Dakota Father

But she would honor her parents. She lowered her arms and crossed them over her chest.

She would keep her word and return.

Surely, once she was back she would forget this moment.

She knew she never would. In fact, she stared at the vast prairie for a long time. She didn’t want to forget. She wanted to brand it forever on her brain, a secret place she could visit in the future and find again, this wonderful sense of freedom.

Burke watched Jenny and Meggie head past the corrals. His arms tingled with apprehension. How would she react when she saw how empty the prairie was around her?

At his side, Lucky watched, too. “She’s different.”

Burke knew what Lucky meant—Jenny was different than Flora.

Lucky went on as if Burke had asked him to explain. “She’s got a sense of humor, for one thing. And she sat with us like she didn’t think she was better.”

Flora had made it clear she would not share the table with servants. She’d wanted Burke to join her at eating separately, expecting Paquette to wait on them.

Burke had refused. It was only a small thing. He should have found a way to compromise. Perhaps it would have made a difference. He watched Jenny as she reached the end of the path and drew to a halt.

In the end it was the emptiness of the land that did in Flora. As it did so many. Why, just a few months ago the marshal had taken away Stan Jones to the north of here and Mr. Abernathy had packed up and gone back east because his wife couldn’t take it anymore. Burke had heard Mrs. Abernathy now had a personal nurse to care for her.

Jenny raised her arms over her head. What was she doing? Trying to hold the emptiness at bay?

Lucky watched, too. “Is she laughing?”

Burke threw down the hammer he held and headed after her. If he didn’t need her to help Meggie settle he would send her back to town first thing in the morning. Before her laughter took on a shrill note.

He had gone but twenty feet when she turned and headed back toward the house. A smile wreathed her face. She looked positively happy—excited even.

Burke shifted direction and returned to the fence he’d been repairing with Lucky’s help.

Lucky continued to stare at Jenny. “She’s different, I tell ya.”

Burke wouldn’t watch her but he couldn’t stop himself from glancing up from pounding a nail. She walked with a carefree swing. Her face glowed as she glanced skyward. Her laughter rang out as Meggie said something. From his first glance he’d been attracted. But nothing had changed—not the land and not him. “She’s only been here a few hours and she isn’t staying more than a few days. No need for her to concern herself with anything but Meggie.” No need for her to think about what life was like out here, how living here day after day would feel.