Montana Cowboy Family. Linda Ford

nervous, but this was a different reaction and it defied explanation...a fact she didn’t appreciate.

      Sammy pressed his back to the door and his fists curled, making Sadie forget her own reaction. The poor child feared he was in trouble.

      Logan tipped his head toward her in greeting, then turned to Sammy. “Well, young man, did your teacher tell you of our arrangement?”

      “She said I had to go with you.” Defiance colored each word.

      “I didn’t get time to explain why.” She would let Logan do it.

      He flickered a look at her that carried a whole world of accusation.

      She ignored it. Her reasons for not telling Sammy sooner were valid.

      Logan gave Sammy his full attention. “You stole my lunch two times.”

      Sammy’s only response was a stubborn look.

      Logan continued. “You know that’s wrong.”

      Still no response.

      “I could call the sheriff.”

      Sadie opened her mouth to protest, but Logan held up a hand to signal silence and she decided to wait and see what he had in mind. Still, if he thought to have the boy arrested, well, she wouldn’t stand idly by.

      Logan leaned back on his heels. His stance did not fool Sadie. He was ready to catch little Sammy should he decide to run.

      “The way I see it,” Logan continued, slowly, as if thinking what to say, “is you owe me for the stolen food.”

      “I gots no money.”

      “Then you will work for me.”

      Sadie almost smiled at the eager light in Sammy’s eye.

      “I don’t have to go to school?”

      Logan chuckled. “You can work during the lunch hour. But first we’ll eat.”

      “Okay, then, let’s go.” He eased between Sadie and Logan and headed for the door.

      A grin widening his mouth, Logan spoke to Sadie. “I’ll make sure he’s back for classes.”

      Sammy waited impatiently at the door. Logan plunked his hat on his head and the two left the store.

      Sadie watched as they crossed the street...the big man who cared about a little boy and the little boy doing his best to match Logan stride for stride.

      Satisfied the boy was in good hands, she turned back to the classroom. If only she could be a little bird on the eaves of the schoolhouse and watch the two together.

      Sammy returned just before the bell rang, a wide grin upon his face.

      At recess, the other boys surrounded him, demanding to know where he’d gone. He refused to tell them and a couple of them looked angry. She’d have to make sure they didn’t torment him.

      At the end of the school day, she reminded Sammy of her note for his mother. He nodded and raced away.

      The children all departed and she quickly tidied the classroom, then went in search of Logan. She was so anxious to learn how things had gone between him and Sammy that she would willingly seek out the very man who had the power to upset her carefully constructed world. One that had narrowed down to her students, a few friends and her books.

      He saw her coming and hung his hammer on a nail to wait.

      “Sammy seemed pleased with himself when he came back,” she said.

      “He’s a good kid. He ate half my lunch. While we ate, I told him a man must live by certain standards or he couldn’t call himself a man.”

      She swallowed hard. Just as she’d suspected, the Marshall men had high standards. A woman like her would not be accepted. Probably not even tolerated. She could imagine the look of horror she’d receive if they found out about her past.

      Turning her attention to another matter, she asked, “What do you know about Sammy and his family?”

      Logan leaned against the wall and faced her. “I’ve been asking about them.”

      She didn’t wait for him to say what he’d learned. “His father doesn’t like company. Don’t you think that sounds ominous? I sent a note home asking to visit his mother.”

      “You might have a hard time doing that. From what Uncle George learned at the store, the mother died a short time ago. A man came by to ask about an empty place on the west edge of town. He assumed the man was Mr. Weiss though he didn’t give his name. I guess the man hasn’t been around again since.”

      “Sammy’s mother’s dead? Why wouldn’t Sammy just say so? Why would he lie about such a thing?”

      Logan shrugged. “Maybe he’s afraid you might consider it unsuitable for a boy his age to stay with his father.”

      “He has no reason to think I would object. Why would he?” Her eyes were hot with denial and objection. “The poor child. Who comforts him?”

      “I expect his father does.”

      Recalling the bruises she’d noted, she wondered if the father offered any sort of understanding to the child. “Being a father or mother does not necessarily mean a person knows how to comfort. Or even desires to.”

      “Sadie Young, you have a very jaded opinion of family life.” He planted a big hand on her arm, an act so solicitous that her insides crackled. “What happened to make you that way?”

      The trembling started deep in her soul and spread in ripples to her limbs. She must not let him know how his words affected her, and she stepped away, forcing him to lower his arm to his side. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Sammy. I’m convinced there’s more to the story than we know, and I intend to investigate.”

      Logan watched her carefully. “Have a care how you deal with this hurting family. I recall how difficult it was when my mother died. I expect they’re in need of a few kind words to get them through their loss.”

      “I would never be unkind, but neither would I hesitate to intervene if a child is being—” She sought for a word that would describe her concerns without demanding she provide more information because, apart from a few bruises that could be explained as normal boyhood bumps, and the hurt she saw in Sammy’s eyes, her suspicions were based largely on recognizing something in the boy that echoed from her own wounded spirit. “If a child is being intentionally hurt.”

      He shoved his hat back on his head and looked heavenward, his eyes closed for a moment. He met her gaze, his piercing and demanding. “I see you’re going to be stubborn about this. At least promise you’ll let me know before you do anything.”

      She met his eyes, matching him hard look for hard look. She had no intention of backing down before his insistence.

      “Miss Young, I can’t let you visit a widower without an escort.”

      She swallowed hard. Was he really interested in protecting her reputation? Gall burned at the back of her throat. If only he knew how impossibly late such concern was. But she had two choices—agree or walk away. She guessed if she chose the latter, he wouldn’t hesitate to bang on her door and demand her promise. Better to give it of her own volition. “I’ll let you know.” She wanted nothing more than to run to her quarters, but she walked away in what she hoped was a calm, controlled manner.

      “Be sure you do,” he called.

      She closed the door, but the wooden barrier did nothing to quell the racing of her heart. He’d touched her in a comforting way. He’d shown genuine care for a hurting family. And he seemed concerned about her reputation. Comfort, understanding, consolation—all things she’d once yearned for—and now got from a man she was half-frightened of. It unsettled her through and through.

      She pushed back her shoulders and lifted her head. She no longer needed