Small Treasures by Kathleen Kane (Maureen Child)

Minerva's, you know. But next summer I'll put up plenty of fruits and vegetables myself."
    Samuel glanced up, one eyebrow raised.
    "Perhaps you could pick out just the right spot for a vegetable garden, Samuel. I'd like to be all set when spring arrives."
    He didn't answer, simply reached for another biscuit.
    "Oh, I know what you're thinking," Abby said.
    "Hmmm?"
    "You're thinking that I shouldn't go on making plans for next summer when I might not even be here for the winter."
    Samuel shrugged his massive shoulders and kept his face down. He didn't want her to see what the thought of her leaving did to him.
    "But I believe in planning ahead. Besides, nothing is gained by expecting the worst." She poured him another cup of coffee and handed each of the dogs a biscuit. "What are you going to do today, Samuel?"
    His plate clean, Samuel took a long drink of the coffee and sat back. "I'm takin' the wagon into Wolf River."
    Her brow furrowed. "A town a day's ride from here. They got a lumber mill over there."
    "Oh!" She smiled. "Are you going to pick up the lumber for the barn raising?"
    "No." He pushed his chair back and stood up. "The Coles'll have to do that. No, I'm goin' to get enough lumber to build another room onto the cabin."
    "Samuel!" Abby jumped up and came around the table to his side. Grabbing his arm and moving toward the door, she went on, "What a wonderful idea! And I know just the place for it!"
    As she pulled him through the front door, he had just enough time to grab his hat and think that he wasn't surprised in the least.
    At the far side of the cabin Abby stopped. "Right here." She held her arms extended toward the side wall of the house. "It would be perfect right there. Close enough to the fireplace and with a window, I would have a lovely view of the valley! Oh, it will be so nice to have a separate kitchen!"
    "Kitchen!" Samuel pulled his arm free of her grasp. Just having her hands on his arm set his body to tingling with wants he had best start ignoring. He stepped away from her and said in a low, controlled voice, "I ain't buildin' a kitchen, Abby."
    "Well, for heaven's sake. Whyever not?" Hands on her hips, she faced him curiously. "It's the one thing we need."
    "It ain't the one thing I need."
    "What?" Her features a mask of confusion, Abby asked, "I don't understand. If we're going to make our home more comfortable, I would think it would be best to have the cooking place separate from our living area." She smiled. "It would be nice for when we have guests, not to have the cooking things sitting right out in the open."
    "I'm not trying to make a comfortable home!" Samuel thrust his balled fists in his pockets. "And I don't want guests!" Abruptly he turned away. It was too difficult to think when he looked at her. He didn't know what he'd been doing yesterday when he'd allowed himself to get involved with the womenfolk and their plans. He couldn't even figure out why it was so damned important to him that Abby think well of him. But he knew that if he didn't put his foot down soon, there wouldn't be a place for him to do it. At least, not in his own home.
    "Well, what exactly are you trying to do, Samuel?"
    Jesus! Couldn't she see what was happening to him? Didn't she know how he suffered every night, lying alongside her in the dark? He looked at her carefully. No. She didn't know. Didn't she keep telling him how she trusted him? Didn't she keep smiling up at him, her golden eyes shining? Of course Abby didn't know. Why should she? She felt none of those things for him.
    What woman would? Hell, he knew better than most that he was just a big, homely man who didn't even know how to talk to folks. He breathed deeply and felt the cold pine-scented air fill him.
    Deliberately he took a moment to control his rising temper. He had no right to be angry with her. It wasn't her fault that her damn fool uncle Silas had caused so much trouble. It wasn't her fault that he, Samuel, had feelings for her that he had