“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 them.”
He blocked her retreat. “I think they can manage quite well without us. Let’s go for a walk.”
“I’m really too tired.”
“I want to show you where I’ll set up my camp in case you need me for anything.”
She stiffened her spine. “I think I can manage.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure you can but this is a business deal, remember? The kids are my responsibility.”
Somehow he had taken her elbow and herded her toward the river and a grove of trees.
“I’ll take the tent that collapsed on you and pitch it here.” He pointed. “If you need me, you have only to holler.”
“I won’t be hollering.”
“I expect not. But I feel better knowing anyone could and I’ll hear them.”
He meant the kids could call for him. “Why would they need you when I’ll be right there in the same tent or whatever you want to call it?”
“No reason. Just as there’s no reason to get all prickly about it.”
“Prickly?” She swallowed hard. “If I am it’s because you make me sound like I can’t manage on my own.”
He held up his hands in a sign of protest. “It never crossed my mind.”
“Well, then. So long as we understand each other.” She headed back to her site.
He chuckled softly, and followed her. “Oh, I get it.”
She ignored the note of triumph in his voice. How could he possibly comprehend? He had no idea of the events that had shaped her life and made her want nothing half as much as she wanted to be independent. Self-sufficient. “I don’t need anyone,” she muttered.
“Sounds mighty lonely to me.”
“You can be lonely with people around.” Thankfully they had reached camp and he didn’t get a chance to respond.
The sound of giggling stopped them, and they listened.
“That’s about the happiest sound in the world.” Roper seemed pleased, content even.
“How can they be happy? Their parents are dead. They’re orphans.” Their lives were full of uncertainty.
“A person can be as happy as they make up their mind to be.”
She’d heard the words before. “Linette said the same thing when we first arrived at the ranch.” She didn’t believe it was that simple any more now than she had then. People made demands of a person that made happiness impossible. It was why she intended to survive on her own.
“I figure you might as well choose to be happy as miserable.”
She heard the shrug in his voice. “Sometimes it isn’t up to you.”
“I suppose you’re right in the sense that our lives are in God’s hands and ultimately we have to trust Him. But knowing that makes it easy to enjoy life, don’t you think?”
Grateful for the dusk that hid her expression, Cassie murmured a sound that could be taken as agreement if he chose to interpret it as such. But inside, protests exploded. Didn’t God let man have a choice? Because of free will, not all men lived by God’s rules. Not all people were kind. Not all of life could be enjoyed.
She realized Roper was waiting for her answer. “Sometimes you have to work to get what you want from life. I trust God to help me achieve my goals.” Saying it out loud solidified it in her mind. God had given her the opportunity to own a plot of land and now, by caring for the children, she would get her house built much faster, and no doubt better, than she could have done it. God had given her what she needed. She would apply all her skill and strength to making it work. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to take care of my share of the responsibility.”
“And I need to get my camp set up while I can still see.” Still, he hesitated as if he wanted something more.
She searched her mind but could think of nothing more she needed to do. “Good night, then.”
“Good night. Call out if you need anything.” He turned and strolled away.
She watched until he dipped down toward the creek, out of sight. Yet she felt how close he was, how ready to come to her rescue.
He would soon learn she could manage on her own.
Chapter Three
Roper tethered the horse nearby then pitched the tent. When he finished, it had a nice taut roof line. He gathered up firewood and built a fire.
He stretched out on the bank, stared at the flickering flames and listened to the murmur of voices from up the hill. Everyone was secure and happy. He’d managed to deal with two issues at the same time. He could help Cassie put up her house and keep the kids safe and together.
More than that, he’d played with the boys and seen them relax. Now to do the same for the girls. Daisy took her responsibilities so seriously it might take her a while to let go. But Pansy could well prove the greatest challenge of them all. She was so young. So shy. He smiled up at the star-laden sky as he recalled how she ducked her face into Daisy’s shoulder when she made eye contact. She was comfortable enough to laugh only when Neil or Daisy held her.
But Roper wanted to see her comfortable enough to let Cassie and himself hold her and play with her.
All he had to do was gain her confidence.
He also meant to get Cassie to stop trying so hard. What was she aiming to prove, anyway? Everyone knew she could do whatever she set her mind to. She was like a stubborn badger in that way.
He’d once watched a furry little badger digging a hole, dirt flying faster than a man could shovel. The badger encountered a rock in his path and simply dug around it.
Cassie was almost as belligerent as a badger, too.
Why didn’t she accept life and enjoy it? Made no sense to fight it all the time.
He smiled as he thought how to deal with the quintet up the hill. In the morning he’d spend some time playing with them so they’d forget their troubles.
His breath eased out in a long contented sigh. He’d struck a great bargain in getting Cassie to agree to help him with the children in exchange for him putting up her house. He chuckled into the dark. What had she planned to do with that pile of lumber without his help? He could picture her fashioning a structure as shaky as the tent she’d put up.
Why was she so prickly about accepting help? He could build a good solid-frame house in a matter of days.
Mentally he planned the construction. He might have to drag it out longer than necessary in order to care for the young ’uns until their uncle made arrangements. But Cassie would know if he purposely dillydallied. He’d need a solid explanation she’d