surveyed the damage. Harvey dumped another ruined pie in the bucket.
Miss Nellie stepped into the kitchen, still dabbing at her eyes.
Jake stood, tossed an arm around her shoulders, and gave her a hug. “Everything will be fine, Miss Nellie. We’ll find out who did this.”
“I’m sure they had a good reason.” She patted his shirtfront with a gnarled hand. “Now, don’t you be too rough on them youngsters when you find ’em. They’re just children, after all. If we could get ’em in church, that’d do them a sight more good than jail.”
Jake sighed as he looked into her kind face, lined with age and wisdom. He was probably looking at Livy O’Brien sixty years from now. Almost too tenderhearted for her own good.
She glanced around her kitchen, looking a bit confused. “I’m sorry you missed breakfast, Jake, but when I came down and saw this mess, I got so upset, I didn’t know what to do.”
“Tell you what. When Harvey and I get everything straightened up, we’ll let you treat us to some fried ham, biscuits, and gravy.” He raised his voice. “How’s that sound, Harvey?”
Harvey swiped at some gooey apple pie filling on the floor. “Best news I’ve had all day.”
* * *
Livy finished sweeping the spiderwebs from the upstairs bedrooms, then cleaned the washroom. The harsh Illinois winters kept the inhabitants of the orphanage confined close to the warmth of the kitchen, but they’d had a few days of sunshine to chase a bit of the cold away. The children would start sleeping upstairs as soon as the weather allowed.
A door slammed, followed by the boys’ raucous laughter. . . . Seth and Georgie must have come in from the cold. Moments later, they raced upstairs, grinning from ear to ear. “Tommy’s here.”
Livy’s heart rate spiked. Jake as well? Tommy’s dark hair and freckled face popped up on the stairwell a few steps below Seth. She smiled at him. “Hello, Tommy.”
The boy grinned, looking like a kid version of Jake. “Morning, Miss Livy.”
The three boys tore down the stairwell, rattling the walls. Seth hollered over his shoulder, “Mrs. Brooks said to come downstairs. We’ve got visitors.”
Livy hurried into the washroom and smoothed her flyaway curls. Frowning, she eyed the cobwebs sticking to her brown dress. She shouldn’t have worn the brown to clean in, but it was too late now. She swiped at the gossamer threads to no avail. “Oh, drat it.” Cobwebs or no, she didn’t have time to change.
She hurried down the stairs, passed the parlor, and saw Jake’s sisters with Mary and the other girls. Mrs. Brooks and Mrs. Russell were in the kitchen digging through a box of clothes. Livy tamped down a twinge of disappointment when she didn’t see Jake. Mrs. Brooks smiled, her face beaming. “Look, Livy, Mrs. Russell brought some clothes Tommy and the girls have outgrown.”
Livy peeked in the box and pulled out a pair of twill pants. “Oh, these should be perfect for Georgie.”
“And look.” Mrs. Brooks held up a tiny smocked dress. “This should fit Grace. Isn’t it darling?”
A shriek sounded from outside, and Mrs. Russell pressed a hand to her heart. “My word, what was that?”
Livy glanced out the window. “Seth fell out of the tree, but he’s fine. The snow cushioned his fall.” She laughed. “Looks like they’ve discovered a new game. That should keep them busy for a while.”
“If it doesn’t give me a heart attack in the process.”
The shared laughter felt good.
Mrs. Brooks poured coffee, and Livy carried the cups to the table. “Do you take cream? Sugar?”
“Just a little sugar, thank you.”
“How are Susie and the baby?”
“Both are fit as a fiddle. I’m having a hard time keeping Susie from overdoing it, but other than that, they’re doing fine.”
“We’re so glad you stopped by. The children will be thrilled with the clothes.”
“It’s the least I could do.” Jake’s mother sipped her coffee and smiled at Livy. “Actually, I wanted to invite you and Mary over again. The girls have been pestering me all week.” She covered her mouth as her eyes grew wide. Then she laughed, her eyes twinkling. “Oh, my goodness. That sounded like I was only inviting you two because of the girls. The truth is, I’d love to have you visit again. And, Mrs. Brooks, when the weather clears, you’ll have to bring all the children out to the farm. We’ll make a day of it.”