The Cowboy's Ready-Made Family

Tanner straightened quickly and gave Susanne a dark look.

She pulled Janie to her side. He’s only here for a short while, she wanted to warn her niece. Don’t get fond of him.

Frank spoke, his voice breaking the tension. “My pa planned to capture some wild horses, too. But he died.” Instead of lightening the moment, Frank’s words descended on them like a dark cloud.

Susanne blinked hard, determined not to give way to tears.

“That’s why he built that set of corrals,” Frank added.

“They look real sturdy,” Tanner said.

“They are. Pa said if you’re going to train horses, you need to be set up for it.”

“That’s a fact. I think he would wonder why I didn’t plan ahead before I trapped my horses.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Tanner chuckled. At the sound, the children relaxed visibly, but tension mounted in Susanne. Be careful, little ones. Guard your hearts.

“I should have,” Tanner said, “but when the horses were hanging about within easy capturing distance, I couldn’t resist grabbing the opportunity, trusting something would work out. And, look, it has. Your pa’s corrals are going to be used just as he intended they should.” With that, Tanner moved toward his horse.

Susanne followed, torn between her need to exert her independence and gratitude to him for showing her a simple solution to her cow problem. “Thank you for your help with Daisy.”

He slowed and faced her. “You’re welcome.”

“And for being kind to little Janie. She’s very easily hurt at the moment.”

She wondered at the way his expression grew hard, his eyes cool and distant.

“Ma’am, I assure you that both you and the little girls are perfectly safe from me. I would never take advantage of you.” His expression hardened like granite. “However, there are those who would not believe that. Who would criticize you, or worse, simply for your association with me...a half-breed.”

She recalled his accusation that she’d asked him to leave yesterday based on that fact, something she had never cleared up. Now was the time. “Mr. Harding, it is not the blood of a man that means anything to me. It is his conduct that reveals if his heart is noble or base.”

His eyebrows went up in a way that made her think he didn’t believe her, then he touched the brim of his hat. “I need to check the corrals and make sure they’re ready for use.” He strode away.

She didn’t have any more faith in his words than he had in hers. Time alone would prove whether or not she was safe in his presence, but it wasn’t fear of him physically that made her shudder. No, it was the way the children looked at him. The way he had shown up to help when she floundered to manage on her own and the fact she’d been desperate enough to accept the agreement between them.

She already regretted her decision. Was she to be forever at the mercy of other people’s handouts and thus under obligation to them, wondering what they would demand in return?

Chapter Three (#ulink_d834bf36-8b77-5ffd-81b7-669c12398f4a)

The next morning Johnny and Levi accompanied Tanner to help move the horses. Pa had sent three of the hired cowboys to assist.

They rode directly toward the canyon where the horses were penned.

Tanner reined in at the hill closest to the Collins farm. “I’ll go warn the family to stay out of the way so they don’t spook the horses.”

His brothers waved him away and he turned Scout toward the farm.

Frank and Robbie saw him coming and raced down the trail to greet him, yelling about the horses.

Smiling, he waited for them to reach him. “What’s all the noise for?”

Frank caught his breath. “You’re bringing the horses here today?”

“That’s my plan.”

“My pa would be glad.”

“Then I am, too.” He perceived he and Frank shared something special—a desire to please a dead parent.

The two boys trotted by his side as he rode into the yard.

“Where’s your aunt? I need to talk to her.” He wished he could avoid it. All her fine talk yesterday of accepting a man based on his conduct sounded pure and sweet, but he’d heard it before—specifically from Miss Jenny Rosneau—and he knew untested words had no substance to them.

“In the house,” Frank said.

“Auntie Susanne,” Robbie yelled loud enough to make Scout snort in surprise.

Susanne came to the door, a kitchen towel in her hands. She smiled, her eyes catching the early-morning sun. “Yes, Robbie?”

Tanner swung down. “Morning, ma’am.” She stood framed in the doorway, apparently happy with whatever she was doing.

As her gaze shifted from Robbie to him, the light faded and her smile flattened. Her smile had not been for him. That was obvious.

He hadn’t expected otherwise. “Came to say we’re bringing the horses over this morning. Won’t take anything to spook them, so maybe you and the children could stay inside until we have them penned.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

He stood there captured by the moment and a dozen thoughts that didn’t make sense, most especially that something about Susanne made him think of his ma. They couldn’t be any more different. Ma was bronzed, while Susanne’s skin glowed like fine porcelain. He shifted his gaze so he could think more clearly. “I’ll see to things.”

“Thank you.”

Her words jerked his attention back to her. “For what?”

She gave a little shrug. “For letting me know.”

“You’re welcome.” He trotted away while he could still think. The two boys followed as he led the cow out to the far corner of the pasture and tethered her securely. They stayed right with him as he dragged the water trough out to the cow and they helped him carry water to fill it. They talked as he scoured the yard, removing anything that might spook the nervous horses. Or rather, they asked questions that he did his best to answer.

“How many horses you bringing?” Frank asked.

“Ten,” Tanner said.

“You got lots of help? My pa said getting them into the corrals would be the tricky part.”

“That’s a fact.” He told the boys how many men were with him.

“We could help,” Robbie said.