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mirth disappeared. “He did?”
    Elijah nodded. “Afraid so.”
     
     

Chapter Four

     
     
    Cecelia glanced at Bonnie then back to Mister Eversole.
    “Daddy blamed himself for Mary Rachel running off. So he came up with his stupid rule about being eighteen.” She spread her lips into the smile she’d been practicing, the one that hopefully said, ‘I’m worth the waiting if you only will.’
    Elijah nodded, but didn’t return the smile. Instead, he looked past her to little Miss Pouty Face. “Excuse me a moment, CeCe.” He hurried past her, stood next to Bonnie, and said something Cecelia couldn’t hear.
    Returning with his arm around her little sister’s shoulder, Bonnie Claire beamed as though he’d just promised his eternal love.
    Oh Lord, what was the matter with the man?
    “Let’s eat. The boys said they only take half an hour for dinner.”
    The man inhaled two cold biscuits, more than half of the even colder roast beef slab, six tomatoes slices, and a big piece of cold pie. All washed down with half the jar of mustang grape juice, but none of it as chilly as Cecelia’s heart.
    Why had he looked at her the way he did yesterday then act like making Bonnie happy was the most important thing?
    Didn’t he realize she’d paid her little sister to chaperone? Men! Would she ever understand them?
    He extended the juice jar, and she took it. Her fingers brushed his and a warmth spread from his touch to her heart. He grinned. “I sure appreciate you coming, CeCe.”
    “You’re welcome, my pleasure.” Had she remembered to smile? What should she say? Most of all she wanted to ask him what he’d told Bonnie, but that wouldn’t do. “I really prefer Cecelia. I love the way the L I A rolls off a person’s tongue.” Had she said that aloud? Oh, no.
    Have mercy, Lord. How stupid.
    Movement pulled her eyes away from him to the sawmill shed. One of the cousins put a match to his pipe and stared in her direction. Probably one of Daddy’s spies. “So. How’s it coming with your steam engine?”
    That was good. Get him to talking. Besides, the sound of his voice caressed her ears. She could listen to him all day.
    “Better than expected. The boiler I bought in New Orleans should be here in a day or two. We’re getting everything ready for it.” He stood. “Care to inspect our progress?”
    She jumped to her feet, as did her baby sister. Why couldn’t she go pout in the buggy again?  “I’d love to.” She hoped he would take her hand and stroll around and explain how it all worked, but no.
    Instead, he stuck his paws in his trousers’ pockets. Though the machine talk bored her to tears, she did her best to smile, nod, and exclaim intermittently.
    Too soon, time came for her to go back home, the last thing she wanted to do, but he said he needed to get to work, and she couldn’t come up with any plausible excuses to stay any longer.
    Nothing to do but leave.
    Hopefully, Bonnie had pegged Daddy wrong, and he wouldn’t be upset about her bringing Elijah dinner. Of course, she’d brought enough for him, too. So what could he really say, after all? Surely he’d appreciate that. He’d never guess.…
    “I don’t appreciate you asking Elijah right out if he was married. That was nothing but rude, and you know it.”
    “Well, I don’t get why in the whole world you would be. You wanted to know, didn’t you? And asking is the best way to find out, isn’t it? The onliest way as I see it since if he was, his wife would be all the way back in California.”
    “Don’t get sassy with me, little girl. And onliest is not a word, either.”
    Her sister crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, how you going to find a thing out if you don’t ask a question?”
    “You can be coy, come in the back door. Maybe say something like, I imagine your wife is missing you. Or, I love that shirt, did your wife make it?”
    The younger burst out laughing. “You kidding me? Ought to be glad I asked him right out so