Charity bit her lip to keep from giggling at her daughter’s reasoning and at Ben’s solemn face.
Ben stood straight and stared at Jason. “If mama marries you, will she stay home with us and not work at the café?”
Jason nodded, “Yes if that is what she wants to do.”
“Do you, Mama?” Ben asked.
“I would love to spend each day with you and your sister.”
“Then it’s all right if you marry mama. Can we call you papa?” Ben asked.
Jason grinned, “I’d like that.”
Ben smiled back and crawled back under the table to play with his train.
Jason turned his attention back to Charity, “That was easier than I thought. I worried the children might ask me a slew of questions.”
Charity smiled, “Just give them a bit of time. You might regret asking me to marry you.”
“Never,” Jason said as he slipped the ring on her finger. “I love you, Charity.”
“And I love you.”
Jason leaned close to kiss Charity, and before he could kiss her properly, he was stopped by the giggles from the children.
Jason pulled back, and Charity couldn’t hide her amusement. “You’ll have to get used to prying eyes. Both are smart, and they don’t miss much.”
Jason shrugged, “I’ll have to remember that.”
When both children were occupied, Jason leaned close to Charity again and kissed her. When he looked up, Annie was staring at him.
“Mama said we don’t kiss boys. She told me that when Joey asked to kiss me at church,” Annie told him with her little hands on her hips.
Charity giggled out loud, and Jason asked, “When I marry your mama, can I kiss her. I won’t be just a boy; I’ll be her husband and your papa.”
Annie twisted her lip back and forth as she thought and said, “Yes, I think it’s okay to kiss when you’re married, but not much.” She turned and returned to playing with her doll.
“I suppose we’ll have to find ways to kiss when the children are not paying attention,” Jason offered.
“I wouldn’t plan on that happening, at least in the first few weeks. They will watch us closely.”
Jason’s eyebrows knitted as he thought and then asked. “Maybe we’ll have to hide in our bedroom.”
“Maybe, but I’m not sure how the children will react to you living with us. I see some interesting conversations in my future,” Charity said.
“I was hoping you’d come to live with me, and as soon as the spring thaw arrives, we could build a new house. My home is larger than yours, and perhaps in a new home, the children might accept us kissing.”
Charity answered, “I see we will have some interesting conversations, too.”
“Why? Moving into my home makes sense. It’s larger, and I have a housekeeper.”
Charity raised her eyebrows, “Are you suggesting that I don’t know how to keep house and would need a housekeeper?”
Jason shook his head, “No, of course not, but the Widow Stanley needs a job, and she’s been with me a while. I can’t turn her out. She’d go hungry or lose her home.”
“I didn’t realize she worked for you. Of course, I would welcome her help.”
“She made the meal we’re going to eat, and she loves to make cookies,” Jason offered in his defense.
Charity smiled, “That will make it easier for me to convince the children to move. It’s going to be a lot for them at one time. A wedding, a new home, a new papa.”
“Don’t forget new grandparents. My mother is thrilled that I planned to ask you to marry me.”
“You told her before you asked me? What if I said no?”
Jason leaned in for a quick peck and said, “I never considered that possibility.”
Before Charity could answer, Jason called out, “Who’s hungry? I have fried chicken and cookies here?”
Both children hurried over and settled down on the quilt. After they satisfied their hunger and enjoyed cookies and lemonade, Annie fell asleep on the quilt. Ben returned to the table to play with his train.
Ben turned around and looked at Jason. “You can kiss mama if you want. I don’t think kissing is bad.”
Jason laughed and said, “I think this marriage is going to be quite interesting.”
“With children, you never know what the day will bring. If I were you, I’d prepare myself for anything,” Charity agreed.
Chapter 6
Charity woke just as the sun began to rise over the horizon spreading a bit of light across her bed from the edge of the window. She looked at the ring on her finger and knew it wasn’t a dream. Jason had proposed, and she agreed to marry him. The children seemed happy and excited, and Charity said a small prayer that they would continue to feel that way as the days passed.
Ben’s knock at the door started the daily routine, and Charity smiled, hoping once she shared a room with Jason that mornings would remain the same.
“Mama, are you awake?” Ben asked.
Charity waited for the next knock. Annie asked, “Mama, you awake?”
Silence.
Ben, not missing his cue as he did every morning, pounded on the door and called out, “Mama, can you hear us. Are you awake?”
“Yes, my darlings, I’m awake,” Charity answered.
The door swung open, and both children bounded to the bed and climbed in for morning hugs and kisses.
“I’m hungry, Mama,” Annie told Charity with all the seriousness a three-year-old could muster. “I fell asleep too soon last night and didn’t have my cookie and milk.”
“Then we must do something to make up for that. I want the two of you to start dressing, and I’ll take you to the café
