He shrugged, his gaze lingering on her as he understood her attempt to avoid explaining herself. “Depends on how hard the ground is. And I don’t want to overwork young Neil. He’s determined to match me shovelful for shovelful. Besides, I don’t want him to think the only thing I want from him is work. In fact, I’ve decided to take a break for some play.” He paused. “If you have no objection.”
“Of course I don’t.” Did he think all she cared about was work? “The children should certainly be allowed a little fun.”
Maybe he was right. She seemed to know little about how to play.
“You’ll join us, won’t you?” Had he read her mind and determined to teach her?
“I have biscuits to deliver to Macpherson’s.”
“You might wake Pansy if you go into the shack.”
Cassie scrambled to find an excuse to avoid joining Roper and the children. Before she could, Roper waved to the boys.
“Who wants to play a game?”
Neil and Billy perked up and raced toward him. Daisy slipped from the shack and hesitated.
“You, too.” Roper waved to her. “Everyone’s going to play.” He shot Cassie a challenging look. “Play refreshes the soul.”
Cassie swallowed hard.
“Come on. We’ll go down by the river so we don’t wake Pansy.”
The boys ran after him, while Daisy followed more slowly, cautiously, as if uncertain she should let herself play.
It was Daisy’s hesitation that convinced Cassie to join the parade. Daisy was still young enough to enjoy a game or two. She shouldn’t let her responsibilities take away that pleasure. So Cassie linked arms with Daisy. “Let’s see what he’s up to.” She could feel the girl relax beneath her touch.
Roper glanced over his shoulder and grinned.
Cassie knew he’d heard her and, furthermore, she guessed he might have some inkling as to her motive. Though she felt a strong urge to wrinkle her nose at him, she hoped the toss of her head convinced him of her lack of concern for his opinion.
Roper waited until they all reached the bank of the river. “Who knows how to play Sneak Up on Granny?”
No one said they did.
“I’ll be granny. You line up there.” He drew a line in the sand. “I’ll stand here.” He went about twenty feet away. “When I turn my back, you try and sneak up on me. When I shout ‘stop,’ don’t move because when I turn around and see you moving, you go back to the start.”
“What’s the point of the game?” Cassie refrained from saying it sounded silly because she recognized the voice in the back of her head as that of her grandfather. Waste of precious time. For that reason alone she would play the game and waste as much time as she pleased.
“If you can sneak up on me and touch my shoulder without me catching you moving, you get to play granny.”
Cassie snorted. “Great. I’ve always had a hankering to play granny.” She drew her lips in, hunkered over like an old woman and smacked her gums loudly.
The three children giggled and Cassie knew a sense of satisfaction. Was this how Roper felt when he made others happy? She shot him a look, wondering if her surprise showed.
Their gazes caught and held, and the look of triumph in his eyes seared away something she couldn’t identify. Didn’t want to acknowledge. All she would admit was it felt good and right to make the children laugh. It seemed fitting to see them enjoy life.
She would not listen to the strident voice of her grandfather telling her to stop wasting time.
The children toed up to the line he’d scratched in the ground. She did the same as Roper took his place ahead of them.
“One, two, three.” He counted, turning his back.
Neil raced forward. Billy took a giant leap. Daisy tiptoed.
Cassie took one cautious step, and then another.
“Stop.”
Neil skidded but not in time. Billy was in midair and landed with a thud.
Roper chuckled. “Boys. Back to the start.”
Daisy and Cassie grinned at each other. He hadn’t caught them.
“One, two, three.” He turned away again.
Billy and Neil tried to make up for lost time but Cassie edged forward, knowing she must be ready to stop quickly.
“Stop.”
Again the two boys were sent back to the start amid groans.
Roper gave Cassie and Daisy a long stare as if daring them to waver. Neither of them did.
They continued. Cassie was within two feet but Roper called stop so often she daren’t move. She tensed. One step was all it would take. As soon as he began to turn away, she leaped forward and reached out to clap his shoulder. At the same time he hollered stop and turned to face her, and they collided.
She staggered, off balance and about to fall, until he caught her, his hands warm on her arms as he steadied her.
She looked deep into his hazel eyes, saw his concern over bumping her. Her heart beat a frantic tattoo against her breastbone. Longing rose up within her, a hunger to be valued and appreciated. To be cared for.
No, she told herself. Such feelings were a weakness she would never allow herself. She’d learned far too well how they made her vulnerable. She shook free from his grasp. “Guess I’m granny now.” Surely he wouldn’t notice the trembling in her voice.
“Guess so.” His voice grated as if his throat had grown tight.
They returned to play although she had little interest. She wasn’t a bit sorry when Pansy’s cry brought an instant end to their game as Daisy rushed back to get the little one.
The rest trooped after her.
“I’m going to take biscuits over to Macpherson’s and see if he can sell them.” Cassie headed for the little shack as if she had a sudden deadline.
“Come on, boys. Let’s get that cellar dug.” Roper sounded as cheerful as ever.
Why had she wasted so much time? It was Roper’s fault. Something about him enticed her to forget her responsibilities and goals.
All winter she’d avoided him as much as possible without being rude. Or maybe sometimes, especially at first, she hadn’t cared if she happened to be rude. All she could remember of the first few weeks at the ranch was the pain of her losses and despair at how desperate her situation was.
When Linette had found her sleeping in the train station in Montreal she’d cajoled, enticed and begged Cassie to accompany her West on her trek to meet her future husband. Cassie had agreed because it had seemed better than her current situation. Anything would have been better. She didn’t know she would end up in a tiny log cabin, barely big enough for one adult let alone three adults and a child. Even worse, Eddie was not expecting to marry Linette and said he had no intention of doing so. Not that Linette was deterred. She said she would prove to him she’d make an ideal pioneer wife.
Cassie smiled. The attraction between Linette and Eddie had been obvious from the first but it had taken the pair most of the winter to acknowledge what the rest of them saw.
She pressed her palm to her chest. She missed Linette. And Grady.
She missed Cookie, too. From the beginning, the big-hearted woman seemed oblivious to Cassie’s sharpness and showed her nothing but kindness. Slowly, between Linette and Cookie and the gentle attention of the cowboys at the ranch, Cassie’s wounds had