spent the rest of the evening with the baby before her seven-thirty bedtime. After that, she either cut out the pieces for a quilt or maybe watched some television before she turned in. Tonight, Landon had given her and Sally a taste of the joy of the season. They had a tree. Ugly as the poor thing was, standing over there in the corner with too many branches in some places and gaping holes in others, it was theirs, and Landon would be sharing in the fun of making decorations.
She hummed as she spooned the dumplings into a large crock bowl and put it in the center of the table. Then she added a platter of sliced bread and a small divided plate with two kinds of cheese. Landon seated her before he took his place and then waited for her to say a simple prayer.
“We didn’t say grace when I was growing up, and we didn’t go to church,” she said after she finished. “But after the fire, I decided that I needed to go to church, and that I’d raise my daughter to respect God.”
“We didn’t pray over our food either,” Landon said. “But I got used to saying grace when I moved to Daisy to be near my two brothers. Everyone out there, and everybody here on the Longhorn Canyon Ranch, respects God, like you said.”
She dipped up small bowls full of chicken and dumplings for each of them, and then put a few spoonfuls on a saucer to cool for Sally. “She can eat a lot of things by herself, but not this.”
“I’ll help.” Landon cut a dumpling into pieces and blew on a spoonful until it was cool enough to feed her. “Here you go, princess.”
Sally closed her eyes and made an “mmmm” noise when she tasted the food in her mouth.
Landon put the first bite into his mouth and said, “I agree. These are great.”
Dixie could feel the heat rising up the back of her neck. Not once had her ex-boyfriend ever complimented her on anything that she cooked. More than once, he had come in from work, taken one look at the supper table, and said, “I’m not eating this crap. I’m going down to the convenience store and get myself a burrito.”
“Thank you.” Dixie kept her eyes on her plate and hoped he couldn’t see her scarlet-red cheeks.
I will not think about the past, she vowed. I will enjoy the memories I have already made today and look forward to what is ahead during this holiday season.
When they finished eating, she cleaned Sally’s face and hands, set her on an area rug with some of her toys, and turned around to find Landon clearing the table. “I can take care of that,” she told him.
“Oh, no!” Landon rolled up his sleeves above the elbows. “You cooked and fed me a great supper. It’s only fair that I help with the cleanup. I don’t know where everything goes, so if it’s all right, I’ll wash, and you can dry.”
Dixie couldn’t keep her eyes off his muscular forearms. A vision of him wrapping her up in his arms popped into her head. The temperature of her body jacked up at least ten degrees, and her voice sounded strange in her own ears when she said, “That’s fine and thank you.”
He washed the tea glasses first, rinsed them, and set them in the drainer. Her hands shook when she picked the first one up, and she dropped it on the floor. It shattered, sending glass all around her legs and feet. Landon scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the living room. He set her down on a rocking chair and grabbed the broom.
Landon makes me feel like a queen and this rocking chair is my throne.
“I’ll clean it up. Just don’t let the baby come into the kitchen until I’m sure there are no more slivers on the floor,” he said. “Are you hurt? Did you get cut? I didn’t realize you’d kicked your shoes off until I looked down.”
They both noticed a blood spot on the top of her sock at the same time. “Where’s your medicine cabinet? In the bathroom?”
“What you need is in the cabinet to the left of the bathroom sink,” she answered.
He picked up the baby, set her in Dixie’s lap, and handed Dixie the first book he could lay his hands on. “Here, you hold Sally so she doesn’t get into the glass, and I’ll