What if those kids can’t find my buckskin? A man on foot in this wilderness is a dead man. There’s no room for mistakes, Hetty. Not even for kids.”
Hetty dabbed more gently at Dennis’s chin and caught her lower lip between her teeth as she contemplated what he’d said. “I guess we all have a lot to learn,” she said at last. Most especially her.
She set the rag down on the log, then opened the jar and smoothed salve on the darkening bruise on Dennis’s cheek. “I’ve taken away Griffin’s slingshot, and I’ll admonish him to be more careful in the future.” She stopped what she was doing and looked into Dennis’s startlingly blue eyes. “But I give you fair warning. I won’t tolerate anyone striking a child of mine. Not for any reason.”
Dennis grimaced as he pursed his lips, which pulled on his injured chin. All signs of romance were gone from his face as he said, “You keep a tight rein on those kids of yours, and we’ll all get along fine.”
Hetty realized that was likely all the apology he was going to make. She was glad. She needed reasons to dislike Dennis, to keep her from so readily feeling the physical attraction that arose whenever he was near.
She closed the jar of salve and put it away in the box. “I’m done. You should change your wet clothes, too. It’ll be dark soon, and the temperature is brutal once the sun goes down.”
He grinned crookedly, a look so charming it made her breath catch, then saluted her and said, “Yes, ma’am.”
Hetty grabbed the box of medicines and hurried toward the back of the wagon almost at a run, searching for her husband. She would have to keep her distance from Dennis. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. Apparently, she couldn’t even take his hand to lead him to a seat without it being misconstrued or look into his eyes without him seeing an invitation that she didn’t intend.
She found Karl standing at the tailgate of the wagon in dry clothes, a sticking plaster on his cheek, but Bao was missing. “Where’s Mr. Lin?”
“I asked him to go keep an eye on the kids.”
She studied Karl’s damaged face. “Is your eye badly injured?”
“Bao says not,” he replied, reaching up to gently probe the swelling around his eye.
“Does it hurt?”
He laughed, then groaned and grabbed his ribs. “Don’t make me laugh. Everything hurts.”
“Your poor eye!”
He reached up toward his awful-looking left eye again but never touched it. “Bao says it’s going to snow tonight. I’ll be able to put something cold on it tomorrow morning to get the swelling down.”
“What are you doing for the swelling right now?”
“Bao said you have some kind of salve that’ll make it feel better.”
“Oh. I do.” She set the box down on the open tailgate and retrieved the jar of salve. She put a dab of salve on her finger, then hesitated. “Your eye looks tender. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“If that stuff will help, go to it.”
She was as gentle as she knew how to be, but he still winced as she applied the salve. He looked at her the whole time with the one brown eye he could see through. Hetty felt aware of his gaze, warmed by it. It was a totally different experience from what she’d felt when Dennis had gazed at her. Less threatening, she decided at last. More comfortable. More appropriate. Because he was her husband and had a right to look his fill.
Dennis did not, but he’d looked anyway. So why had she felt thrilled by his regard?
Hetty didn’t understand herself. She was frightened by her feelings. Was she doomed always to court disaster? Her head told her that encouraging Dennis in even the smallest way was a bad idea, but she couldn’t control her beating heart, which speeded up whenever Dennis Campbell looked her way.
And yet, she’d found Karl’s kiss thrilling, enthralling, exciting. What kind of person was she? Why couldn’t she confine her romantic responses to
one
man
?
Hetty gestured Karl to sit on a
Hetty dabbed more gently at Dennis’s chin and caught her lower lip between her teeth as she contemplated what he’d said. “I guess we all have a lot to learn,” she said at last. Most especially her.
She set the rag down on the log, then opened the jar and smoothed salve on the darkening bruise on Dennis’s cheek. “I’ve taken away Griffin’s slingshot, and I’ll admonish him to be more careful in the future.” She stopped what she was doing and looked into Dennis’s startlingly blue eyes. “But I give you fair warning. I won’t tolerate anyone striking a child of mine. Not for any reason.”
Dennis grimaced as he pursed his lips, which pulled on his injured chin. All signs of romance were gone from his face as he said, “You keep a tight rein on those kids of yours, and we’ll all get along fine.”
Hetty realized that was likely all the apology he was going to make. She was glad. She needed reasons to dislike Dennis, to keep her from so readily feeling the physical attraction that arose whenever he was near.
She closed the jar of salve and put it away in the box. “I’m done. You should change your wet clothes, too. It’ll be dark soon, and the temperature is brutal once the sun goes down.”
He grinned crookedly, a look so charming it made her breath catch, then saluted her and said, “Yes, ma’am.”
Hetty grabbed the box of medicines and hurried toward the back of the wagon almost at a run, searching for her husband. She would have to keep her distance from Dennis. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. Apparently, she couldn’t even take his hand to lead him to a seat without it being misconstrued or look into his eyes without him seeing an invitation that she didn’t intend.
She found Karl standing at the tailgate of the wagon in dry clothes, a sticking plaster on his cheek, but Bao was missing. “Where’s Mr. Lin?”
“I asked him to go keep an eye on the kids.”
She studied Karl’s damaged face. “Is your eye badly injured?”
“Bao says not,” he replied, reaching up to gently probe the swelling around his eye.
“Does it hurt?”
He laughed, then groaned and grabbed his ribs. “Don’t make me laugh. Everything hurts.”
“Your poor eye!”
He reached up toward his awful-looking left eye again but never touched it. “Bao says it’s going to snow tonight. I’ll be able to put something cold on it tomorrow morning to get the swelling down.”
“What are you doing for the swelling right now?”
“Bao said you have some kind of salve that’ll make it feel better.”
“Oh. I do.” She set the box down on the open tailgate and retrieved the jar of salve. She put a dab of salve on her finger, then hesitated. “Your eye looks tender. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“If that stuff will help, go to it.”
She was as gentle as she knew how to be, but he still winced as she applied the salve. He looked at her the whole time with the one brown eye he could see through. Hetty felt aware of his gaze, warmed by it. It was a totally different experience from what she’d felt when Dennis had gazed at her. Less threatening, she decided at last. More comfortable. More appropriate. Because he was her husband and had a right to look his fill.
Dennis did not, but he’d looked anyway. So why had she felt thrilled by his regard?
Hetty didn’t understand herself. She was frightened by her feelings. Was she doomed always to court disaster? Her head told her that encouraging Dennis in even the smallest way was a bad idea, but she couldn’t control her beating heart, which speeded up whenever Dennis Campbell looked her way.
And yet, she’d found Karl’s kiss thrilling, enthralling, exciting. What kind of person was she? Why couldn’t she confine her romantic responses to
one
man
?
Hetty gestured Karl to sit on a
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