Bob got off his chair and went over to her. He took the tray and, in one swift motion, locked the tray into place. “There.” Then he promptly returned to his seat.
“It’s easy,” Doug said.
She rolled her eyes. “Sure, it is.” If you’ve done it a bunch of times already. “You’ll have to show me later.” Her own growling stomach notified her that she wasn’t in the mood to go through a step-by-step instruction on getting the tray in place. She would wait. She turned to the pitcher on the work table and filled the glasses with water. “I’ll make tea punch later today. Water is boring.”
“Tea punch?” Bob’s eyes lit up. “We haven’t had that since Ma died. Our other ‘ma’, I mean.”
She turned her gaze to him and smiled. “I’m sure she did a fine job of making it.”
Joseph entered the kitchen, carrying Charles with him. “Well, he didn’t want to use the privy or chamber pot. I’m afraid you’re stuck with diapering another one. Got enough cloths ready?”
The question wasn’t how many clean cloths she had on hand; it was if she could get them to stay on right. She glanced at Doug who had worked through the process with Ben. As long as he continued to help, she could manage it. Not feeling as brave as she sounded, she replied, “I’ll be fine.”
He set Charles in the chair next to Doug and went over to kiss her. “You look wonderful this morning.”
The way he smiled at her made the heat rise in her cheeks. Even if he didn’t say it, she knew the message in his eyes—he couldn’t wait for night to come. Clearing her throat, she decided that she couldn’t keep looking at him and sound calm. The boys were just children, after all, and they didn’t need to know how his touch and kiss affected her.
“Breakfast is ready,” she said.
She cleared her throat again. So that wasn’t as smooth as she’d planned. She was doing just fine until he entered the room. Now she was a bundle of nerves. And she couldn’t wait until they were alone either. But now it was day and time to focus on the tasks at hand.
“It looks great,” Joseph replied.
“Can we eat now? I’m going to die if I don’t get some food!” Bob groaned and clutched his stomach again.
“You are not going to die.” Joseph turned to the work table to collect the glasses and helped her set out their drinks.
“Ma’s going to make tea punch today!” Doug said as he took the cup of water Margaret handed him.
“That will be a treat,” Joseph said. “We haven’t had that in a long time. I tried to make it once, but I couldn’t remember the right amount of rich sweet cream to use.”
“A half pint if you use a pint and a half of tea,” Margaret replied.
“We’re sure glad you’re here,” Bob piped up. “He can’t make tea punch or cook right.”
“You survived, didn’t you?” Joseph asked, grinning despite his reproving tone.
“Barely,” Bob teased.
Margaret sat down and waited for Joseph to sit and say grace before she allowed the boys to start passing the plates around, careful that Ben and Charles didn’t grab them. She didn’t know how much they would eat so she let Joseph select their portions.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I start at the paper,” Joseph told her from across the table as he cut into his eggs.
“Are you staying here today, Pa?” Doug asked.
“No. I have to deliver supplies for the mercantile.” He took a bite of his food and swallowed before telling her, “I agree with Bob. The food is much better now that you’re cooking it.”
“Thank you,” Margaret replied, glad he approved.
“I like it too!” Bob and Doug added.
“And thank you,” she told them before she handed Ben a pancake which he ripped apart with his hands. Startled, she pulled his hands down from his face so he didn’t stuff his mouth.
Joseph chuckled. “I should have sat next to him.”
“Well, I have to learn how to do this sooner or later,” she said as she removed all the pieces he’d made and gave him one that was safe. “There. He won’t choke on that.”
“He’s such a baby,” Bob said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes before he gulped down some water.
“You did the same thing at his age,” Joseph pointedly replied. “I remember the first time your ma left me alone to feed you. I gave you oatmeal and a spoon. You got food everywhere.”
“Oh no, not this story again,” Bob muttered to her.
She winked at him. “Thankfully, you’re a big boy now.”