The Rancher’s Frontier Family

by Maya Stirling

  Beth gazed at Landon. Her cheeks were flushed with the effort of preparing the breakfast. "Would you like to say grace?" she asked Landon.

  He felt his mouth open in surprise. "Sure. It would be an honor." Landon saw Max and Katie watching him with a steadfast gaze. They both lifted their hands, pressed them together and closed their eyes. They knew what to do, Landon told himself. They'd been schooled well in the ways of the Lord.

  Landon saw Doyle and Sally lower their head. With one last glance at Beth, Landon closed his eyes. He used the words he'd heard his father or older brother say at every mealtime back at the Baxter ranch. "Blessed Father. In You we move and live and have our being. We thank You for this food which You have graciously provided. Help us live a day which will glorify You through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

  Everyone said Amen. Lifting his head, Landon saw Beth smiling at him. "Thank you," she said quietly. She looked around the table at the plates. "Now, let's eat."

  Everyone began to eat. For a minute or two the sounds of cutlery on plates filled the kitchen. Landon discovered he was more hungry than he'd realized. The eggs in particular were tasty. Glancing up he saw Beth eating her breakfast. Her movements were careful and measured. Every once in a while she glanced at Katie. Landon wondered why she felt the need to keep her eye on the little girl. For her part, Katie was silent during the early part of the meal.

  When Doyle asked Katie to pass the plate with the biscuits, Katie did so with an abrupt and surly manner. Landon frowned and glanced at Beth, but her expression was an unreadable blank. "Katie," Beth said softly.

  The girl looked along the table. "Yes, mother?" she replied.

  "What did I tell you about doing that?" Beth said.

  Katie frowned. "I was only doing what I was asked."

  "Your mother is only trying to tell you to be a little more gentle in the way you do things, Katie. That's all," said Sally.

  Katie peered across the table at the housekeeper. "I did what Mr Doyle asked me to do." She dropped her fork and knife down onto the plate. The sharp sound of metal on china abruptly cut through the air. Everyone paused, forks hovering at their mouths and looked at Katie. Max's features looked suddenly pale as he watched his sister. Landon could see that Katie was becoming visibly upset. He considered saying something, but decided it might be unwise. It would be better to leave things to those who knew the little girl well.

  "Katie!" Beth exclaimed, laying down her cutlery. "Please eat your breakfast."

  Doyle turned to Katie. "Your mama's right, Katie," Doyle said. "It would be a pity to let that bacon go to waste." When Doyle grinned, Landon saw his slightly yellowed teeth. It wasn't the kind of thing you wanted to look at over breakfast, Landon told himself.

  Katie frowned at Doyle. "I'm not hungry," she declared.

  Landon saw Beth glance at Sally. Both women exchanged knowing looks. Maybe this was a regular occurrence, Landon thought. Perhaps, beneath the apparent contentment of this makeshift rancher family, there lay hidden tensions.

  Katie folded her arms and sat back on her seat. "I've had enough," she said, looking down at the half-full plate.

  Max looked at Beth. "Can I have what she's leaving?" he asked.

  Beth frowned and shook her head. Max looked crestfallen and shifted his attention to his own plate. "I don't want any food going to waste, Katie," Beth stated evenly. "We've talked about this before. Now, it would make me happy if you'd just lift your knife and fork and go back to eating."

  Then Doyle did something which just made everything worse. He leaned closer to Katie and murmured. "Be a good girl, Katie. Do it for me."

  Katie's eyes widened and her head whirled around. She glared at Doyle, whose face was mere inches from hers. "I don't need to do what you tell me." Her voice shook with emotion. "You're not my father." Standing suddenly, she pushed her chair away from the table and thrust her hands against her hips. Staring right into Doyle's eyes she yelled: "And you never will be." Doyle's face flushed red as his eyes widened. He glanced nervously from Sally to Beth.

  Landon saw Beth's mouth drop open. Katie started to run from the kitchen, leaving everyone at the table staring after her in disbelief. The front door opened and then slammed behind Katie as she raced out onto the porch. Beth rose from the table and grabbed her skirts. With one imploring look at Landon she said in a voice which quivered with emotion: "You'll have to excuse me. I need to speak with Katie." Then she strode quickly from the kitchen. He heard the door open and close. A ghastly silence descended upon the kitchen.

  Landon drew in a deep breath and sighed. It had all happened so quickly he could scarcely believe it. One moment they'd all been enjoying a peaceful happy breakfast time. In the next instant, chaos had broken out. Or perhaps it was, as he suspected, an underlying problem about which he'd had no idea. One thing was for sure. Beth had a problem on her hands. Landon glanced at Max. The little boy's brows were furrowed. Landon could tell Max was thinking about what had just happened. He could see a hint of emotion in the boy's eyes.

  Sally broke the silence. She lifted the coffee pot. "Who wants more coffee?" she asked with a forced cheerfulness in her voice.

  Landon slid his cup over to her. "That sounds good, Sally," he said. Landon turned to Doyle who looked visibly shaken by what had happened. "What about you, Doyle?" Landon asked.

  Doyle shook his head and pushed his plate away. "I got to be going. They're expecting me down at the herd. We got some branding to do."

  "Is that so?" Landon said. "Maybe I'll join you for that."

  Doyle's gaze shifted to Landon. To say that Doyle wasn't best pleased with Landon's suggestion was an understatement. Doyle shook his head and looked at Landon's bandaged head. "I think that knock on your head has affected your thinking, Baxter. My men don't need no newcomer interrupting their work."

  Landon squinted at Doyle. "But I already know all about branding, Doyle. We do it all the time over at our spread."

  "Well you ain't doing it here, today," Doyle grunted.

  Landon didn't react. Doyle's provocative comment was meant to rile him. But Landon refused to take the bait. Smiling at Sally, Landon said: "Maybe I'll leave it until another day. As Beth keeps telling me. I need to wait for Doc Clanton." Turning to Doyle, Landon added. "And it could be a while before he comes to check me out." Doyle frowned. "Even then, he might order me to take a long rest. I may be here for a few days yet," Landon concluded, seeing Doyle's color turning red again.

  Landon almost smiled when he saw Max grinning at him. Doyle stood, his chair sliding noisily on the wooden floor. Throwing his white napkin on the table, he muttered something about dinnertime and then strode out of the kitchen. Moments later Landon heard the door closing firmly behind Doyle.

  Sally sighed heavily. "Oh dear," she murmured. "And here I was hoping we were all going to have a good day. Especially after yesterday's unpleasantness."

  Landon reached out a hand and curled his fingers around Sally's arm. "Don't you worry. Everything's going to be just fine." He thought about Doyle being outside with Beth and Katie. He felt the impulse to go out there and make sure things were okay.

  As if reading his mind, Sally patted Landon's hand. "I'd just wait a little before going outside," she said and glanced down at his plate. "You've still some breakfast to finish."

  Landon nodded, realizing that Sally's counsel was probably wise and based on her own knowledge of the situation.

  Landon heard Max's voice. "Can I have what Katie left?" he asked picking up from where he'd left off earlier.

  Sally reached across and slid the remaining food onto Max's plate. "There's no sense in letting good food go to waste," she declared.

  Max looked pleased as he stared at the pile of food on his plate.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Beth caught up with Katie at the cottonwood tree by the side of the ranch house. Katie was leaning against the tree, arms folded, with one foot propped against the tree's bark. Reaching Katie, Beth could see she was
still upset.

  Eyes moistening with emotion, Katie glanced at Beth. Katie's lower lip became suddenly full. "Mama. I'm sorry," Katie sobbed quietly.

  Beth's heart filled with emotion as she reached out to take Katie in her arms. "It's alright, Katie," Beth said warmly. "I understand." Katie gasped and tumbled into Beth's embrace. Recently, every time Katie or Max called her "mama", Beth's heart warmed. In the weeks after adopting the children, Katie and Max had both had difficult times. Coming to terms with the loss of their parents had been hard. Beth had done everything possible to help the children deal with the sorrow and the pain.

  Beth felt Katie shaking slightly. She held Katie close, feeling the little girl's arms tighten around her waist. This was what it meant to be a mother to the two precious children. Protecting them; making each day as good as possible; making sure they had every chance at being happy. Beth was sure the pain of loss would ease over time. It might take months, or even years. But she was sure that she, Katie and Max could find happiness again. It was what Jenny and Luke would have wanted.

  Beth closed her eyes, feeling the cool, morning breeze on her face. Above her head, the leaves of the cottonwood whispered. If anything would heal the pain of the children, it would be the safety and security of living on this ranch, Beth told herself. Beth's mind drifted back to the events of earlier in the year.

  Her brother, Luke had been the one who'd really wanted to start the ranching life. Jenny had been reluctant. But, later last year, when the chance to buy the Circle D had come up suddenly, through a broker in Billings, both had finally agreed that buying this spread would give them a start of living the life of their dreams. Luke and Jenny had saved money. And there had been a legacy from Jenny's deceased father back East. They'd taken the first bold step without hesitation. Living close to her brother in Billings, Beth had witnessed the excitement of the family as they'd prepared to take possession of the ranch. One one fateful day, Beth had been looking after the children at her own modest home while Luke and Jenny had left Billings to finalize the deal. And that had been the day tragedy had struck. The news had been delivered by a Billings lawman, who'd stared dumbfounded at the children as he'd broken the news to Beth.

  It had been a dark day. A day Beth would never forget. And, she was sure, it had been burned into the memory of both Katie and Max. The following days had been a painful mixture of duties and obligations. The funeral had taken place in Billings. Luke and Jenny had been laid to rest in the town where they'd grown up. The town where they'd formed their own family. And then Beth had been faced with the most important decision of her life. Talks had taken place about adoption. And soon Beth had found herself the mother to two precious children. Since there were no other surviving adult relatives, the ownership of the ranch passed to Beth. She dragged in a deep breath. One day the ranch would belong to Katie and Max. One day they would take on the inheritance their father and mother had made for them.

  Beth was determined that would happen. This ranch was the future for Max and Katie. And it was Beth's duty to ensure they got that future. It was why the Lord had placed her with the children. Beth was sure of that simple truth. Her purpose in life was to be a shield for the children. To protect them from all the evil in the world. Even as she considered that duty, Beth felt her own pain. If she was being entirely honest, her own faith had been weakened after the terrible events. In her quiet hours, alone in her room, Beth had struggled to understand why God would have permitted such a thing to happen. Doubt had crept into Beth's life. And that uncertainty had grown into a terrible reluctance to attend church. Even as she thought about that, the shocking truth of her choice still made her feel guilty.

  In many ways, the fact that it was a long distance into Inspiration had allowed Beth to reluctantly avoid going to church as regularly as she could. Her excuses had been numerous and unconvincing. There was always something important to do on the ranch. She had even told herself that the journey was too long for the children. It was a long way into town, although she knew other neighboring ranchers did make the hours long carriage ride into town with their families.

  Beth knew that keeping away from church had been wrong. For her. But most especially for the children. It had been a mistake. And she knew she would put that right. It was just that there never seemed to be the time or the opportunity to go there. Now that things had settled down, she told herself, she would take the children to church. Now that Doyle had taken some of the responsibility off her shoulders, Beth told herself she'd take the children to the church as often as possible. Even if her own faith needed some renewal, she would make sure the children had the Lord at the center of their lives.

  Beth heard the front door of the ranch house opening. She turned her head and saw Doyle emerging from the house. He paused on the porch. For a moment, she thought he was going to come over and speak to her and Katie. She fervently hoped he wouldn't. Katie had run away from Doyle and Beth needed to understand what she'd meant when she'd made that final remark.

  Doyle shook his head and started to make his way across the yard toward the stable. He had a long day's work ahead of him, and things hadn't gotten off to a good start. Apart from anything else, Beth had noticed that Doyle seemed to have taken an instant dislike to Landon. She wondered why that would be. In response to Doyle's obvious provocation, Landon had exercised restraint. She wasn't surprised by that. Landon had already told Beth he was a man of faith. Keeping hold on his emotions would be part of his daily life, she told herself. Reflecting on her weakened faith, Beth realized she missed that aspect of it. Attending church in Billings had given Beth a foundation in her life as she'd tried to build her life as a tutor. All that certainty had been pulled away from under her by the tragic events. Maybe she could talk with Landon. Perhaps he'd be able to give her advice about the best way back to the Lord. Because she desperately wanted to take that first step. She hadn't lost hope. But she needed to find her way back to the strong faith she'd once had. Beth held Katie for a few more minutes until Katie was more calm.

  Katie leaned her head back and looked up into Beth's eyes. Thankfully, the little girl had settled. She usually did when Beth held her like this. "Mama. Are you and that man Doyle good friends?"

  Beth felt heat flush her cheeks. She tried to contain her surprise, even as her eyes widened. "Good friends?"

  Katie wiped a tear away from her cheek. "I've seen how friendly you and him are. He likes you, too."

  Beth blinked. Truly children had a special ability to notice things of which grownups were completely unaware. "He's just helping me run the ranch. That's all." Beth shifted some loose locks of hair away from the side of Katie's face. She gazed kindly at Katie. "Doyle just likes to help. I thought you liked him."

  Immediately Katie's brows furrowed. She shook her head. "Uh uh," she said, her mouth crinkling tightly. Katie had inherited Jenny's determined streak.

  Beth was taken aback. Just as she had been at the kitchen table. She'd had no idea Katie thought badly of Doyle. "Why don't you like him?"

  Stepping away from Beth, Katie kicked her feet on the loose earth. "He looks at you funny."

  Beth gasped. "What do you mean, funny?"

  "Sometimes, when you're not watching, he stares at you." Katie's words triggered an uneasiness in Beth. Did Doyle believe that his relationship with Beth was more than that of boss and employee? If she was being honest, Beth had frequently caught Doyle's gaze lingering too long. But she'd done her best to keep her distance from the man.

  "I think Doyle just wants to help us all," she said. "We haven't been here for long. Maybe he's just trying to get us to like him."

  Katie shook her head. "Well, I won't. Ever," she snapped. Her tone of voice was just like the one she'd used at the kitchen table.

  "Maybe you'll get to like him after a while. We haven't known him that long," Beth said.

  "Can't you send him away?" Katie asked with the directness of a child.