Blowing on Dandelions (5 page)

Chapter Seven

Shifting uneasily on the front porch, Micah snatched off his hat and gave a half-bow to the woman in the doorway. “Mrs. Galloway.” He eyed her apron, then let his gaze travel up to her face. Dark blue eyes sparkled in the light of the setting sun, and loose curls tickled her flushed cheeks. She was prettier than he remembered. “I hope we’re not early. Your daughter told my son …”—he nodded at the tall, gangly boy beside him—“to be here a little after six.”

“You’re fine, Mr. Jacobs. We eat at six-thirty.” She moved to one side. “Please, come in and make yourselves at home.”

He took a step back. “We can come back later. I didn’t realize—”

“Nonsense. You’re here, and several minutes one way or the other doesn’t matter.”

Micah wanted to glare at his son. Why had the boy urged him to arrive early? It was obvious she hadn’t expected them yet. If only he hadn’t allowed himself to be talked into this visit. “If you’re sure.” He pushed Zachary in front of him. “This is Zachary.”

“How nice to meet you.” She ushered them in, then took Micah’s hat and hung it on a rack behind the door. “Why don’t you and Zachary wait in the parlor while Lucy and I get the food on the table?”

“Is Lucy here, ma’am?” Zachary’s face lit with an eager smile.

“Yes, she’s helping in the kitchen.” She seemed to hesitate, then gave a short nod. “The two of you might as well come with me. Maybe Zachary would like to help Lucy set the table.”

“Sure thing, Mrs. Galloway.” He bolted forward.

Micah grabbed his collar and dragged him back. “Mind your manners. Let Mrs. Galloway lead the way.”

Zachary had the good grace to duck his head. “Sorry, ma’am.”

She offered a tight smile. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you, too.”

Obviously his son had offended this woman. For goodness’ sake. She had two children, and he doubted they used perfect manners. As soon as they ate and could free themselves of this obligation, he’d skedaddle on home whether Zachary liked it or not.

From the foyer, he traipsed down a long hall and followed her into the kitchen, scanning the spotless space. Emma had been a decent housekeeper, but nothing like this. Not a speck of dust or a single dirt smudge that he could see.

“You have a very nice home, Mrs. Galloway. Have you lived here long?”

“We purchased this four years ago, shortly before my husband died.” Her lips compressed.

Micah wanted to groan. Apparently he’d brought up a painful subject. His second mistake. One more and she’d boot him out the door
without
supper. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up sorrowful memories.”

She shook her head, the errant blond curls dancing next to her face. “Not at all. I’m the one who should be sorry; it’s been a busy day. And since we’re neighbors and our children are friends, please call me Katherine. All of my friends do.”

Something fluttered in his stomach at the calm, gentle response. Maybe she wasn’t upset with him after all. “I’d be happy to. And my name is Micah.”

Katherine turned to an older woman sitting silently nearby, a young girl perched in the chair beside her, scribbling with a pencil on a sheet of paper.

“This is my daughter Amanda and my mother, Frances Cooper.” Katherine swung her gaze back to Micah. “She’s recently come to live with the girls and me.”

The woman gave a sharp nod. “You can call
me
Mrs. Cooper.”

Micah recoiled from the harsh tone, then quickly collected himself. “A pleasure, Mrs. Cooper.”

Katherine’s mother sat ramrod-straight, her eyes boring into his before they settled on her daughter. “You did not tell me you had invited guests.”

Katherine visibly winced, and he thought he caught a flash of frustration—or possibly irritation—in her eyes before she averted them. “We have more than enough food, and Mr. Jacobs’s son, Zachary, is a friend of Lucy’s. She invited them to supper.”

Mrs. Cooper seemed to relax. “Well, in that case …”—she shot an indulgent look toward the girl he assumed to be Lucy—“I’m sure it’s fine.”

Micah glanced at the young blond girl standing beside his son. Her fingers were curled into fists. The air was strung as tight as a bowstring ready to snap. He drew in a deep breath. “Something smells wonderful.”

Katherine scurried to the oven, plucking up a cloth and opening the door. “Oh dear, I’m glad it didn’t burn. With all this talk I almost forgot to remove the roast.”

Mrs. Cooper crossed her arms. “June would never have allowed her meat to get dry.”

“June?” Micah wondered if he’d missed something. From the closed expression on Katherine’s face and the smug one on her mother’s, it appeared it may have been better to change the subject.

“My elder daughter, who has gone on to her reward. That girl was the best cook in the territory, if not the country.” Mrs. Cooper appeared to swell with pride. “She did her best to teach Katherine, but my younger daughter never took to culinary skills like June.” She tsked. “Not that Katherine does a poor job at cooking. Her food is more than adequate and quenches one’s appetite.”

Micah’s stomach sank at the hurt Katherine was obviously trying to hide. Mrs. Cooper seemed unaware she’d said anything wrong, and Lucy continued to stand like a statue.

Finally, the young girl broke out of her stupor and grabbed Zachary’s arm. “Come on. Help me set the table. You can carry the glasses, and I’ll get the flatware.”

As Zachary scurried to do Lucy’s bidding, Katherine bent stiffly to carve the roast.

Mrs. Cooper peered at her daughter. “I am not trying to be unkind, but your cooking does not compare to June’s. There is no disgrace in that; it is a simple fact. No reason you should be upset.”

Micah held out his hand for the carving knife. “I’d be happy to do that if you have something else you need to do … Katherine.” Her name felt right as it rolled off his tongue. “It looks as delicious as it smells. I can’t wait to taste your fine supper.”

When a tentative smile softened her face, his heart rate increased. He eyed Mrs. Cooper. The woman’s brows were drawn in an angry scowl, and she looked ready to bite his head off. What had he walked into? Maybe his first instinct to hightail it out of here hadn’t been such a bad one after all.

Katherine could have hugged Micah Jacobs for his kind words. They went a long way toward soothing the hurt created by her mother’s blunt words. She doubted the man realized he’d stepped into the dragon’s maw, but she knew well enough. Poor man. If this continued, he’d probably wish he’d stayed home and not been caught between two cantankerous women.

All right, maybe she wasn’t the accomplished cook her sister had been, but did Mama have to point it out, in front of company to boot? Why did she have to be disagreeable all the time? Couldn’t she compliment her just once or, if nothing else, not disparage her in some way?

But that was Mama. Katherine had heard her tell both family and friends that she was a frank, outspoken woman who said what she thought and people needed to learn to accept her. Katherine had never understood why others always must bend where Mama was concerned and why Mama couldn’t temper her tongue and be more gracious. Well, it wasn’t her place to criticize her elders in public, and little good it would do, anyway. She’d found it easier to let Mama’s comments slide by with a smile or a laugh and pretend they didn’t penetrate. Truth be told, each new one simply cut a deeper rift between them, and the scars thickened with each harsh word.

Giggling from the adjoining dining room drew her out of her thoughts, and she stepped toward the entrance. Lucy and Zachary were having a tug-of-war over one of her good cloth napkins. “Lucy! Whatever do you think you’re doing?”

Her daughter whirled, consternation flooding her face. “Sorry, Ma.” She took the cloth from Zachary’s hands and folded it carefully, laying it on the sideboard. “We were done setting the table, and we got distracted.”

“Please come dish up the potatoes and help me get the food set out.” Distracted, was it? Katherine didn’t care at all for where that little episode appeared to be heading. Lucy claimed the boy wasn’t interested in courting, but she’d noticed the gleam in his eye. Her daughter might only be thirteen, but Zachary was over a year older, and she’d seen youngsters marry at the age of fifteen. She wanted better for her girl. Not that she didn’t value marriage—she’d had a strong one herself—but Lucy was bright, and Katherine didn’t want her daughter missing out on a future opportunity.

Why had she offered to let Micah use her Christian name? She didn’t know him well enough for that, and it was unlikely they’d end up friends, even if they were neighbors. Guilt, that’s why. He had obviously been uncomfortable when he’d arrived, so she’d done what she did with everyone—tried to make things easier for them. If she’d kept it more formal, it would be so much simpler to sever any ties the children tried to create.

Well, she knew one thing for sure. After this evening she needed to have a talk with Mr. Micah Jacobs about his son’s intentions toward her daughter and let him know Lucy was too young for courting. Katherine had seen too many girls get caught up in what they believed was love … and ended in drudgery. She would see to it that did not happen to her girl.

After Micah complimented her cooking, she’d regretted her earlier irritation at having guests. Now she could see her regret was a mistake. She needed both Jacobs men to understand they had no future with the Galloway women—no matter how kind or conciliatory Micah Jacobs appeared.

Frances didn’t care one whit for the events unfolding at her table. She tilted her chin in the air and sniffed. Maybe not
her
table exactly, but she
was
the eldest, and it was her home now too. Who was this man, and why would Katherine allow Lucy to invite him and his son to supper? She had enough on her plate feeding boarders who paid for their meals. Why invite two additional men who would probably eat more than their fair share of the food?

Only one reason that Frances could gather. Katherine was ready to replace dear Daniel in her heart, life, and bed. Daniel had been a saint, to Frances’s way of thinking, and no man could replace him. Daniel had understood her when her own daughter hadn’t noticed her needs. He’d cared for Katherine and their daughters with a tenderness that Frances had only experienced years ago with Ben. But even Ben hadn’t lived up to her son-in-law. No. Another man could never take Daniel’s place, no matter how handsome or seemingly cordial.

Mr. Jacobs had not liked it one bit when she’d mentioned Katherine’s cooking not being up to snuff with June’s. Good. Maybe Katherine’s lack of culinary skills would deter him from pursuing her. After all, most men thought through their stomachs or …

Heat rose in her cheeks. That was one area she had never been comfortable with, and only by dint of wifely obedience had she conceived not one, but two children.

Frances peered at Micah Jacobs as he cast a charming smile at Katherine. The girl was attractive in her own way, Frances would give her that. It was the only place Katherine had outshone June.

But beauty was only skin deep, as the saying went. Katherine did have fine qualities beyond her somewhat good looks, but how many men would see past the external? Not many, she’d guess. It would pay to keep an eye on things.