Montana Cowboy Family

by Linda Ford

  Jeannie had gathered up some things she’d found in the yard and sat at the corner of the house with the assorted bits of wood in her lap. She arranged them and talked to them like they were her children.

  The door opened and closed.

  He edged away from the building in the pretense of looking for something and saw Beth sitting where she could watch Jeannie but not be seen by Logan as he worked. She held a book and bent her head over it, in a pose of deep concentration.

  It jarred his thoughts to realize she was guarding her little sister against him.

  Sadie had started out being just as cautious, but he’d seen a change in her. When he’d passed her in the doorway of the schoolroom, their gazes had connected with such force he’d almost stumbled. Telling himself it was only gratitude for helping with Sammy did not erase the way he felt. Not that he could even explain how that was. Only that something inside him seemed touched by honey.

  To divert his wayward thoughts he began to talk to the girls, knowing Beth could hear even if he couldn’t see her.

  He talked about his brothers, his sister, Annie, and his niece, Mattie. He talked about the horses, and about the calves that were being born.

  Jeannie listened raptly and said nothing, though once or twice she opened her mouth to speak, glanced at Beth and closed it again with a deep sigh.

  Logan paused to cut a board. From his position he caught a glimpse of Beth. Her book lay unopened on her lap and he smiled to himself. She might not care to admit it, but she was listening to his ramblings, too.

  He knew school was out when Sammy raced into the yard.

  The afternoon had passed more quickly than he’d expected. Only three or four times did he look up and wish he could share the moment with Sadie. What would she think of his stories about family life? Would she listen if he tried to tell her, or would she grow silent and stubborn?

  Jeannie bounded to her feet as her brother stopped to look around. “I play with you?”

  Poor little girl had barely moved since lunch. Once or twice, when she had started to get up, Beth had murmured something and she’d sat again.

  The children needed to run and jump. Constructing playground equipment had been at the bottom of his list, but he now moved it to the top. Swings first then a teeter-totter. Maybe he’d play catch with Sammy. The boy could stand something to do.

  Sammy and Jeannie went around the far side of the lumber pile, and their murmured voices indicated they were playing contentedly.

  Beth scurried inside and closed the door.

  Logan looked toward the store. Where was Sadie? He stood, waiting. When she didn’t appear, he dropped his hammer, jogged across the street and through the store. He jerked to a halt in the doorway and stared at Sadie. She sat with her head bowed.

  “Sadie, are you okay?” He crossed to her side in hurried strides.

  She glanced up, her eyes wide with surprise. “I didn’t hear you enter. Yes, I’m fine. But I’m curious what you said to those boys at noon. Whatever it was, they behaved like model citizens all afternoon.”

  “I didn’t say anything much. Told them I was working on the schoolhouse and it would soon be ready. Said wouldn’t they be happy to be in a proper classroom with a proper play yard?”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s about it.”

  “They must have read more into it. Likely they were impressed by your size.” Her gaze went from one of his shoulders to the other, and a faint color stung her cheeks. “Maybe just knowing you’re that close seemed like a threat to them.”

  It seemed she admired his size. He kind of liked that. “I might have mentioned that they should make things easy for Miss Young.” He stumbled on the words. Her statement and her looks made him feel like expanding his chest.

  Something dark and—dare he hope?—welcoming warmed her hazel eyes and then she blinked away all emotion. “I was fortifying myself by reading a few Bible verses and praying.”

  He shifted his gaze, saw the open Bible before her. “Are you fortifying yourself against me?” He closed his eyes. What had possessed him to speak such foolish words?

  “Why would you suggest such a thing?” She kept her attention on the desktop.

  “I’m sorry, but all afternoon Beth has been treating me like she wished I’d disappear.” He explained how Beth had acted.

  Sadie pushed to her feet. “Don’t take it personally—I think she is afraid of men.”

  “Why…” The implication of her words made him draw back. “You think her father has hurt her, too. Like Sammy?”

  Sadie shrugged. “I’m only telling you what I suspect based on the behavior I’ve observed.”

  He rocked his head back and forth. It hardly seemed possible a man would hurt his own children, and he refused to judge without giving the man a chance to defend himself. “Their father could be hurt or in trouble.” And if his reason for being absent was different than that, Logan would not accept any excuses for neglecting the children. “I’m going to track him down and bring him back to his family. I came to tell you I will start looking as soon as you come home to look after the children.”

  Her eyes had that brittle look to them again, the one that he’d come to recognize as signaling her distrust of family. A shock ran through his veins. Or did it signal a distrust of fathers? One day, he vowed, he would get her to tell him what had gone wrong to make her so suspicious.

  She ducked her head without saying all the things he’d seen building behind her eyes. Perhaps she’d read his defensiveness and decided it was pointless to argue with him.

  “I’ll get on home so you can start looking.” She gathered up some books and papers.

  He stood, hat in hand, watching her. When he saw she meant to leave, he sprang forward and held the door for her. As he stepped back to let her go ahead of him, he remembered he had come racing over here to make sure she was okay. He’d hoped for a special look, like the one they’d shared at noon hour.

  Instead, she marched ahead of him, her head high. He knew if he looked into her eyes, he would not see warmth or even welcome.

  His sigh, barely audible, drew her defensive gaze his way.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He couldn’t begin to find the words to explain his frustration. “It’s been a long day.” Let her read into that what she wanted.

  They crossed the street together. Likely anyone watching would assume they were enjoying each other’s company, though his mood was far from amicable. They parted ways in the school yard and he headed for his horse.

  As he rounded the pile of lumber he saw that Sammy had gathered up broken branches and dried bushes and created an enclosure. He and Jeannie sat inside like pioneers trying to survive the roughest of conditions. Likely that’s how it felt to them. Surviving harsh conditions not of their own choosing.

  Logan grabbed the saddle blanket and put it on his horse’s back.

  Sammy scrambled from the pile of debris. “You gonna let me ride?”

  “I’ve got an errand to take care of.”

  “Aw. You said if I did my lessons and I did…”

  Logan had indeed promised. “Tell you what. I’ll be back before dark and let you ride him. Okay?”

  Sammy nodded, but Logan saw the doubt in his eyes. “I promise and when I promise, I do it.” He thought of the missing father. “Unless something happens that I have no control over.”

  Sammy grew interested. “Like what?”

  Logan gave it a moment’s thought. “Like maybe my horse breaks a leg.” He patted his black horse. “Sorry, Brewster, I was only talking about what happens to other horses.” He turned back to Sammy. “Or I fall and knock myself out.”

  Sammy pretended to fall on his head and rose, laughing. “You ever done that?”

  “Nope. And I’d like to keep it that way.”

  He threw his saddle on the horse, cinched it and swung up. “I’ll be back,” he told Sammy, then lifted his gaze toward the door. Sadie watched
him. He was too far away to be able to read her eyes or be certain of her expression, but if he had to guess he would say she looked just a little like she might miss him when he was gone. He bit back a groan. He was dreaming impossible things. Likely, she was anxious to have him leave. “I’ll come back.” He spoke directly to her, then waved to all of them, though Beth remained out of sight in the kitchen.

  Logan meant to ask at every business in town if they’d seen the man or heard of him. He went from one place to the next, each time posing the same question.

  “Has Mr. Weiss been here of late?”

  The answer was consistently no—they had never even met the man—until he reached the blacksmith shop. At Logan’s question, the blacksmith rubbed his whiskery chin. “He was here once. But that was weeks ago.”

  That didn’t go along with what Uncle George had said or the children claiming they’d only moved here a week or so ago. Of course, the man might have been looking for a place for his family to live.

  The blacksmith continued. “I only recall him because I once had a neighbor with the same last name and asked if they happened to be related. Mr. Weiss didn’t think so.”

  He thanked the man and moved on. Not one other person could recall seeing the man.

  “What’s he look like?” the livery man asked.

  “I’ve never seen him.” Why hadn’t he thought to ask his uncle or the smithy? Logan backtracked to the blacksmith shop and asked for a description.

  “Far as I recall, he was medium build, light brown hair and brown eyes. Can’t tell you much else. I do remember noticing he had a slight limp.”

  Armed with the description, Logan again made his rounds. Still no one could recall the man.

  He went back to the store. “Did you notice that Mr. Weiss had a limp?”

  “Can’t say as I did. But the man wasn’t wanting to chat. In and out. Anyone else seen him?”

  Logan told of his futile questioning.

  “Doesn’t sound like the same man, but then I saw so little of him and I was busy with other customers,” Uncle George said. “Have you asked out at Wolf Hollow?”

  “I’ll do that.” For now, though, he wanted to get back to the school and share his disappointment with Sadie.

  He rode across the street.

  “You’re back,” Sammy shouted, holding his little sister’s hand in a protective way that made Logan admire the boy. “Now can I have a ride?”

  The boy’s noise brought Sadie and Beth to the door.

  Logan rode a little closer. Sadie’s eyes asked a dozen questions. He gave a slight twist of his head to indicate his failure. She pulled her mouth down in what he hoped was disappointment and not resignation. He wanted to tell her he would find the man if he had to ride clear to Great Falls and ask at every farm or ranch on his way. Or back into the mountains and boldly go to every mine. “Is there time before supper to let him have a ride?”

  She nodded, her eyes never leaving his. “There’s plenty of time.”

  He didn’t immediately turn to Sammy as he and Sadie continued to study each other. Did she mean more than Sammy riding the horse when she said there was plenty of time? His eyes narrowed, uncertain of what he thought he saw. Was she glad he hadn’t located the man?

  Sammy tugged on his arm and Logan set aside his questions. He pulled Sammy up behind him and reined down the alley. He kept Brewster to a walk until they left the town behind. At that point he let him gallop, Sammy clinging to Logan’s back.

  “Yahoo,” Sammy yelled, and Logan grinned. He well remembered riding this way with either his pa or grandfather.

  A mile later, he reined around and at a slower pace returned to the school yard.

  Sammy swung down. “That was great. Thanks a lot.”

  Jeannie stood on the pile of lumber, watching and waiting.

  “You want a ride, too?” Logan asked.

  An eager light flashed in her brown eyes. She nodded, then glanced past him. Without looking, he knew Beth was observing them. Jeannie’s lips pursed as she turned back to Logan. “Yes, please.”

  He pulled her up and put her in front of him and rode sedately down the alley. He turned up the street and circled the block, returning a few minutes later to the school yard. He reined up at the door where Beth stood, her expression forbidding. He lowered Jeannie to the ground.

  “She’s back safe and sound.”

  Beth’s look went on and on, silently challenging and warning.

  Sadie came to the door and stood beside her, looking from Beth to Logan, no doubt wondering at how the air hung heavy with challenge.

  Logan had nothing to prove, nothing to hide, and he broke away first. “Beth, do you want to ride?”

  She scowled.

  “You can ride on your own if you like.” He dismounted and offered her the reins.

  “No, thanks.” She spun on her heel and retreated to the bedroom.

  “What was that all about?” Sadie asked.

  “I can’t say, except she is very protective of her brother and sister, especially around me.” At the way Sadie’s eyebrows reached for her hairline, he wished he hadn’t worded his answer that way. “Don’t go reading more into that than simply normal cautiousness around strangers.”

  Her eyebrows lowered and she smiled without humor. “I wonder if you believe what you say or do you feel you have to defend your belief in family against all odds?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes, you believe what you say or have to defend family?”

  He shrugged. At the moment he wasn’t certain of either and had no intention of admitting it to her. He believed in family and would someday tell her how his had stood by him even when he made foolish decisions. Ah. What was the point? She’d already pointed out her belief that he had a perfect family but not everyone did. He took that to include herself.

  In what category did the children belong?

  Jeannie had joined Sammy to chatter excitedly about her “horsey” ride. The two of them came to Brewster to stroke his side.

  Sammy stood before Sadie. “Miss Sadie, can Logan stay for supper?”

  Sadie’s eyes suddenly revealed nothing. “I’m sure he’s expected at home.”

  Her reply made Logan want to stay if only for the hope he might again see the welcome he thought he’d witnessed when he’d passed her in the door of the temporary schoolroom. He was beginning to think he’d only imagined he’d seen anything of note. But perhaps he could discover why she held such suspicions about the children’s father. Not that Logan was blindly believing in the man’s goodness, but he was prepared to withhold judgment until he found him and discovered the truth.

  “Annie knows to expect me when she sees me.”

  Sammy grabbed his hand. “Then you can stay?”

  Logan could not believe how much he wanted Sadie to invite him. How badly he wanted to see any sort of welcome. How desperately he wanted to tell her of his frustration at trying to learn anything of Mr. Weiss. He needed to let her know of his plans to go to Wolf Hollow as soon as he could get away. “Only if it’s okay with Miss Sadie.” He waited, his heartbeat slowing as she considered her answer.

  *

  Sadie wanted to refuse to invite Logan to join them for supper. Almost as much as she wanted him to stay. For no other reason than to hear his news. Except she had to insist it was the only reason. Had to deny a desire to see if she’d imagined the feeling between them when he was in the schoolroom at noon. And most certainly not because she enjoyed his company. No. Not that. No, she must not invite him to stay.

  She would simply tell him she didn’t have anything prepared for supper, which was mostly true. “We’d be glad to have you join us for the meal.” How had those words come from her mouth when her brain insisted he should leave?

  “Thank you. Sammy, do you want to help me take care of my horse?”

  “Sure do. Can I lead him?”

  Logan handed the reins to Sammy, but he didn’t turn around and leave. No. He he
ld her gaze so firmly she couldn’t think past this moment. Couldn’t hear her usual warnings. Didn’t want to hear them. Instead, she let herself fall into his deep look, her mind racing toward—

  “I’ll be right back.” Logan tilted his head in a goodbye gesture and followed Sammy.

  Sadie found her senses, though they felt a bit shaky. What was wrong with her? It wasn’t like she and Logan had anything in common besides the care of the children and, even on that, they were divided. If he had his way, he would find the father and reunite the family. And if she followed her instincts, she would see they were never returned to the man. She knew fear and loathing when she saw it. Logan, with his ideal family, had no notion of what she feared for the children.

  Turning, she met Beth’s scowling presence. “Why did you invite him? He’s been here all day. He should go home.”

  Sadie wanted to hug away the girl’s resentment but knew Beth would shrink away from such intimacies. She hated that she glimpsed so much fear and loathing in Beth’s eyes. “You have to trust me when I say Logan will not hurt you and I will make certain of that.”

  Beth shifted, suddenly interested in something out the window. She mumbled something. Sadie couldn’t catch everything, though she guessed the girl said, “I’ve heard that before.”

  If Sadie needed any more convincing that all was not as it should be in this family, Beth’s behavior and words provided it.

  “Would you like to help me prepare supper?”

  Beth shrugged. “I can make supper for us just fine. You and him can have your own meal.”

  Sadie caught Beth’s shoulders and turned her so they were face-to-face. “I don’t know why you are so angry at Logan, but I suspect your anger is misplaced. I’m guessing you’re angry at someone else and Logan is simply handy for you to vent on. Which hardly seems fair to me.” She couldn’t have explained to anyone why she defended him so vigorously, apart from knowing it was futile and damaging for Beth to allow her experiences to color every corner of her life. “I invited him and he will be treated politely while he is here. He’s helping the best way he can.”