Linda Ford - Montana Cowboy Family

Logan chuckled. “Little boys can forget lots of times.” He got to his feet.

He was about to leave, but she wasn’t through. She wasn’t believing that a hungry boy would forget his lunch four days in a row. She rose to better face him as she spoke. “I believe there’s more to it than that.” She’d seen bruises on his arms and in his eyes.

He studied her, a challenge and perhaps a warning in his sky-blue eyes. “Send the boy over at noon. If he forgets his lunch again he might like to share mine.” He strode from the room.

Drained, Sadie sank to her chair. Her head fell to her cradled arms on the desktop.

How had she been railroaded into agreeing to send Sammy across the street at noon hour? But at least he’d get fed. She’d pray he’d also repent of stealing. But something else bothered her. Logan seemed upset at her suggestion there was more than forgetfulness to Sammy not having a lunch. But she knew there was something not right about Sammy’s situation, and she would do her best to find out what it was. She wouldn’t let the Marshalls’ power stop her, but she would have to tread carefully—because if she angered them, she could lose her job.

Chapter Two

The next day Sadie called Sammy to her desk on the pretext of going over his work.

“Sammy, I’d like to meet your parents. Can you ask them when would be a good time for me to call?”

Sammy jerked back from leaning his elbows beside her on the desk. “No point you coming to visit.”

She held his gaze steadily for several seconds, but his eyes revealed nothing. “Why is that?” she asked when it became clear the boy would offer no explanation on his own.

Sammy shuffled his feet and looked past her right shoulder. “My father—”

She couldn’t help but notice how he stumbled on the word.

“He don’t care for company.”

“I see.” Except she didn’t. What reason could a man have for not wanting visitors? “Perhaps your mother would welcome a visit when your father is away.”

Sammy ducked his head and scuffed the toe of his shoe along the floor. “I’ll ask.”

“I’ll write a note.” She took a piece of paper and penned a request to visit, folded it and handed it to Sammy. “Give that to your mother.”

Sammy stuffed the note into his pocket. “Can I go now?”

She thought of mentioning the plan for him to help Logan at noon but, not knowing how he would react, she decided to wait until it was too late for him to run off. “Yes, you may.” Sadie watched him return to his seat. Would he give his mother the note or would it be forgotten in his pocket?

All too soon noon hour arrived. She told the children to eat their lunches. Sammy again had not brought one. “Sammy, would you please come to my desk?”

The boy stuck out his chin in a defiant gesture and swaggered toward her.

She might have found his bravado amusing if it wasn’t so sad. Aware that the other children watched and listened intently, she nodded toward the door that opened into the store. “We’ll talk out there.”

She didn’t touch him, yet she felt his trembling. The poor child. “You have nothing to be afraid of.” Her words offered him no comfort. She would have put an arm around him and drawn him to her side, but every previous attempt at physical contact had caused him to shrink back and she must respect his wishes in the matter. In time, he would learn to trust her.

They stepped into the store. Thankfully, no one but George Marshall, the owner of the store, was in and, apart from sparing them a friendly nod, he was busy rearranging an assortment of tools. A rather noisy job that would enable her conversation to be private. She faced Sammy.

“Mr. Logan Marshall has offered to let you go over to the schoolhouse for the lunch break.”

Sammy’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

The door to the street opened and Logan strode in. He called a greeting to his uncle as he crossed the floor.

Sadie told herself there was no cause for a case of jitters, and yet her heart fluttered madly and her blood pounded in her cheeks. Men always made her nervous, but this was a different reaction and it defied explanation...a fact she didn’t appreciate.

Sammy pressed his back to the door and his fists curled, making Sadie forget her own reaction. The poor child feared he was in trouble.

Logan tipped his head toward her in greeting, then turned to Sammy. “Well, young man, did your teacher tell you of our arrangement?”

“She said I had to go with you.” Defiance colored each word.

“I didn’t get time to explain why.” She would let Logan do it.

He flickered a look at her that carried a whole world of accusation.

She ignored it. Her reasons for not telling Sammy sooner were valid.

Logan gave Sammy his full attention. “You stole my lunch two times.”

Sammy’s only response was a stubborn look.

Logan continued. “You know that’s wrong.”

Still no response.

“I could call the sheriff.”

Sadie opened her mouth to protest, but Logan held up a hand to signal silence and she decided to wait and see what he had in mind. Still, if he thought to have the boy arrested, well, she wouldn’t stand idly by.

Logan leaned back on his heels. His stance did not fool Sadie. He was ready to catch little Sammy should he decide to run.

“The way I see it,” Logan continued, slowly, as if thinking what to say, “is you owe me for the stolen food.”

“I gots no money.”

“Then you will work for me.”

Sadie almost smiled at the eager light in Sammy’s eye.

“I don’t have to go to school?”

Logan chuckled. “You can work during the lunch hour. But first we’ll eat.”

“Okay, then, let’s go.” He eased between Sadie and Logan and headed for the door.

A grin widening his mouth, Logan spoke to Sadie. “I’ll make sure he’s back for classes.”

Sammy waited impatiently at the door. Logan plunked his hat on his head and the two left the store.

Sadie watched as they crossed the street...the big man who cared about a little boy and the little boy doing his best to match Logan stride for stride.

Satisfied the boy was in good hands, she turned back to the classroom. If only she could be a little bird on the eaves of the schoolhouse and watch the two together.

Sammy returned just before the bell rang, a wide grin upon his face.

At recess, the other boys surrounded him, demanding to know where he’d gone. He refused to tell them and a couple of them looked angry. She’d have to make sure they didn’t torment him.

At the end of the school day, she reminded Sammy of her note for his mother. He nodded and raced away.

The children all departed and she quickly tidied the classroom, then went in search of Logan. She was so anxious to learn how things had gone between him and Sammy that she would willingly seek out the very man who had the power to upset her carefully constructed world. One that had narrowed down to her students, a few friends and her books.

He saw her coming and hung his hammer on a nail to wait.

“Sammy seemed pleased with himself when he came back,” she said.

“He’s a good kid. He ate half my lunch. While we ate, I told him a man must live by certain standards or he couldn’t call himself a man.”

She swallowed hard. Just as she’d suspected, the Marshall men had high standards. A woman like her would not be accepted. Probably not even tolerated. She could imagine the look of horror she’d receive if they found out about her past.

Turning her attention to another matter, she asked, “What do you know about Sammy and his family?”

Logan leaned against the wall and faced her. “I’ve been asking about them.”