Cowboy Father

by Linda Ford

  Adele had followed. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her lest she see his inner struggle.

  He headed outside to bring Donny in for his bath.

  The boy needed little supervision except to scrub his hair. The bath was soon over. Donny wrapped himself in a towel and went inside. Ethan carried out the bath water, all the while hearing Adele as she talked to the children. He glanced into the room as he passed it. She sat on the corner of the mattress. Jake sat on her lap, Georgie pressed to her on one side, Susie on the other. The latter looked up to Adele with so much adoration that Ethan’s throat constricted.

  “Then the crow realized he didn’t want to have pretty feathers like the peacock and end up trapped in a zoo. We should remember to be happy with what God has given us.”

  Adele saw Ethan standing in the doorway. Their gazes connected. She spoke again. “Sometimes we wish there were no bad things in our lives, but like the crow’s black feathers, those things might be for our best.” Her gaze held his, the moments after she finished talking lengthening into a silence filled with so much more than the lesson of the crow. There was a sense of growing trust.

  He blinked and hurried away. He’d told her trust needed to be honored, and yet he carried plans for the children that he had not shared. He hadn’t corrected her hints, assumptions even, that the children would remain here. Because he feared his plans would fail unless he recovered the stolen money. He dumped the water on the garden, then stood at the gate and stared down the dusty street.

  If the partner didn’t have the money, and Adele didn’t know where it was, then who did? Who had it? He found no answers in the distant horizon nor in the nearby trees. About all he could do was wait for the sheriff to bring in that cowboy and question him about who else Floyd had associated with.

  He hung the bathtub and wiped the floor, then went to the room where Adele still sat with the children. The little boys had fallen asleep in her arms. Susie was more than halfway to dreamland as well.

  Adele shifted Georgie to the bed. “Susie, honey, crawl into bed.” The drowsy girl did so.

  Adele held Jake as she got to her feet. He wakened and looked around. When he saw Georgie, he leaned from Adele’s arms and reached for the other boy.

  “Jake, it’s time to go to bed.”

  Jake yowled and squirmed. He clung to Georgie and shook his head.

  “He wants to stay with Georgie.” Adele sounded apologetic.

  “Then let him.” He would not see this as proof that the children should remain together though he guessed, from the look in her eyes, that she did.

  She put Jake beside Georgie. Susie patted his shoulder, and Jake sighed with contentment.

  “You sure you don’t mind?” Adele asked.

  “They’re no bother.”

  “Then I’ll be on my way.” Before she reached the door, Jake sat up.

  “Mama, not go.” He sobbed.

  “Then you’ll have to come with me.” But when she reached for him, Jake clung to Georgie.

  “I’ll take both boys. They can sleep together in Jake’s cot.”

  Susie sat up. “No. You can’t take Georgie.”

  Adele leaned back and considered her quandary. “Susie, you can come too.”

  Susie glanced at Ethan. “We stay with him.”

  Adele tossed her hands in the air. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

  Ethan almost blurted out, marry me. But he couldn’t ask her. He had no home. Nothing to offer.

  Susie lay back. “Stay here.”

  Adele blanched. “That’s not possible.”

  “Once they fall asleep, you can go.” It was the best Ethan could suggest.

  Adele sighed and looked to Ethan. “Seems you’re stuck with me at the moment.”

  “I can handle it.”

  Adele and Ethan sat side by side on the floor at the end of the children’s mattress.

  There were so many things he needed to say to her, wanted to say, but none of them could be voiced with the children nearby and even Rocky in the next room likely hearing every word.

  “Sing again,” Susie murmured sleepily.

  Adele glanced at Ethan. “I think she means you.”

  “Me? You all know I can’t sing.”

  “I like the way you sing,” Susie said. “It makes me feel safe.”

  Adele nudged him in the side. “There’s a request you can’t deny.”

  And he couldn’t. “You have to promise not to laugh.”

  Adele grinned. “I promise.”

  Ethan cleared his throat. He would embarrass himself in front of Adele and Rocky for only one reason—Susie had asked. He sang, “‘Safe in the arms of Jesus. Safe on His gentle breast.’” He loved the song and prayed it would bring comfort to all those listening.

  The song finished, he watched the children. None of them stirred. “They’re sound asleep,” he whispered.

  “Your voice performs miracles.”

  He glanced at her, expecting to see teasing or mocking but instead, her gaze was warm and her smile gentle.

  “I’ll leave you to your sleep.” She hurried from the room.

  He stared after her for a long time. Things had changed between them. They were no longer suspicious of each other.

  But not everything had changed. He wanted to keep the children. So did she.

  They couldn’t both succeed in their desires.

  And he had the added problem of having no home and not enough money to secure one. Though he could likely get a job in town and live nearby. He could ask Adele to watch the children while he worked. It seemed like a reasonable solution.

  Could they both get what they wanted?

  Except, apart from enabling him to keep the children, it wasn’t what he wanted. The dream he had carried since he was young had not died as he thought. He still wanted his own piece of land where he could raise cows and horses, and his children could run free.

  The possibility of achieving that dream didn’t seem any closer than it had the day he discovered Belle had stolen his money. But he wasn’t about to give up hope.

  He recalled a verse he’d read in the Bible. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. As he’d said to Adele, he needed to continue to trust the God who had led him from his youth even through tough times.

  * * *

  The next morning, Ethan joined the family as they crossed to the church.

  Before they got to the door, wagons and horses arrived.

  A flock of people crowded around Adele and her mother. The women hugged, then everyone turned to look at Ethan. He met each look with firmness.

  Adele grinned. “You are under inspection.”

  “Uh huh. Pretty hard to miss that.”

  “These are my sisters.” Adele pulled forward a redheaded young woman. “Flora and her husband, Kade.” The man clearly adored his wife. It brought to mind the affection between the preacher and Mrs. Kinsley.

  Then Adele drew his attention to a black-haired woman with blue eyes. “Eve and her husband, Cole.”

  Ethan immediately liked the big man. A boy of about ten or twelve stuck to the man’s side.

  Adele touched his arm. “This is Matt, their son.”

  Ethan wondered at the way Matt beamed.

  Then there was blonde Victoria and her husband, Reese. Josie and her husband, Walker.

  “That’s all except for Tilly back in Verdun,” Adele said. “You think you can keep them all straight?”

  “I don’t know. I might put the wrong husband with one of your sisters.”

  Redheaded Flora grabbed her husband’s arm. “No one is getting put with Kade but me.” She and Kade marched to the church door.

  The other sisters laughed.

  But Eve grabbed Cole’s arm and hung on. “She’s right. We’ll each keep our own man, if you don’t mind.”

  Ethan held up his hands in protest. “I only meant I might make a mistake.”

  Adele laughed. “They all know that.”

  They
followed the others inside and made their way to the front.

  Ethan was aware of the speculative glances of Adele’s family as he entered holding Georgie, Adele holding Jake, and Susie walking between them. They were reading more into the situation than they should.

  Victoria went forward to play the piano. The church quickly filled up behind them. The preacher announced the opening hymn. Ethan would not sing in public even when Adele nudged him in the side and smiled encouragement. But he sure enjoyed listening to Adele and her sisters.

  Three hymns later, the preacher opened his Bible.

  “The past few weeks have been full of illness and losses for many of us. But praise God, He has brought us through it, which should reaffirm our trust in Him. Even in tough times and unwelcome challenges, He is able to deliver us. As Samuel said, ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.’”

  Ethan was strengthened in his inner being by the words confirming his own meditation of the night before.

  After the service, the family crossed to the house and gathered round the table, enjoying a bountiful feast. Ethan couldn’t remember ever hearing so much chatter and laughter at a meal. Mostly he’d shared meals with cowboys who had little to say. And growing up, besides his parents, there had only been himself and Maisie, who, being so much younger, had little in common with him.

  Adele sat nearby, the two little boys between them. She leaned closer to ask, “Are you finding this overwhelming?”

  He grinned. “More like amazing.”

  The table had quieted to listen to his reply, and the others glanced around. Ethan guessed his answer had won him a bit of approval, and he relaxed, enjoying the visiting.

  A little later, the children were dismissed to play outside. Rocky had been declared well enough to leave and rode away as soon as church was over.

  “Now it’s time to catch up,” Ma said. She turned to Eve sitting on her right. “Tell us what’s new.”

  Eve explained to Ethan that Cole’s mother and aunt lived with them and then entertained everyone with stories of how the older ladies got into mischief. “I think they would enjoy doing a storybook for Susie and Blossom,” she said.

  Cole agreed. “They often complain that there aren’t any girls in their books.”

  From one to the other, they circled the table, catching up on the latest news. When it came to Adele, Ethan held his breath. Surely she wouldn’t tell about their misunderstanding.

  She looked around the table. “Most of you know that Floyd did not make an honest living. Even his job at the livery barn was only to enable him to learn about the affairs of others. I apologize for any hurt and embarrassment this might have caused any of you.”

  There came a chorus of protests.

  Her father said it best. “Any hurt we have is on your behalf, that your life was not what we all wanted for you.”

  “Thank you, Pa.” She continued. “Now one of his partners has arrived in town.” She relayed the story.

  Her brothers-in-law assured her the sheriff would find him.

  “And then this will be over for you,” Cole said.

  “I hope so. Pa’s sermon reminded me that I need to trust God in the midst of this uncertainty.”

  There was a chorus of amens.

  The attention shifted to Ethan. “Tell us about yourself.”

  He was prepared for interest in where he came from and what his plans were. “I was born in Ohio and spent my growing up years on a farm. I helped my pa as soon as I was able. And hoped to buy my own place. That didn’t work out.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “I’ve worked for a rancher for several years. But I still hope to get my own place one of these days.”

  Kade leaned forward. “Say, did I hear Mr. Bates mention that he wanted to sell?”

  The preacher nodded. “I do believe he said that.”

  “It’s past us,” Kade said. “A real nice place. You should talk to him.”

  “I appreciate your suggestion, but I’m not in a position to buy anything at the moment.” Ethan felt Adele’s gaze on him but didn’t look at her. He didn’t want her to guess at how much it hurt to acknowledge that unless he found the missing money, he might never be able to buy his own place.

  Could he settle for living in town, working for wages? He could and would, if that was the only way he could give the children a home.

  Sooner or later he would have to inform Adele that the sheriff had given him permission to keep them. He could only hope and pray she would understand and help him.

  11

  Adele helped her sisters clean up the kitchen and do the dishes. “It’s like when we lived back in Verdun and were all living at home. What good times we had.” As if on cue, Eve called out a hymn, and they sang as they worked. Ma had gone to lie down as had Stella. Jake was napping upstairs. She assumed Georgie slept in the addition.

  Outside, the men lined up along the corral fence, elbow to elbow as each of them rested their arms on the top rail. Matt had to strain a bit to match the position, and Donny didn’t even try. He climbed to the top rail and perched on it.

  Adele chuckled. “Look at them. Only Pa doesn’t have the same position.” He angled against the fence as he talked to the men.

  Her sisters joined her. “Look at that,” Flora said. “Your Ethan fits right in.”

  “My Ethan? Do you think I dragged him home at the end of a rope?” She put lots of protest into her words, but she did kind of like the sound of ‘my Ethan.’ Her feelings toward him had shifted profoundly once she understood he wasn’t one of Floyd’s partners. She might even admit she rather enjoyed his company.

  Victoria leaned into Adele. “You deserve a good man.” A pause. “Like him.”

  Adele drew back to look at her, saw all four sisters nodding agreement. She planted her hands on her hips. “You’ve only just met him. Isn’t it a little soon to be putting so much faith in him?”

  “Nope.” Flora flipped her heavy red braid over her shoulder. “We can plainly see he’s a good man.”

  “Really? And on what do you place this observation?”

  “He’s kind with children not his own.”

  Adele could have told them that he was prepared to call them his own. But surely he knew he couldn’t keep them. He had no home. Though he was welcome to visit them here anytime he wanted. Remembering Susie’s devotion to him, she wondered if the children would find that satisfactory. Or if Ethan would.

  Victoria added, “He helped take care of Ma when she was sick.”

  Eve continued. “Ma says he helped with the two cowboys that were here.”

  Josie stepped forward, not about to be left out. “And I heard he bathes little boys and plays with them. Yup. He’s one of the good ones.”

  Adele tossed her hands in frustration. “Let’s not forget he brought candy sticks for everyone.”

  Her sisters looked at each other and nodded. Eve spoke for them all. “That clinches it. A man who shares candy is better than a man with a million dollars.”

  Adele rolled her eyes and put away the last of the dishes. “I can’t believe you’re all so sure of what you think you see.”

  Flora grabbed Adele’s hand and pulled her round to face them. “He’s the sort of man you deserve. Make sure you don’t forget that.”

  “Who wants to see the garden?” Adele said, in the hope of diverting them. “I think something might be eating the potatoes.”

  “Let’s have a look.” Eve led the way.

  Adele hid a little grin. Eve had always been the best gardener. They trooped outside. Her sisters waved at their husbands. Adele did not allow herself to even glance the direction of the men for fear her sisters would notice and make more of it than they should.

  They circled the garden.

  “Your potatoes look fine to me,” Eve said. “Were you trying to sidetrack us?”

  “You didn’t look in the right place.” She led them to the far corner where Donny continually dug.

  Josie laughed when she s
aw the holes. “Donny’s been busy.”

  “It seems to be his way of dealing with frustration. He finds Susie a challenge.” Adele told how Susie had said Stella had her hands full with that one. They all chuckled.

  “See those.” She pointed to the last plants in the two rows closest to Donny’s holes. She knew the boy had trampled them as he dug, but she let Eve look at them.

  Eve barely glanced at the potatoes. Instead, she gave Adele a hard look. “You know very well these plants have been stepped on.” She turned to the others. “Girls, she’s trying to make us forget what we were talking about.”

  Josie grabbed Adele’s arm and turned her toward the men. “Look at him. Tell me he isn’t a good-looking man. Not like Walker, of course, but close.”

  Adele stared. She wanted to shake her head, deny it, but Ethan looked her way, and she couldn’t move. Couldn’t think.

  Josie continued. “Never mind how he looks. According to Ma and Pa he’s proven to be a good and kind man.” She shook Adele’s arm. “We don’t want you to overlook a good man simply because Floyd pretended to be something he wasn’t.”

  Adele spun away, her heart pounding at Josie’s reminder of her misjudgment. She must not let her sisters affect her thinking. She’d fallen too readily for Floyd. It could not happen again.

  She made her way toward the gate. “I have a young son to consider. It behooves me to be cautious.”

  “Cautious, but not fearful,” Victoria said quietly.

  Adele wasn’t sure she could tell the difference. As they left the garden, the men came their way.

  “We should head home,” Kade said, and Flora practically danced to his side.

  The others said they must go too, and in minutes. only Adele and Ethan were left, as Pa went inside.

  “I should check on Jake,” she said.

  “And I on Georgie.”

  She hurried inside and up the stairs to her wakening son. She kissed him and hugged him. He clung to her for a moment then squirmed to go.

  Stella was at the table when Adele entered the kitchen. “I’m having tea with the children,” Stella said. Cups and tiny cookies were laid out. “Jake is invited to join us.” Blossom, Susie, and Donny were seated around the table.