The corners of his eyes flattened. The only sign that he wasn’t still amused. “I never think of family.”
She puffed out a sigh. “Family can be a pain.”
He shrugged again. “Wouldn’t know. Never had any except for the other kids in the orphanage.” He laughed. “An odd sort of family, I guess. No roots. Changing with the seasons.”
She didn’t answer. Her grandfather had made the word family uncomfortable for her but that was different than what Roper meant. She didn’t know how to respond to his description of family. With no response coming to her mind, she shifted back to her concern. “Roper, about our arrangement. I—”
He chuckled. “I know what you’re going to say but this isn’t about you or me. It’s about the kids.”
“So long as you remember that.”
“I aim to. I got rules you know. Like never stay where you’re not wanted. Don’t put down roots you’ll likely have ripped out.”
She guessed there was a story behind his last statement. Likely something he’d learned by bitter experience but she didn’t bother to ask. “I plan to put down roots right here.” She jabbed her finger toward the ground.
“That’s the difference between you and me.” The grin remained on his lips but she noticed it didn’t reach his eyes.
She studied him. “I’m guessing taking care of other people’s business is another of your rules.”
He laughed out loud at that. “Seems I got more rules than I realized.”
Whispers and giggles came from behind the wooden walls. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”
“You did good in telling them they’ll be safe here.” His grin seemed to be both approving and teasing.
How did he do that? Never quite serious. Always positive. Certainly different than how her grandfather had been. Thinking of the older man, she shifted her concern to the children. “They will be safe as much as it lies within me to make it so.” And they’d never be made to feel like they were burdens. Not if she had anything to do with it.
“Good to know.” He eased to his feet. “Watch this.” He tiptoed to the half walls, glancing back at her with a wide grin. He held his finger to his mouth to signal her to silence then he edged around the corner and jumped into the children’s view, yelling wildly.
Pansy screamed, Daisy gasped loudly enough for Cassie to hear her, and then started to laugh. Neil let out a yell. At the same time Billy hollered and ran diagonally across the lot.
Next thing she knew, Roper was tearing after Billy. “I’m going to catch you.”
Billy looked over his shoulder, saw Roper bearing down on him and ran so fast his short legs could have churned butter. Not far behind Roper, Neil joined the pursuit.
Cassie jumped to her feet. What were they doing? Had Billy done something to annoy Roper? Was Neil trying to protect his brother? Aiming to protect the kids, she picked up her skirts and ran toward them.
Roper caught Billy and lifted him into the air. “Gotcha.” He plopped the boy on the ground, knelt over him and tickled him.
Cassie slowed to a halt. It was only play!
Neil reached them, and threw himself on Roper’s back. Roper flipped to his stomach, Neil still clinging to him.
“You got me. Oh. Ow. Let me go.”
Both boys piled on him, tickling and play fighting. At least she hoped it was play and by all the laughing she guessed it was. She knew little about play. Seemed her whole life had been work and if not work, then soberness and trying to please. Fun did not fit into either category. Somehow she thought it was that way for all children. Apparently Roper didn’t agree.
Daisy joined her, Pansy again riding her hip. “Don’t worry. The boys won’t hurt him.”
“I was worried about the boys.”
They looked at each other and laughed. Pansy gave a shy smile from the shelter of Daisy’s neck.
Cassie gave the little gal some study, taking in her wondrously big blue eyes that, in a few years, would bring grown men to her beck and call, and her fine blond hair that could use a combing. Suddenly she realized all the children were travel soiled. They would need baths and food and clean clothes and—
The enormity of the task she had taken on hit her like a falling pine. How could she possibly manage?
She sucked in air to relieve her anxiousness. It was a business arrangement that would result in having her house built, she told herself. It would help her achieve her dream. It was temporary and two of the kids were big enough to lend a hand. She could do this. She pushed her shoulders back as if stepping into a harness, and like a horse leaning into a load, she turned toward the fire.
Daisy followed on her heels. “I intend to do my share around here.”
“Fine. Let’s get the dishes done then heat water for baths.”
“I guess we are pretty dirty. Mama would scold us for sure.” Her voice quivered.
Cassie faced her. “I expect she would be proud that you’ve managed so well.”
Daisy nodded. “Roper said Ma and Pa would be proud of us.”
“Indeed.”
She washed the few dishes, handing them to Daisy to dry. Pansy sat at Daisy’s side, content to watch. As soon as they’d washed and dried the last cup, Cassie dragged out the big tub.
Roper saw her intent and he and Neil hauled more water from the nearby river.
As the water heated, Roper finished the walls and somehow built a frame for the roof on which to drape the canvas he purchased from Macpherson. With Neil’s help he brought over the stove Cassie had ordered and set it up in the new shelter.
Cassie eyed it with joy. She’d be able to start baking bread for Macpherson and paying off her loan a lot sooner than she’d anticipated.
With the kids helping, Roper soon had Cassie’s bed roll in one corner of the shelter, furs and blankets arranged for the children next to her bed. The stove and a crude table he’d put together made an area where she could work and feed the kids.
They dragged the tub under the canvas and filled it with water.
“I’ll bathe Pansy,” Daisy insisted.
Cassie didn’t protest. She hadn’t ever bathed a baby. Nor a two-year-old. Her heart clenched as she recalled her hope for babies. Twice she’d thought she’d welcome an infant into her arms but twice it wasn’t to be. They had never drawn breath after their births.
She turned away, unable to catch her breath, and slipped outside before anyone noticed.
Roper found her there. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She stared toward the sun dipping behind the mountains and breathed slowly, evenly.
He gently touched her shoulder. “Are you regretting your decision?”
“It was an act of God.”
His fingers tightened on her shoulder. “Are you talking about the children?”
She closed her eyes and pushed back a groan. Of course, he meant the children in the tent. “No, I don’t regret my decision. It will benefit me to get my house up as soon as possible.”
“You didn’t mean the kids, did you?”
His quiet question, the gentleness in his voice tugged at her soul, made her want to wail out her pain. But she’d learned to hide her hurt, bury her feelings. She didn’t know any other way of dealing with life. “I better go check on