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
