it was the right thickness, she sprinkled the sugar and pecan mixture she’d already made. Next, it was time to carefully roll the dough into a neat cylinder, and finally slice off the end of the log into neat one-inch sections.
After about the third slice, she found a good rhythm. She sliced and placed the circles into the greased pans by her side. It was a gut feeling to finally be doing something right for Frannie.
In no time at all, she was finished—just as Chris was finishing up his third bowl and the last of the thick blue stoneware plates that Frannie was so proud of.
“The cinnamon rolls look good.”
“You know what, I think they might even turn out, when they rise some. I’m not much of a baker.” Feeling her cheeks heat, she said, “Though, of course, I guess you have realized that.”
“I’ve only been teasing you. I didn’t come in here to judge, Beth.”
She nodded, taking his words to heart.
Looking at the pans filled with rising sweet dough inside, he murmured, “So, are you planning to bake any of these today?”
She grinned, because Chris wasn’t even trying to hide his anticipation of a taste testing. “I’ll bake half today, and the rest tomorrow morning.”
“Maybe I’ll stick around, then.”
She didn’t know why that made her so happy all of a sudden.
Looking for something to say, she stammered, “S-s-so, did you come here for a job?”
“I did.”
Stung by his lack of explanation, she faltered, desperate for another avenue of conversation. She knew from babysitting a great many children that most men loved to talk about their work. Trying to be friendly . . . and yes, because she was a little bit nosy, too, she said, “And . . . do you think you’re going to like this job?”
“I hope so.” He eyed her again, looked like he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to reveal more of himself or not.
“Is it near the quarry?” she pressed, remembering his early question about the quarry.
“Close enough.”
Oh, brother. She was just about to tell him that he could move on with his non-conversation when he said, “Listen, I know I sound pretty secretive. I don’t mean to be. It’s just that I don’t want to jinx anything.”
“Jinx?”
“I’ve been out of work for a while. So getting hired in Marion was a real relief. For right now, it doesn’t matter if I like my boss or my job. Quite frankly, I’m going to like being employed. Good jobs are hard to come by, you know?”
“Oh, I know that,” she said in a rush, now realizing why he hadn’t been more forthcoming. “My daed was laid off for three months last year. Him being without a job was scary.”
For the first time, his expression softened. “But he found something?”
She nodded. “He got on with one of the greenhouses in the area. Everyone needs help in the spring and summer. It was tough because he got laid off in October. No one wanted to hire anyone new before winter.”
“So he had no job during Christmas?”
“Yep,” Beth said, wondering how this man—this Chris—was managing to control the conversation again. He was telling her no information and she was practically telling him her whole life story! “ Now, about you . . . do you know what you’ll be doing?”
“I do. But it is sure to bore you.”
“I’m sure it will not.” Was he keeping his life a secret on purpose? “I find most things interesting.”
His lips quirked. “Have you heard any news from your friend Frannie?”
“I got a phone call from the sheriff. I guess they’re going to keep Frannie overnight again. But she will recover just fine.”
He looked wary. “Why would the sheriff tell you that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, why is the sheriff calling you with updates for the woman’s injury?”
She relaxed. “Oh, you don’t understand how things work in Crittenden County. The sheriff is Mose Kramer. Everyone knows him. He’s more of a gossip than the sewing circle at the library. Plus, he knows it would be difficult for me to visit there. I have no car, of course.”
“Hmm.” Chris didn’t look very impressed, and she supposed he wouldn’t be. Describing Mose was a difficult thing, and she wasn’t doing a very good job of it.
“Anyway,” she said, feeling her way around, now that he seemed so discomfited, “Mose said that Frannie’s eye is bandaged, but she should be just fine, and will probably be healed up by tomorrow. She’s only staying another night