held Lily’s hand around the wooden spoon and together they stirred the softened butter with the sugar. Soon, the three of them were lost in the pleasures of baking while Baby Rose picked at the morsels of food on her high chair’s wooden tray.
“What’s going on in here?”
Abigail turned at the sound of Will’s voice. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and it was only buttoned to mid-chest. She lowered her gaze quickly for fear she wouldn’t be able to hide her reaction to him.
“Good morning. We thought you were going to sleep the day away, didn’t we girls?” Abigail drew the girls into the conversation to give herself a bit of time to recover from the unexpected sight of Will. She had kept herself busy with the girls during the last few weeks to ensure her attraction to the man remained manageable. Times like this with his bed ruffled hair and that sleepy look in his eyes made her think about things she shouldn’t.
“Hi, Uncle Will,” Violet said while she kept her eyes on the eggs she cracked into the bowl.
“Hi, Uncle Will,” Lily whispered as she concentrated on stirring.
“Hi, girls. Good morning, Abigail. It looks like something good is brewing in the kitchen this morning.”
She looked up at his mention of her name and caught his grin directed at her. She had no choice but to grin back she told herself.
“We’re not brewing, Uncle Will. We’re baking,” Lily stated as if it should be obvious to the man. “Do you wanna help us?”
Will laughed at his middle niece’s proclamation and the sound sent shivers of attraction into Abigail’s stomach where it settled deep and low. Her reaction didn’t surprise her, but the intensity of it did catch her off guard.
“Well that depends. What are you baking?” Will walked around the table to stand over Lily. It was unfortunate for Abigail he was also standing next to her, close enough she was able to catch a sniff of him which was a heady mixture of lye soap, horse, and earthy male scents. She inhaled a deep breath and then immediately chastised herself for getting caught up in the man’s allure. She knew better. It was something she could control and she intended to do just that.
“We’re baking special cookies. Abigail said I could share them with my friends at school on Monday because we will have plenty left over. Isn’t that right, Abigail?” Violet explained to her uncle.
“That’s right, Violet. I think your classmates, along with Miss Babcock, will enjoy the surprise. Don’t you agree, Uncle Will?” She saw the look of understanding in his eyes and knew he caught the meaning behind her mention of the teacher.
“Miss Babcock is a surprise all on her own, but that’s a story for a different audience, wouldn’t you agree?” He sent her a pointed look. Now, it was her turn to get his message. In the kitchen, surrounded by two sets of curious ears, probably wasn’t the best place to learn about the history between Will and Violet’s teacher. Although, Abigail had to admit she was more than a little curious what had gone on between the two of them.
And was their relationship history? She gave herself a mental shake. It wasn’t her business whether it was or wasn’t.
“Now, what can I do to help make these special cookies? I don’t think I’ve ever had one.”
Abigail stepped sideways to give Will room at the table when he insisted on crowding in.
“I don’t believe you’ve never had a cookie,” she teased. “But I will say you’ve never had one as g
ood as these. That much I can state with absolute confidence. I learned to make them in my hometown. In Charleston, there’s a bakery that’s famous for its delicious cookies. And I just happen to have worked there...until the war changed everything.” She pushed away the twinge of sadness she always felt when she allowed herself to think about home. Nothing was to be gained by reminiscing about all the things she’d lost, especially when these three little girls had experienced greater losses, and at much younger ages.
“Then I can’t wait to taste them. What can I do to help get these famous cookies finished and on my plate?” Will leaned in and peeked over her shoulder to look inside the bowls on the table.
Abigail couldn’t hide her surprise at Will’s offer to help. “You are offering to help us bake?”
“Why not? I can follow instructions. Just tell me what it is you want me to do.”
He placed one hand on her shoulder and leaned in a little bit more to stick a finger into the butter and sugar mixture and stuck it into his mouth. “Ummmmmm, that tastes good.” Abigail watched him lick his lips and another ripple of desire hit her.
“What do we do now?” he asked and leaned in again to dip his finger in the butter and sugar mixture again.
Abigail slapped at his hand to distract herself from wanting to reach up and wipe that smudge of butter calling to her from the corner of his mouth.
“Ow, that was a little aggressive, don’t you think?” He pulled back his hand and pretended to be wounded.
“It was hardly a blow a captain in the United States Army would notice, don’t you think? But to answer your question, what we do now is stop eating the ingredients and mix them together instead.”
“Then give me my assignment, I’m yours to command. And it’s a rare occasion when I relinquish my authority, even to such a beautiful commander.” He grinned and she knew he was teasing her again.
Her gaze inadvertently dropped to his lips, and to that pesky dab of butter at the corner of his mouth.”
“Does that include Miss Babcock?” The words were out of her mouth before the thought had cleared her brain. Her eyes rounded in shock when she realized she had said the words out loud.
Will’s grin stretched even bigger as humor sparkled in his eyes. “Well, well, well. Miss Whittaker. It seems you have a very curious mind which leads me to wonder what else is going on in that pretty little head of yours.”
Will lifted his ax and brought it down with force enough to split another log. Winter was here and he had gotten a late start on chopping firewood for his new home. He hadn’t needed to obtain his own firewood at the officers’ quarters since it was provided by the army, but now, living in a home outside the fort walls, he knew that firewood didn’t chop itself.
He meant to get up first thing this morning and get to work, but the moment he saw Abigail and his three little nieces having fun baking in the kitchen, he didn’t have the heart to resist little Lily’s invitation to join them.
The morning had passed quickly and he enjoyed his time in the kitchen with Violet, Lily, and Abigail making those special cookies. He hadn’t done anything like this since he was a boy at home with his mother and sister. The thought that both of these women he loved so deeply were gone nearly brought tears to his eyes. Watching his sister’s sweet little girls, he realized just how much he missed his family and how much he wanted to wish them back to the land of the living. But that wasn’t something within his power. Chopping wood was.
“Need a break?” Abigail stood just outside the back door wrapped in her wool cloak holding a cup, which he hoped was filled with hot black coffee.
Will drove the ax into the chopping block. “I do, especially if that’s hot coffee.” He rubbed his hands together to warm them and took the cup Abigail offered. “It’s getting colder by the day,” he said and cupped both hands around the hot cup and sat on the top step of the back porch. “Sit for a bit?” he invited.
“Sure.” Abigail sat next to him and tucked her skirt and cloak in around her for warmth. “Rose is napping and Violet and Lily are busy with their sketchbooks. I think Violet has a real talent for art.”
“Really? I guess I hadn’t noticed. I think her father drew a lot. I’m pretty sure there’s a box somewhere that came with the girls when they arrived that has some of his things in it. I thought I’d keep it until they were old enough...you know, to appreciate holding on to something that belonged to their father.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you. I know they’ll appreciate it when they are older.”
Will nodded and sipped his coffee. A brisk wind stirred up the dead leaves on the ground and he watched Abigail pull her cloak a little tighter.
“Are you cold? We can go inside if you want,” he offered although he rather liked sharing a step with Abigail. The more he was around her, the more his admiration grew for the feisty dark-haired woman.
“No, I’m fine. But the mention of cold weather coming brings me to a subject I hate to bring up, but I believe it’s necessary to talk about.”
Will turned and frowned. “Please don’t ever be afraid to talk to me about whatever it is that’s bothering you. I’m an open book and if you have questions, I have answers.”
Abigail turned her dark eyes on him. “Who said I was afraid? You presume too much, Captain.” He could tell she was teasing him again. He liked their easy banter. It was certainly different than how he and Charlotte communicated.
“I only hesitate to bring up the subject because I’m trying to be sensitive to your pocketbook.”
Now he was really at a loss to understand what Abigail was getting at. “Well, thank you for your compassion for my wallet, but why don’t you let me be the judge of what my finances can stand. Are you saying the girls need something?”
“Yes, the girls are gonna need some warmer clothes soon. It’s been a few weeks since they arrived and although Baby Rose is doing fine, Violet is rapidly growing out of her boots and her dresses.”
Will watched Abigail frown in concern over his nieces’ needs and he had to admit, he liked the fact that this woman, a total stranger only a few weeks ago, seemed to really care about his sister’s little girls. “So, we should go shopping for her on Monday after school. Now, what about Lily?”
She turned to him in surprise. “We? I had no idea you liked shopping for ladies’ fripperies.”
“I just meant I’ll pay the bill, you pick out whatever they need.” But he had to admit, he liked the idea of exploring the merchant’s counters with Abigail. He sensed it would be a fun adventure.
“Lily, I can manage. When Violet’s outgrown garments are replaced with new ones, I’ll alter the old ones and fit them to Lily.”
“You can do that?” Will couldn’t believe his luck in finding someone so incredible to care for the girls. She could cook and sew and was relentless at keeping the house clean. How had he gotten so lucky? Perhaps there was something to the stories he’d heard about miracles happening in Angel Creek at Christmas time. He shook his head. There were too many things wrong with that assumption. One, they weren’t in Angel Creek, although that is where he had discovered Abigail. And two, it wasn’t Christmas. At least, not yet.
“Well of course I can do that. What kind of raising do you think I had back in Charleston? I wasn’t raised in a barn you know.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just surprised at all the talents you have. Most women I’ve known dabble a little in this or that, but they’ve never be able to do it all.”
“Maybe you’ve not been around the right kind of woman.”
Surprised how close she came to his truth, he grinned. “You are probably right about that.” Conversation between him and Abigail waned so he sipped at the hot coffee enjoying the quiet and the company.
“Does that include Miss Babcock?” Abigail asked and he could tell she was embarrassed by her question. “I’m sorry. That’s absolutely none of my business. Perhaps I should go back inside and check on the girls.”
It was the second time she’d brought up the schoolteacher today. Perhaps it was time to set Abigail straight on exactly what had happened between him and Lanora. He was curious as to why she even cared. Very curious indeed.
She started to rise and Will touched her arm to stop her. “No, wait. The girls will be fine for another minute or two. Maybe we should talk about Lanora Babcock.”
“It’s not necessary, Captain. Like I said, it’s none of my business—”
“I thought I asked you to call me Will,”
She smiled. “You did. I’m sorry. Will.”
“Good. And I disagree. I think it is your business because you have my nieces’ best interests at heart. I want you to be fully informed about my very limited history with Miss Babcock. If she should do—or say—anything you find troubling...no matter what it is or who it’s about, I want you to be armed with the truth. Agreed?”
He watched her hesitate for a minute and then her gaze dropped to the place where his fingers wrapped around her arm. “Please,” he added.
She hesitated another second and then nodded. “Sure.” She took her place on the step next to him and turned to him. “Go ahead.”
Will was suddenly nervous. He wanted Abigail to know what happened between him and Lanora. But mostly, he wanted her to know why it had happened. “Alright, so I won’t bore you with all the ugly details that led up to that night at the fort’s version of an officer’s club, but let’s just say I had some really good news a few days before and there was plenty of reason to celebrate.”
He stole a look at Abigail. She smiled at him. “Go on.”
He nodded. “So, that night, Jeremy, Lieutenant Maxwell, put together a card game. Nothing fancy. There were probably a half dozen or so fellow officers all eager to win, but more than likely lose their money.” He stopped to think about that night trying to recall the last thing he actually could remember with any clarity. “I was sitting at a table with six other officers and we were playing cards and there seemed to be an abundant amount of liquor, if I remember correctly.”
Abigail (Angel Creek Christmas Brides Book 12) Page 6
