Montana Cowboy Family. Linda Ford

she gasped.

      Beth sank to the edge of the bed and pulled her little sister onto her lap. “Hush, baby, hush.”

      Jeannie clung to Beth’s neck. The high-pitched crying softened to shuddering sobs. Finally, Jeannie sniffed. She wiped her eyes and stared at Logan. “Papa?”

      Beth shifted the youngster to her other shoulder. “It’s not Papa.”

      Jeannie leaned around Beth to stare at Logan. Even in the dim light of the room darkened by heavy drapes, Logan could see how her eyes widened. His heart went out to this poor child. He lifted a hand, thinking to brush it over her hair, then, remembering how wary the children were of being touched, he lowered his arm to his side, at a loss to know what to say or do.

      Jeannie struggled free of Beth’s grasp and made her way around the bed to stand in front of Logan. “Papa.” She said the word with such conviction that Logan knew her sleep-drowsy mind had convinced her that her papa had returned. He could not disappoint the child even though she would soon realize he wasn’t their father.

      He picked up Jeannie.

      With a deep sigh, Jeannie rested her head against his neck, her comfort rag clutched in one hand. Her warm breath tickled his skin and he breathed in the scent of little girl. Something that he would have denied if asked stirred within him. Would he ever have a child of his own? He pushed aside the question and, following his earlier instincts, brushed his hand over her head, her hair soft as a downy chick. His eyes grew surprisingly hot.

      Beth and Sadie stood before him. Beth’s hands curled into fists. Her lips drew into a thin line and her eyes were hard as river rock.

      Sadie’s eyes revealed little in the low light, but her lips curved upward.

      He met her gaze and felt a jolt in the pit of his stomach that he was at a loss to understand. Except it seemed she approved. Of what? The way Jeannie had come to him thinking he was her pa? Or did she like seeing him hold a little girl?

      “She’s asleep again. I’ll take her.” Beth’s tone made it clear she didn’t approve of this contact between Logan and her little sister.

      He slipped the child into her sister’s arms and stood by as Beth put her back to bed. He was ready to take Jeannie again, should she want it. But Jeannie curled on her side, her rag pulled to her chest, and slept.

      They tiptoed from the room.

      In the evening light coming through the windows, Logan could see Sadie’s expression better.

      She scrubbed her lips together and looked thoughtful. “Does she waken often like that?” she asked Beth.

      Beth shrugged. “She’ll be okay once I’m beside her.”

      That didn’t really answer Sadie’s question and Sadie shifted her gaze to Logan, seeking guidance.

      He gave what he hoped she’d see as an encouraging smile. “Everything is strange to her right now.”

      “I guess that’s so.” Sadie sounded relieved.

      “I could stay a little longer if you like.” Would she welcome his offer or see it as interference?

      He didn’t have to guess Beth’s feelings. She glowered at him.

      “I said she’ll be fine,” she said. “I could go to bed with her right now, if you’re worried.”

      Sammy laughed. “I’m not going to bed so early.”

      “We’ll be fine,” Sadie’s words were firm, full of conviction.

      Logan looked about. He could find no reason to delay his departure. “I best get home.”

      Sammy, who had crawled up to sit beside Beth on the cot, jumped to his feet. “You’re leaving? Who will protect us?”

      Logan’s insides twisted. Why did the boy think he needed protection? He’d certainly had none out in that awful shack. “You’re safe here. No one will bother you.”

      Sammy looked at the windows and the doors, his mouth working. “But what if they do?”

      “I’ll ask my uncle to watch out for you. Will that help?”

      Sammy gave Logan some serious study. His chest rose and fell more rapidly than normal. “He can’t see us all the time.”

      Logan looked at Sadie, saw her surprise and concern...and something more—a slight narrowing of her eyes as if she read something sinister in Sammy’s fears.

      He looked at Beth. She watched with an impassive expression, not willing to trust anyone to share Sammy’s concerns.

      “Why can’t you stay?” Sammy asked.

      “My family will be worried if I don’t go home. Besides, I promised my grandfather to help him find some books.” No one else was available to take care of the old man’s needs. Besides, Grandfather asked only Logan for such favors. He hated to ask at all, but Logan went out of his way to see that Grandfather had everything he needed. This morning he had bemoaned the fact he couldn’t reach the books on the upper shelves and said he was getting short of reading material.

      Logan had promised that as soon as he finished in town, he would arrange the shelves so Grandfather could reach his books.

      “I tell you what. I’ll go get Miss Sadie’s school bell. If you need help, you ring it really hard and Uncle George will come running.” He’d alert a few close neighbors, as well. “How’s that?” And first thing tomorrow he would construct a drop bar to secure the door.

      Sammy seemed to slip a mask over his feelings. “Yeah, sure. You’re right. We’ll be fine.”

      Which, Logan understood, meant Sammy wouldn’t be expecting any help from Logan. “I’ll be back tomorrow and make sure you are all safe and sound.” He was more than half tempted to move into the schoolroom so he could keep an eye on them day and night, but he could just hear all the ladies in town whispering that Logan Marshall was back to his wayward ways, though he failed to see how he was to blame for the actions of the girls he’d courted. No, for both his sake and Sadie’s, he wouldn’t set up quarters in the classroom.

      He trotted across the street, retrieved the school bell from the back room of the store and took it to Sadie.

      Still, he hesitated about leaving them. Three frightened children were a big responsibility.

      “Walk me to the wagon,” he said to Sadie.

      Her resistance was so fleeting he might have persuaded himself he hadn’t seen it. Then she nodded and followed him outside.

      “Are you going to be okay with them?”

      She bristled. “Of course I am.”

      “I expect the first night will be the worst.”

      “To be honest, I’m more concerned about tomorrow when I have to leave the girls to teach.” She looked back at her living quarters. “They are all so afraid.”

      He heard the hard note in her voice and knew she blamed the father for the children’s fears. “They have lots of reasons to be frightened. The death of their mother, their father missing, being alone out there, and now being here with people who are strangers to them.”

      “Not to mention the bruises on Sammy’s back.”

      It wasn’t something he could deny, given the evidence, but neither was he about to blame a missing father. But then who did he blame? “I’ll be back before you have to leave, so the girls won’t be alone and defenseless.” He didn’t know why he’d added the final word and wished he hadn’t when Sadie spun about to face him. He’d only been thinking of Sammy’s concerns—be they real or the fears of children who had experienced too many losses.

      “You think they might have need of protection?”

      “Don’t all children?”