Christmas on the Prairie by Frances Devine

Author:Frances Devine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Love Inspired Heartsong Presents
Published: 2014-09-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

By morning, Saturday’s cold rain had turned into four inches of snow on the ground. And there didn’t seem to be an end in sight as the snow fell, wet and heavy. Seth shook the snow from his boots, and then pulled them off as he came into the house from morning chores. He hung his coat on the peg next to the door and walked into the kitchen. Teddy stood at the stove, fixing breakfast.

“Sit down and warm yourself,” she said. “I’ll get your coffee. Breakfast is almost ready.”

“Thank you.” He padded to the table in stocking feet.

“Seems strange not having the children underfoot, doesn’t it?” She poured the steaming hot coffee into his cup, then moved back to the stove and turned the bacon in the pan.

“I guess I better hitch up the sleigh after breakfast and go get them.”

Teddy lifted slices of bacon onto a plate and cracked open two eggs in the skillet. “I’ve been wondering if you would, or if maybe you’d consider letting Ansley have another day and night with them.”

Seth frowned at his sister. “Without any word?”

“The children know what to expect during this kind of weather. They’d probably be surprised if you did show up over there.” A shrug lifted her shoulders as she slid a spatula under the eggs and flipped them over. “I took the children clothes so they’ll be fine there. And I added a few more supplies since they were staying the night. Even with three more mouths to feed, they should be cozy with more than enough.”

Seth stared at the plate she set in front of him, but his mind followed the image Teddy’s words had conjured. Ansley and the three children snuggled up together laughing, reading, singing, all in the cabin where the children longed to be in the first place. Of course they longed to be there with their parents, but was their mother’s sister the next best thing?

Teddy sat and nibbled on a biscuit, her steady gaze on him. Seth glanced at her. “That all you’re eating?”

Grinning she nodded. “No need to be a good example today. The children aren’t here.”

He sipped his coffee, watching her over the rim of his cup. Perhaps it wasn’t fair to Teddy that they’d been forced to care for Frank’s children. She had barely turned twenty years old when they came to live here. But she had taken over their care so naturally, it had never occurred to Seth that she might be giving up a chance for her own life, husband, family, by taking on the role of mother to three children. “You probably need a day off, don’t you?”

Averting her gaze, Teddy stared at her cup, fingering the rim with her forefinger. “I have to admit, it might be nice to sit in front of the fireplace with a cup of coffee and just stare in silence for a while. The house is rarely silent anymore.” She glanced up and met his gaze. “Not that I’m sorry you took the kids.

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