from her pocket. âYour mother wants you to use this to buy things for your baby. She cares about you and your child.â
âI know she does, but she wonât go against her wedding vows and defy Papa.â
âThose vows are important.â
Vows. Callie had taken them and from that first week wonderedâ
She refused to finish the thought. Even if Martin had never matured, even if sheâd had to carry the load for both of them her entire life, even if sometimes that load wearied her, sheâd always be grateful for the baby she carried.
She forced her thoughts back to Elise. âEven if your father never changes his mind, youâll have a home here with me.â
Elise burrowed into Callieâs open arms. âWhat would I do without you?â
âWeâre in this together. Weâll be fine,â Callie spoke softly against Eliseâs copper curls, âif we seek Godâs guidance at the start of each new day.â
Elise straightened and met Callieâs eyes, the misery in their depths banged against Callieâs heart. âIf Iâd done that last summer, Iâ¦I wouldnât be in this mess. Iâm a fool for falling for a footloose man.â
Through the lace curtains in the parlor window, Callie watched Mr. Smith climb the porch steps. A strong, handsomeâ¦drifter. Her breath caught. Footloose described Jacob Smith. Sheâd remember that. Both she and Elise had learned they could be fooled by a man.
Elise rose and tugged Callie to her feet, hugging her or trying to, but her round belly got in the way. They both laughed, easing the tension.
A half hour later, they headed out the door with Elise showing no sign of a limp. Elise looked pretty with her auburn hair swept into a French twist, her shawl pinned in place with a lovely old broach, a keepsake from Callieâs Aunt Hilda. Nothing would disguise the girlâs advanced pregnancy, but the shawl softened her silhouette.
Jacob Smith rounded the back of the house, tools dangling from his belt and slapping against his denims. He might be a drifter, but she appreciated his help. Goodness, the man never stopped. How long could he keep up the hectic pace?
He tipped his hat. âAfternoon, ladies.â
His eyes locked with Callieâs, his eyes pools of jade she felt sheâd drown in. When had green become her favorite color? Even though she didnât trust him, her feet had a life all their own and brought her closer.
At the sound of Eliseâs giggle, Callie gathered her wits about her. âTomorrowâs the Lordâs Day. Youâve earned your rest, Jacob,â she said unable to look away from the intensity of his gaze. âIf youâre looking for a place to worship, church service begins at ten oâclock.â
His full lips thinned, turned mulish. âThanks, but I plan on sleeping late tomorrow.â
âIf God changes your mind about that, weâre having a potluck after service. Itâs your chance to eat food prepared by the best cooks in town.â
âCanât see how anyone could improve on your cooking.â
The warmth of Jacobâs regard spilled into the empty places inside her. âIf youâre aiming for larger portions, youâre succeeding.â
Chuckling, he bounded onto the porch and got back to work. Heâd accomplished a great deal. Only a few boards needed replacing. Strange how quickly sheâd gotten used to having him around the place. His long strides, the noise of saw and hammer, the scent of soap on his skin after washing up at the pump. An image of damp hair curling at Jacobâs nape filled her traitorous mind. She shivered and quickly said goodbye.
As Callie and Elise strolled along at a snailâs pace, Mildred Ulandâs cocker spaniel trotted over for a pat until a squirrel captured his attention. He sped after it, chasing it up a tree. âSandyâs feeling feisty this afternoon. Maybe we