"You haven't met him."
Silas's expression remained steady.
"No."
Then he smiled faintly.
"But he hasn't met me properly either."
The first morning of Eleanor's married life began with smoke pouring from the kitchen stove.
She had awakened early, determined to prove that a woman from Boston could prepare a respectable frontier breakfast without servants, special training, or assistance from a man who already believed she needed to learn everything.
Unfortunately, determination was not a substitute for experience.
She built the fire too high.
Placed the bacon in a pan before it had warmed evenly.
Then became distracted while trying to mix biscuit dough.
By the time she realized something was burning, the bacon had curled into blackened strips.
She seized the skillet.
Burned the edge of her finger.
Dropped the spoon.
And knocked over a bowl of flour.
A white cloud rose around the table.
Silas entered at precisely that moment.
He stopped in the doorway.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then his gaze moved from the ruined bacon to the spilled flour.
Finally, he looked toward Eleanor.
Her hair had escaped its pins.
There was flour on her cheek.
And she held the skillet as though it were an enemy she'd captured after a lengthy battle.
Silas pressed his lips together.
Eleanor narrowed her eyes.
"Don't."
He raised both hands.
"Didn't say anything."
"You're thinking it."
His mouth twitched.
She pointed toward him with the spoon.
"Silas Boone."
He lost the battle.
Laughter burst out of him.
Eleanor stared.
Then began laughing too.
For several minutes, the kitchen filled with helpless amusement.
Finally, Silas approached the stove.
He took the skillet carefully.
Set it aside.
Then examined the biscuits.
He picked one up.
Tapped it against the edge of the table.
The sound was alarmingly solid.
Silas looked toward Eleanor.
"We could use these to mend the fence."
She gasped in mock outrage.
"That is terribly rude."
He grinned.
"Useful, though."
She grabbed a flour-dusted towel.
Swatted his arm.
He laughed harder.
Then he reached toward her injured finger.
"Let me see."
She hesitated.
He examined the small burn.
Made sure it was cooled appropriately.
Then wrapped it with clean cloth.
His hands were enormous.