think they’re missing Cora.” Their older sister had married a few weeks ago and moved with her husband, Wyatt, to a nearby ranch.
“Pa thinks he has to take over Cora’s chores.” Lilly tried to persuade him that she and Rose could manage without his help, but he still offered it constantly. “The cold bothers him. I’m going to ask Ma to give him a tonic. Maybe I’ll suggest she take it, too.” They drew up before the house. Ma watched from the window.
Pa woke and eased from the wagon. Rose and Lilly hopped down and scurried around to get the packages before Pa could do it.
“Did you sell all the produce?” Ma asked as they entered the kitchen. They took garden produce and medicinals to town each Saturday.
“Every bit of it,” Rose assured her.
“Did you see Mrs. Andrews? How is she feeling?”
Lilly answered Ma’s question. “She’s much improved. I gave her some more cough syrup and I looked at little Andy. He’s got a bad case of thrush.”
Pa sat at the end of the table and sorted through the mail—mostly newspapers and a farm magazine.
Ma scurried about to make tea and they all sat down to enjoy it. “What’s new in town? Did you see Mrs. Rawley?” Ma was speaking about her dear friend the pastor’s wife.
“She asked after you,” Lilly said.
Rose plunked her teacup on the table. “Ebner threw firecrackers under the horse.”
“Goodness.” Ma glanced around the table. “Is everyone okay?”
Rose chuckled. “A very handsome cowboy came and helped us.”
Lilly squinted at her sister, knowing Rose meant to tease her. “I could have managed on my own.”
Rose gave a dismissive shrug. “I didn’t see you telling him to leave you alone.” She turned to Ma. “Lilly could hardly tear her eyes off the man.”
Ma studied each of the girls. “Is this a nice man? Should we invite him to join us for Sunday dinner?”
The skin on Lilly’s face grew tight. “Ma, no.”
Between them, the two sisters related the events. “The boy doesn’t use his right leg,” Lilly told her. “He walks with crutches. But Caleb—Mr. Craig—is very patient and tender with him.”
“He’s a Caldwell cowboy.” For Rose that was all that mattered. She, of all the Bells, bore the most resentment toward their neighbors. Probably because Duke Caldwell, the son and heir, had teased Rose throughout school.
Ma held up her hand. “You can’t judge a man solely because he works for the Caldwells. A man should be judged by his actions and his choices.”
Rose grunted. “He chooses to work for the Caldwells. Guess that says a lot about him.”
“Nevertheless,” Pa said, with final authority. “We will be fair and give the man the benefit of the doubt until we have reason to think otherwise.”
Rose pursed her lips.
Lilly knew her twin didn’t think anything good could come from the Caldwell ranch. But finally Rose lowered her challenging gaze from Pa’s patient one. “Yes, Pa.”
Pa turned to Lilly. “We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, won’t we?”
Lilly nodded. “Yes, Pa.” She agreed readily enough. For one thing, she’d like to know why Teddy didn’t walk. Maybe she or Ma could help. She’d also like to know how a man who obviously had tender feelings could work for the Caldwells. Or perhaps his feelings were for Teddy and no one and nothing else.
There was one thing she would be clear about. She would not let her interest in the pair go beyond surface curiosity and concern.
Not that she expected she’d see them again unless they happened to bump into each other in town. So guarding her feelings shouldn’t be a problem.
A few minutes later she went to the barn to start feeding the animals. She smiled as she stepped into the interior. The barn was cozy and warm and solid. The animals were safe in there.
If she could turn her heart into a solid barn she could keep her feelings safe and warm, too. She chuckled at the silly thought.
When she was done with the feeding, she stepped back outside and blinked as a wagon approached with Caleb in the seat. Teddy peered out from behind his father.
She stared. “What are you doing here?” Her words sounded rude, though she didn’t mean them to.
But what was a Caldwell cowboy doing on Bell land?
Teddy nudged Caleb. “Papa, tell her about my dog.”
Caleb’s heart swelled as he took in the pretty little farm—the decent-sized, new-looking barn, the outbuildings, the house surrounded by yellow flowers, the garden with pale cornstalks and orange pumpkins still on the vine. Once, he’d had a little ranch similar to this with a herd of cows that had increased in number each year. It was all he’d ever wanted.
His dream of settling down and raising cows and children had vanished the day Amanda had died and Teddy had gotten injured. After that, he couldn’t abide the place. He’d taken care of Teddy as his leg healed, and then he’d begun looking for a doctor who could fix his son so he could walk.
“Papa.” Teddy’s voice brought him back to his task.
He wondered if she would welcome him or ask him to get off their property simply because he worked for the Caldwells. But surely she’d be moved by the needs of an animal and a small boy. He didn’t expect or welcome any sympathy regarding his own losses.
He cleared his thoughts and spoke to the woman who was waiting patiently in front of him, her expression rife with caution. “We got us an injured dog. Mr. Frank told us you help injured animals.”
Lilly nodded. “I do my best. Where’s the dog?”
He jumped down and went to the back of the wagon to gingerly lift the limp dog out of it. The poor animal whimpered. “Hang on, buddy. We’ll help you.”
Lilly hovered by his side, her attention on the pup in his arms.
“What happened to it?” Her nearness rattled his insides. He’d vowed to never again think of sharing his life with a woman, but sometimes it was hard to remember that. Like now, as she tenderly ran her fingers over the furry dog. When her arm brushed his, his mouth went dry. He drew in a strengthening breath and righted his thoughts.
“This animal has been neglected.” She fired a hot look at him, as if to silently accuse him.
“We found her by the road.” He wanted to make it clear he wasn’t responsible for the condition of the animal.
“Can you make her better?” Teddy asked.
