Dakota Father

“’Fraid I can’t let you do that.”

Slowly she nodded. “Then I’m afraid I must stay with her until you get married.”

Ignoring Burke’s sputter of protest, she thanked Mr. Zach, who hesitated then slowly retreated. As she listened to the buggy rattle from the yard she knew she was irrevocably committed to this decision.

She stared hard at Burke, each of them taking stock of the other’s reserve of stubbornness. She narrowed her eyes, hoped he would see she would not back down. Not now. Not ever. Not until arrangements were up to what Lena would expect.

The look he gave her might have made her shiver if she had been the quiet, refined lady her parents hoped for instead of one who acted first, thought later, afraid of nothing and no one. She remembered Ma’s admonition to moderate her boldness and lowered her gaze. “I hope we can arrange a suitable living arrangement.”

Burke snorted. “And what do you intend to do if we can’t? Shouldn’t you have thought of that before you sent Zach away?” He sighed. “It’s too late to ride with him but I’ll take you back.”

“Why are you so determined to get rid of me?”

“Because you don’t belong. Better you accept it right now before you get in over your head.”

Little did he know that she was already in that situation, but it would not cause her to abandon Meggie whose warm arms clung around Jenny’s neck, her face buried against Jenny’s shoulder.

“It’s not too late to change your mind.”

“I’ll let you know when I’m ready to leave. But I can assure you it won’t be until I’m satisfied Meggie will be properly taken care of.”

His gaze darkened. “I don’t think that’s your call to make.”

“I disagree. Lena and Mark trusted me with seeing Meggie properly settled. I intend to do just that. Now—” she glanced about “—if you would be kind enough to show me where we might clean up.”

He didn’t move a muscle or give any indication he would help in any way.

Jenny shot a glance toward Paquette who met her gaze with what Jenny could only take as a mixture of pity and compassion.

“Boss, she and baby use room next mine. It be big ’nough.”

Burke groaned. “This is a mistake we’ll all live to regret.”

Jenny didn’t know if he addressed her or Paquette but she understood her decision to stay was the mistake he referred to, and it undid all her efforts at being reserved. “I fail to see why you should view this as a disaster in the making. I simply have a job to do—see Meggie is settled.” She refrained from adding she would insist on several other changes, too—but a glance around revealed a hundred things that would be dangerous to a toddler. And it didn’t require more than a fleeting acquaintance with the setup to realize there was no one in the present company who could care for Meggie. Until she solved that problem she would be staying. “I think if we all cooperate things should go swimmingly.”

He looked at the roof as if hoping for divine help.

Exactly what she needed. My Father in heaven, guide me and protect me as I help Meggie settle in. Help me be wise and cautious.

“Paquette, show her the room.” He headed for the door then paused. “Miss Archibald, I will say it again. This is no place for a woman. You might do well to heed my warning.”

Before he could escape, Jenny spoke. “I’ll leave when I deem it’s appropriate but I won’t be run off. I won’t be scared off. So don’t even try.”

He turned slowly, his expression full of pity. “Don’t flatter yourself that I’d bother. You’ll find plenty of challenges without my interference.”

What on earth did he mean? A trembling worm of warning skittered across her neck. Was there some sort of danger she should be aware of? But he was gone before she could ask. That left Paquette as her only source of information. “What was he talking about? Is there something I should know?”

Paquette grinned, her black eyes snapping. “Boss be…” She fluttered her hands as if to indicate the man was unstable.

The trembling in Jenny’s neck developed talons. Was the man dangerous? She’d heard tales of men losing their minds out in the vast empty prairie. Why, Pa had saved a newspaper story just to show her, warn her. “You need to be on your guard, Pepper. Strange things happen out there and you’ll be on your own.” For proof he’d allowed her to read the story of a bachelor who had gone out of his head from the loneliness and ran out into the cold clad only in his union suit, firing his rifle into the air. The report said it was a miracle no one had been shot.

“He’s not given to doing strange things, is he?” She needed answers, needed to know what to expect so she could be ready.

Paquette looked surprised then chortled. “He not the crazy one.”

Somehow Jenny found that less than assuring. “Who is?”

The older woman shook her head. “Lots people crazy. Lots people. Now come. I show you de room.”

Jenny wanted more information. Who was crazy? Were they a threat to her? Or more importantly, Meggie? Then she followed Paquette into a room and her questions were forgotten.

“Need cleaning, it.”

Jenny almost laughed at Paquette’s understated words. From what she could see the room served as a catchall for both farm and home. Bits of wood were scattered on one side along with hammer, saw and nails. As if a building project had come to a halt at that very spot. As obviously it had. The walls were unfinished uprights. The window only roughly framed. It looked like the abandoned building materials had served as a magnet to other forgotten items—an overcoat, foot warmers, a bundle of canvas….

She shuddered. She and Meggie were expected to sleep here?

“Boss man sleep bunkhouse. Wit de men, him. For long time now. Since—” She didn’t finish.

Another secret. “Since when, Paquette?”

Paquette shook her head and backed from the room. “You be fixing room, no?”

Jenny understood she would be getting no answers from Paquette. All she could do was keep her eyes open and be alert to anything out of the ordinary. In the meantime…

She stared at the room. Only one way to get it ready for habitation…start hauling out stuff. She cleared a spot for Meggie in the center of the bed, retrieved her bags and found a little blanket for the baby to sit on. She pulled out the little rag doll Lena had so lovingly stitched and settled Meggie to play.

As she worked, words raced through her head—crazy, warning, mistake. There were far too many unanswered questions for her to feel safe. She heard the sound of horse hooves and picked her way across the room to the window in time to see Burke ride away, his well-worn cowboy hat pushed low on his head, leaning forward as if anxious to be away from this place. She shivered. Should she be afraid of him?

He turned, saw her at the window. His gaze drilled into her, dark, powerful, full of—

She jerked back and pressed her palm to her throat.

Promise? Hope? Or was it despair? Warning?

Was she seeing things she wanted to or things that were real?

In a flash she thought of the way he watched her on the train. Had he been kind or something sinister? No. He’d been kind and polite. Her imagination was simply getting out of control. He’d defended her before the others in the train. He’d helped her with her bags.

And he’d warned her not once but twice that she didn’t belong here.

Why? What lay behind his warning? Kindness or something else? What secret lay behind his not being married?

Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof.

Pa’s oft-spoke words released her tensions and she laughed. None of those things mattered. She had a task to do and she would do it. She would keep her promise to Lena and Mark.

Meggie had fallen asleep, the rag doll clutched in one hand.