The Cowboy's Ready-Made Family

“They do, indeed. Maybe Tanner will ask his stepmother to give me her recipe.” She faced him with an expression of horror. “I’m sorry. I should have said Mr. Harding.”

It was his turn to enjoy a laugh. “Think I already said Mr. Harding is my pa, though most people call him Big Sam. I prefer you call me Tanner.”

She nodded, lowered her gaze, then slowly brought it back to his. “I’d be pleased if you’d use my Christian name, as well.”

Little did she know, he already did in his thoughts. “Thank you.”

“Can we call you Tanner?” Robbie asked.

Tanner looked at Susanne, wondering whether she would allow the familiarity. He knew that many folk didn’t approve of children using the Christian names of adults, but on the ranch they’d never held to such rules. “I don’t mind, if it’s okay with you.”

She nodded. “If you aren’t offended.”

“Not in the least. My ma didn’t hold with children and adults being treated differently.”

“Then, yes.” She spoke to the children. “But you must remember to be respectful.”

Suddenly the children were shy and wouldn’t look at him.

Janie giggled. “Tanner is just like us.”

Susanne shook her head, but her eyes brimmed with amusement. “No. He’s an adult.”

“I know.” Janie gave her aunt a look rife with impatience. “’Cause he’s big and strong like my papa.”

The children studied him.

He let them make their assessment. “I’ll never be like your papa. ’Cause no one can ever be like him. Your papa was special to you and always will be.”

Four little heads nodded.

“You ever meet him?” Frank asked. “Papa would have liked you.”

Tanner couldn’t believe the boy’s words. His throat tightened at the suggestion. “I met your pa a few times in town.” It was a fair ways to Granite Creek so trips were infrequent. He tried to recall the few times he’d seen Jim Collins. “I recall last summer he was in town waiting for the stagecoach to arrive. A pretty young lady climbed down and got into his wagon.” By the time he finished he realized that young lady must have been Susanne. Would she be offended at his brash comments? He stole a glance at her, saw her cheeks had grown pink, though he might put that down to the effort of her work.

“A pretty lady?” Janie asked, innocent and curious.

“He means Auntie Susanne,” Liz said.

“I suppose I do. Sorry, ma’am. Didn’t realize until after I’d spoken that I was talking about you.”

“Why are you sorry?” Robbie asked. “She is pretty, isn’t she? I think so.”

“Me, too,” Frank said, and his sisters added their agreement.

Susanne’s cheeks grew pinker by the moment. Tanner should think of a way to change the subject but he could only stare and smile. She certainly was pretty.

What was wrong with his head that he stood here like a dunce thinking about how pretty this white gal was?

How had the conversation led him so far astray? They’d been talking about Jim Collins. His thoughts settled into their proper place.

“I also met your pa a time or two while I was out riding the range. One time he helped me move a bunch of cows that were stranded by a little rock slide in a draw. He didn’t seem to mind pitching in to move the rocks.” He paused, wishing for a way to ease the children’s sense of loss. “He was a good man. Sorry to see him go.”

Frank nodded. “He was a good man.”

Tanner knew he had to distract the children from their grief. “What do you say to getting the rest of this garden in?”

The children eagerly shifted back to the task at hand. As Tanner measured out the next row, Susanne came up to him.

“Thank you for your kind words regarding my brother. They mean a lot to me and the children.”

He slowly brought his gaze to hers, telling himself the whole time that he could look her in the eye without getting all muddled in the head. As soon as their gazes connected, he knew he was wrong.

Something about the way she looked at him made him forget who he was and think only of who he might be...except for his mixed heritage.

“You’re good with the children,” she added when she realized he had nothing to say.

Her comment eased his stubborn mind. “Even though I was young at the time, I remember my ma explaining to one of the cowboys why she allowed her young sons to explore so freely.” At the memory a smile started in his heart. “She said we’d learn best by trying things and seeing if they worked or not. Like the time I tried to rope a bull. I got the rope over his head and he jerked me off the fence. I hung on. I’m not sure what I thought I’d do. The bull dragged me along, bumping across every rock and lump in the ground. But I wouldn’t let go. Might still be there if Pa hadn’t rode up. He grabbed me. Had to pry my hands open to release the rope.” He chuckled.

Susanne looked shocked. “Were you hurt?”

He looked at the palms of his hands as if checking for the rope burns and rubbed his stomach, remembering the bruises. “Nothing serious. You know what I said to Pa?”

“You thanked him for rescuing you?”

“Nope. I said, ‘Guess I won’t do that again.’” He leaned back on his heels, the memory ripe with so many good things. His pa’s concern, his ma’s pride in how hard he tried and the knowledge that they both cared about him in their different ways.

She laughed. “I would hope not.”

They returned to putting seeds in the ground. After the beets, beans and corn were planted, Susanne said, “I’ll have to do the carrot seeds. They need to be sprinkled carefully.”

The children stood to one side, watching. Robbie shoved Frank hard enough to make him fall down. Janie kicked at the dirt sending up puffs of dust.

“Stop doing that!” Liz said.

The children were getting restless. “Let’s do potatoes,” Tanner told them. “They’re fun.”

“Yeah!” Robbie yelled. He ran to the bucket holding the eyes.

“Whoa, there.” Susanne ran after him to save the potato eyes. Her bonnet fell down her back and her brown skirts flicked back and forth with each step. Her laughter filled the air as she caught up to Robbie and swung him off his feet. “What’s your rush?”

Tanner leaned on his hoe and enjoyed the scene.

“Tanner said it was fun.”

She set him down. “And so it shall be.”

Tanner’s inside warmed as he watched the pair laughing together.