Montana Cowboy Family

by Linda Ford

  She brought forth a smile that went no farther than her mouth. “We’ll be fine.”

  “I hope so.” Still he lingered at the doorway. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise.” The skin around his eyes crinkled as if he had an amusing thought. “But if you don’t stop looking so worried, I might be tempted to wrap my arms about you and hold you tight.” He lifted one shoulder in a mocking gesture. “Though I don’t suppose it would solve anything.” He sighed deeply. “Tomorrow I will go to Wolf Hollow and see what I can learn. Good night.” He pulled open the door and left.

  In the other room, Jeannie’s cries died away and Sadie knew she must have fallen asleep. Poor little tyke. Sadie waited, but Beth did not come out of the bedroom.

  Through the window, she watched as Logan spoke to Sammy. Sammy nodded.

  They both glanced toward the house. Logan continued to talk and Sammy stood up taller.

  Sadie smiled. Whatever Logan said had turned Sammy from an unhappy boy into one ready to face whatever life handed him.

  Like Logan offering her a hug had done for her.

  No, he hadn’t given it, and they both knew doing so would have solved nothing except perhaps to temporarily relieve the anxious tension within her. It would simply return with increased strength afterward.

  Logan rode away. Sammy came to the house. Hearing him, Beth returned to the living area and the two of them sat down to do lessons without any urging from Sadie.

  She found it difficult to concentrate on her own work.

  Not until she lay in her bed, the two girls asleep in the big bed and Sammy asleep on the cot in the other room, did she feel free to evaluate the day and her own reactions.

  Determined to sort things out in order to keep her heart steady and her thoughts focused, she lay awake staring up at the darkened ceiling. Everyone—child or adult—deserved a rock.

  She thought of Logan’s arms about her, solid as a rock.

  With a sigh, she snuggled into the covers. Tomorrow she would have a firm talk with herself about how she must not depend on him.

  It would hurt too fiercely if he should ever learn her secret.

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning Logan left the ranch early, intent on getting to Wolf Hollow in good time. He’d had a restless night, waking himself several times with his own moans. The sight of Sammy’s back permeated his sleeping thoughts. Sadie had been right all along, and it shattered Logan’s belief in the goodness of family. But without family, what would happen to these children? Their mother was gone and if their father didn’t take care of them, they would be orphans. He wasn’t familiar with the laws concerning orphaned children, but if Sadie wasn’t allowed to keep them they’d be sent to an institution or parceled out one at a time to generous people.

  He would not allow it.

  He’d find the father and make him do right by his children, though at this point, Logan wasn’t sure reuniting them with their father would be a good thing.

  He rode down the rutted street of Wolf Hollow. The whole town was dirty, the buildings nothing but hastily erected shacks except for the saloon at the far end of town with its garish false front. This early in the morning, the place was practically deserted.

  He decided to ask at the saloon first and dismounted in front of the building. Inside, the red wallpaper and large mirrors screamed at him. The chairs sat upside down on the tables and a man was bent over a broom sweeping up last night’s debris.

  “Hello?” Logan called.

  The man jerked about. “Pretty early in the morning for business.”

  “I’m looking for someone. Mr. Weiss.” He gave the description he had. “You know of him?”

  The man shook his head. “But I’ll ask the boss. Boss,” he hollered, and then turned back to Logan. “He’ll be here directly.”

  Logan leaned against the door frame as he waited for the boss man. After a few minutes, a large, rotund man entered from a back room.

  Logan repeated his inquiry. The big man looked Logan up and down. Logan waited. He wasn’t leaving without information.

  The man adjusted his braces. “I might know of this Mr. Weiss. But, last I heard, he was dead.”

  “Dead?” That wasn’t possible. The children would have said so. “You sure?”

  “Nope. Just what I heard.”

  Logan unwound from the door. “Guess I’ll ask around and see what else I can learn.”

  “Help yourself.” The man returned to the back room and closed the door.

  Logan moved on. He asked at various places. Heard various reports.

  “Heard he lost his wife. Wonder what happened to the kids.”

  “Heard he got into a fight with some claim jumpers.”

  “Ain’t seen him in quite some time.”

  “Never heard of him.”

  He was able to get rather garbled directions to the Weiss mining claim and made his way out there only to be greeted by half-a-dozen men with rifles who ordered him off the location.

  “Don’t want no claim jumpers nosing around here.”

  “I’m trying to locate a Mr. Weiss,” he called.

  “Nobody by that name here.”

  Logan’s frustration grew. People here were none too friendly to strangers. If they knew Mr. Weiss’s whereabouts they weren’t about to tell him.

  He glanced at the sun. Time to head back. He had a promise to keep and he needed to talk to Sadie about what he’d failed to learn.

  Sammy waited for Logan in the school yard when he rode in. “Thought you might have changed your mind.”

  “Nope. You had dinner yet?”

  Sammy nodded. “A bit ago.”

  Logan had eaten a lunch Annie had packed for him, so there was no reason to delay the afternoon activities he’d promised Sammy. None, that is, except his desire to see Sadie and tell her his news.

  Sadie stepped out, Jeannie riding on her hip. Jeannie caught at the hairpins holding Sadie’s hair up and her loosened hair fell down her back, ripples of brown and gold.

  Sadie shook her head and laughed, her eyes shining with affection for the child in her arms.

  Logan couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sight. He’d always thought Sadie an ordinary-looking woman. He was wrong—she was beautiful.

  Sadie shifted Jeannie and saw Logan. Pink flooded her cheeks. “I didn’t know you were there.”

  “Just got here.” His tongue felt thick. His words sounded hoarse.

  Sadie put Jeannie down and ducked her head to scoop her hair into a roll at the back of her neck and fasten it in place with the remaining hairpins.

  “We’s gonna build something,” Sammy said.

  Beth stepped outside, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression harsh. What did she know that she wasn’t telling?

  Logan sighed. He really needed to find out what was going on with them. But how was he to do so? She might never trust him enough to tell him. And he’d been able to learn nothing of value in Wolf Hollow.

  “I need to talk to Sadie alone for a few minutes. Beth, would you watch your brother and sister? Sadie, let’s sit on that bench.” He indicated the nearby town square. The morning had been cool, but the sun had warmed the air to a pleasant temperature.

  Sadie said nothing as she accompanied him to the bench. They sat side by side. He leaned over his knees, his hands dangling. “I failed.”

  “In what way?”

  “I couldn’t find their father, and the information I got was so mixed-up it’s hard to know what is true and what isn’t. One man was certain Mr. Weiss had died.” He sat back and they both shifted so they looked at each other. “Is it possible?”

  Sadie darted a glance toward the children, who sat on the woodpile watching them. “Surely they’d tell us if he was dead. Unless—” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Unless they don’t know.” Her words were a low whisper. She turned to him, her eyes wide with distress, and she caught his hand and held on tight. “What are we going to do?
”

  She’d reached for him. The thought filled his heart with a delicious warmth. In her distress, she had reached for him.

  He cupped his other hand over hers, a silent promise to take care of things, to protect her. His gaze shifted to the children. Protect them, as well. He turned his thoughts to her question. “I don’t think they know where their father is. We’ll just have to keep looking for him and caring for them until we find him.”

  “I worry…” Her eyes brimmed with tears.

  He glanced about. A couple of men came out of the nearby hotel. Two women stood outside his uncle’s store. A wagon drove past them. “Sadie, don’t cry. Especially not here. I will have to take you into my arms and this is not an appropriate place.”

  She laughed a little and swiped at her eyes. “I’m not going to cry.”

  “Good. Now tell me what’s worrying you.”

  She sniffed. “How long before the school board decides I can’t teach and also have children in my care? How long before someone decides a single woman isn’t the best person to have them?”

  He chuckled softly and squeezed her hand, gratified when she squeezed back. “First, Pa and Grandfather are two of the three board members and I can guarantee they aren’t going to make a fuss.” He’d speak to them tonight and ensure that. “As to the other matter, I don’t see why anyone would complain about you giving these children shelter unless they were willing to do it. So I think you’re safe for now.”

  “Until you find the father.”

  He nodded.

  “And then they go back to a man who can hurt his boy. And fill Beth with fear.”

  He squeezed her hand again. “We won’t be able to stop it. No one can take a man’s children from him. But I give you my promise. I will make sure he knows I won’t accept having those children hurt.”

  “All he has to do is move on.”

  “I will follow him wherever he goes and appoint someone in my place to ensure the children’s safety.”

  “There is some comfort in that.” She watched the children for a few minutes. “If only we could do more. It’s awful not to be able to trust your own parents.” Her voice caught and tears clung to her lashes.

  “Sadie,” he hissed. “I won’t be responsible for my actions if you cry.” Did she realize how much she had revealed to him with those words? Not to be able to trust your own parents. That was her story, but he wished he knew the details.

  *

  Sadie might have been tempted to sit there the rest of the afternoon, clutching Logan’s hand, except for Sammy waiting impatiently for Logan to go back so the two of them could work together. And then there was the small matter of the promise to herself, made repeatedly throughout the morning, that she would not allow herself to grow any fonder of him.

  She and Beth had done the laundry together, a task normally done on Mondays by most women. But Saturday was the schoolteacher’s only free day.

  “Beth, what is it you aren’t telling us?” she’d asked the girl as they hung wet garments on the clothesline running from the corner of the schoolhouse toward the back alley.

  Beth had continued pegging Jeannie’s dresses and her nightgown to the line.

  Just when Sadie had decided Beth wasn’t going to answer, the girl spoke. “Why do you think there’s something?” she’d asked, picking up another garment, making it impossible for Sadie to see her eyes and judge her emotions.

  “You know I saw Sammy’s back, don’t you?” She hadn’t wanted to distress the girl, but Beth needed to understand that she and Logan were prepared to help her. “You can trust us to help you.”

  Beth’s chin had jutted out. “You don’t know everything.”

  “I don’t pretend to, but if you would tell me I could perhaps help you.”

  Beth’s hands had grown still on the pillowcase she’d been fixing to the line. Her gaze went down the alley as it often did. Her shoulder had twisted and then she’d brought her attention back to the clothesline. “Don’t recall saying I need any help. We was managing just fine, you know.”

  Sadie knew nothing of the sort and so did Beth. “I don’t mean to upset you.” She had gone to Beth’s side and draped her arm across the tense shoulders. “I’ll leave it for now.” She had wanted to assure the girl they would all be safe with her. But could she give that promise and keep it? She took some comfort from the fact Beth didn’t shy away from Sadie’s touch. “Beth, I’m concerned about you and your brother and sister.”

  Beth nodded. “I know. Thank you.”

  Sadie had heard the tears in Beth’s voice, but before she could pull the girl into her arms, Beth had turned away, returning to the laundry.

  There seemed nothing more she could do at the moment.

  And now for Logan to return with no real news of the children’s father, only such contradictory statements that it was impossible to guess which might be true. However, she could not sit here all day; nor could he. She turned to him. “I wish we knew the truth about Mr. Weiss and his whereabouts.”

  “Me, too.” He got to his feet and held out a hand to assist Sadie. “I will continue to make inquiries and look for him. In the meantime, let’s do what we can to make the children happy.” His sweet, promising smile drove away the shadows.

  From the beginning she’d been doing her best to make life good for the children. Perhaps he meant his words to remind her, to help her focus on what they could do rather than what they couldn’t, which was find Mr. Weiss.

  At least Logan no longer insisted that being with family was the best thing for them. He only said it was nigh impossible to forbid the father his rights.

  “I have an anxious young lad waiting to help me build something.”

  She managed to stop staring at Logan’s encouraging smile and look at Sammy, who stood beside the lumber pile, watching Logan. He shifted from one foot to the other. He jammed his hands into his pockets and a few seconds later pulled them out. His shoulders went up and down, indicating a deep sigh. Sadie chuckled. “He’s getting a little restless.”

  Logan chuckled. “I hope I can put all that energy to good use.”

  Together they returned to the yard. Logan went to Sammy’s side, handed him a shovel and indicated he should start digging a hole.

  Sammy set upon the job eagerly.

  Beth had withdrawn to the corner of the house at Logan’s approach, one hand holding Jeannie. Jeannie would have none of it and broke free to run to Logan.

  “I help, too?”

  Logan grinned at the child. “In a bit. Why don’t you help Sadie take the clothes in?” He smiled across the yard at Sadie.

  He might have given her pearls and diamonds for the way her heart rejoiced. What would it be like to really share a family…children…with him?

  Her breath caught somewhere between her ribs and her throat, and she strove to remember that such dreams were not possible for her.

  Jeannie tugged at her hand. “I help you?”

  Grateful for the distraction, she unpegged the dry items and folded them, then handed them to Jeannie, who placed them in the wicker laundry basket with great care.

  They took the basket in when it was full and put away the items that didn’t need ironing.

  “I can iron now,” Beth said.

  It bothered Sadie that Beth seemed to always be concerned with work. Had she been punished, threatened, somehow made to be afraid if she didn’t keep busy and get things done? But hadn’t her mother died recently? Sadie shrugged mentally. So many things about this family did not make sense. So many details were missing. “Maybe we’ll do something fun this afternoon.”

  “Fun? What about the ironing?”

  “It can be done later.” At Beth’s dubious look, Sadie grew determined to do something simply for enjoyment. “What would you like to do?”

  Beth looked uncertain. “Make cookies?”

  Sadie shook her head. “Something that isn’t work.”

  Beth’s eyes widened. A small smile tug
ged at her lips and she glanced about the room. But she ducked her head before she revealed anything more to Sadie.

  “Anything,” Sadie urged.

  Beth’s gaze found a small picture Sadie had created out of her dried flowers. Again, she turned away almost, but not quite, before Sadie understood what she was looking at.

  “Would you like to make a picture like that?” Sadie asked.

  Beth sucked in a tiny gasp and let it out slowly. She shook her head. “I couldn’t do that.”

  “Sure you could. Come. I’ll teach you how.”

  “I go help Logan.” Jeannie dashed out the door before either Sadie or Beth could say yes or no.

  Sadie let her go. She’d be safe with him. She propped the door open, letting in refreshing air and allowing her to watch Logan and the children.

  “Let’s set out the material on the table for making a picture. That will give us lots of room.” She handed Beth the box of supplies and took the book that contained her pressed flowers. She’d learned to clamp the covers of the book tightly to achieve the best results.

  She undid the clamps and gingerly opened the pages to reveal a collection of flowers, some whole, some only petals. As she showed Beth, she explained what she did. “You can do a number of things. If you choose canvas, you can draw or write on it before you add the flowers. You can make stationery cards.” She showed Beth a few things she had made. “I’m going to make a picture for my aunt Sarah for Christmas. What would you like to make?”

  Beth simply stared at the examples Sadie had shown her.

  Sadie wondered if she even breathed. “Would you like to make a picture to keep?” That way she’d have something to remember Sadie by. The thought of having these children taken away sent a pain slicing through her middle. She glanced out the door. Logan was helping Sammy dig a hole. Jeannie held a hammer with two hands, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth as she concentrated on trying to hit a nail.