Chapter 3 #2
“Hang on,” Dalton said, rushing over to steady her. “Want me to get ‘em for you?”
“Nah,” Dove said. But she let him stand there and make sure she didn’t fall. “Wait ’til my mom sees this.”
“Wait until I see what?” Ella’s voice carried down the stairs, and a few seconds later she appeared.
“Mama, we made breakfast,” Dove told her. “And now we’re setting the table.”
Dalton wasn’t sure what he expected from Ella in that moment, but it wasn’t for her to check in with her dad like she expected something to be wrong.
“Isn’t that great, hon?” Michael asked her.
“It’s such a nice surprise,” Ella said, smiling and turning back to Dove without sparing a glance for Dalton. “What did you make?”
“Dalton made pancakes,” Dove said, pointing.
“Mr. Tyler,” Ella corrected Dove.
“Just Dalton is fine with me,” he assured her.
Dove looked to her mother, who shrugged and nodded.
“Dalton made pancakes,” Dove said. “And I put faces on them.”
“I can’t wait to see,” Michael said from his seat at the table.
“I’ll just grab the juice,” Mary said.
“The coffee is fresh,” Dalton said, indicating the pot on the counter. “Or I could start some water for tea?”
“Coffee is fine, son,” Michael said.
There was a bit of hustle-bustle as they gathered everything up and set it on the table. Then Dalton was seated with Dove and Ella opposite him. Michael sat to Dalton’s left, at the head of the table, and Mary was on his other side at the foot.
“Absolutely lovely,” Mary said warmly, looking around the table.
Dove sat up a little straighter, a proud smile on her face as she glanced over at Dalton like they had really pulled off something big.
He nodded to her, wishing he could smile back. For some reason, it wasn’t so easy with everyone here.
Michael bowed his head and the others followed suit. Dalton ducked his own head.
Please let me be a help to this family, he prayed silently.
When he opened his eyes, the others started passing the bowls and platter around the table.
“It’s smiling at me,” Mary said, looking down at her pancake.
“Mine’s smiling too,” Ella said.
Dove giggled with glee.
“I think mine is frowning,” her grandfather said in mock horror.
Dove really cracked up at that, throwing her head back and clutching her little belly.
Dalton couldn’t help noticing how confident she was that he was only teasing. The little girl didn’t even check her grandfather’s face. She just laughed her head off and then helped herself to a big scoop of fruit salad.
He frowned and applied himself to piling his own plate high.
“Everything okay?” Ella asked him.
He glanced up and found her beautiful brown eyes were slightly narrowed, almost like she sensed there was something wrong with him.
It’s not my fault…
“Everything is great,” he told her. “I was just hoping we didn’t make too much.”
“No such thing,” Mary said. “We work hard and we’re big eaters, aren’t we, Ella?”
Ella nodded to her mother and put a little syrup on her pancake.
The meal passed quickly after that. Many compliments were paid to the chefs and Dalton was charmed at how much trouble they all took to make sure Dove knew her efforts were appreciated.
“We’re going to start harvesting the north field today,” Mary said at last, sitting back in her seat.
“Just point me at whatever you want done,” Dalton said immediately, placing his napkin on his plate. “I’ll wash up these dishes and come with you.”
“I’ll handle the dishes, son,” Michael told him with a fond smile. “You’ve done enough already.”
“Thank you, sir,” Dalton told him, getting to his feet.
“It’s my job to clear the table,” Dove said. “Then Grandpa keeps me company while I start getting ready for school.”
“Okay,” Dalton said. “Are you sure you don’t need some help?”
“Very sure,” Dove said firmly.
“Okay, then,” he said, sort of sorry to leave her. “Thanks for cooking with me.”
She grinned at him, then turned to watch her grandfather giving her grandma a peck on the cheek.
“Hey,” Ella said softly, taking Dalton by the elbow.
Her hand was so small, and her touch was very light, but he felt almost breathless as he followed her into the dim of the hallway.
She stopped by the staircase and looked over his shoulder before tilting her chin up to look him in the eyes.
“My dad makes breakfast every day,” she whispered quickly. “He can’t work the farm anymore, and it’s important for him to feel useful.”
He blinked at her for a second before her words really landed.
“I’m so sorry,” he said softly, stricken. “I didn’t mean to…”
But she was already pushing past him to get back to the kitchen before her parents could notice she was gone.
Dalton continued down the hall to pull on his boots and coat, his stomach tight with the knowledge that he had unknowingly taken the one task that gave the older man a sense of purpose.
I just got here and I already messed up…
There was nothing he could do about it now.
But he was determined to work hard in the field today and make up for it if he could.
And he was maybe just a little excited for Ella to be the one showing him the ropes.
But just a little.