Read Online Linda Ford by The Baby Compromise - Free Book Online

said. “Holly showed me.”
    “The businesses and homes near the creek took water damage in the flood. But this house is beyond where the water came. Nope. This is wind damage. If disasters are a sign from God, I wonder what message He was trying to send her.”
    “Do you believe that?”
    He couldn’t tell from her guarded tone which opinion she held. So he gave his answer careful consideration. After a moment, he spoke. “I think we too often decide that a man’s neglect or meanness is God’s hand. I don’t believe it is.”
    “Exactly. The delays at the orphanage are being caused by men. Not God. And I get mighty weary of Miss Ward suggesting otherwise.” Her shoulders rose and fell in a way that made him wonder if she grew tired of her struggles. He wanted to assure her that he would take care of vandals and delays, Miss Ward and her interference.
    But he didn’t want to prompt a reaction from her, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
    On second thought, it was kind of fun to see her get all huffy. But before he could speak, Heidi leaned forward to whisper in Rebecca’s ear.
    “She wants to know what a hooligan is,” Rebecca said.
    He guessed she was trying to keep the emotion from her voice, but she failed. She sounded ready to explode. He’d spare her the pain of explaining the word to Heidi.
    “A hooligan is a person who does bad things to hurt others.”
    Heidi hung her head. “She doesn’t like me.”
    “Do you hurt people?” he asked softly, turning toward the child.
    “I try not to.”
    “Then you’re not a hooligan.”
    She tipped her head, hiding her face behind the curtain of her hair. “It’s ’cause I’m ugly.”
    He scooped the hair aside and studied her scars. “You are not ugly. Ugly is something that happens on the inside. Not on the outside.”
    Slowly, Heidi lifted her face to him and glimmers of trust dawned in her eyes. “I don’t want to be ugly on the inside.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Like Miss Ward.”
    Rebecca faced the girl. “Heidi, we should not speak ill of others.” But her voice bore no trace of scolding and she favored Colton with a smile full of gratitude.
    Now, if she could be this pleasant all the time, life at the ranch would be as easy as pie.
    He urged the horse onward. They traveled north for another mile, then turned east.
    “I should tell you about my parents. Ma’s heart isn’t as good as it used to be. She doesn’t get around much anymore. And Pa had an accident three years ago.” He hated to even talk about it. He hero-worshipped his big father. Never saw him as old. Never expected to see him laid up and in pain. “He’s pretty crippled.”
    Heidi leaned forward and whispered in Rebecca’s ear. He heard enough to guess she’d asked about Pa.
    “I’m right here. You can ask me.” He lifted his arms and looked at them. “Unless I’ve become invisible.” He grabbed Rebecca’s hand in mock alarm. “I’m not, am I?”
    Heidi giggled.
    Rebecca’s eyes rounded and her mouth formed a rosebud.
    He jerked his hand away. “Sorry.” He hadn’t meant to touch her, but despite the embarrassment between them, he didn’t regret it. He liked discovering the cool silk of her skin. “It’s just I got so scared thinking I’d disappeared.”
    Heidi muffled another giggle. “You’re still here.”
    “Oh, good. Then you can talk to me.”
    She met his gaze, her brown eyes measuring him.
    He let her look, hoped she saw that he liked her and didn’t think she was ugly.
    “What happened to your pa?”
    “You mean his accident?”
    She nodded.
    He snapped the reins and gave far more attention to the road than it required as he sorted his emotions from the facts. When he’d achieved a reasonable amount of success, he spoke. The emotions didn’t leave entirely, tightening his throat so his words sounded strangled. Perhaps the others wouldn’t notice.
    “We were driving cattle and something spooked them.” That something had been