Montana Cowboy Family

Although she didn’t finish her thought, he could feel a wave of resistance from her. He guessed she had already judged and condemned the children’s father. Not that he could blame her. “I’m trying not to jump to conclusions about the missing Mr. Weiss. I know some fathers believe in spare the rod, spoil the child.” He shook his head. “It’s got to be difficult to lose one’s wife and have three children to take care of. Might even drive a man to do things he shouldn’t...to make mistakes in his judgment.” Sadie continued to study him with a stubborn, unbelieving look on her face. He wanted her to understand that sometimes a man needed a second chance. He was grateful he’d been given a couple of them. “I know I’ve made enough mistakes in my life.”

Her eyebrows rose at that confession. He hoped she wouldn’t demand an explanation, because he didn’t intend to tell her how faulty his judgment was concerning women.

“Every man deserves a chance to start over. I’m willing to give Mr. Weiss that much leeway.”

She crossed her arms, a look of defiance on her face. “Just because your family is perfect doesn’t mean these children don’t need someone to defend them.”

He leaned closer and spoke firmly. “And I’m not suggesting they don’t. I’d be hard-pressed to stand back and allow the children to be mistreated.” He sat back on his heels. “Though the law is on the father’s side.”

The children finished in the bedroom, went to the cot in the living room and proceeded to work together to prepare it for Sammy. Any more conversation between Sadie and Logan would have to wait for another time and place.

The bed done, the three children sat on it, watching the adults.

He told himself he did not see wariness in every pair of eyes. Except he did, and it seemed out of proportion for young ones who had been offered a place of shelter and a warm, nourishing meal.

He sniffed. “Sure smells good in here.”

“We made stew,” Jeannie said, a shy smile brightening her brown eyes.

“You’re welcome to join us,” Sadie said. “After all, you’ve been busy taking care of our needs.”

She managed to say thank you at the same time as she pushed him out of the picture, making him feel he had no part in this plan. He wasn’t about to accept that. He faced her. “Miss Sadie Young, let’s get something straight. The children have chosen to stay here, but, in essence, we are partners in this venture. Understand?”

Her eyes went from surprise to shock, and then she put up a barrier so he couldn’t tell what she thought.

“Understand?” he repeated, wanting her to agree.

“If you insist.”

He closed his eyes. Agreement, yes, but not the way he wanted it. But what was he to do? He looked at the children. Jeannie had climbed onto Beth’s lap and clung to her. Both Beth and Sammy had a tight, closed look about them. Of course they didn’t know what to expect when the two adults who had whisked them away from their home seemed to be angry with each other. From now on, he would be careful to confine any sign of disagreement between himself and Sadie to private moments. “Thank you for inviting me to share supper with you. I accept.”

Sammy looked toward the table. “Where you gonna sit? There’s only four chairs.”

Logan chuckled. “I’ll be right back. Don’t eat without me.” He jogged out the door and across the street to Marshall’s Mercantile. “Uncle George, can I borrow a stool?”

His uncle stared at him like he’d fallen through the roof and landed in the middle of the store. He recovered from his surprise. “Help yourself, but may I ask what you need it for?”

He told about the children moving in with Sadie. “I’m joining them for supper but we’re shy one chair.” He grabbed a stool from the corner. Normally, men gathered around the stove to visit, but none were present at the moment. “Say, have you heard anything more about Mr. Weiss?”

“Nothing. I’ve not seen hide nor hair of the man since he stopped by to inquire about the house, if you care to call it that. I thought he’d be in to stock up, but nope. Maybe he’s got all the supplies he needs.”

“No, they were out of food.” He didn’t say how little the children had. Somehow, he felt he needed to keep private the details of their situation.

“You could ask at the post office.”

“I’ll do that in the morning.” He’d be asking at every business in town until he found the man or learned of his whereabouts. “Thanks for the stool.”

“Keep it as long as you need.”

He hurried back to the school. He sure wasn’t getting much work done on the building. Grandfather would have something to say about that.

Sammy waited at the door and held it open for Logan. The table was set for five, a pot of stew in the middle and a pile of sliced bread on a plate beside it. Logan’s mouth watered. He had left home with the wagon loaded for Sadie and the children just as Annie was serving supper. He could help himself to leftovers when he got back, but it wasn’t the same as a warm meal.

He parked the stool by the table. “This is just like a real family.” He meant for the children to feel at home and glanced about at the four people waiting for him. Their expressions varied from curious, on Sammy’s part, to Jeannie’s innocence, to guarded wariness in both Sadie and Beth. Sadie had made her jaded opinion of family clear. Someday he’d find out what had happened to cause that, but to see a similar expression on Beth’s face, a sweet thirteen-year-old, twisted his gut.

He made up his mind at that moment to show them they could trust him and, by doing so, learn to believe in the goodness of family.

“Please, everyone sit down.” Sadie motioned toward the chairs.

He perched on the stool. Sadie ended up kitty-corner to his right. Beth sat across from him, sliding her chair as far to his left as possible, likely so she could be close to Jeannie, who sat at the other end. That left Sammy to sit next to him.

Logan was relieved when the boy grinned at him as he took his place. “Us men got to stick together,” Sammy said with a great show of expanding of his chest.

Beth ducked her head but not before Logan caught the smile on her face.

He only wished she’d looked at him long enough to see his answering smile. He turned to Sammy. “We sure do.” He was about to pat the boy on the back when he remembered how he’d flinched and settled for squeezing his arm.

“’Course, I am the man of the family now,” Sammy boasted.

Beth’s head came up, her eyes wide with shock. The same sense of shock raced through Logan and he looked to Sadie. Her eyes narrowed, her lips tightened. She’d heard the boy and, like Logan, wondered what he meant. It was surely a slip of the tongue.

“While your father’s away?” Logan prompted.

“Yeah. That’s right.” Sammy studied his plate, then gave the pot of stew a longing look. “Sure smells good. Makes my taste buds work really hard.”

Sadie blinked away her shock and curiosity. “Shall we eat before it gets cold? Logan, would you say grace?”

Logan nodded and looked about the table for the children to bow their heads.

Sammy and Jeannie did so quickly. Beth, however, held his gaze for a moment. He couldn’t read her expression. She was far too good at hiding her feelings. But he sensed something challenging in her look before she clasped her hands and bowed her head.

He bowed his head and gathered his thoughts. “Lord God, thank You for family to share the plenty You have provided. Thank You for the food to bless our bodies and Your love to bless our souls. Amen.”

He lifted his head and turned toward Sadie to help her serve the meal. His gaze brushed past Beth and then jerked back at the glisten of tears in her eyes. “Beth, is something wrong?”

What a silly question. There were so many things wrong. Her mother dead. Her father missing. And now being shuffled off to live with strangers. “I mean did I say something, do something, to upset you?”

She shook her head, blinking her eyes until all sign of tears disappeared. “No. I just remembered something. Nothing important.”

Sammy handed his plate to Sadie to fill it with stew. “You remembered—ow. Why’d you kick me?”

“Sorry. It was an accident.”

Logan looked from brother to sister and back again. It had been no accident. Beth meant to stop Sammy from saying something. But what? No point in asking. The children weren’t about to tell them anything. He took Beth’s plate and handed it to Sadie to fill, and then Jeannie’s and Sammy’s. Last, he handed his to Sadie.

Their gazes connected and held as a dozen thoughts blazed through his mind that he wished he could share with her. She lowered her eyelids enough for him to know she had the same questions he did. He gave a slight lift of one shoulder and she raised her brows in acknowledgment. They would do their best to discover the truth about this family, but if the way the children withdrew was any indication of how reluctantly they’d give answers, it wasn’t going to be easy.

The children each took a slice of bread and turned their attention to the meal, eating quietly and neatly, their silence such a marked contrast to mealtimes at the ranch that Logan wasn’t comfortable. He much preferred the noisy interaction of people talking.