Page 20 of Montana Groom of Convenience
Her father sat back. “Aye. So you say.”He grinned and stroked his beard, as content as a cat full of warm milk. “This will be interesting.” He rolled the r.
Carly stared at her father, turned to look at Sawyer and he saw something that made his nerves twitch. A look of surprise, a flicker of fear, and then she shrugged.
“I expect it will.”
A little tremor twisted Sawyer’s neck muscles. Had he bitten off more than he could chew?
Chapter 5
Carly refused to let Father’s amusement trouble her. She knew what she was doing. She wasn’t being naive. There would be adjustments to make, things she might be surprised to learn. But she’d faced tough challenges before and always overcome them. She felt duty-bound to point out the fact to her father.
“Remember the time I brought home that wild horse?” She turned to Sawyer. “The gelding wasn’t really a wild horse, just a horse that had been mishandled and turned bad and then the owners turned him loose rather than bothering with him or feeding him. But he was a beauty. He’s a golden palomino. His coat glistened like sunshine. Or at least it did once he regained his health.” She shifted her gaze back to Father, reminding him of how that had turned out. “I made up my mind to gentle him and turn him into the best horse one could ask for. And now he is.”
She’d named him Sunny and rode him everywhere. Did Father see that marrying Sawyer was much thesame? Not that she thought she had to tame the man, but she had worked out the problem of dealing with Sunny. She would do the same with Sawyer.
Father continued to stroke his beard, his gaze shifting from Carly to Sawyer to Jill and then back to Carly. “Aye? Is that what ye have in mind for Sawyer? Taming him to be a pet?”
Jill snorted behind her hand, a sound of amusement and derision combined.
“Of course, that’s not what I mean.” She didn’t dare look at Sawyer to gauge his reaction. “Father, you’re impossible.” She ground around so her back was to the men, which had her facing the door of the storeroom and a reminder of the need to get Sawyer and Jill settled. “I have to get beds ready.” She hurried to the small room, more than half tempted to pull the door shut behind her and slip the hook in place to secure the door. Except the hook was on the other side of the door. So she settled for squaring her shoulders and looking around the room.
Sawyer’s boots thudded on the floor as he followed her.
She pushed back her annoyance. Of course, she wouldn’t have the same degree of privacy and the ability to be alone as she’d had prior to their arrangement. She could live with that. And if she couldn’t, Sunny and a ride in the open were but a few steps away.
Sawyer stopped at the doorway.
Jill ducked past him and looked about the room. Her eyes lit as she saw the trunk in the corner. “What’s in there?”
“My mother’s things.” And baby things Mother hadsaved, always hoping for a baby boy who survived. But Carly was the only baby to live past a few weeks and grow to adulthood. She was aware of four baby boys who did not live that long. Their little graves were on the hillside and her mother lay next to them.
“Where’s your ma?”
“She died when I was fourteen.”
“Oh.” Jill pushed her way through the boxes and other items until she reached the trunk. She examined the latches and tried to release them.
“Jill,” Sawyer spoke with a hefty degree of warning. “You don’t have permission to touch that.”
“Can’t I look?” Jill asked.
Carly had crossed the room and pressed on the latches to stop the curious child. “I prefer you didn’t.”
“Fine.” Jill stomped away, crushing an old hat of Father’s beneath her feet.
Sawyer grabbed it and punched it back to shape as best he could. “I apologize.”
Carly nodded. She wasn’t about to excuse the child, but neither could she blame Sawyer. “Help me move the trunk to my room.” Not only would it clear out room for Sawyer, but it would be safer where she could keep an eye on it.
She grabbed the handle on one side, he grabbed the other, and they carried the trunk across the kitchen to her bedroom. She put it down outside the door. “Wait here a minute.” Jill would have followed her, but Carly closed the door and leaned against it. She’d carelessly tossed a few items of clothing on the chair and floor and bent to pick them up and shove them into the wardrobe. She pushed the bed against the wall to make room for a cot for Jill. A little sister! She grinned. How many timeshad she hoped for a little brother or sister only to have her hopes dashed when the newborns didn’t live? Seems she was about to have her dreams fulfilled this way. It ought to be fun.
Someone kicked at the door. Sawyer spoke Jill’s name in a warning tone.
Carly faced the door. It might not be as much fun as she’d imagined. Oh, what was she thinking? The child was only eight. Soon enough, she’d be chasing butterflies and playing with imaginary friends.
She opened the door. Sawyer had a firm grip on Jill’s shoulder, and the little girl wore a mutinous expression. Carly wasn’t sure what to do,.or if she could do anything. Seems the child was Sawyer’s responsibility. Though, Carly meant to do everything she could to help Jill feel secure. Everything, she added with a bit of foresight, that Jill would allow her to do.
“Are you ready?” Sawyer asked.
