The Cowboy's Unexpected Family. Linda Ford

me this is exactly where I want to be and what I want to do.” She turned full circle, mentally measuring the boundaries of her lot. It lay behind Macpherson’s store, close enough that she could supply the bread for his store, once she had a stove, as part payment for the lumber for her house. Yet it was far enough to be out of sight of the freight wagons, stagecoaches and riders passing the store.

      Roper followed her visual inspection until they’d both gone full circle and ended looking at each other. He was a pleasant enough man with a ready smile tipped a little crookedly at the moment. Stocky built, solid even. A good head of brown hair mostly hidden under his cowboy hat. A square face. His hazel eyes were always full of kindness and hope, though she’d gone out of her way to make it clear he need not pin any hope on her.

      “Why must you insist on this foolishness?” He swung about to indicate the vast open prairies, the rolling foothills, the bold Rocky Mountains. “Ain’t nothing but nothing out here. A few cows. A few cowboys. A store. A settler or two.”

      Her gaze took in the wide land and for a moment rested on the mountaintops that seemed to poke the blue sky. As always they made her feel stronger, and she brought her mind back to Roper’s concern. “And Mr. Macpherson,” she added, “just a holler away.”

      “Who’s to protect you from wild animals? Either the four-legged or two-legged kind?”

      “Indeed. And who has protected me in the past? Sure wasn’t my dead husband.” She’d been so afraid sleeping in the railway station. “Nor my dead father. Certainly not my still-living grandfather.” She made a grating sound of disbelief.

      “Must be the good Lord ’cause it sure ain’t your good sense.”

      “Think what you will.” She turned away to examine the stack of belongings. “Thanks for bringing me to town and unloading my stuff.”

      “You’re telling me to leave?”

      “Don’t recall saying so but shouldn’t you get back to the ranch?”

      “You’re bound and determined to do this?”

      She faced him squarely. She would reveal no flicker of doubt. “I’m bound and determined.”

      “Nothing I say will convince you to reconsider?”

      “Figure you about said it all and still I’m here.”

      But he didn’t move and she avoided looking at him. He’d already made his opinion clear as spring water. As had Linette and Eddie.

      “It goes against my better judgment to leave you here alone.”

      “This is something I have to do.” She didn’t bother explaining her reasons, afraid they would look foolish to anyone else. But she was through feeling indebted to someone for her care.

      He pressed his hand to hers. “Cassie, at least let me help you set up some kind of camp.”

      The weight of his hand, the warmth of his palm, the way he curled his fingers around hers made her realize how much she would miss him. But when he reached for the tent, she grabbed his arm to stop him. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.” Even though she had pointedly ignored him all winter it was comforting in some strange, unexplainable way to know he was there, on the periphery of her world.

      But she would not depend on anyone. She’d long ago learned the cost of doing so. She had to make her own security. She fussed with the ropes around the rolled-up canvas tent. “I plan to manage on my own.”

      He edged past her, shuffled toward the wagon, never taking his eyes from her.

      She did her best to keep her attention on the pile of belongings at her feet but couldn’t keep from glancing his way when the wagon creaked as he stepped up.

      He sighed loud enough to make the horse prick up its ears. “Look, it ain’t like I’m asking to be your partner or anything like that.” He grinned as if to inform her he considered the idea plumb foolish. “Just want to make sure you’re going to be okay.”

      “I’m going to be just fine.” She lifted her hand in farewell.

      With a shake of his head, he drove away.

      She watched until the trail of dust hid the wagon. Only then did she turn and face her predicament. She had land of her own. A nice level bit of ground with trees surrounding it and the river a few steps away.

      She had plans to support herself, and a tent to provide temporary shelter. She had a pile of lumber that would become her home.

      There was only one small hitch.

      She had no notion of how to transform that pile of lumber into a house.

      First things first. She would erect the tent and prepare camp.

      Three hours later, she had managed to sort out the ropes and stakes for the tent and put it up. Sure it sagged like a weary old man but it was up. She’d unrolled her bedding along one side and slipped her derringer under her pillow. Whatever Roper thought of her she wasn’t foolish enough to be unprepared.

      Macpherson had provided a saw, hammer and nails with the lumber. She carried them to the pile of lumber and stared helplessly. She had no idea how to begin.

      God, I know there must be a way to do this. Surely you can help me.

      But she heard no voice from the clouds, nor did she feel a sudden burst of inspiration. As usual she’d have to figure it out on her own.

      * * *

      Roper muttered to himself as he headed toward the ranch. Stupid woman. If he didn’t know better he would think she was crazy in the head. But he’d watched her all winter, seeing the pain and defiance behind her brown eyes and wanting to erase it.

      From the beginning Cassie had been as prickly as a cactus. Over the winter she’d mellowed. Her black hair had gone from dull and stringy to glistening and full. Morose, even sour, at the start, she’d started to laugh more often.

      He shook his head and grunted. But she’d changed in other ways, too. She’d grown downright stubborn and independent.

      He adjusted his hat to suit him better and swatted away an ornery fly that wouldn’t leave him alone.

      Growing up in an orphanage he’d learned if he helped people, made them laugh, life was more pleasant for everyone. He’d become adept at smoothing out problems in order to maintain peace.

      He ached that Cassie refused to let him help in any way.

      “Shoot. Best thing I can do is forget all about her.” Something else he’d grown good at—letting people go. He’d learned the hard way not to expect permanence. Still he’d be giving Eddie every excuse known to man to ride to town until he was certain she was well settled. In fact, he’d leave the job and stay in town if he could think of any reasonable excuse. After all, he had no particular ties to the ranch. To any place for that matter.

      But he could think of no reason to hang about town other than to make sure Cassie was safe and happy. Seems she was only too happy to see him gone so maybe he’d accomplished one of his goals.

      A dark shape on the trail ahead caught his eye and he blinked. He pulled the horse to a halt and stared. Rubbed his eyes and stared some more.

      He’d seen mirages of trees and water but he’d never seen a mirage of kids. He squinted hard. Three kids. Four, if that squirming armload was another.

      He called to them as he edged the wagon forward.

      The huddle of young ’uns left the trail and ran toward the trees a distance away.

      “Now hold up there.”

      The kids picked up speed.

      Roper quickly secured the reins and jumped to the ground, breaking into an awkward trot. His bowed legs weren’t made for running but he didn’t let that slow him much.

      One of the kids