Jane Bonander Read Online Free PDF Page B

man’s bare feet since before Sean died. An automatic memory triggered in, and she remembered that all of his toes had been rather small. “And that is…?”
    “Their size, of course.”
    Although Chloe Ann’s face was pinched into a look of puzzlement, Libby had an idea where Mahalia’s discourse was leading.
    “Mahalia—”
    “The size of what?” Chloe Ann interrupted.
    Mahalia clucked and dropped the spoon onto a plate, then moved the pot off the heat, covering the hot handles with the sides of her apron. “Oh, come now, gal. You’re dense as a tree trunk. Ain’t you ever wondered how big a man is ‘tween his legs?”
    Chloe Ann gasped, her fair skin turning a bright shade of pink while Libby nearly choked on her coffee.
    Mahalia turned as her smile lingered, showing her large white teeth. “My, my. You gals ain’t as coy as all that, are you?”
    Libby’s eyes watered, and she continued to swallow and cough. “Mahalia Jones, you are a wicked, wicked woman. Look what you’ve done to poor Chloe Ann. You’ve embarrassed her to tears, and you almost caused me to choke to death.”
    Mahalia harrumphed and tossed Chloe Ann a jaded glance. “Don’t tell me a woman grown don’t wonder about them things.”
    Chloe Ann’s face continued to color.
    “Whether women do or don’t isn’t the issue, Mahalia,” Libby scolded. “We don’t go around talking about it, that’s all.”
    Mahalia poured the tapioca into a bowl, covered it, and set it near the window to cool. “Don’t know why we can’t talk about it. Them is facts of life.” She turned on them, her fists on her ample hips. “Men talk about us, you know.”
    Libby gave her a look of warning, but Mahalia ignored it.
    “Ain’t you ever noticed the blacksmith’s hands?” She rolled her eyes. “Big. And that hawklike nose of his is another dead giveaway. Why,” she added, a sly smile sliding across her lips, “don’t tell me you ain’t ever noticed the peddler man. He might be scrawny, but his hands and his feet is big, and I can’t help wonderin’ what it’d be like to—”
    “Enough, Mahalia.” Libby felt heat rise to her cheeks.
    Feigning offense, Mahalia lifted her nose in the air. “All’s I’m sayin’ is that the new boarder, he got nice big thumbs.” One side of her mouth lifted in a sassy grin. “The rest of him ain’t bad, neither.”
    Dawn rushed into the room, her eyes glittering with excitement. “Mama, Chloe Ann, guess what?”
    Libby sensed something had sidetracked Dawn from her homework again. “Have you finished your sums, dear?”
    “Well, no, but—”
    “I don’t want to hear any more excuses. I’m tired of them, Dawn. Sick and tired of your excuses.” Libby was close to losing her temper and had to force herself to hold back.
    “But I’m trying to tell you, Mama. Mr. Wolfe showed me a way to do them that I understand. You know how I always have trouble carrying a number?” She plopped her arithmetic paper on the table and swiftly worked one of the problems. “See?” She held the paper toward her teacher.
    Chloe Ann squinted a little as she studied the work, then smiled at Libby. “She’s done it right.”
    Frowning, Libby looked at the paper. “Mr. Wolfe showed you how to do this?” It rankled that a stranger could wheedle his way into their lives with such ease.
    Dawn gave her an eager nod. “And it didn’t take any time at all, Mama. He told me to break down the numbers into pennies. Not only that,” she continued, “he was writing a letter, and I helped him with some of the words.”
    Libby raised her eyebrows. “You helped him compose a letter?” She was tempted to ask who it was to, but knew it was none of her business.
    Dawn’s smile was blinding. “See? He helped me, and I helped him. He said it was recip—” She pinched her dark brows together. “Reciprocal.”
    “My, my,” Mahalia crooned. “Ain’t he just the finest man to help a young girl like that?”
    Libby could