The Brides of Chance Collection (121 page)

“It’s been a long time since I rode around the hills, Bryce.” Her quiet plea melted him. “Soon it’ll be winter, and then I cain’t.”

“All right. I’ll go get the saddles. Why don’t you…” He paused, unable to think of anything.

“I’ll get a few sugar lumps for the horses.” Daisy slid past him into the tack room and stopped short at the sight of the wagon. “What’s that?”

“A wagon I made for Jamie.” Bryce hastened to explain why he hadn’t wanted her to see it. “It’s not quite finished yet.”

“It’s…” Daisy ran her fingertips along the side of the wagon, reaching out to pick up the handle. She gave an experimental tug, and it rolled forward. Bryce held his breath, waiting for her pronouncement. “Wonderful.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Yore so thoughtful!” Daisy turned and gave him a hug. “Jamie will love this, and I’ll have an easier time takin’ him around. Thankee, Bryce.”

She looked up at him, her brown eyes glowing with gratitude. Her lips hovered so close….

“You’re—” Bryce groaned and closed the distance between them, holding her against him as he touched his lips to hers.
Gentle, soft…

After they both drew away, Bryce touched his forehead to hers. “Wonderful.”

Chapter 19

D
aisy shoveled ashes from the stove belly into the ash pail.

Wonderful
. She touched her lips, reliving Bryce’s kiss. Had it only been two weeks since he decided to stay? How quickly she’d come to see him as more than a friend. He was so strong, gentle, tender, rough…
Bryce
.

The puppy’s cold nose bumped against her elbow insistently, causing her to scatter a few ashes onto the floor. “Nosey!” Daisy put down the shovel and cuddled the animal close.

The tiny pup served as yet another reminder of how thoughtfully Bryce attended to the needs of her son. Daisy rubbed Nosey’s silky fur once more before setting her down. The pup immediately scrabbled toward Jamie, nails clicking on the hardwood floors.

“ ’Ook!” Jamie held up his slate for her inspection. There, in the big, loopy letters of her son’s hand, rested one word.
L-o-v-e
.

“Oh, Jamie!” Daisy knelt down and pulled him into a hug. “That’s some mighty fine work. It does yore mama’s heart good to see you so smart.”

“ ’Ove you,” Jamie crooned, giving her an awkward pat on the shoulder.

“I love you, too, baby.” Daisy drew away so Jamie could keep working. As Nosey stuck her snout on the slate, giving it a wet imprint of approval, Daisy smiled.
Jamie and
I love each other. And Bryce loves us both
.

“Hello in there!” Bryce’s voice called from the yard.

“Yes, Bryce?” Daisy flung open the door.

“Can Jamie and Nosey come out to play?” His voice sang with mischief and fun.

“Jist a minute!” Daisy waited for Jamie to get a firm hold on the puppy before carrying them both outside.

“Hi, Byce!” Jamie positively sparkled whenever they spent time together.

“Hey, buddy. Got something for you.”

“Wut?”

“This!” Bryce whipped the cover off the wagon he’d made just for her son.

“Wow!” Jamie wiggled with excitement, and Nosey let out a few celebratory yaps.

“What say your mama and I take you and Nosey for a ride?” Bryce suggested, wheeling the wagon closer.

“Pease?” Jamie looked at her with wide eyes.

“Of course!” Daisy laughed and deposited him in his wagon. He still clutched Nosey, who kept very busy snuffling the sides of the wagon.

Bryce nestled a blanket in the bottom so Jamie would be more comfortable and steady.
He’s so good at adapting things to make others feel comfortable
.

Bryce pulled the wagon smoothly along the path while Daisy walked alongside. Jamie squealed with glee when Bryce began making wiggly zigzags. They didn’t go too far—just enough to know that the arrangement would work.

Seems to me that with Bryce around, a lot of things are better’n afore. Mayhap the wagon isn’t the only thing that will work between us
.

“Now let me see….” Bryce rubbed his jaw and stared at the wagon. With Logan gone to Louisville, he had the time to take Jamie fishing before it got too cold. “I’ve got Jamie—you’ve got Nosey?”

“ ’Es!” Jamie held up the wiggly pooch before tucking her back in his lap. Nosey fared well with Jamie’s attention and the cow’s milk Bryce kept feeding her.

“I’ve got the poles and tackle box. You have that lunch basket your ma packed?”

Jamie nodded and patted the basket. It rested in front of him in the wagon.

“Sounds like we’re ready to go catch some supper!” Bryce took hold of the wagon handle with his free hand and set off. “The fish know the weather’s changing, so we should have no trouble coaxing a few onto the line.”

Jamie played with Nosey as Bryce pulled the wagon along the dirt road. He stopped when he spotted a shady patch of moist earth. He turned the wagon onto the grass, where it jounced along more roughly.

“Whee!” Jamie held on tight but looked around in confusion when Bryce stopped. “ ’Ish?”

“Before we catch fish, we’ll need bait.” Bryce lifted the youngster out of the wagon and sat him down. He pulled out his pocketknife and dug up some of the dark dirt. “I need your help. We have to dig around until we find worms!”

“Mess.” Jamie looked at the dirt longingly.

“This is man’s work. Your mama knows we’ll get a little dirty.” Bryce scooped some of the dirt into Jamie’s fingers and unearthed a pink worm. He grabbed it and dropped it into the jar he’d brought along. “See? Now let’s get a bunch more.”

Jamie didn’t need to be told twice. The small boy burrowed into the earth with gusto, scattering dirt everywhere. Nosey watched for a minute before joining in, her front paws scrabbling to widen the hole. The little boy held up his filthy fist, eyes shining in glee. “Got’t!”

“Good one.” Bryce held out the jar, and Jamie dropped in a fat earthworm.

It didn’t take long for Bryce to judge they had enough. He picked up Jamie, turned him upside down, and gave him a few light bounces. The lad giggled as specks of dirt rained to the ground. Nosey gave herself an emphatic shake, starting at her nose and wiggling all the way down.

“Let’s go to the stream.” Bryce got them both situated in the wagon—Jamie insisted on holding the jar of worms—and made their way to the fishing hole. Bryce splashed Jamie’s hands with water before they shared a picnic lunch of egg-salad sandwiches and coleslaw. Then it was time to get down to business.

“Eeww!” Jamie shrieked, fascinated as Bryce laced the first worm onto his hook.

“Here.” Bryce cast the line into the water and handed the small, lightweight pole to Jamie. “Hold it tight, and let me know when you get a bite.”

“How I know?” Jamie stared at the pole blankly.

“It’ll move.” Bryce reached out and gave the line a gentle tug. “Like that. Then you tell me, and we’ll haul in your fish. Remember, you have to be as quiet as you can.”

“ ’Kay!” His little brow furrowed as he concentrated on the task at hand.

Bryce baited his own hook, then hunkered down beside Jamie. The little boy couldn’t really hold the pole steady, but he did a good job trying. They sat in silence, listening to the rippling water and the whisper of the wind through the long grasses at the water’s edge. Birdcalls rarely disturbed the quiet, since most of them had flown south already.

“Byce!” Jamie gripped his pole tightly, trying to steady the wobble.

It took Bryce a moment to decide if it was Jamie shaking or a fish on the line. Bryce scooped Jamie up and put his hands over the little boy’s to steady them. The line danced in the water. He immediately started walking back, drawing the line from the water until a fair-sized fish flopped on the bank. Bryce pulled it farther from the water so it wouldn’t slide back.

Nosey trailed the slippery fish from the water’s edge, backing away when its tail hit her in the muzzle. The little dog looked up at Bryce and Jamie, wagging her tail as though to say, “We did it!”

“Would you look at that?” Bryce sat Jamie down before sliding the hook from the fish’s mouth. “First fish of the day. Way to go, buddy!” He handed it to Jamie and pushed the water pail closer. “Go ahead and put it in the bucket of water.”

Jamie dropped his catch into the pail, beaming with pride. “Ag’n?” he asked hopefully.

Bryce nodded and handed him the pole, ready with a worm dangling from the hook. “We’ve got a whole pail to fill. Let’s get to it so we’ve got enough for supper when we go back home.”

Winter came in a flurry of snow and ice, blanketing the ground in a single night. Daisy woke up to see her own breath and rushed to put more wood on the stove. She dressed Jamie in the flannel long underwear she’d scarce finished for him, layering his pants and shirt atop so he’d keep warm. His woolen winter coat hung ready on the hook by the door iff ’n she took him outside at all.

Don’t see no reason to risk it. Jamie gets along jist fine even though he cain’t use his legs
,
but in the snow he’ll get drenched and icy cold so quick. His wagon won’t pull him through snowdrifts. Iff ’n he catches cold, Jamie ain’t strong enough to fight it off like most boys
.

Daisy shredded the potatoes, pushing the knife into the roots hard as she thought about how frail her son’s health could be.
It’ll grow into pneumony, and I’ll lose him. Best keep him inside. Bryce’ll still take him to the barn to visit the animals, and Jamie has Nosey in here. It’ll have to do
.

The fried potatoes and coffee steamed on the stove when Logan and Hattie walked through the adjoining door and said good morning to Miz Willow, who didn’t look up from reading her morning devotions. Bryce fetched Jamie to gather the eggs, then brought the basket back full. Hattie helped Daisy scramble them up with chunks of ham.

“First snow of the winter!” Logan grinned as he downed his breakfast.

“Beautiful out there,” Hattie agreed. “Snow turns the world into soft white curves, like givin’ it a clean coat of whitewash, only better.”

“I can’t wait. Fresh-fallen snow has so many possibilities.” Bryce turned to Jamie. “You have your long underwear on, buddy?”

“Yep!” Jamie pulled on the neck of his shirt to show Bryce the red flannel beneath.

Now why would Bryce ask a question like that? He’s not planning on taking Jamie out in the snow!

Alarmed, Daisy stared at Bryce.

“Snow angels are a must,” he said, going right on with his planning. “Maybe a snowman, too.”

“Not today, fellers.” Daisy rose and cleared the empty platters.

“Why not?” Logan demanded.

“I haven’t made Jamie his gloves yet, so he cain’t go out in the snow.”
There. That’s a solid reason. It’ll even take me awhile to make the gloves. Iff ’n I stretch it out, I might not have ’em done afore blizzarding season. Then he’ll hardly use ’em a’tall
.

“That reminds me.” Bryce fumbled in his pockets and pulled out a pair of small blue woolen gloves with a matching scarf. “Seems as though I missed your birthday, Jamie. Just a month before we met.” Bryce shook his head. “I had to do something to fix that!”

Daisy drew a deep breath as he fit the gloves onto Jamie’s tiny hands before wrapping the scarf around his neck. Her son held his hands out in front of him and wiggled his fingers gleefully. The gloves Logan had picked up for him in Louisville fit perfectly.

“Ready!”

“What about yore lessuns?” she burst out, desperate to keep Jamie out of the cold.

“It’s the first snowfall, Daisy!” Logan pushed aside her protest like it was nothing more than a pesky gnat.

“But Jamie don’t have a second pair of flannels,” Daisy protested. “Iff ’n those get soaked through, he’ll get cold.”

“We’ll have warm towels waiting in the oven to dry him off before he changes,” Bryce reassured her as he helped Jamie into his coat and put on his own, too. “And I’m sure you’ll have some hot tea waiting, too. It’ll be fine.”

With that, he whisked her son out into the snow, the door banging shut behind them.

“I said no! Why won’t they let me raise Jamie as I see fit?” Daisy paced around the cabin. “He cain’t catch cold. It’s too dangerous!”