Big Sky Daddy. Linda Ford
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Caldwells. Or perhaps his feelings were for Teddy and no one and nothing else.
There was one thing she would be clear about. She would not let her interest in the pair go beyond surface curiosity and concern.
Not that she expected she’d see them again unless they happened to bump into each other in town. So guarding her feelings shouldn’t be a problem.
A few minutes later she went to the barn to start feeding the animals. She smiled as she stepped into the interior. The barn was cozy and warm and solid. The animals were safe in there.
If she could turn her heart into a solid barn she could keep her feelings safe and warm, too. She chuckled at the silly thought.
When she was done with the feeding, she stepped back outside and blinked as a wagon approached with Caleb in the seat. Teddy peered out from behind his father.
She stared. “What are you doing here?” Her words sounded rude, though she didn’t mean them to.
But what was a Caldwell cowboy doing on Bell land?
Teddy nudged Caleb. “Papa, tell her about my dog.”
Caleb’s heart swelled as he took in the pretty little farm—the decent-sized, new-looking barn, the outbuildings, the house surrounded by yellow flowers, the garden with pale cornstalks and orange pumpkins still on the vine. Once, he’d had a little ranch similar to this with a herd of cows that had increased in number each year. It was all he’d ever wanted.
His dream of settling down and raising cows and children had vanished the day Amanda had died and Teddy had gotten injured. After that, he couldn’t abide the place. He’d taken care of Teddy as his leg healed, and then he’d begun looking for a doctor who could fix his son so he could walk.
“Papa.” Teddy’s voice brought him back to his task.
He wondered if she would welcome him or ask him to get off their property simply because he worked for the Caldwells. But surely she’d be moved by the needs of an animal and a small boy. He didn’t expect or welcome any sympathy regarding his own losses.
He cleared his thoughts and spoke to the woman who was waiting patiently in front of him, her expression rife with caution. “We got us an injured dog. Mr. Frank told us you help injured animals.”
Lilly nodded. “I do my best. Where’s the dog?”
He jumped down and went to the back of the wagon to gingerly lift the limp dog out of it. The poor animal whimpered. “Hang on, buddy. We’ll help you.”
Lilly hovered by his side, her attention on the pup in his arms.
“What happened to it?” Her nearness rattled his insides. He’d vowed to never again think of sharing his life with a woman, but sometimes it was hard to remember that. Like now, as she tenderly ran her fingers over the furry dog. When her arm brushed his, his mouth went dry. He drew in a strengthening breath and righted his thoughts.
“This animal has been neglected.” She fired a hot look at him, as if to silently accuse him.
“We found her by the road.” He wanted to make it clear he wasn’t responsible for the condition of the animal.
“Can you make her better?” Teddy asked.
Thankfully she shifted her powerful gaze to Teddy, and Caleb pulled his thoughts back to where they belonged—finding help for the dog, finding help for his son and preventing any woman from entering his life.
She smiled at Teddy. “I’ll certainly do my best.”
Her gaze returned to Caleb, warm with a compassion that slowly cooled as she looked at him. He understood her kindness was aimed at Teddy and likely this unfortunate pup. Toward him, she seemed accusatory.
Well, it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to accusations, mostly from his own thoughts. At twenty-five years of age, he had a number of failures to his name. Likely more than a man twice his age ought to have. He’d failed to protect his wife. He’d failed to help his son with his problems. Letting this dog die in his arms was not another failure he meant to endure. “Can you help?” His question rang with more harshness than he felt. She had no way of knowing he only wanted to make this turn out right.
“Follow me.” She hurried toward the barn, seeming to expect him to follow.
He didn’t move. He couldn’t carry the dog and help Teddy down, too.
“I’ll wait,” Teddy said.
“See that you do.” Caleb gave him a look that ought to have pinned him to the wagon box, but Teddy’s eyes lingered on the dog.
Caleb hustled after Lilly. The woman moved like a whirlwind. By the time he caught up she was already inside the barn, a scrap of old blanket on the floor in front of her.
“Put her here. Gently,” she urged as if she thought he’d drop the dog.
It was on the tip of his tongue to point out he’d rescued the dog and brought her here for the animal’s good and he wasn’t about to do anything to make things worse. Instead he knelt and eased the dog to the mat.
She examined the poor critter with gentle fingers. The dog moaned and opened her eyes briefly.
“What do you think?” Sure looked to him like the pup was about to draw her last breath.
“She’s very weak. There are a number of cuts on her. She’s got some nasty bruises. And she’s been badly neglected.” Her voice grew harder with each word. “Who would do this to a dog?”
“Same sort who would hurt a woman or child.” He heard the strangled sound of his voice but hoped it wasn’t noticeable to Lilly. He kept his attention on the suffering animal as a thousand pictures flashed through his mind. Amanda’s blood pooling on the floor. Teddy’s pale face as Caleb cradled Amanda and tended to his son’s wounds.
Lilly nodded her head in decision. “Let’s get to work.”
“You’re gonna save her, aren’t you? She’s my dog. I want her to live.”
They both jerked toward Teddy, who stood in the doorway. Without waiting for an answer, he hobbled toward them.
Lilly’s eyes filled with pity.
Caleb stiffened. Pity would not do Teddy any good. The specialist down east had promised to fit the boy with a brace that would teach the leg to work again. Or so the man had claimed. Caleb had long since lost his faith in doctors. “Let’s get started.”
Lilly bent over the dog, but her hands didn’t move. He wondered what she thought about it all—Teddy, the dog, him. Well, he already knew what she thought of him. He worked for the Caldwells. That made him part of the wrong side in a land feud. Good thing she didn’t know his past or she’d have reason to think even more poorly of him.
“You want me to get water?” he asked.
She let out a gust of air and nodded. “There’s a bucket by the door and the pump is toward the house.”
Caleb scrambled to his feet and then hesitated.
She glanced up, a question in her eyes.
“Is it all right if I leave him here?” He gestured with his head toward Teddy.
She looked at his son and her mouth curved into a smile as warm as the morning sun on the horizon.
His breath caught partway up his throat at her gentle, sweet regard for his boy, who had been hurt so badly. He closed his eyes against the rushing memories. The boy was without a mother because Caleb had been unable to save Amanda. He’d been away from home when the cowboys had entered, set on punishing him for interfering after he’d caught them tormenting the young man running his father’s store. If Caleb hadn’t come along, the pair would have helped themselves