Brides of Idaho (10 page)

He rode slowly toward the stopping house. At the hitching post, he reached behind him and swung a small boy to the ground. Then he lifted the child from in front of him and leaned over to deposit the second one beside the first.

Glory stepped from the dining room to watch.

A small boy with a defiant look on his face clutched the hand of a smaller girl who looked as if she’d been crying recently.

Levi swung to the ground and pushed his hat back on his head in a gesture speaking worry and confusion better than any words could have.

She crossed the porch and faced him squarely. “Where did you get these children?”

He grinned as if reading her suspicious thoughts. “I didn’t steal them, and I know that’s what you’re thinking. I found them. Rescued them.” He told of finding the pair at the side of the road, waiting for their father to return. Waiting for four days without losing hope.

Their fear and pain drew deep lines in both little faces. It was too much like her own experience, and Glory had to turn away, pretending an interest in something inside the dining room while she gathered up her self-control. “You couldn’t just bring home a lost dog like everyone else. Oh no, you have to find two lost children.”

“We weren’t lost,” the boy protested. “Was waitin’ for our pa. He won’t be happy we didn’t stay where he told us to. But”—his sigh was half shudder and perilously close to a sob—“we was getting hungry and tired and my sister was afraid. We could hear the coyotes howling so close at night.”

Glory pressed her lips together and stilled her emotions. These children were even younger than she had been and without a protective older sister. She looked at Levi in silent protest, hoping he saw nothing but shock and dismay that these children had been abandoned.

Levi’s expression revealed an equal amount of both plus a healthy dose of anger. “It took me all afternoon to persuade them to come with me.”

The little girl stuck out her chin in an act of such defiance Glory had to press her lips together to keep from smiling. “He said he’d take care of us and find our pa.”

Glory shook her head as she turned back to Levi. “Sounds like a mighty big task.”

He shrugged. “How hard can it be? Besides, I couldn’t leave them there another day. I doubt you could have either.”

She forced all emotion from her eyes and answered cooly. “I suppose not. After all, they are just children.”

The boy widened his stance. “I’m Jack Templeton. This is my sister, Emmy. I can take care of her.”

Glory recognized his determination and admired it. “How old are you?”

“Ten.” A boy with a tangle of straw-colored hair and brown eyes. “Emmy’s—”

“I’m eight.” Similar in looks to her brother, only her hair was longer and her eyes wider and filled with forced bravery. And as afraid as any child.

Glory straightened and met Levi’s eyes. “What are you going to do with them?”

“Exactly what I said. Take care of them and try to locate their father.”

She nodded and without another word went back inside. She went directly to the kitchen where Joanna and Mandy waited.

“What’s going on?” Joanna asked.

“He found two kids.” She repeated his story.

Joanna sighed. “Familiar story, wouldn’t you say?”

Mandy moved to the doorway so she could watch them. “He’s washing them up. The little girl is so tiny. She looks up at him with big trusting eyes.” Mandy’s words choked. “I can’t imagine leaving such a sweet pair behind.”

Glory snorted. “What? Were we ugly? And even if we were, did that make it all right for Pa to leave us time and again?”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to. He just got busy.”

“Mandy, when will you learn we just didn’t matter to him? Still don’t, if one goes by the evidence.” She waved her hands to indicate the room. “You see him here? Did he tell us where he was going? No. I say forget about him and get on with our lives.”

“Hush, girls.” Joanna as always played the peacemaker. “We are doing the best we can. All of us. Only time and God’s love will heal some wounds.”

Glory and Mandy exchanged surprised looks then faced Joanna, who laughed awkwardly.

“Ma taught us to obey God and trust Him. I guess it’s about time we all did.”

“I’m trying,” Glory mumbled.

“I feel close to God when I’m out in the woods.” Mandy sounded confused.

Joanna patted them both on the back. “We need to look to the future, not the past.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes on a corner of her apron. “Now let’s serve our guests.”

Glory helped carry in the full platters and mounded bowls. Not until the food was on the table did Joanna signal at the door for the guests to come in. As they filed by, they dropped their coins into her hand.

Glory watched as Levi dropped in coins for three.

He looked tired and worried as he found room for himself with a child on each side. But Emmy trembled when a strange man sat beside her.

Glory caught Levi’s eyes and signaled to him to check the child at his elbow.

He did so, saw how frightened she was, and changed places with her so she sat between himself and Jack. He glanced to Glory, said a silent thank-you.

She turned away, pretending she didn’t notice. It was almost more than she could do to watch his tenderness with the children. She forced steel into her thoughts. Would he tell them the same thing he’d told her? That he couldn’t care about them and that he took back his promise?

She was quite prepared to ignore the three of them. But against her will, her gaze returned to them over and over, watching as Levi cut Emmy’s meat, as he refilled their water glasses. Like a father with his children.

Determinedly, she closed her eyes. She would not be like Mandy, always hoping Pa would return and somehow be changed into an ideal father. Nor would she look for the tenderness and caring she’d missed from her father in some other man. She understood how even a whisper of that kind of thinking made her vulnerable to more hurt and disappointment. The best thing she could do would be to stay as far away as possible from Levi and these two little ones until such time as he reunited them with their father.

A thought ached through her. What if they didn’t find the missing father? Seems if a man didn’t want to be found, he had a hundred different ways of disappearing.

As soon as the meal ended, she hurried to the kitchen to start washing dishes, determined she would not watch what Levi did with the children. Not that she had to. Mandy gave a running account.

“He’s making sure they wash up again.” “He’s sitting on the bench outside with them. Looks like he’s telling them a story. Both children are staring at him with such big eyes they practically eat him up.”

Glory could take no more. “I don’t want to hear about him.”

Mandy laughed. “You’re jealous because he’s spending time with those kids. You want him to spend time with you. I saw him follow you into the trees the other evening. And why is he always hanging around the farrier’s shop? Not because he has dozens of horses to take care of.”

Glory threw the wet dishrag into the water with a splash and spun around to face her sister. “That’s stupid talk. You be quiet.”

Mandy wrinkled her nose. “I will say what I want.”

“No, you won’t.” Glory jumped for her, intending to forceably shut her mouth, but Mandy guessed her intent and raced out of the house.

“You can’t stop me.” She laughed as Glory tore after her.

“When I catch you, you’ll be sorry. I’ll hurt you real bad.”

Mandy had always been faster than Glory, but Glory was more desperate, more angry, and she did not give up the chase for half a mile. Finally, winded and knowing she didn’t have a chance of catching her sister, Glory ground to a halt. “You have to come back sometime,” she shouted.

Mandy stopped to face her, a good distance separating them. “You have to stop being mad sometime.”

Glory laughed. Her anger had already fled.

She marched back to the house, humming to herself, and stared at Emmy, watching her with wide-eyed fear. She shifted. Saw how Jack looked ready to flee. She recalled her threatening words, the anger that no doubt had been evident on her face, and wished she could recall the past few moments and do them over.

Although she vowed she would not look at Levi, her eyes somehow shifted his direction and their gazes collided. His look burned. Accused.

“Nice example,” he murmured.

Two seconds ago she’d been wishing she’d acted differently. Not frightened the children. Now she wished she’d caught Mandy and wrestled her to the ground just to prove to Levi she didn’t care a thing about his opinion.

“You were mad,” Emmy whispered.

Glory’s stubborness warred with her concern for two innocent children. The latter won out. “Only for a moment. My sister knows that. It’s a game we like to play.”

“You shouldn’t say bad things.”

Glory grinned at the little girl. “So I’m told.” She flounced around and headed for the kitchen to finish her chores.

Joanna watched her return. “Will you ever learn to be a lady?”

Glory gave her an unrepentant smirk. “When you do.”

Joanna glanced down at her split skirt and laughed. “I’m as ladylike as I can be. No wonder they call us the buffalo gals.”

“It could be a lot worse.” They grinned at each other. “I’m happy enough to be a buffalo gal.”

“Me, too.”

Mandy returned a little later, and the three girls worked in happy contentment.

At bedtime, Levi found a corner and bedded the two children down at his side.

Glory tried to ignore them, but it was impossible not to hear him reading aloud from the Bible then see him kneeling with them to say their prayers. He tucked the covers around them firmly.

Glory could almost feel the comfort of those blankets holding her close. He wasn’t even their father. Why was he acting like he was? Did some men simply react to children in a tender way?

She fled to the bedroom she shared with her sisters. Mandy was wrong. She wasn’t jealous. She didn’t want him to give her the same kind of attention. Yet there was no denying the long, echoing ache inside her yearning for something.

L
evi lay back on his bedding and let out a long sigh of relief. It had been a difficult afternoon. The children didn’t want to disobey their father and leave the spot where he’d told them to wait. They flat out refused until Levi said he would scratch a message in the rock at the side of the road. It had taken him a long time to do so. But that gave him an opportunity to explain how he would send a message up the line and see if they could locate their pa. He talked about the good meals at the stopping house and the nice ladies who ran it.

Eventually, they agreed to come but only after checking and approving the message on the rock. He’d gathered up their sack of belongings—a few items of clothing and one set of bedding he knew they shared, likely clinging to each other for security and warmth.

He hadn’t taken into account the variety of men who clustered around the table morning and night. Some fine gentlemen. But also some rough characters. After supper, Emmy confessed they scared her. Levi didn’t know what else to do. He had no home. And knew of none suitable to keep them in. The hotel certainly wasn’t. The men he’d seen leaving that place convinced him it was not fit for decent people.

Staying with the buffalo gals seemed the best idea except it brought him back to the initial problem—Emmy was uncomfortable among so many strange men. And he didn’t want to be forced by such circumstances to spend more time with Glory. His wayward thoughts far too often drifted toward her, recalling his pleasure when he kissed her, remembering how she challenged a man about how he treated his horses, how she—

No, he must keep his hands and mind to the task before him. He had made a bargain with God and intended to keep it.

The men around him settled down. There was a constant sound of shuffling and snoring, but he was too tired to be bothered by it. He silently prayed for God to help him find the children’s father then rolled over and fell asleep.

A scream jolted him awake. He reached for his rifle, found only bare wood. Felt about him, remembering he slept in the stopping house and his rifle was with his saddle and other things. He sat up as did several others. Someone lit a lamp and held it high.

A bewiskered man who had spat out a steady stream of black tobacco juice all evening bolted to his feet, revealing a very dirty undershirt. He grabbed the lamp and shone it into every corner of the room. “Who screamed?”

The flickering yellow light stopped at Emmy, who sat up, tears streaming down her face, and as everyone stared at her, her sobs grew loud.

Jack pushed from his slumber and reached out for his sister. “You had a nightmare. Go back to sleep.”

She didn’t move.

Levi urged her to lie down. Covered her tightly. Patted her back gently, murmuring soft sounds. “It’s all over, folks. Go back to sleep.”

But he spoke too soon. He had no sooner fallen asleep again when another scream rent the air.

“Make her stop,” someone called in the dark.

“I’m trying to get some rest,” another growled.

Murmurs and snarls came from various corners.

Levi again soothed the child. When he heard her soft, steady breathing, he allowed himself to fall back asleep.

But again his peace was shattered by Emmy’s screams.

The protests from the other guests grew louder, more abusive.

Levi knew it would be impossible for him to sleep if he meant to keep the child quiet. He pulled on his trousers, scooped Emmy into his arms, and escaped outside. He got as comfortable as possible on one of the narrow benches, resting his back against the rough wooden wall, wrapped one of his blankets about Emmy, and settled down for a restless night.

Twice more she cried out, loud enough to bring a muttering of protests from inside.

Finally dawn eased across the hills and turned the air pink. Geese came awake on the river, honking in joyful song. Birdsong filled the air. So peaceful. Why couldn’t man enjoy nature and stop hurting themselves and each other?