“Darlin’?” Duke muttered as Caroline lowered her chin and folded her arms.
And just like that, words failed her. She’d prayed hundreds of times. Thousands probably. At least, especially since she’d prayed dozens of times each day as she went through her separation and divorce. She honestly didn’t know how she’d have made it out alive otherwise.
Something slid along the floor, and someone coughed, and then Caroline practically yelled, “Dear God,” into the stunted, soul-sucking silence.
The back door opened with a man saying, “That blasted well is going—oh.”
Caroline looked over to Dawson’s daddy, who quickly swiped his cowboy hat from his head, his eyes squeezing closed as he held it over his heart.
“We’re grateful to be in Three Rivers,” she said, not even sure where the words came from. They sounded so stupid, as the Rhineharts lived here. And had for years and years. At the same time, she wondered if they even knew how special their small town was. If they even knew how good their lives here were.
“We’re grateful for Abby for making this food. If ittastes half as good as it smells, we’re going to eat like royalty today.”
Dawson’s hand slid along her waist, and Caroline melted into the touch. “Bless the food that it’ll keep our bodies healthy and strong, and our minds clear and able to make decisions. Bless our hands that we can do good, and bless our eyes to see those around us who need help. Then, bless us to get out of our minds and offer our assistance, as each of us has so much to offer to those around us.”
She honestly had no idea what else to say. She wasn’t even sure what she’d already said, but she had uttered some gratitude and something about a blessing on the food, and she figured she might as well wrap up this massacre.
“Amen.” The two-syllable word scraped her throat, and Caroline dropped her hands back to her sides, opened her eyes, and leaned into Dawson.
No one moved or said anything. They didn’t even seem to be breathing. They all stared at her, and as she looked from April to Abby to Brandon to Wade, it seemed to be for a different reason for each of them.
April seemed shocked. Abby grinned like a mother hen who’d welcomed home a long-lost chick. Brandon mirrored April, and Wade wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion.
“Well,” Duke said. “I think that was about perfect.” He smiled at Caroline as he reached to pick up a plate.They so weren’t eating chili for lunch, but the scent in the air…. “It’s sure nice to have a different voice say a prayer.”
“What does that mean?” Dawson asked, plenty of bite in his tone.
“It means,” Duke said as he picked up four quarters of a quesadilla to make a whole one on his plate. “That Caroline.” His eyes switched to hold hers. “Said some real nice things. Good reminders, that weren’t the same rote stuff we say at our house.” He glanced at his wife. “Right, Zona?”
She cleared her throat and said, “Yeah. Yep.” She too picked up a plate, but Caroline watched as Duke mounded shredded cheese onto each quesadilla. “I’ve forgotten to be grateful for where I live. It was a nice reminder.”
“I liked the part about our hands needing to be blessed to do good,” Brandon said.
Duke turned and put his quesadillas in the microwave, but Zona added cheese, dolloped on sour cream, then piled on lettuce, tomatoes, and guac before she took her plate to the table.
“What is happening here?” she murmured to Dawson, who hadn’t moved to get in line. His father now washed at the sink, and April had gotten in line behind Brandon.
“It’s a chili quesadilla,” he said. “You just have to imagine a bowl of chili—with all the stuff.Cheese, green onions, sour cream—inside a tortilla.” He indicated she should go in front of him, and Caroline knew his mother wouldn’t get food until every one of her chicks had it and was eating.
“It’s like a taco almost,” April said. “I love ‘em, and my grandma knew I was in big trouble today, so I’m pretty sure she made them just for me.”
“That’s not true,” Abby said quickly. “I started the chili last night, sweetheart, and no one knew you were in trouble then.”
Caroline glanced at the girl as she loaded hers the same way her daddy did. She passed him the plate, and he swapped his for hers. She started loading it with the other toppings, and about the time she finished, she and her daddy were able to switch plates again.
She wanted to ask what kind of trouble the teenager had gotten into, but she held her tongue. “I’ll tell you later,” Dawson whispered, nudging her down the line. “You can eat them straight up,” he added in a louder voice. “Like a legit quesadilla. I like to dip some of mine in ranch dressing.” He leaned over and picked up the bottle on the edge of the counter. “And I like to make others into tacos, like April said.”
“So it’s chili,” Caroline said, seeing all the pieces in front of her. Close family. Lots of good food. Warm house. “But it’s a quesadilla-taco-type of situation.”
Dawson grinned at her. “You got it, darlin’.”
“You want your cheese melted?” Duke asked,though his plate was done and he could join his wife at the table.
Caroline looked at the two quesadillas she’d put on her plate. “Just one,” she said, quickly removing the other. She put a healthy handful of cheese on it and gave the plate to Duke.
“I’ll get it for her,” Dawson said.
“Thanks, brother.” Duke said the word easily, but Caroline wondered how it landed in Dawson’s ears. He didn’t seem to think much of it, and he made all but one of his quesadillas into triangular tacos.