Philip woke the next morning feeling as if he’d slept on rocks. The smell of bacon filled the little house. He looked around for the boys but didn’t see them on their bed.
The sound of humming filled his ears. He turned toward the sound. Bella worked in the kitchen. She was placing bacon on four plates alongside flapjacks.
He pushed off his quilt. “Something sure smells good.” Philip folded up the quilt and laid it on top of the bedding that had been hers and the boys’ beds.
“I thought I’d make flapjacks, since you are home. Hazel brought maple syrup over the other day.” She set the plates on the table. “Would you mind calling the boys in for breakfast?”
“Be happy to.” He walked to the front door and pulled it open.
He was surprised to find the boys playing on the porch instead of out in the mud puddles. “Bella says breakfast is ready.” Philip stepped to the side and let them run past.
“Hold up.” She held her hand up to stop them from climbing up on the logs. “Hands washed first.”
It was an order, not a request. Both boys looked at their hands. Mark grumbled, “Mine are clean.”
“Uh-uh. You were picking your nose outside,” Caleb said as he started walking toward the washbasin.
Mark stuck his tongue out at Caleb’s back but followed. “I bet my nose is cleaner than yours.”
Philip shook his head. The boys were a lot like Benjamin. Was he ever that ornery? He walked to the table.
Bella said, “You, too.”
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” Philip followed the bickering boys.
Caleb was drying his hands. He looked to Philip and grinned. “She’s making you wash your hands, too?”
“Yep, and my ma always says never argue with the person who is cooking your meals.” He waited for Mark to move over and then dipped his hands into the warm water. Amazed, he said, “The water’s warm.”
“Aunt Bella heats it for us,” Mark said, taking the drying cloth from his brother.
“Nice.” Philip grinned at them. “Makes washing your hands much better.”
Caleb crossed his arms over his chest. “Philip, have you noticed the roof needs to be fixed?”
Philip looked at the boy’s serious face. “Yep, I did.”
“We gonna fix it?” Mark asked.
Philip took the offered drying cloth. As he dried his hands, he answered, “I reckon we have to.”
“How are we going to do it?” Caleb asked. He leaned against the wall. His blue eyes were very serious. Was he trying to be the man of the house?
He decided to see where the boy was going with his line of questions and thinking. “What did you have in mind?” Philip asked. He hung the cloth on a nail and waited.
“Well, I’ve never fixed a roof before. Have you?”
“Are you guys going to stand out there talking all morning? Breakfast is getting cold,” Bella called from the kitchen.
Philip walked to the table. He wasn’t about to let his breakfast get cold. “I’ve fixed a barn roof before, so I imagine I’ll be able to figure out something.” He sat down on the log at the head of the table.
Caleb and Mark crawled up onto their log seats. He waited for Bella to join them and then said a quick prayer over their food.
After everyone had said amen, Philip answered Caleb. “We’ll need to make some shakes to cover the damaged ones.”
Bella looked at him with a frown. “What are shakes?”
“The pieces of wood on the roof that overlap each other to keep us dry in here,” he answered. The bacon was crisp, just the way he liked it.
Caleb nodded as if he understood exactly what Philip was saying. Mark was more interested in the maple syrup that Bella was pouring over his flapjacks. He realized that his little family had distracted him from his chores. “As soon as breakfast is over we need to go feed the horses and then head over to the relay station and help Thomas with the chores there,” he said.
The two boys were deep into their breakfast, focusing on the pancakes in front of them. Philip wasn’t sure they heard him. He decided to try the flapjacks. His eyes widened at the buttery flavor.
Bella grinned at him. “What do you think?”
It was obvious that she knew what he thought, but he recognized that women like to hear they did a good job. “They are so buttery.”
“That’s because I use a little more than other people and the trick is to start whisking as soon as you add the milk because the cold milk will cause the butter to set up if you don’t.” Bella took a bite of a flapjack.
“Well, it sure is good. Isn’t it, boys?”
Both boys looked up with full mouths and nodded. Mark dipped his finger into the syrup and tucked it between his lips.
“Mark, don’t use your fingers,” Bella scolded. She handed him a cloth to wipe his sticky hands on.
They finished breakfast and Bella began to clean up the table. Philip stood and rubbed his stomach. “Thanks for making breakfast, Bella. That was some mighty fine eatin’.”
Mark imitated him by poking out his tummy and rubbing it. “Yep, mighty fine eatin’,” he repeated.
Bella laughed. “Glad you boys enjoyed it.”
“Aunt Bella, do you want me to help you clean up the kitchen?” Caleb asked. He carried his plate to the washtub and slipped it into the water.
She gave him a big hug. “Not this morning, little man. I believe you and Mark are going to go help Philip and Thomas with the chores.” Bella kissed the top of his blond head.
Caleb wiggled out of her grasp. “All right, you don’t have to get mushy about it.”
Mark laughed. Bella made a quick grab for him and soon had the little boy in a tight hug and was planting kisses on his face. She let him go and wiped her face. “Mark, you have a sticky face.”
“Well, you have wet kisses,” he returned, wiping at his face.
Philip laughed at their antics. Mark had been stunned that Bella had gotten ahold of him so quickly. He stopped laughing when he heard Mark’s next words.
“Aunt Bella, aren’t you going to kiss Philip all over? He laughed, too.”
Bella’s face turned red and she looked away quickly.
Philip decided to join in the fun. He raced across the room, snagged her around the waist and started planting kisses all over her face. She squealed and giggled. He let her go and grinned at the boys. “I’m faster than her.” Philip raced to the coats as if afraid she was going to get him. “Hurry, boys, let’s get out of here before she starts kissing us again,” he called.
He tossed each of the boys their coats, then opened the door and let them run outside. Philip turned back to face Bella. “Let’s do that every morning. That was fun.” He hurried out the door before she could reply.
* * *
Bella stood in shock. She knew Philip was playful, but he’d just caused her heart to pitter-patter again. How was she going to stop him from doing that? If she told him to stop carrying her and kissing her, he’d know the effect he was having on her poor nervous system. Then what?
A knock sounded on the door. Bella approached with caution. Was that Philip playing tricks on her? Was he thinking it would be funny to kiss her again? She pulled the door open and jumped back.
Hazel looked at her with a quirked eyebrow. “Is that a new way to answer the door?”
Bella felt her cheeks burst into flame. “No, I thought you were Philip.” She opened the door wider to let Hazel inside.
“Does he usually knock?” Hazel grunted. She stooped over and picked up a medium-sized wooden box. “I’m so glad that the rain has finally stopped. A woman could catch her death of a cold, waiting on the porch to be let in.”
“No. What’s in the box?” She hoped her question would distract Hazel.
The older woman smiled. “A surprise for the boys.”
Bella’s interest was tweaked. “Can I see?”
Hazel gave her a mischievous grin. “Sure, but only after you tell me what you thought was going to happen when you opened the door for Phil.”
So much for distracting her. Bella sighed. “He was teasing me earlier and I thought he was going to grab me again when I opened the door.”
“Sounds fun.” Hazel smiled.
“It was,” Bella admitted. “Now, tell me. What’s in the box?”
Hazel pulled the lid off the box. Inside were blocks, wooden wagons and a couple of stickmen, what looked like puzzle pieces and several books. “It’s not a lot, but I thought the boys would like them.”
“I’m sure they will love them.” Bella pulled a small wooden house out of the box. “This is so cute.”
“There’s also a fence and barn in there,” Hazel said, digging into the box. She held up the little barn. “See?”
Bella stood up. “I know they are going to love these. Are you sure you want to give them to the boys?”
“What am I going to do with them?” Hazel asked.
Bella wanted to answer her with a few questions of her own. Like what Hazel was doing with these toys? Where did they come from? But she knew that would be rude, so instead she grinned. “I guess give them to the boys. Thank you.”
Hazel dug in her apron pocket. “I brought something for you, too.” She pulled out two pieces of paper folded together.
Bella took them and unfolded them. “Oh, these are cookie recipes. Thank you.” She started walking to the table. “Let’s sit down and have a cup of tea. How does that sound?”
“Wonderful. These old bones are tired and cold.”
The dirty dishes were going to have to wait until she had visited with Hazel. Bella laid the papers on the table, put a pot of water on to heat and then took down her tea bin.
“That second paper has that sweetbread recipe you wanted and a few other breads I thought you might like.” Hazel sat down. “I’ll sure be glad when that man of yours builds you some decent chairs.”
“Oh, I can’t wait to try the sweetbread recipe.” Bella decided not to comment on Hazel’s thoughts on her chairs. She was proud of the fact that she and the boys had found the logs to use for chairs. The Lord had provided and she’d not complain.
Mark ran into the house. “Hi, Hazel!” He gave her a big hug.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
“Out helping Philip with the chores.” He turned to Bella. “Philip asked if you’d mind packing us a box lunch.”
“A lunch?” Bella didn’t understand why they’d need a box lunch.
Hazel pulled the little boy up onto her lap.
“Uh-huh. We’re going to go to Dove Creek for some wood after we finish our chores at Uncle Thomas’s station.” He pushed down. “I’m going to grab my horse.”
“Oh, all right.” Bella pulled a box from under the cabinet. She quickly sliced bread and ham for sandwiches.
“Can I do anything to help you?” Hazel asked.
Bella smiled. “No, thanks.” She paused. If Philip was going to the store, then there were a few things she’d like. Should she send a list or just get ready and go with them? Her gaze moved to Hazel.
Hazel nodded. “Yep, I’d go, too.”
“You would?”
“Beats staying out here. Unless you have a good book to read.” Hazel stood to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“I thought you said you’d go, too. Do you have a good book at home waiting for you?” She placed her hands on her hips and grinned at Hazel.
“Well, no. But I just thought you’d want to go as a family.” Hazel put her hands in her pockets.
“You are family. Mark, tell Philip I’d like to speak to him before he goes to Thomas’s place.”
The little boy ran from the house again, this time with his horse in his hands and in a gallop instead of a dead run. Hazel followed. “I’m going to run back to the house and get my bag.”
“Hurry back. I’d like to have tea before we go.”
Hazel nodded and followed Mark. Just before she shut the door, Hazel said, “Thank you, Bella.” Then she hurried out.
Bella finished making the sandwiches. She wrapped them in a cloth, then added pickles and cookies to the box.
Just as she put the top on the box, Philip walked in. “Mark says you want to talk to me.”
She turned to face him. “Yes, Hazel and I would like to go to town also. We’ll come to Thomas’s in about an hour. That should give you plenty of time to get the chores done, shouldn’t it?”
He nodded. “I believe so.” A frown marred his features.
Bella frowned, too. “Do you not want us to go with you?” she asked, feeling a little hurt at the idea that he hadn’t wanted her to go.
He looked at her. “Why would you say that?”
“You’re frowning at me.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Philip crossed the room and draped his arm over her shoulders. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about space on the wagon. Of course I want you to come.”
She smiled up at him. “Well, that’s an easy fix. Hazel and I can ride our horses and you and the boys can ride in the wagon.” Bella didn’t tell him that she preferred riding on her horse. Wagons bumping along jarred her to the point of being sore the next day.
He gave her a hug and then nodded. “So, it’s settled. I’ll take the boys, lunch and the wagon now. We’ll meet at the relay station in about an hour.” Philip released her.
Bella grabbed the lunch box from the table and handed it to him. “Thank you.”
Philip took the box. “You and Hazel be careful coming over to Thomas’s.”
“We will,” she promised.
He turned and left. Bella smiled. Philip Young was a good man. She wished she could have met him before she’d met her ex-fiancé. Her ex-fiancé had proven that no matter how good of a man he seemed it wasn’t always the way they were. She couldn’t trust her heart just because she felt Philip was a good man.