Dakota Father. Linda Ford

buggy, carefully shifting Meggie from one arm to the other as she descended. The baby wakened and whimpered.

      The man stood by his buggy. “I’ll wait and see if anyone has letters to post.”

      Meggie hesitated. Why had no one come to the door or strode from one of the outbuildings? She’d glimpsed the shadow of a man in the barn. Seems someone should show a degree of curiosity if not neighborliness but apart from the creak of a gate blowing in the wind and the far-off cry of a hawk, there was no sound of welcome. “This is the right place?”

      “The Lazy B. ’Spect all the men are out working but Paquette should be in the back. Want we should go that way?”

      “Paquette?” What was that? But if it meant admission to this house, she’d follow the man most anywhere.

      “She’s the housekeeper. A Métis.”

      She’d heard of the part Indian, part French-Canadian people, many of them descended from the fur traders.

      They left the baggage where the man put it and picked their way past overturned buckets and around a huddle of chairs.

      They found the back door open. The driver stepped inside with complete confidence and Jenny followed hesitantly. In her world, one didn’t walk into a house unbidden. This, however, was a strange, exciting new world. A thrill trickled through her lungs.

      The enormous size of the room surprised her. A scarred wooden table with plank benches along each side and a chair at each end took up the area nearest the door. At the far end, cupboards and a stove—presided over by a little woman so bent and crippled Meggie wondered if she could walk. Her graying hair hung in twin braids down her back, tied with a length of leather. The frayed ends of each braid were black.

      “Hullo, Paquette. The boss man about?” the man at her side called.

      “I hear him soon ago. Out by de corrals, him. He ride away ’gain. I hear horsesteps. I help you? Me?”

      Jenny edged past the driver. “My name is Jenny Archibald. I need to speak to the Edwards. Could you tell Mrs. Edwards I’m here?”

      Bent as she was, the woman appeared to regard Jenny from beneath her gray-streaked, black hair with eyes so dark the pupils were indiscernible. “Be no Missus Edwards.” She gave a jerky sort of laugh that seemed oddly full of both mirth and mockery.

      “But—” Jenny fell back a step. “There must be.”

      “No, Ma’am, there is not.” The deep voice behind her jerked Jenny about so fast it hurt her eyes. She blinked. It was the man from the train. Except—

      She narrowed her eyes and looked at him more closely. He looked like a wild cowboy now but with the same dark intense eyes. Yes, it was the same man.

      She gathered her thoughts and chose the most obvious one. “Mr. Edwards, I presume?”

      “That would be so, though I prefer to be called Burke. But tell me, why must I have a wife?” His words were slow, his voice deadly calm.

      She shivered at the way he spoke as if she had insulted him and he was about to demand some sort of retribution. Suddenly the strength drained out the soles of her well-worn black leather boots. As her knees turned soggy, she groped toward the table and plunked down on a bench.

      “Perhaps you better explain what it is you want.” He signaled to the woman. “Paquette, bring us coffee, please. Unless…” He silently questioned Jenny.

      “Might I have tea?” she whispered.

      “Tea, for the lady, Paquette.”

      “Yes, boss. Fer de lady. I get de tea.”

      Jenny pulled in a long, strengthening draft of air, hot from the stove and rolling with scents of many meals past and present. An explanation, he wanted, did he? Well, seems he had some explaining to do himself. Maybe she’d misunderstood. “No wife?”

      “No wife now or ever.”

      “But—”

      Mr. Edward’s expression stopped any comment she’d been about to make. Lena said he had sent for his intended six months ago. They should have been married by now.

      She reminded herself of all the times Ma had warned her to control her emotions, speak like a lady. Mama, how would a lady speak and act in this situation? Thoughts of Ma settled her and common sense replaced her shock. She’d deal with the facts one at a time.

      “Mr. Edwards, I have come with some bad news.”

      His eyes narrowed and he sat down a few feet away, forcing her to shift sideways to look into his face.

      Ignoring the thunderous warning in his face, not even pausing to wonder what it meant, she rushed on. “I’m sorry to have to inform you your sister, Lena, and her husband, Mark, succumbed to the fever a few days ago. And I have brought your niece to you.”

      The man jolted like she’d stomped on his foot and she knew a certain satisfaction at surprising him as much as he’d done her. Her inappropriate feeling fled as quickly at it had come, replaced by sympathy. He’d lost his sister and brother-in-law. “I’m so sorry. Please accept my condolences.”

      And somehow he’d managed to lose the woman who was to be his wife. What had happened to her? Why didn’t Lena know this? It sounded very suspicious and she glanced about as if the corners held secrets.

      “They’re gone? Both of them?” He swallowed hard and shifted his gaze to the little girl. “This is Meggie?”

      Meggie whimpered at the sound of her name.

      “She’s hot and tired and missing her parents.” The details regarding his lack of a wife could be sorted out later, after Meggie had been tended to. But what the baby needed most was a new mother figure.

      There was no Mrs. Edwards. She tried to get her thoughts around the unwelcome information. Jenny glanced at the man in continuing disbelief.

      His gaze held hers in the same steady probing look that had trapped her on the train. She tried to free herself. Tried to think what she must do now.

      Paquette set steaming cups at the table.

      The driver sucked back black tea.

      Jenny bent her head, ran her finger along the tiny handle.

      This was not how things were to be.

      Chapter Two

      Burke stared at the young woman. Lena was dead? His baby sister and her husband? The only family he had? A sour taste like gall stung his throat. He’d cared for Lena after their parents died when he was sixteen and she fourteen. He’d found work, provided them a home, been her chaperone at outings. Only when she had Mark to care for her had he felt free to head west, full of plans for the future. He’d never considered Lena wouldn’t always be there. He should have stayed and protected her. But shouldn’t Mark have been doing that?

      They were both gone. Taken by something no one could control but God. And God seemed not to care about the troubling affairs of individuals. No doubt He had his hands full running the world and taking care of the stars in space.

      Burke had gotten his ranch. He’d planned to be married by how, perhaps even have a new little Edwards boy or girl to look forward to.

      That wasn’t going to happen now. Suddenly he felt very alone.

      He considered the fussing child. This baby was Meggie? He’d never seen her except for a likeness Lena had sent in a letter. He hadn’t seen Lena and Mark since their marriage just before he headed west.

      He choked back the thick bitterness clogging the back of his throat. Meggie was the only family he had left. A fierce protectiveness clawed at his gut. This child was now his. But what was he going to do with a little girl? If she’d been a boy…

      The young woman coughed discreetly. “This changes everything.