Page 26 of Her Gentle Protector
The smell of leather and manure filled the air as Baxter settled down on his makeshift bed. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the creaks and groans of the old barn. The last thing he needed was to imagine things in the dark.
“Mr. Hartman?”
Baxter’s ears perked up as he heard the approaching scuffle of feet and saw the light from a lantern cast across the barn’s interior. He propped himself up, squinting at the door to see a faint silhouette of a person holding an oil lantern in their hand.
“What are you doing out here, Midge?”
“Are you sleeping already?” She moved closer, the light from the lantern creating a glow around her head.Almost like a halo.“You’ll be joinin’ us for dinner, won’t you?”
“I have a sandwich. I’m not going to take your food.”
“We are just having beans and rice. You deserve a hot meal,” she said firmly. “It’s not much, but it’s what we got. Now come on in.”
Baxter hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. With a sigh, he nodded, wiping his hands clean on a nearby cloth. “That sounds better than a cheese sandwich.”
“A cheese sandwich sounds heavenly,” she said, heading back to the house.
He scrambled out of the wagon, sandwich clutched in his fist, before trotting after her into the kitchen. Stepping into the dimly lit kitchen, the aroma of beans and rice filled his nostrils, stirring a hunger he hadn’t realized he had. Midge moved about the room with ease, her light brown hair pulled back from her face, revealing her flushed cheeks.
“Need any help?” he asked, feeling out of place in the snug confines of the kitchen.
Midge glanced at him, considering his offer. She finally nodded towards a knife and cutting board. “Can you slice up that cornbread and put it on the plate?”
Baxter complied, his large hands making quick work of the task. As they worked side by side, the atmosphere in the kitchen seemed to shift into a crackling tension that Baxter couldn’t ignore. There was something about the way Midge moved, the curve of her hips, the way she brushed against him as she reached for the salt bowl. It was as if they were both aware of the underlying attraction between them, but neither dared to acknowledge it.
He placed the platter of golden squares on the table and waited for Midge to say something.
“Alright,” Midge said, looking over the simple spread. “Let’s get everyone fed.” She called her siblings. Baxter noticed that Peter, Ira, and Josiah were missing from the group.
The children rushed in and grabbed chairs at the table. Petunia sat down and lifted Abilene onto her lap.
“I thought you’d be in the barn with the rats,” Petunia teased.
“They don’t come out until a little later. I should be sound asleep by then.”
“Y’all wash your hands?” Midge asked, her stern gaze sweeping over the children, who nodded in unison. She began dishing out the beans and rice, her movements efficient as she filled each plate.
“Ira! Josiah!” she yelled. “Come on now, git your plates.”
“Did Peter come back?” Baxter asked softly when Midge walked by him.
She shook her head and continued filling plates. “Alright, everyone,” she announced, her voice steady. “Eat up, then it’s off to bed.”
Handing Baxter, a plate of beans and rice, she offered him a piece of cornbread. “You can sit in Peter’s chair.”
“Where are you sitting?”
“I’ll eat shortly.”
“Then I’ll wait for you.” He placed his plate on top of the stove to keep warm.
The sound of spoons scraping against plates filled the room as the children dug into their meal. Baxter watched Midge, her every movement laced with determination, and felt a newfound respect for her blossoming within him. He knew in that moment how much she would sacrifice for her siblings.
Once the last of the children finished their meal and headed off to bed, Baxter noticed Midge returned to the table, but didn’t prepare herself a plate.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked her, standing to retrieve the plate he placed on the stove.
“I’ll eat soon.”
