Breed True by Gem Sivad Page A

dress and dared to hope for a day of rest that would give her time to gather her senses.
    When Amethyst snuggled beneath the blanket and sighed contentedly, Jewel patted her cheek and then brushed a kiss against Emerald's forehead. "Your first bed, sweeties."
    She smiled down at them.
    She and the girls seemed to be the only ones in the house, which suited her. She snooped, looking for food first, and after she found the lard, potatoes, and smoked ham on the sideboard as though waiting for her use, she fixed herself a meal.
    She ate and relaxed for the first time in months. The girls were safe in a new cradle.
    Surely a man who provided such a nice piece of furniture for a stranger's babies meant them no harm. Then her mind skittered away from him.
    He was a puzzle. In her world, people fell into two categories, those who hurt her—
    and those who didn't. So far he hadn't done the first, and the cradle seemed reason enough for gratitude if not trust.
    Her exploration of his home the night before had revealed a well-built structure. It was chinked tight so the wind and cold from outside stayed outside. The floor, wood planking planed and smoothed until it was a rich golden hue, fit snugly together, and although cold under her bare feet, it was lovely.
    She wandered the perimeter, inspecting the sturdy furniture and thick walls. When she arrived at the big fireplace, she ran her hand across its dusty surface. Grady Hawks needs a good housekeeper. An intricately carved wooden box sat halfway across the heavy slab of oak. She pulled the top off, and looked at the contents. Inside, a thin turquoise ring rested on a piece of soft deerskin. Jewel could tell the ring had some special significance. Hastily she replaced the lid, unwilling to be caught snooping.
    She moved to look out of one of the two windows on either side of the door. Two more windows were on the back wall, overlooking the ridge that they had ridden down the day before. Jewel recognized the expense of the glass that let her see every angle of the ranch.
    She wanted to curl up like a cat on the window sill and lie in the morning sun, absorbing the heat of the day. But curiosity drove her into exploring further. The most exciting discovery was the pantry. It was well-stocked, and she found loaves of bread stacked there next to a bin of potatoes.
    The sound of horses outside alerted her to his arrival home. A quick glance out of the front window confirmed that he was not alone. He was accompanied again by the men from the night before.
    Jewel figured that at some point at least one hungry man would come through the door. From the look of the long table that took up most of the space in the main room, more than Grady Hawks ate here. She briefly wondered who had done the cooking before.
    Thanking the days when she'd helped her mother feed field hands on the farm, she ruthlessly sliced two loaves of bread, setting them on the table as she found a skillet and stirred together chunks of the smoked ham and diced chunks of potatoes, browning them together.
    Whether the men smelled the food or her timing was better than it had been for awhile, as soon as the hash was finished the door opened, and the men from the night before filed in.
    No one spoke or looked at her, so after setting platters of hash and gravy next to the sliced bread and honey already on the table, she crossed the room and bent to pick up the babies.
    She paused long enough to tell them, "I want to thank the one of you who made this fine cradle for Emma and Amy, my twin daughters. It's their first bed."
    The men ate as though she hadn't spoken. Her face flushed red at the insult. So I'm to be a servant to his needs but not a person in the home.
    She stored that thought away for later and finished her speech.
    "Anyway," she told them softly, "thank you." Before she could retreat, he spoke.
    "Stay." Grady Hawks' one word was a command.
    She froze. Shame flooded her. She'd responded like his pet dog.
    Slowly she