except for a few Indian children who lived in Fort Benton when he and Pa made the long trek every spring to trade their furs for supplies. Those children had fascinated him, but the Indian women wouldn’t let a curious, half-grown mountain man near their babies.
The Edwards women escorted him to the house and seated him at their table as formally as if he were visiting royalty. He was appalled. “This is where you live?” The minute the words burst out of him, he wished them back.
Sophie bristled, and all the girls frowned at him—even Laura.
“What’s wrong with where we live?” Sophie asked defensively.
Clay decided to forge ahead. “It’s the most pathetic house I’ve ever seen. It’s so small.” Clay rose from the table and stepped to the door to stare out. “Are we in the middle of some kind of. . .weed patch?”
Sophie appeared at his side, her hands on her hips. “This is our home. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
“But you can’t live in this—this shack in the middle of a thicket.”
Sophie crossed her arms and glared at him. “Define can’t , Mr. McClellen. Because my girls and I have proven you can.”
“And it’s just one room? How do the five of you fit in here? What are you thinking, to be raising my nieces like this?” Clay looked into the fire in Sophie’s eyes and wondered what was the matter with her. He’d been bending over backward to say it as nicely as he could. Of course, he’d grown up with men. They talked straight, and the closest they came to watching their mouths was when they’d refrain from saying something that might get them shot. Sophie didn’t seem to appreciate his efforts at all.
“Raising your nieces? I’ve been making do pretty well raising my daughters for two years with no help from you or any man! What do you suggest I should have done? The banker threatened to foreclose onthe ranch unless I married him. The town marshal offered to marry me, in between accusing Cliff of horse thieving. I had fifty proposals, not all of them decent, I assure you. Life in a thicket was a better idea than any of them.”
“You should have taken one of them up on his offer!” The thought of Sophie with another man made his gut twist. But common sense should have made her pick the best of the lot and accept his proposal. “A woman can’t live alone in the West, and you’re the proof of it with this leaky house and that rickety shed!” Clay was shouting by the time he finished talking.
“If you need better accommodations, there’s a path leading straight out of the thicket and into Mosqueros, about ten miles down the road. If you think you can make it in your condition, feel free to go.”
He looked at the path that disappeared into the thicket. It looked like she’d settled herself into the middle of a wasteland. Then he turned and stared down into Sophie’s defiant eyes. He told her the simple truth. “No, I don’t want to go.”
Their eyes locked again.
After a long, tense moment, Sally came and tugged on his arm. He tore his gaze away from Sophie’s beautiful blue eyes.
“Well, that’s settled then,” Sally said. “Come and eat.”
Clay looked past the sweet little girl and saw the table set with a single plate, with only biscuits and jelly for breakfast. His heart clenched as he realized this might well be all they had. Clay looked back at Sally’s adoring little face, and then he turned and looked at his brother’s wife. Wasn’t there a Bible verse about marrying your brother’s wife if your brother died? Clay looked into Sophie’s pretty face and thought he had God on his side. It was his God-given duty to take care of them all.
Then he thought of a second verse about a brother dying without leaving sons. It was the job of the second brother to give sons to the wife, to carry on his brother’s name. His eyes lost focus when he thought about it. He was barely aware that Sophie grabbed his arm and, with all the girls helping, eased
The Edwards women escorted him to the house and seated him at their table as formally as if he were visiting royalty. He was appalled. “This is where you live?” The minute the words burst out of him, he wished them back.
Sophie bristled, and all the girls frowned at him—even Laura.
“What’s wrong with where we live?” Sophie asked defensively.
Clay decided to forge ahead. “It’s the most pathetic house I’ve ever seen. It’s so small.” Clay rose from the table and stepped to the door to stare out. “Are we in the middle of some kind of. . .weed patch?”
Sophie appeared at his side, her hands on her hips. “This is our home. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
“But you can’t live in this—this shack in the middle of a thicket.”
Sophie crossed her arms and glared at him. “Define can’t , Mr. McClellen. Because my girls and I have proven you can.”
“And it’s just one room? How do the five of you fit in here? What are you thinking, to be raising my nieces like this?” Clay looked into the fire in Sophie’s eyes and wondered what was the matter with her. He’d been bending over backward to say it as nicely as he could. Of course, he’d grown up with men. They talked straight, and the closest they came to watching their mouths was when they’d refrain from saying something that might get them shot. Sophie didn’t seem to appreciate his efforts at all.
“Raising your nieces? I’ve been making do pretty well raising my daughters for two years with no help from you or any man! What do you suggest I should have done? The banker threatened to foreclose onthe ranch unless I married him. The town marshal offered to marry me, in between accusing Cliff of horse thieving. I had fifty proposals, not all of them decent, I assure you. Life in a thicket was a better idea than any of them.”
“You should have taken one of them up on his offer!” The thought of Sophie with another man made his gut twist. But common sense should have made her pick the best of the lot and accept his proposal. “A woman can’t live alone in the West, and you’re the proof of it with this leaky house and that rickety shed!” Clay was shouting by the time he finished talking.
“If you need better accommodations, there’s a path leading straight out of the thicket and into Mosqueros, about ten miles down the road. If you think you can make it in your condition, feel free to go.”
He looked at the path that disappeared into the thicket. It looked like she’d settled herself into the middle of a wasteland. Then he turned and stared down into Sophie’s defiant eyes. He told her the simple truth. “No, I don’t want to go.”
Their eyes locked again.
After a long, tense moment, Sally came and tugged on his arm. He tore his gaze away from Sophie’s beautiful blue eyes.
“Well, that’s settled then,” Sally said. “Come and eat.”
Clay looked past the sweet little girl and saw the table set with a single plate, with only biscuits and jelly for breakfast. His heart clenched as he realized this might well be all they had. Clay looked back at Sally’s adoring little face, and then he turned and looked at his brother’s wife. Wasn’t there a Bible verse about marrying your brother’s wife if your brother died? Clay looked into Sophie’s pretty face and thought he had God on his side. It was his God-given duty to take care of them all.
Then he thought of a second verse about a brother dying without leaving sons. It was the job of the second brother to give sons to the wife, to carry on his brother’s name. His eyes lost focus when he thought about it. He was barely aware that Sophie grabbed his arm and, with all the girls helping, eased
Similar Books
