“I’ll answer to that.”
The twins came over. “Excuse us. Mr.Rhine?” Christian said.
“What can I do for you gentlemen?”
“Can you come upstairs and listen to our prayers before we go to sleep.”
Micah chimed in, “MissMary said it was okay.”
Eddy stilled. His ties to the boys went deeper than she knew.
“I’d love to.”
Quietly moved by Rhine’s commitment to them, she said to him softly, “Endearing, again.”
He shot her a wink and he and the twins departed.
She spent another few minutes making sure the winners left with their goods in tow. Once the last person departed, a tired but happy Eddy walked into the kitchen to help with the cleanup and found Willa Grace washing dishes and Sylvia drying. Eddy grabbed a towel and Sylvia promptly plucked it from her hand. “You’ve done your share. Find a place to sit until I’m done here.”
“But—”
“You were up most of the night baking cookies, you prepared breakfast for the boarders, and spent the rest of the time setting things up here. Go and catch your breath. We’ll head home as soon as Willa Grace and I finish up.”
Eddy realized this was a battle she was destined to lose. “Okay. I’ll be on the back porch.”
When she stepped out into the darkness, the moon was up and there stood Rhine, gazing out into the night with his back to her. He was so still and seemed so deep in thought she felt like an intruder. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll go back inside.”
“You aren’t disturbing me,” he countered in a voice as quiet as the night’s breeze. “How are things going inside?”
“They’re cleaning up. Sylvie wouldn’t let me help. Says I’ve done enough for the day.” She wondered why he was out there alone. “Are the twins in bed?”
“Yes, prayers said, and Mary and Willa Grace have survived to fight another day.”
That made her smile. “Do you listen to their prayers often?”
“No. Tonight was the first time. I was honored to be asked.”
“You care about them very much, don’t you?”
“I do.”
Silence crept between them. “Are you okay, Rhine?”
He looked back at her over his broad shoulder, and the moonlight showed his sadness before he turned away again. “Let’s just say I’ll survive, too.”
“What’s wrong?”
He didn’t respond at first, and as the silence lengthened she thought he wouldn’t. He finally said, “Mary may have found a home for the boys—a couple from Sacramento.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Yes, it is.”
Yet there was something in his tone that seemed to match the sadness she’d glimpsed. She was confused by that at first until the pieces of the puzzle slowly fell into place. “You wanted to adopt them, didn’t you?”
She saw him nod. “Yes. Mary even made some preliminary inquiries on my behalf, but I’m unmarried and the state preferred they be placed with someone of their own race.”
“I’m sorry.”