“No, but those kids are getting brave. This is the second time this week. When I get my hands on them, they’re going to wish they’d never landed in Chestnut, Illinois.”
“Jake, they’re innocent until proven guilty.”
His gaze snapped to hers. “Sorry. I know how you feel about those kids. Did you find some string?” he asked, effectively changing the subject.
Livy sighed. The discussion of the street kids might be on the back burner for now, but she’d bring it up again. Soon. She pulled a ball of bright-red yarn out of her pocket. “Will this work?”
“Yeah, that’ll do.” He rubbed his hands together, looking a little out of his element. “Okay, we need a pot of warm water. We’ve got to soak the husks to make them easier to work with. We’ll need some scissors too.”
Livy stepped outside and filled a black pot with snow while Jake sorted through the shucks.
When she returned, Jake glanced at her, his green eyes bright. “Did the Hays children sleep better last night?”
“Yes, they did. I think they were exhausted.”
Livy put the pot on the stove and concentrated on the melting snow, her back to him. How could he feel such compassion for the Hays children but not for the street kids he wanted to run out of town? She didn’t like the direction of her thoughts, but she couldn’t help but compare his different reactions. Of course she wanted him to care about the orphans, but she wanted him to understand the plight of the street kids as well.
When steam rose from the water, Jake threw a handful of husks into the pot. Livy poked at them with a wooden ladle as the husks became soft and pliable.
Unlike Jake’s feelings about the street kids.
There wasn’t any difference between the three children who’d lost their father two days ago and the kids who made their beds in the alleyways at night. How could she make Jake see that?
He caught her studying him, and his eyes narrowed. “Is something wrong?”
Heat rushed to her face, and she shook her head. The man was giving of his time to help her, and all she could do was find fault. “No.”
He watched her for a moment longer before lifting the pot from the stove and carrying it to the table. He fished the shucks out and placed them on a towel.
Livy poked the soggy-looking mess with her spoon. “How on earth do you intend to make a doll out of that?
He laughed, more a grunt of amusement than anything. “You’ll see. Just watch.” He picked up a husk. “First, you shape the head.” His strong hands balled up a piece of corn husk, making short work of the task. “Once you get it about the size you want, you fold two husks over the ball and tie it off at the neck with a piece of string. See? Hand me that yarn.”
Livy measured off about six inches. “Is this enough?”
“Plenty.”
Livy rested her chin in her hand, stewing over the street kids like a cat worrying a mouse. “Have you found any of the street kids yet?”
“No.” He squinted at her, his intense stare making her squirm. “Have you?”
“No.”
His brows drew together in a frown. “You been wandering around at night again?”
She shook her head, able to answer him truthfully. This time. His scrutiny made her squirm, not because of the questions he asked but because it made her aware of her everyday dress, patched and faded, and that she’d barely had time to run a brush through her hair that morning before pinning the mass up out of the way.
He turned back to the job at hand.
“Okay, now we make the arms. Here.” He handed her three pieces of husk. “You’d better do this part.”
“Me?” Livy sat up straighter. “What do I do?”
“Just braid ’em. Like pigtails.”
She complied, and Jake threaded the braid crosswise through the layers of the bodice. Then he picked up two corn husks and fitted them over the shoulders like a shawl, crossing and gathering the pieces at the waist. “How does that look?”
“Perfect.”
“Tie a piece of string here while I hold this in place.”
Livy did as Jake instructed. Her fingers brushed against his, and she felt the warm, rough texture of his hands. Her eyes flew up to meet his gaze, and he gave her a lopsided smile. Her heart did a slow somersault in her chest, and for a moment, Livy thought she might not be able to