about the lumber industry. Chip will be busy building the furniture, but he’s sure to benefit by having someone close by who can hold things in place, hand him tools and help in other ways. You could do that and take care of Jasper and Ruby at the same time. They trust the two of you.”
Although she would enjoy serving as Chip’s assistant, spending so much time with him could make fighting her attraction difficult. “I’ll do whatever you want, of course, but I had hoped to be working with more of the children.”
“You will. When the furniture is built and Chip moves on to his next job, we can take in more children. You’ll become one of the new group leaders. In the meantime, Spencer and I like to expose the children to different trades. We’ll be sending some in to help in the woodshop, the word help being used loosely, especially with respect to the younger ones. You’ll be responsible for seeing that they’re kept out of harm’s way—and Chip’s, as well.”
She could keep the children out of his way, but it wasn’t them she was concerned about. Unless she wanted to set herself up for disappointment, she was the one who needed to keep her distance.
Joyful shouts and bubbly laughter filled the air. The older girls at the orphanage congregated around the swings, while the older boys performed gymnastic stunts on three sets of parallel bars. Several younger children were engaged in a rousing game of follow the leader.
“Faster, Miss Callie. Faster,” Jasper called from his end of the seesaw.
Callie stood behind Ruby, who sat on the end opposite her brother, and helped the little girl spring back up after Jasper had sent his sister’s side down. “I’m going as fast as I can. Ruby isn’t as big as you are.”
“But I wanna go so fast that I bounce when I hit the bottom.”
Callie smiled. “You’re an adventurous one, Jasper. I have an idea. I’ll give Ruby a ride.” She reached for the little girl, who had clung to her ever since Tess’s oldest daughter, Lila, had brought the children back outside. “Come here, sweetheart.” Callie scooped Ruby into her arms, sat in front of the seat and T-shaped handle, with her legs to one side of the seat board, and held the little girl close.
The seesaws Callie had used as a girl had simple rope handles and had been made from roughly hewn white pine planks. The builder of this one had used Monterey pine, known for its strength and durability. Having been sanded until it was smooth, there was little likelihood of getting a splinter, as she had after riding the seesaw in a park near her parents’ house in Chicago.
The memory of her father removing the sliver resurfaced, causing tightness in her chest. Although he’d been gentle, his words had cut her to the core. See that you’re more careful after this, Caroline. I haven’t time for such trivial matters. I’ve got more pressing business to attend to.
As far back as she could remember, neither her mother nor her father had shown much interest in either of their children. As a result, she and Isaac had grown close. Her brother had been there for her back then, just as she was there for him now.
Although the war had been over for ten years, Isaac continued to deal with Soldier’s Heart, an affliction many soldiers had developed, especially those who’d endured as many battles as he had. They experienced bouts of anxiety brought on by sudden loud noises, along with elevated heart rates. Aside from a limp, the result of an invading minié ball, her brother was as healthy as the horses he loved. But if his routine was upset or something startled him, he could become as skittish as a newborn colt. With her new job at the Double T, she could help him move beyond his painful memories and enjoy life again.
“Hold on, Jasper.” Callie pushed her toes against the ground and bounced up, sending the boy dipping down a short distance.
He stated the obvious before she had an opportunity. “This won’t work. You’re too big.”
“You’re right.” Even though she’d attempted to compensate for their size difference, the weights were uneven.
A tall young man of around thirteen crossed the yard and squatted beside Jasper. “Looks like you could use a partner.”
The boy’s eyes widened. “I thought orphans was little. You’re almost all grown up.”
“I’m not an orphan. My parents run the Double T. You met my mother earlier.”
“Mama Tess is your mama?”
“She is. I’m Luke. Mama told me you’re Jasper. Would you like to ride the seesaw with me and make your sister and Miss Callie go way up high?”
“Yes!”
Callie moved to the seat, putting Ruby and her ever-present doll in front of her. Luke took his place behind Jasper and shoved off with gusto, sending Callie and Ruby rushing down. Thanks to the wood chips spread under the seesaw, they had a soft landing. Callie used both feet to push against the ground as hard as she could. Ruby squealed as they shot upward.
Up and down they went, over and over again. Since Jasper and Ruby were having such a good time, Callie couldn’t bring herself to put an end to their fun. Reality would return soon enough.
Chip’s hearty laugh came from behind her. “What do we have here?”
At the sound of his rich, full voice, she experienced a rush of breathlessness that had nothing to do with her descent as Luke kicked off on the opposite side, and everything to do with the man who’d filled her thoughts ever since he’d left on his sorrowful errand. She’d missed his solid strength and reassuring presence.
“We’re riding on a seesaw, Mr. Chip,” Jasper said, as he and Luke started upward again.
“Would you mind letting me take your place, Luke? I’d like to get in on the fun.”
“Not at all.” Once stopped, Luke climbed off and headed to where the older boys continued their impressive feats on the parallel bars.
Chip positioned Jasper in front of him. “Let’s see if we can make Miss Callie and Ruby bump a bit when they hit the ground.”
“No! I wanna go bump.” Jasper’s mouth drooped.
Callie was eager to cheer him up. “Oh, you’ll bump, Jasper. Ruby and I will see to that, won’t we, sweetheart?”
Ruby nodded. “Don’t be sad, Jaspy. We’ll make you bounce weal hard.”
“Yee-haw!” Chip hollered. “Let’s have some fun then.”
His enthusiasm was contagious. Before long both children were laughing, a welcome sound that warmed Callie’s heart. There would be plenty of time for tears and cuddles, but showing the children that life would go on and they could still have fun was important, too.
Despite her best efforts, Callie couldn’t send the seesaw upward with enough momentum to offset Chip’s larger size and grant Jasper’s wish. “We need to make a switch, Chip. I’ll take Jasper, and you can take Ruby.”
“That’s a great idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it myself. I’ve got a lot on my mind, I suppose.”
Understandable
