Page 46 of Singing For His Kiss

She was taken aback for a moment. “Okay. If you think you’d like my thoughts.”

“I want to hear your thoughts. But enough about Highland Hotels. Tonight I need a reprieve, and to prove my point, I’m going to amaze you with my culinary skills.” James diced the lettuce into tiny pieces and tossed them into the salad bowl.

Mrs. D’llessio watched him dubiously. “Mr. Rhyder, this is my job. I will finish the salad.”

“Tonight, we all help.” James came behind Madeline, holding the plastic lettuce knife in her hand and placing a cucumber on a cutting board in front of her. “Do you think you can cut this, Madeline?”

Elizabeth was entranced by this new, light-hearted James. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him. His movements. His expressions. His smile. It was completely spell-binding.

Madeline’s face contorted as she regarded the vegetable. James helped her slice off a section. “Like this.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

James held her hand, and they sliced a chunk off the cucumber together. Elizabeth’s heart constricted at the tender sight of father helping daughter at the task. She quickly turned to the tomatoes and started to cut them.

“What made you become a jackaroo, Elizabeth?”

“I’m not really sure.” She’d wandered into town and had been at the right place at the right time. “I helped round up some cattle that had wandered onto a road that day. They broke through a part of a fence. They must have been impressed with me because they offered me a week’s worth of work. Six months later, I was still there.”

“You sound as though you enjoyed it.”

Elizabeth finished the tomato and reached for another, considering her answer. She paused, her knife resting on the board. “I actually did. It was hard work, and we had to do everything from making our own bread to fixing the machines if they broke down, cleaning out the chook cage to tending to the newborn calves, but it was good.” She loved the fresh air, the sense of peace the animals brought, the open land without anything around her but grass, cattle and trees.

“Did you see a cow being borned?”

Elizabeth laughed. “I saw cows giving birth to calves in calving season. You had to watch out for the mothers when they were due. Make sure they didn’t wander off in the wrong direction. They needed lots of help when they had their little babies. But luckily, we were around. The newborns are very cute. Do you know the first thing they try to do is walk? Imagine a human baby trying to do that.”

“Babies can’t walk for five years after they’re borned.” Madeline blinked at Elizabeth, wide-eyed.

Elizabeth chuckled. “Not five years, but at least one year. Someone has to carry them around for all that time before they walk. Could you imagine a cow carrying a calf on their backs?”

Madeline giggled. “That’s silly.”

“Not so silly. Did you know humans are the only animals who don’t need to walk straight after they’re born?”

“Did my Mum have to carry me around everywhere?” Madeline tilted her head to ask her father.

“Yes. And when she was tired, I had to take over and carry you,” James said.

“That’s okay. I’m light.”

“No. You were a big baby. I got a backache carrying you around everywhere.”

Madeline giggled. “You did not.”

“I did so.” James bent over and put his hand on his lower back, imitating an elderly person. “That’s why I have to walk around like this all the time.”

“You do not.” Madeline giggled louder. Her laughter was infectious, and Elizabeth found herself smiling.

James stooped lower, bending his knees as though he was carrying a very heavy weight. “Most of the time, I walked like this.”

“No, you didn’t.” Madeline cracked up laughing.

Elizabeth seized the broom that rested against a wall and thrust it into James’ hand. “Here, old man. You might need this.”

“Thank you. Just what I need.” His arm wobbled on the broom handle, and he staggered around the table as though on crooked, stiff legs.

“Daddy, you did not have to walk that way.”

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