Homespun Bride

236 Homespun Bride“I think you do. Maybe you might offer your opinionon the plans for this house. I want her to have a roomyplace to do all the kitchen work easily and not so closethat she catches her skirts on fire on the stove.”“Very easy to do,” Noelle agreed.“And a sunny spot for the kitchen table, a placewhere you just want to sit over a cup of tea and spendtime jawin’.”“I can imagine it. A lot of cabinets and a roomypantry—you could spend some of your winter monthsmaking them for her. A round table between the cornerwindows and a place for boots and coats to dry.” Thefuture she could see might have once been her dream,but it felt right sharing it with him. “There will bechildren one day who will need a place to come infrom playing in the snow and warm up.”“Children.” His baritone dipped intimately. When hespoke next, his voice vibrated with emotion. “Now, Ihadn’t quite got that far. Except for four upstairsbedrooms.”“Four sounds like a nice number.”“It surely does.” His heart was full to bursting as henosed Sunny off the main road. “I’ve been thinkingabout building a little cottage behind the main housefor my ma. Aiden’s taken care of her all this time, andI feel as if it’s my duty now. What do you think of that?”“As long as she would want to move. She has herown house.”“Yep, and with both of my brothers there, too. It’smy hope Aiden will come to marry again one day, andthen she’ll be feeling in the way again.” He gripped thereins more tightly. He could feel his dearest hopesready to come true, and it was so much to lose. “I