he said. âGo catch a mouse.â
Madelyn knew what to do now. She got the sterilized jugs she had noticed on her first trip through the kitchen and found a straining cloth. He gave her a strange look as she held the straining cloth over the mouth of the jug for him to pour the milk through. âGrandma Lily used to do this,â she said in a blissful tone. âI was never strong enough to hold the bucket and pour, but I knew Iâd be an adult the day she let me pour out the milk.â
âDid you ever get to pour it?â
âNo. She sold the cow the summer before I started school. She just had the one cow, for fresh milk, but the area was already building up and becoming less rural, so she got rid of it.â
He set the bucket down and took the straining cloth. âThen hereâs your chance for adulthood. Pour.â
A whimsical smile touched her lips as she lifted the bucket and carefully poured the creamy white liquid through the cloth into the jug. The warm, sweet scent filled the kitchen. When the bucket was empty she set it aside and said, âThank you. As a rite of passage, that beats the socks off of getting my driverâs license.â
This time it happened. Reeseâs eyes crinkled, and his lips moved in a little half grin. Madelyn felt more of that inner shifting and settling, and knew that she was lost.
CHAPTER THREE
âT HERE ISNâT MUCH nightlife around, but there is a beer joint and café about twenty miles from here if youâd like to go dancing.â
Madelyn hesitated. âWould you mind very much if we just stayed here? You must be tired, and I know I am. Iâd rather put my feet up and relax.â
Reese was silent. He hadnât expected her to refuse, and though he was tired, heâd been looking forward to holding her while they danced. Not only that, having people around them would dilute his focus on her, ease the strain of being alone with her. She wasnât right for him, damn it.
On the other hand, heâd been up since four that morning, and relaxing at home sounded like heaven. The hard part would be relaxing with her anywhere around.
âWe could play Monopoly. I saw a game in the bookcase,â she said. âOr cards. I know how to play poker, blackjack, spades, hearts, rummy, Shanghai, Spite and Malice, Old Maid and Go Fish.â
He gave her a sharp glance at that improbable list. She looked as innocent as an angel. âI lost my Old Maid cards, but we can play rummy.â
âJokers, two-eyed jacks, threes, fives, sevens and Rachel are wild,â she said promptly.
âOn the other hand, thereâs a baseball game on television tonight. What the hell is a rachel?â
âItâs the queen of diamonds. They have names, you know.â
âNo, I didnât know. Are you making that up?â
âNope. Rachel is the queen of diamonds, Palas is the queen of spades, Judith is the queen of hearts, and Argine is the queen of clubs.â
âDo the kings and jacks have names?â
âI donât know. That little bit of information has never come my way.â
He eyed her again, then leaned back on the couch and propped his boots on the coffee table. She saw a hint of green gleam in his eyes as he said, âThe little plastic doohickey on the end of your shoelaces is called an aglet.â
She mimicked his position, her lips quirking with suppressed laughter. âThe dimple in the bottom of a champagne bottle is called a punt.â
âThe empty space between the bottle top and the liquid is called ullage.â
âA newly formed embryo is called a zygote.â
âBirdâs nest soup is made from the nests of swiftlets, which make the nests by secreting a glutinous substance from under their tongues.â
Madelynâs eyes rounded with fascination, but she rose to the challenge. âPink flamingos are pink because they eat so many shrimp.â
âIt takes