Her Holiday Family. Winnie Griggs

seemed more friendly than the businesslike face Mrs. Pierce had put on it. Good to know that the tension he’d sensed at the meeting didn’t extend to her household.

      Miss Jacobs turned back to him. “You can count on me to help with the little ones in any way that I can.”

      He was glad to hear it. He could already sense she would be one who balanced doting and discipline the way Miss Fredrick had seemed to. “Thank you, ma’am. From what I’ve seen of them on this trip, these are a mostly well-behaved lot, but they are children.”

      “Don’t you worry none, young man, between me and Eileen here we’ll manage nicely.”

      Mrs. Pierce didn’t respond to that. Instead she gave him a puzzled look. “So you don’t know these children well?”

      He shook his head. “Up until a short time ago, I knew Miss Fredrick and her charges mainly through my sister’s letters. I popped in and out over the years to visit Sally and her children, of course, but that was all.” He straightened. “Make no mistake, though, these children are my responsibility until I get them to where they’re going.”

      “Of course.” One delicate brow rose a fraction of an inch. “Was there anything else we needed to discuss right now?”

      “No ma’am, unless you have questions for me.”

      She gave him a “you’re dismissed” look. “I thank you for walking me home, but if you will excuse me, there are many preparations to be made.”

      Simon touched the brim of his hat again. “Then I’ll be on my way. Thank you again for your hospitality, and I’ll bring the kids over in a couple of hours.”

      Then he paused. “Can you direct me to the restaurant?”

      With a nod, she turned to face the way they’d come. “Go back as far as Second Street, then turn right. The restaurant will be a block and a half on your left.” She faced him again and the movement brought them unexpectedly closer together.

      Her eyes widened and for a moment her aloof exterior cracked the tiniest bit. Her breathing seemed to hitch for just a heartbeat and her fingertips fluttered to her throat as if seeking a pulse there. Oh, yes, beneath that ice-queen exterior, an ember glowed. An ember he’d like to see burn brighter.

      She recovered quickly, though, dropping her hand and schooling her expression. “The sign in front of the building reads Daisy’s Restaurant,” she said coolly. “You can’t miss it.”

      With a thank-you for Mrs. Pierce and a tip of his hat for Miss Jacobs, Simon took his leave.

      Meeting Miss Jacobs had relieved at least one of his concerns. The woman seemed willing and able to provide whatever mothering the children would need these next few days.

      But his wayward mind was more interested in Mrs. Pierce than her boarder. That little close encounter they’d just had had obviously rattled her. And he wouldn’t deny he’d felt something, as well. It was nothing more than mere curiosity, though—he couldn’t let it be anything more. He had no time in his life right now for anything but meeting the kids’ needs. Still, there was nothing to say he couldn’t enjoy getting to know his hostess better while he was stuck here.

      Would she be able to maintain that ice-queen demeanor once the children invaded her home? Or would that other, less confident but much more interesting Mrs. Pierce show through?

      Well, if anything could strip the standoffish tendencies from a person, it was dealing with a houseful of kids. And he was rather pleased he’d be around to watch it happen.

Chapter Three

      Eileen watched Mr. Tucker walk away, studying the casual confidence of his demeanor, still confused by her own reaction to him. There was nothing sophisticated or polished about the man. He’d called himself a handyman and cabinetmaker, which to her translated into a common laborer with some carpentry skills. His hands had been callused and even had a couple of rough-looking scars.

      Not at all the kind of man she should be attracted to.

      So what was it about him that drew her? There was the confidence in his bearing and his earnestness. And then there was his warm smile that reached all the way to his cornflower eyes that just drew a person in.

      “That Mr. Tucker seems like a nice young man.”

      Eileen started, as if she’d been caught mooning over some imaginary beau. She turned and stepped through the gate, ignoring Dovie’s knowing smile. “I suppose.”

      She returned to a businesslike manner, dismissing her wayward and totally inappropriate thoughts. Better to focus on the trouble that was about to descend on her. Ten children—what had she been thinking? She had no idea how to deal with children of any age, much less a horde of them.

      But she could handle this. After all, she had been trained to be ready to rise to any sort of social emergency with grace and confidence. How much worse could this be than handling household servants or an unruly party guest or even a last-minute menu disaster? As for the matter of her financial straits being discovered, she’d have to put a good face on that as best she could. Surely it was only a matter of remaining unruffled and not allowing her guests to get overly familiar.

      She turned to Dovie with returning confidence. “As the person in town with the biggest home, I felt it was my duty to offer shelter to these poor stranded children.” Not entirely true—she hadn’t volunteered so much as been cornered, but in the end she had agreed to help.

      Dovie eyed her approvingly. “Opening your home to them was a generous, Christian gesture, especially being as you’re such a private kind of person. And don’t you worry, like I told that young man, I’ll pitch in and help where I can.”

      Thank goodness Dovie liked to keep busy. This new situation would certainly afford her boarder plenty of opportunities for that. “I appreciate your offer.” She unbent slightly. “I’ll admit, I don’t have experience dealing with children.” No, that was one lady-of-the-manor skill she had never been taught.

      “Don’t you worry about that none. The only thing you have to know is that what children need most is love, patience and discipline. And of course a grounding in the Good Book. Give them that and the rest will work itself out.”

      Eileen didn’t have a response for that, so she moved on to something else. “The members of the Ladies Auxiliary have agreed to help with the meals.”

      Dovie fell into step with her as they moved to the house. “It’s always good when a whole community comes together to help those in need.” She gave Eileen a sideways look. “So when are the children supposed to get here?”

      “In about two hours.”

      “Then we’d best get to work.”

      Eileen took a deep breath. Since her husband’s death, she’d found herself overwhelmed by the debt he’d left behind. She’d been reduced to selling many of her prized furnishings, as furtively as possible, of course, and had had to do some creative rearranging of the remaining pieces to try to cover it up.

      The result was that many of the unused rooms were stripped to the bare essentials and had been closed off from view, even from her boarder. Not that she had many visitors these days.

      But now she was going to be forced to open those rooms up for her guests’ use and there would be no hiding anything. It would be best to prepare Dovie for the reality she would soon see. “You should know that the furnishings are rather sparse in most of the extra rooms.”

      Dovie seemed to see nothing wrong with that. “As long as your guests have a bed to rest in, I don’t imagine they’ll be doing any complaining.”

      “There are six girls and four boys to accommodate besides Mr. Tucker.” It was just hitting her that the man who’d thrown her so off balance today would be residing here, as well.