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however, it disappeared into
their open mouths. For a few minutes, Anna could only stare. They
ate almost like savages.
    A hand touched Anna’s arm. Aunt Lola winked.
Heat crawled up Anna’s neck and she dropped her gaze to her bowl.
It was empty. She’d better get some food before the men ate it all.
There would likely be no leftovers.
    As the vigorous pace of eating finally
slowed, Mr. O’Brien leaned back in his chair and spoke up. “Well
now, let me introduce my boys to you both. This here’s Monty
Dominguez, our foreman. He’s been with me since he was old enough
to toss a rope, and I couldn’t ask for a better friend or foreman.
Next to him is Bo, Monty’s little brother. Monty finally talked him
into comin’ over from Mexico a couple years back, and we keep him
around to make sure Monty stays out o’ trouble.” A snort issued
from Monty as Bo elbowed him in the side. A grin split the younger
man’s handsome face.
    Mr. O’Brien continued, “And down at the end
are Miguel and Donato, Monty’s cousins. You’ll find most of the cow
hands on the Double Rocking B are related to Monty somehow or
another. We’ve decided they’re a pretty good family with a healthy
dose of cow sense. Besides, it’s easier for Monty to keep ’em in
line if they’re related to him.” A round of guffaws and elbow pokes
erupted as the men heckled each other. Anna glanced in Edward’s
direction. A wide grin spread across his youthful face.
    After supper was complete and all the dishes
washed and put away, Anna followed Aunt Lola into the den for the
evening Bible reading. Mr. O’Brien had invited Edward and her to
join them for the devotions, after which he’d challenged Edward to
a checker match. Her brother had loved the game since he was a
young boy and was always looking for a new partner with whom to
hone his skills.
    The den was a comfortable, homey room with a
large fireplace and rustic wood planks covering the walls and
flooring. Over the fireplace hung a large painting of a man, woman,
and small boy, set in an elaborately carved mahogany wood frame.
The man was a much younger version of Mr. O’Brien, with the same
dark blue eyes he and his cousin both shared. The blonde woman by
his side was lovely, with a joy that seemed to radiate from her as
she hugged the young boy. The eyes of both the woman and the lad
were also blue but were a lighter sky blue whose crystal clarity
might have been a little creative liberty from the artist. Was it
possible for real people to have eyes that striking? Altogether,
the little family reflected a love that tightened Anna’s chest and
sent a familiar burning sensation to her eyes.
    “Marty had that portrait painted not long
after they finished building the main house.” Aunt Lola’s voice
broke into her thoughts. She’d been caught staring.
    She opened her mouth to respond but was
interrupted by Mr. O’Brien’s booming voice as Edward followed him
into the room. They all settled into chairs around the hearth, even
though the weather was too warm for a fire. Mr. O’Brien filled
every inch of a large wing-back chair as he sat with the Bible in
his lap and spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose. Aunt
Lola, beside him in a worn rocking chair, picked up a bundle of
yellow yarn from the basket at her side and began crocheting tiny
stitches. Anna and Edward lounged on a strait-back sofa across from
them.
    As Mr. O’Brien read Jesus’ Sermon on the
Mount from the book of Matthew, Anna’s eyes drifted around the room
and rested on an empty wing-back chair beside her between the sofa
and the fireplace. Whose chair was that? Probably an extra for
guests.
    While Mr. O’Brien continued his reading, the
sun disappeared into darkness, cloaking the room in a cozy
atmosphere like a warm blanket on a cold night. Anna released a
long breath, allowing her fears to slip away. It was more peaceful
out here on the ranch than any place she had been. Like she was
closer to her heavenly