Robin?”
Ty knelt so he would be eye level with the boy. “What say we let her cook and bring us lunch, then we’ll catch fish for supper. Think we can do that?”
Jacob turned to Robin. “Will you come for promise?”
“I promise, Jacob. Ty and I will always keep our promises to you.”
Ty’s chest tightened. She’d never called him anything other than Mr. Morgan. Did his face reveal his surprise? His pleasure? Why did it please him? It wasn’t like he’d never had a woman use his first name.
Jacob slung the pole across his shoulder and reached for Ty’s hand. “I’m ready now.”
Ty squeezed the boy’s fingers. “Can you whistle, Jacob? A fella needs to whistle when he’s going fishing.”
Jacob puckered his lips and blew. Lots of air escaped, but no noise.
“That’s okay, buddy. You keep practicing. You’ll be whistling by the time we reach the creek.” Ty glanced over his shoulder as they stepped from the porch. Jacob’s hand was warm against his, and the smile on Robin’s face warmed his heart. He’d told Rusty he wasn’t going down this road again.
But this was a different journey. Wasn’t it?
###
Jacob squished an ant that crawled across the tattered quilt Robin had spread on the ground for their picnic. “Thank you for the lunch, Robin. It was good, and I’m sorry I got pickle juice on your dress. May I be excused, please?” Jacob swiped his hand across his mouth. “Can you come fishing now?”
Robin brushed cookie crumbs off Jacob’s cheek. “Thank you for using your manners, Jacob. Yes, you may be excused, but I’m going to sit for a bit before I go fishing.”
“Aww. Why do big peoples always have to sit still after they eat?”
Ty ruffled the boy’s hair. “When I was a boy my mama made me take a nap after lunch. Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?”
“Not very.” Jacob’s lower lip jutted.
“Come here, buddy.” Ty pulled his watch from the pocket of his britches. “Here, you take this and lie down here beside Miss Robin and when that big hand—see the big hand?—when it gets to this number with a one and a two, then we’ll go fishing.”
Jacob sat on the blanket and crossed his legs. “But that will take a long time.”
“No, it won’t. Lie here on your tummy and put my watch by your head so you can count the ticks. It won’t take long at all.”
Jacob flipped to his stomach and put the watch to his ear. He rubbed the blanket between his thumb and forefinger then closed his eyes.
Ty stretched out beside Jacob, propped on one elbow, and rubbed the child’s back. “Works every time.” He grinned at Robin. “Quiets kitties and puppies, too, when they’ve been taken from their mothers.”
“Or their mothers taken from them,” she whispered.
“That, too. But he seems to be adjusting, don’t you think? At least he lets me touch him now.” Ty brushed at a fly that swarmed around Jacob’s face
“He likes you, Ty. He told me so last night, and again this morning—several times. He said, ‘Ty can do everything. He can even spit, cuz I saw him.’ Thank you for that demonstration, by the way. I’m sure he’ll need to try it for himself.” She moved the picnic basket to provide shade for Jacob’s face.
He grinned. “Well, since we’re telling tales on Jacob, you want to know what he said about you while we were
Ty knelt so he would be eye level with the boy. “What say we let her cook and bring us lunch, then we’ll catch fish for supper. Think we can do that?”
Jacob turned to Robin. “Will you come for promise?”
“I promise, Jacob. Ty and I will always keep our promises to you.”
Ty’s chest tightened. She’d never called him anything other than Mr. Morgan. Did his face reveal his surprise? His pleasure? Why did it please him? It wasn’t like he’d never had a woman use his first name.
Jacob slung the pole across his shoulder and reached for Ty’s hand. “I’m ready now.”
Ty squeezed the boy’s fingers. “Can you whistle, Jacob? A fella needs to whistle when he’s going fishing.”
Jacob puckered his lips and blew. Lots of air escaped, but no noise.
“That’s okay, buddy. You keep practicing. You’ll be whistling by the time we reach the creek.” Ty glanced over his shoulder as they stepped from the porch. Jacob’s hand was warm against his, and the smile on Robin’s face warmed his heart. He’d told Rusty he wasn’t going down this road again.
But this was a different journey. Wasn’t it?
###
Jacob squished an ant that crawled across the tattered quilt Robin had spread on the ground for their picnic. “Thank you for the lunch, Robin. It was good, and I’m sorry I got pickle juice on your dress. May I be excused, please?” Jacob swiped his hand across his mouth. “Can you come fishing now?”
Robin brushed cookie crumbs off Jacob’s cheek. “Thank you for using your manners, Jacob. Yes, you may be excused, but I’m going to sit for a bit before I go fishing.”
“Aww. Why do big peoples always have to sit still after they eat?”
Ty ruffled the boy’s hair. “When I was a boy my mama made me take a nap after lunch. Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?”
“Not very.” Jacob’s lower lip jutted.
“Come here, buddy.” Ty pulled his watch from the pocket of his britches. “Here, you take this and lie down here beside Miss Robin and when that big hand—see the big hand?—when it gets to this number with a one and a two, then we’ll go fishing.”
Jacob sat on the blanket and crossed his legs. “But that will take a long time.”
“No, it won’t. Lie here on your tummy and put my watch by your head so you can count the ticks. It won’t take long at all.”
Jacob flipped to his stomach and put the watch to his ear. He rubbed the blanket between his thumb and forefinger then closed his eyes.
Ty stretched out beside Jacob, propped on one elbow, and rubbed the child’s back. “Works every time.” He grinned at Robin. “Quiets kitties and puppies, too, when they’ve been taken from their mothers.”
“Or their mothers taken from them,” she whispered.
“That, too. But he seems to be adjusting, don’t you think? At least he lets me touch him now.” Ty brushed at a fly that swarmed around Jacob’s face
“He likes you, Ty. He told me so last night, and again this morning—several times. He said, ‘Ty can do everything. He can even spit, cuz I saw him.’ Thank you for that demonstration, by the way. I’m sure he’ll need to try it for himself.” She moved the picnic basket to provide shade for Jacob’s face.
He grinned. “Well, since we’re telling tales on Jacob, you want to know what he said about you while we were
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