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Beth didn’t say anything but slipped from under Sadie’s arm.
Logan couldn’t miss the disappointment in Sadie’s face. He’d have to reassure her that it would take time to win their trust.
“Sammy, let’s fill the wood box.” Sammy trotted after him. As Logan chopped wood, Sammy gathered it up and carried it inside.
Logan returned indoors and looked around. Everything was in order. The children fit into these rooms with ease, and Sadie appeared to have everything under control.
His sense of peace exploded as screams came from the bedroom. He rushed to the door, as did everyone else. They crowded through. He looked around and saw nothing amiss except Jeannie sitting in the middle of the bed, her mouth open as she wailed, tears washing her face.
“Mama. Mama,” she gasped.
Beth sank to the edge of the bed and pulled her little sister onto her lap. “Hush, baby, hush.”
Jeannie clung to Beth’s neck. The high-pitched crying softened to shuddering sobs. Finally, Jeannie sniffed. She wiped her eyes and stared at Logan. “Papa?”
Beth shifted the youngster to her other shoulder. “It’s not Papa.”
Jeannie leaned around Beth to stare at Logan. Even in the dim light of the room darkened by heavy drapes, Logan could see how her eyes widened. His heart went out to this poor child. He lifted a hand, thinking to brush it over her hair, then, remembering how wary the children were of being touched, he lowered his arm to his side, at a loss to know what to say or do.
Jeannie struggled free of Beth’s grasp and made her way around the bed to stand in front of Logan. “Papa.” She said the word with such conviction that Logan knew her sleep-drowsy mind had convinced her that her papa had returned. He could not disappoint the child even though she would soon realize he wasn’t their father.
He picked up Jeannie.
With a deep sigh, Jeannie rested her head against his neck, her comfort rag clutched in one hand. Her warm breath tickled his skin and he breathed in the scent of little girl. Something that he would have denied if asked stirred within him. Would he ever have a child of his own? He pushed aside the question and, following his earlier instincts, brushed his hand over her head, her hair soft as a downy chick. His eyes grew surprisingly hot.
Beth and Sadie stood before him. Beth’s hands curled into fists. Her lips drew into a thin line and her eyes were hard as river rock.
Sadie’s eyes revealed little in the low light, but her lips curved upward.
He met her gaze and felt a jolt in the pit of his stomach that he was at a loss to understand. Except it seemed she approved. Of what? The way Jeannie had come to him thinking he was her pa? Or did she like seeing him hold a little girl?
“She’s asleep again. I’ll take her.” Beth’s tone made it clear she didn’t approve of this contact between Logan and her little sister.
He slipped the child into her sister’s arms and stood by as Beth put her back to bed. He was ready to take Jeannie again, should she want it. But Jeannie curled on her side, her rag pulled to her chest, and slept.
They tiptoed from the room.
In the evening light coming through the windows, Logan could see Sadie’s expression better.
She scrubbed her lips together and looked thoughtful. “Does she waken often like that?” she asked Beth.
Beth shrugged. “She’ll be okay once I’m beside her.”
That didn’t really answer Sadie’s question and Sadie shifted her gaze to Logan, seeking guidance.
He gave what he hoped she’d see as an encouraging smile. “Everything is strange to her right now.”
“I guess that’s so.” Sadie sounded relieved.
“I could stay a little longer if you like.” Would she welcome his offer or see it as interference?
He didn’t have to guess Beth’s feelings. She glowered at him.
“I said she’ll be fine,” she said. “I could go to bed with her right now, if you’re worried.”
Sammy laughed. “I’m not going to bed so early.”
“We’ll be fine,” Sadie’s words were firm, full of conviction.
Logan looked about. He could find no reason to delay his departure. “I best get home.”
Sammy, who had crawled up to sit beside Beth on the cot, jumped to his feet. “You’re leaving? Who will protect us?”
Logan’s insides twisted. Why did the boy think he needed protection? He’d certainly had none out in that awful shack. “You’re safe here. No one will bother you.”
Sammy looked at the windows and the doors, his mouth working. “But what if they do?”
“I’ll ask my uncle to watch out for you. Will that help?”
Sammy gave Logan some serious study. His chest rose and fell more rapidly than normal. “He can’t see us all the time.”
Logan looked at Sadie, saw her surprise and concern...and something more—a slight narrowing of her eyes as if she read something sinister in Sammy’s fears.
He looked at Beth. She watched with an impassive expression, not willing to trust anyone to share Sammy’s concerns.
“Why can’t you stay?” Sammy asked.
“My family will be worried if I don’t go home. Besides, I promised my grandfather to help him find some books.” No one else was available to take care of the old man’s needs. Besides, Grandfather asked only Logan for such favors. He hated to ask at all, but Logan went out of his way to see that Grandfather had everything he needed. This morning he had bemoaned the fact he couldn’t reach the books on the upper shelves and said he was getting short of reading material.
Logan had promised that as soon as he finished in town, he would arrange the shelves so Grandfather could reach his books.
“I tell you what. I’ll go get Miss Sadie’s school bell. If you need help, you ring it really hard and Uncle George will come running.” He’d alert a few close neighbors, as well. “How’s that?” And first thing tomorrow he would construct a drop bar to secure the door.
Sammy seemed to slip a mask over his feelings. “Yeah, sure. You’re right. We’ll be fine.”
Which, Logan understood, meant Sammy wouldn’t be expecting any help from Logan. “I’ll be back tomorrow and make sure you are all safe and sound.” He was more than half tempted to move into the schoolroom so he could keep an eye on them day and night, but he could just hear all the ladies in town whispering that Logan Marshall was back to his wayward ways, though he failed to see how he was to blame for the actions of the girls he’d courted. No, for both his sake and Sadie’s, he wouldn’t set up quarters in the classroom.
He trotted across the street, retrieved the school bell from the back room of the store and took it to Sadie.
Still, he hesitated about leaving them. Three frightened children were a big responsibility.
“Walk me to the wagon,” he said to Sadie.
Her resistance was so fleeting he might have persuaded himself he hadn’t seen it. Then she nodded and followed him outside.
“Are you going to be okay with them?”
She bristled. “Of course I am.”
“I expect the first night will be the worst.”
“To be honest, I’m more concerned about tomorrow when I have to leave the girls to teach.” She looked back at her living quarters. “They are all so afraid.”
He heard the hard note in her voice and knew she blamed the father for the children’s fears. “They have lots of reasons to be frightened. The death of their mother, their father missing, being alone out there, and now being here with people who are strangers to them.”
“Not to mention the bruises on Sammy’s back.”
It wasn’t something he could deny, given the evidence, but neither was he about to blame a missing father. But then who did he blame? “I’ll be back before you have to leave, so the girls won’t be alone and defenseless.” He didn’t know why he’d added the final word and wished he hadn’t when Sadie spun about to face him. He’d only been thinking of Sammy’s concerns—be they real or the fears of children who had experienced too many losses.
“You think they might have need of protection?”
“Don’t all children?”
Her eyes darkened to the color of old pines. Her lips trembled and then she pressed them together and wrapped her arms across her chest in a move so self-protective that he instinctively reached for her, but at the look on her face, he lowered his arms, instead.
She shuddered.
From the thought of him touching her or because of something she remembered? He couldn’t say, but neither could he leave her without knowing she was okay. Ignoring the idea that she might object to his forwardness, wanting only to make sure she knew he was concerned about her and the children, he cupped one hand to her shoulder. He knew he’d done the right thing when she leaned into his palm. “Sadie, I’ll stay if you need me to. I can sleep in the schoolroom, or over at Uncle George’s. Or even under the stars.”
She glanced past him to the pile of lumber at the back of the yard. For the space of a heartbeat, he thought she’d ask him to stay, then she drew in a long breath.
“We’ll be fine, though I would feel better leaving them in the morning if I knew you were here.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll be here.” He hesitated, still not wanting to leave.
She stepped away from him, forcing him to lower his arm to his side. “Goodbye, then. And thank you for your help.”
“Don’t forget we’re partners in this.” He waited for her to acknowledge his statement.
“Very well.”
“Goodbye for now. I’ll see you in the morning.” He forced himself to climb into the wagon and flick the reins. He turned for one last look before he rode out of sight.
Chapter Four (#ua39c284a-0d58-5692-b634-2d78695d4abd)
Sadie waved as Logan drove away. With the school bell clutched to her chest she felt a little like Sammy. Who was going to keep them all safe? Not that she feared an intruder. The danger that concerned her would come in the form of a man who thought he had the right to walk in like he belonged. No one would be suspicious of him until it was too late. And then many would still see him as a friend or partner. She shook her head, realizing she was thinking of her past, not her present.
Logan had said they were partners in caring for the children. She wished he’d used any other word than the one that made her feel dirty inside and out, her heart clenching with a sense of abandonment.
God, help me forget my past and focus on my future. Help me know what these children need. She went back inside and set the bell in the middle of the table.
“Miss Sadie?” Beth’s voice carried a note of caution that Sadie wished she could erase. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help clean up the kitchen. Next time leave the dishes, and I’ll do them after Jeannie has settled.”
Oh, Sadie ached at such an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, and it deepened her suspicions regarding the family. Could it be that Beth strove to avoid outbursts by taking care of every detail? “Beth, my dear, what you did was far more important than dishes.”
Beth’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“You comforted and calmed a little girl. To my way of thinking that should always take precedence over dishes. Don’t you agree?”
Beth nodded. “Yes, miss.”
“Besides, there was plenty of help.”
“I dried,” Sammy said with some disgust. “Logan made me.”
“That’s good.” The worried furrow in Beth’s forehead disappeared.
Sadie felt the muscles in her own forehead relax. “I need to prepare lessons for tomorrow.”
Sammy looked about the small room. “What’re we gonna do?”
“You could work on your sums. You need the practice.”
“Aw. No fair having to live with the teacher.”
Sadie laughed. “I expect it has advantages as well as disadvantages.”
Sammy’s look demanded to know what the advantages would be but, before he could speak, Beth intercepted.
“I’ll help him.” She sat at the table and tipped her head at Sammy to indicate he should join her.
As slowly as possible, Sammy shuffled the three feet to the chair beside Beth.
Sadie handed them a work sheet. It would give her a chance to observe Beth and assess what level of education she had received.
It was soon apparent that Beth had the basic skills necessary for math. Tomorrow, Sadie would give a reading assignment so she could judge her reading ability.
Sammy finished and grew restless. Beth shushed him several times even though he made little noise. Again, Sadie wondered if the girl wasn’t overly cautious.
“Can I go out and play?” Sammy asked.
“Certainly. Don’t go far. It will soon be bedtime.” She looked to Beth. “What time do both of you go to bed?”
Beth glanced at the clock. It showed eight. “It’s about time.”
Sammy was out the door before either of them could inform him he must stay.
Again, Sadie looked to Beth for direction.
Beth watched her, seeking a clue as to Sadie’s response. Again, that guarded cautiousness.
“Should I call him back?” Sadie asked.
Beth shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt him to run off some energy so he’ll sleep better.”
“What about you? Would you like to go out and play?”
Beth blinked, and blinked again. “Play?”
