Dakota Father. Linda Ford

wasn’t like she had a lot of choice. She glanced around. A crippled old woman who mumbled and fiddled with things on the cupboard and made it clear as the air outside the door that she wasn’t up to looking after a child. As if she needed to speak the words. Her first look had given Jenny the necessary information. Paquette was so crippled Jenny wondered if she could lift a pot of water which she did so right before Jenny’s eyes. Barely. The woman must be in constant pain.

      She shifted her attention back to Burke. He looked like he wanted to throw a brand on the baby.

      She could hardly leave Meggie here under these circumstances.

      “Where is your…fiancée?”

      Paquette grumbled loudly but Jenny couldn’t make out what she said.

      Burke scowled. “She’s gone. That’s all you need to know.”

      Well, fine. He was entitled to his secrets, as was she.

      Then the enormity of her situation hit her and she plunked to the hard bench. Here she was with a man who looked like he cared nothing what people thought and an old woman who—what would Ma and Pa think? What would they say? Pa had warned her to act wisely, speak carefully and live a life that gave people no cause to whisper about her. She knew her reputation was a precious thing and didn’t intend to compromise it. She shivered. Not after her narrow escape.

      Meggie thrust herself into Jenny’s arms and Jenny held her close, finding comfort in the way the baby clung to her. She had a responsibility to this little one. But would everyone understand her choice?

      She fired another look at Burke. “I intend to stay until suitable arrangements have been made for this child and she is settled.” Her decision raised all sorts of quandaries. “Where do you…will I—?” Heat crawled up her neck and stung the tips of her ears. She couldn’t even voice her concern. Where did he sleep? Where would she sleep?

      Burke leaned back on the heels of his dusty cowboy boots and grinned. “Got yourself into a predicament, did you? Didn’t check out the situation before you made your bold decision?”

      Bold. The word clawed through her mind. How often had Pa said she was too bold? How often had Ma said it would get her into trouble?

      Boots thudded on the wooden floor outside and Mr. Zach appeared, carrying her luggage. “Thought I’d carry your bags inside.”

      “Not too late to change your mind and go back with Zach.”

      Burke’s voice was low, insistent, as if he not only thought she should do so, but felt an urgency she should.

      Meggie in her arms, she pushed to her feet and faced him knowing her determination blared across her face. “If I can take Meggie.”

      “’Fraid I can’t let you do that.”

      Slowly she nodded. “Then I’m afraid I must stay with her until you get married.”

      Ignoring Burke’s sputter of protest, she thanked Mr. Zach, who hesitated then slowly retreated. As she listened to the buggy rattle from the yard she knew she was irrevocably committed to this decision.

      She stared hard at Burke, each of them taking stock of the other’s reserve of stubbornness. She narrowed her eyes, hoped he would see she would not back down. Not now. Not ever. Not until arrangements were up to what Lena would expect.

      The look he gave her might have made her shiver if she had been the quiet, refined lady her parents hoped for instead of one who acted first, thought later, afraid of nothing and no one. She remembered Ma’s admonition to moderate her boldness and lowered her gaze. “I hope we can arrange a suitable living arrangement.”

      Burke snorted. “And what do you intend to do if we can’t? Shouldn’t you have thought of that before you sent Zach away?” He sighed. “It’s too late to ride with him but I’ll take you back.”

      “Why are you so determined to get rid of me?”

      “Because you don’t belong. Better you accept it right now before you get in over your head.”

      Little did he know that she was already in that situation, but it would not cause her to abandon Meggie whose warm arms clung around Jenny’s neck, her face buried against Jenny’s shoulder.

      “It’s not too late to change your mind.”

      “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to leave. But I can assure you it won’t be until I’m satisfied Meggie will be properly taken care of.”

      His gaze darkened. “I don’t think that’s your call to make.”

      “I disagree. Lena and Mark trusted me with seeing Meggie properly settled. I intend to do just that. Now—” she glanced about “—if you would be kind enough to show me where we might clean up.”

      He didn’t move a muscle or give any indication he would help in any way.

      Jenny shot a glance toward Paquette who met her gaze with what Jenny could only take as a mixture of pity and compassion.

      “Boss, she and baby use room next mine. It be big ’nough.”

      Burke groaned. “This is a mistake we’ll all live to regret.”

      Jenny didn’t know if he addressed her or Paquette but she understood her decision to stay was the mistake he referred to, and it undid all her efforts at being reserved. “I fail to see why you should view this as a disaster in the making. I simply have a job to do—see Meggie is settled.” She refrained from adding she would insist on several other changes, too—but a glance around revealed a hundred things that would be dangerous to a toddler. And it didn’t require more than a fleeting acquaintance with the setup to realize there was no one in the present company who could care for Meggie. Until she solved that problem she would be staying. “I think if we all cooperate things should go swimmingly.”

      He looked at the roof as if hoping for divine help.

      Exactly what she needed. My Father in heaven, guide me and protect me as I help Meggie settle in. Help me be wise and cautious.

      “Paquette, show her the room.” He headed for the door then paused. “Miss Archibald, I will say it again. This is no place for a woman. You might do well to heed my warning.”

      Before he could escape, Jenny spoke. “I’ll leave when I deem it’s appropriate but I won’t be run off. I won’t be scared off. So don’t even try.”

      He turned slowly, his expression full of pity. “Don’t flatter yourself that I’d bother. You’ll find plenty of challenges without my interference.”

      What on earth did he mean? A trembling worm of warning skittered across her neck. Was there some sort of danger she should be aware of? But he was gone before she could ask. That left Paquette as her only source of information. “What was he talking about? Is there something I should know?”

      Paquette grinned, her black eyes snapping. “Boss be…” She fluttered her hands as if to indicate the man was unstable.

      The trembling in Jenny’s neck developed talons. Was the man dangerous? She’d heard tales of men losing their minds out in the vast empty prairie. Why, Pa had saved a newspaper story just to show her, warn her. “You need to be on your guard, Pepper. Strange things happen out there and you’ll be on your own.” For proof he’d allowed her to read the story of a bachelor who had gone out of his head from the loneliness and ran out into the cold clad only in his union suit, firing his rifle into the air. The report said it was a miracle no one had been shot.

      “He’s not given to doing strange things, is he?” She needed answers, needed to know what to expect so she could be ready.

      Paquette looked surprised then chortled. “He not the crazy one.”

      Somehow Jenny found that less than assuring. “Who is?”

      The older woman shook her head. “Lots people crazy. Lots people.