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No, she told herself. Such feelings were a weakness she would never allow herself. She’d learned far too well how they made her vulnerable. She shook free from his grasp. “Guess I’m granny now.” Surely he wouldn’t notice the trembling in her voice.
“Guess so.” His voice grated as if his throat had grown tight.
They returned to play although she had little interest. She wasn’t a bit sorry when Pansy’s cry brought an instant end to their game as Daisy rushed back to get the little one.
The rest trooped after her.
“I’m going to take biscuits over to Macpherson’s and see if he can sell them.” Cassie headed for the little shack as if she had a sudden deadline.
“Come on, boys. Let’s get that cellar dug.” Roper sounded as cheerful as ever.
Why had she wasted so much time? It was Roper’s fault. Something about him enticed her to forget her responsibilities and goals.
All winter she’d avoided him as much as possible without being rude. Or maybe sometimes, especially at first, she hadn’t cared if she happened to be rude. All she could remember of the first few weeks at the ranch was the pain of her losses and despair at how desperate her situation was.
When Linette had found her sleeping in the train station in Montreal she’d cajoled, enticed and begged Cassie to accompany her West on her trek to meet her future husband. Cassie had agreed because it had seemed better than her current situation. Anything would have been better. She didn’t know she would end up in a tiny log cabin, barely big enough for one adult let alone three adults and a child. Even worse, Eddie was not expecting to marry Linette and said he had no intention of doing so. Not that Linette was deterred. She said she would prove to him she’d make an ideal pioneer wife.
Cassie smiled. The attraction between Linette and Eddie had been obvious from the first but it had taken the pair most of the winter to acknowledge what the rest of them saw.
She pressed her palm to her chest. She missed Linette. And Grady.
She missed Cookie, too. From the beginning, the big-hearted woman seemed oblivious to Cassie’s sharpness and showed her nothing but kindness. Slowly, between Linette and Cookie and the gentle attention of the cowboys at the ranch, Cassie’s wounds had healed. She’d gone from thinking she had no choice but to accept whatever kindness and protection a man would offer to knowing she could live life on her own terms.
It wasn’t something she meant to give up. She had a life to live. Work to do. A business to establish.
She filled a large bowl with biscuits, covered it with a clean tea towel and headed over to Macpherson’s store. A couple of cowboys lounged against the counter as she stepped inside. Within minutes most of the biscuits had been purchased.
Macpherson snagged one of the biscuits for himself and tested it. “These are good. Reminds me of my daughter, Becca. She used to bake the best biscuits. Many a man stepped into the store solely to see if she had any baking on hand.”
Cassie couldn’t remember much of what she’d heard about Macpherson’s daughter. “She moved away, didn’t she?”
“Married herself a fine young man, Colt, and adopted two orphaned children. They have themselves a little ranch northwest of here. I expect them to visit this summer.”
Cassie chuckled. “You’re obviously proud of them.”
“A fine bunch.” He indicated the crumbs of biscuit on his fingers. “Bring me more of these as soon as you can. You set up to bake bread yet?”
“I’ll start today.”
Glowing with satisfaction she returned to her place. Oh, didn’t that sound good! Her place. A business about to take off. A house soon to be constructed, thanks to Roper’s help.
She ground to a halt at the corner of the shack and watched Roper digging her cellar. Her house. Her cellar. Her land. It seemed Roper was contributing far more to this arrangement than she. What would she owe him? Nervousness quivered in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t like to owe anyone. She sucked in air to calm the fluttering, and reminded herself that it was a business agreement. So he could help the children.
Or was it an excuse so he could take care of her?
He glanced up, saw her watching and slowly straightened.
Her eyes must have given away her doubt and confusion for he climbed from the hole and strode toward her.
She shook her head to clear it, and ducked into the shack where she made a great deal of noise pulling out a bowl so she could set the yeast to rise.
“Cassie? Something wrong?” His voice came from the doorway.
“The biscuits sold like hotcakes. Macpherson was very pleased. Asked if I could start providing bread.” No doubt she sounded falsely cheerful.
It took only three steps for him to close the distance between them. “That’s good news. So why do you look so troubled?”
She could deny it, tell him he must be imagining things. But her doubts had a tenacious grip on her thoughts. She straightened and slowly faced him. “Why are you doing this?”
He looked around, not knowing what she meant and searching for a clue. “Doing what?”
She waved her hand around the little shack, then pointed to indicate the activity beyond the canvas walls. “Everything. Why are you digging a cellar? Offering to build my house? What do you expect in return?”
He stepped back and his eyebrows knotted. “Cassie Godfrey, you are one suspicious woman. I told you what I want—to help the children. I grew up in an orphanage. Never knew anything about family. I saw kids ripped from their siblings. Do you think I could stand back and let that happen to these youngsters when I could do something to prevent it?” His voice had grown harsh. “I’m more than willing to dig your cellar and build your house if it enables me to help them. I thought you understood that.”
She sighed. “Family isn’t the ideal dream you seem to think it is.”
“And yet I doubt it’s the curse you seem to consider it.” He swung about and strode from the shack.
She stared after him. Was that what she thought?
Her earliest memories had been pleasant enough but then... She shook her head. She didn’t know what she thought. Except that she intended to have a batch of bread ready to deliver tomorrow.
She set to work, pausing only to make supper and hurrying through the meal so she could return to her baking, though, if she admitted the truth to herself, she wasn’t half as busy as she acted.
She simply did not want to face Roper any more than she must and feel guilty about his accusing looks. No. She’d keep busy running her business and she’d not allow anything to divert her from her purpose.
* * *
As soon as breakfast was over the next morning, Roper headed for the cellar hole, his insides burning with frustration. Prickly Cassie, always seeing ulterior motives. She’d avoided him last evening. He’d hoped for a change in her behavior at breakfast but she’d slid her glance over him as if he were invisible.
“I hope my bread turns out,” she murmured as if nothing else mattered.
Before he reached the cellar, he veered off toward the river. In his present frame of mind he wasn’t decent company for a young lad. He grabbed his rifle. They could always use fresh meat. On second thought...
He hitched the horse to the wagon.
Neil appeared at his side. “Whatcha doing?”
“Need to take the wagon back to the ranch and get my saddle horse.” Eddie had told him to help Cassie if she’d let him so he wouldn’t have been concerned when Roper didn’t immediately return.
“You coming back?”
At the sound of fear and uncertainty in the boy’s voice, Roper’s anger fled. “I’m not about to ride out on you.” He clamped his hand to Neil’s shoulder. “I said I was going to build Cassie’s house and I will. I said I would look after you until your uncle came and I will. Never doubt it. But I need a saddle horse to hunt meat for us.”
Neil nodded.
Billy and the girls watched him from the trees. “I’ll be back. Take care of yourselves and help Cassie.” He spoke out of his own heart’s desire. He wanted to take care of them all...but Cassie didn’t want his help.
He closed his eyes and willed his inner turmoil to settle. He had nothing against a woman having a business if she had the hankering. But Cassie’s desire went beyond what was necessary or expedient. She seemed set on proving something. He had no idea what.
“You gonna tell Cassie you’re going?” Neil asked.
“I’ll let you.”
“You should tell her yourself,” Daisy interjected, sounding quite certain.
The four watched him closely.
“Ma always said—” Neil started.
Here we go again. Them wanting him and Cassie to act like their ma and pa. He didn’t want to disappoint them but he had no idea how to be a pa any more than he had a hankering to put down roots. A no-name cowboy didn’t expect to belong any place for long. As he’d said to Cassie, he liked being able to say when, where and with whom. “If it will make you happy.” He knew his voice revealed his frustration as soon as Daisy clutched Pansy closer and Neil reached for Billy’s hand. He was getting as prickly as Miss Cassie.
If such a little thing eased their minds, he could do it graciously. “You’re right. I should tell her.” He flashed them a grin as he tromped back up the hill to the shack where pots and pans clattered. Hat in hand, he paused in the doorway.
Cassie glanced up, saw him and pointedly returned to her work.
“I’m going to take the wagon back to the ranch and get a saddle horse.”
Her hands stilled. He felt her indrawn breath.
“Do you want to come along? You and the youngsters?”
She didn’t look directly at him but he caught a flash of eagerness. Then it disappeared, and she grunted. “Thought you were taking the wagon back.”
“Uh-huh.” Of course, he couldn’t bring them back on a saddle horse. “Eddie might be willing to lend us a wagon.”
“No need. I can’t go. I’ve got work to do.” She nodded at the bowl of dough and set of bread pans. “Check and see how Linette is, though, if you don’t mind, and say hi to Grady for me.”
“I can do that. You’ll be okay until I get back?”
That brought her about so fast he chuckled.
“I think I can manage just fine, thank you.”
“See you later, then.” He was still chuckling as he returned to the wagon and bid the youngsters goodbye.
* * *
Later, he pulled the wagon onto the Eden Valley Ranch property and drove past the ranch house. From the dining room window overlooking the yard, he saw Linette watching and waved. At least she was feeling well enough to be up and about.
Eddie trotted from the barn. “Roper. Nice to see you back. Are you here to stay?”
“No. Sorry, boss, but you won’t believe what I’ve been doing.”
“Tell me about it. No, wait. You better come to the house and tell Linette at the same time.”
Roper jumped from the wagon and fell in step with Eddie as they headed up the path to the house. “How’s Linette?” When he left, Eddie was worried that she was so sick.
“She’s fine.”
“Good to see you grinning from ear to ear. Not all hangdog like you were when I left.”
Eddie laughed. “She tells me she’s in the family way. That’s why she’s ill.”
Roper ground to a halt. He wasn’t sure how a man should respond. “You seem happy.” The idea of family filled him with a queasy feeling. It seemed an unnecessary risk.
“I feel like I’m walking on air.”
“You don’t mind that she’s sick?”
“Linette assures me it’s normal and temporary as her body adjusts to the new life growing in her.”
Roper grinned. “Eddie Gardiner a papa! Now won’t that be something?” He couldn’t wait to tell Cassie the news.
Eddie grinned wide enough to split his face. “It will certainly be something to behold.” They reached the house and Eddie threw open the door.
Linette waited in the entrance, the picture of health.
“You’re looking good,” Roper said.
“I’m feeling fine. Better than fine.” She sent Eddie a look full of love and adoration.
A hollow hunger hit Roper’s gut and sucked at his soul. He pushed away the feeling. It was enough that Eddie and Linette were happy, he told himself. He was glad for them.
Linette led the way into the cozy room with big windows allowing a view of the ranch buildings. “Have you been with Cassie all this time?” she asked as they sat at the big table.
“I have and you wouldn’t believe why. She sure didn’t want me to stay and help but...”
Linette served tea and cookies as he told of finding the children and his agreement with Cassie.
“Boss, I’ll be needing time off to help with the kids.”
Eddie nodded. “Take as much time as you need. Your job will be waiting.”
“I’m so grateful it’s worked out that way. I’ve been praying God would somehow make it so Cassie would get help. She’s so...”
Roper sighed. “Prickly.”
Linette chuckled. “Actually I was thinking independent. She once told me she didn’t feel she could trust anyone. Or was it only men she didn’t trust? I can’t remember but once she figured out how to start her own business she was set on proving she didn’t need any help.”
“She’s still set on doing so.”
Grady burst into the room. “Hi, Roper.” He looked about. “Where’s Cassie?”
“I left her in town. Remember, she said she was going to live there.”
Grady climbed to Linette’s lap and snuggled close.
