Strong and Stubborn by Kelly Eileen Hake

help with that.”
    â€œOh no.” She gave a shy smile. “You’re already toting all those canteens. Besides, I came down here to get water for you—well, all of the men—to wash up for supper. It’s little enough to thank you for the hard work you’re putting in to save my cousin.”
    â€œBelieve me, miss,”—Mike grinned—“if the rest of the men are anything like me, they’ll be glad enough to see dinner that they might miss the washtub altogether in their rush to appreciate
your
work.”

    â€œ
My
work?” Naomi discovered that once she started smiling, it was hard to stop. Maybe it was relief over knowing how close they were to saving Lacey. After so much worry, she might have gone a little giddy to know her cousin would be home soon. But honesty forced her to admit—if only to herself—that the day would have held far fewer smiles without the man standing in front of her.
Mr. Strode
.
    There was something endearing about him. Despite his size, strength, and calm capability, Naomi found his good- natured awkwardness most appealing. The way he’d smacked her back, mistaking panic for choking. The mulish glint in his gaze when he grabbed her shovel. The sheepish look on his face when she caught him shaking like a dog because he’d forgotten he had no clean bandanas left. For a man named Strode, he managed to stay a little out of step.
    Naomi understood. No matter how hard she tried to keep ahead of Lacey, she usually got caught in the wake of her cousin’s search for adventure. Today’s disaster proved more the exception than the rule.
    â€œYour cooking.” Mr. Strode patted his stomach as though in anticipation. “There’s no thank-you like a home-cooked meal.”
    â€œIf I didn’t already know that you’re newly arrived, that comment would give you away.” She felt the bucket slip along the soft surface of her bandages and tightened her grip. “Everyone in Hope Falls knows that Evie deserves the credit for our cooking.”
    â€œTrue. The mountainside hadn’t finished shaking when my train pulled in.” Something akin to concern flashed across his face too fast for Naomi to gauge it better. “In all the commotion, I clear forgot about my hopes for lunch—so you can probably see why I’m happy to give credit to anyone who stepped foot inside a kitchen.”
    Hopes for lunch …
Naomi frowned at the implication behind that phrase.
Had he planned to get back on the train after he ate but stayed and helped out of nothing more than Christian kindness?
    â€œIf needed, we’ll replace your train ticket.” She couldn’t dredge up a smile at the thought of him going. For a town with more males than females, Hope Falls was short on hardworking gentlemen. It would be a shame to see such a helpful one ride off so soon.
    â€œAh. That won’t be necessary since I planned to stop in Hope Falls.” His shirtfront gave a faint crinkle when he patted the pocket. “This is a letter of recommendation to give to Mr. Lawson.”
    â€œLawson?” Naomi hid her grin at his response by sidling closer to the stream. “Are you another sawmill engineer looking for work?”
    â€œNot quite.” Mr. Strode stepped forward alongside her, his big boots making it more of a shuffle. Before she could dip the bucket into the water, the warmth of his large hand brushed against hers, slipping the handle away from Naomi’s suddenly nerveless fingers.
    Blaming her clumsiness on her bandages, she waited until he filled both buckets with water before reaching to reclaim one.
    â€œI’ve got them.” He hefted both of the large buckets easily.
    â€œBut you shouldn’t,” she protested. “I’m supposed to be—”
    â€œResting your hands so they heal?” He raised his eyebrows. “Because I’m fair certain the doctor didn’t list