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Luke shook his head once at Maria and Emma could tell that whatever the other woman wanted to say wouldn't be voiced now Luke had that look on his face that was silencing the older woman
Luke ralanced in Eain He looked at Maria when he spoke "She was out in the garden and fell She needs so else to hile you wash her clothes"
He didn't stop for an answer, just sla for his lunch
Maria looked at her and asked, "What's got him so riled?"
Emma cleared her throat and said softly, "Evidently I didn't obey his cory about it"
"Ahh," Maria rolled her eyes and made the noncommittal response
Eracefully as she could "Can I help you with lunch?"
Maria sh when she saas on the table, "I guess squash will be on the menu soon?"
An hour later, Emma was full as a tick from the thick, creamy tomato soup she'd eaten for lunch She had had a bath and was noearing one of Maria's dresses Although it covered her decently enough, it kept slipping off one shoulder as she sat and peeled and quartered the squash for supper
She listened as Maria chatted away happily "And our daughter now has three babies of her own"
"Where does she live?" Emma asked
"She lives in Denver with her husband and his parents"
"That must please you that they are in the same state and not across the country"
"Yes, it does, but I have to confess that I get a bit jealous of the other grandet to see them once a year or so"
"It e and happy family You seem very proud of them" Emma chatted as she layered the squash in a casserole dish with onions, butter, and breadcru families
"Yes, very proud I count s every day"
"I've never had any family" Emma didn't intend to turn melancholy, but with all the talk of family, it just slipped out
"None? No family at all?" Maria sounded astonished and upset at the same time
"None at all I was raised in an orphanage my whole life In St Louis I never kneho my parents were"
"That is so sad, E co Emma with an unreadable expression on her face
"The past is in the past and it wasn't so bad anyway, really I was raised with a wonderful girl, Evelyn Turner, and we're still friends to this day" Emma tried to be as upbeat as she could and looked up fro with a smile for the other woman to put her at ease
Maria bent and braised the roast with drippings froe?"
"I had to stay until I was eighteen, unless I wanted to run ahich I didn't They helped me secure a position with ain town as a sort of companion I read to her, took her to church on Sunday, helped with the light housework and such, helpedShe only recently passed away" Eht about the old woreat friend to her
"Well when in the world did you find tiet married youself?"
The question threw Eroup, Maria ht she'd pried because the other wo you don't wish to speak of?"
Ereement
Maria brightened and went on, "And now you're having an adventure and going west, though it's a shame about yesterday"
"Yes" E the casserole dish to the stove Her limp was more pronounced than usual She had well and truly bruised the bottom of her foot, darn it
"You're going to hurt yourself further if you keep putting your weight on that ankle, and Luke will have my head for it"
Ereed and soon found herself ensconced in the sa the read the same book that she had earlier in the day
She must have fallen asleep because she woke at a sharp sound and jerked in her chair and looked up to find Luke watching her silently from a few feet away
She watched him warily as she lifted a hand to smooth back the hair that had fallen over her face
His eyes dropped and as she caasped as she looked down and found the neckline of her dress had dropped completely off her shoulder She pulled it up quickly as a blush spread across her face
Luke felt hirew into a full-blown erection He hissed out a curse as he hardened against his will froht of one soft, white shoulder and the top curve of her breast A breast that wasn't bare at all, in fact it was covered by a white petticoat, possibly two But that didn't seem to matter to his unruly body
He gritted his teeth and tried to regain control "Supper's ready I'll help you get to the table"