Linda Ford by The Cowboy's Surprise Bride Page A

Onions maybe.
    Grady played under the table. He’d fashioned a fence of kindling and arranged the rocks and bits of wood like animals in a pen.
    He chuckled. “Grady, that’s how I used to play.”
    Grady shrank back trying to get out of sight.
    Eddie didn’t take offense. The child would need time to learn Eddie intended to be his friend.
    Linette grabbed a cup from the shelf. “Coffee? Something to eat?”
    “Coffee sounds good. Thanks.”
    She filled the cup and sat it before him.
    “No one else is having coffee?” he asked.
    Linette and Cassie exchanged glances. Cassie ducked her head, suddenly very interested in her knitting. Linette grabbed a carrot and butchered the thing, scooting the pieces into the pot. “We’ve had tea already, but I assumed you preferred coffee.”
    “Having no doubt read about the huge pots of coffee the cowboys drink while on cattle drives.” His words, softly spoken, sounded dry and humorless even to himself.
    Cassie snorted. “I’ll venture a guess she knows more about cowboys than you.”
    Linette’s gaze grew dark. “Of course I don’t. But I did learn a lot.” She looked past Eddie. If he didn’t miss his guess, she looked past the walls of this cabin. “If I were a man I’d join a cattle drive.” Slowly, as if realizing Eddie stared at her, she brought her attention back to the room. “Can I offer you a tea biscuit?”
    “Thanks.” He hoped she had a large plateful. “I kind of like tea especially on a cold wintry day.”
    “Why didn’t you say so?” She bustled to the stove and shook the kettle, then poured in more water and moved it to the center of the stove. “I can make you tea, if you prefer it.”
    “Coffee will do this time. But in future wait for me and we’ll have tea together.” Now, why had he said that? It wasn’t as if he planned to stop his work every afternoon to join them for a cup of tea and a friendly chat. No, sir. He intended to stay as far away from this place as humanly possible.
    The women again exchanged looks. He couldn’t begin to guess what silent signal they sent each other. Maybe they preferred to have their tea without his company.
    “Unless that interferes with your plans?”
    “Of course not. I’d be glad to make tea for you.”
    He noticed Linette did not include Cassie in her welcome. But it didn’t matter. It was his house; he was the host, they the guests. Something they all needed to remember.
    He savored his coffee and the biscuits. He had come indoors with a task in mind. Oh, yeah. A letter to Margaret. He pulled the writing things from the bookshelf and arranged them where they wouldn’t extend into Linette’s working space and get soiled. “I’m going to write Margaret. If she knows about the house I’ve built she’ll change her mind.” He bent his head and began. The first part was easy.
    Dear Margaret,
    How are you? I was disappointed that Miss Edwards came and not you.
    I blame myself, because I planned a surprise for you. I see now that I should have told you.
    He stopped writing and stared at the tabletop. How did he put his dreams and hopes into a few words and expect anyone to understand?
    He’d seen men with a favorite horse share silent communication. If it were possible between man and beast, surely it was possible between a man and a woman. He and Margaret had corresponded for almost two years, and before he left London they had talked about the future. He trusted it formed a basis for understanding the message behind the words he intended to put on paper. He resumed writing.
    It is true I now live in a small cabin. Hardly big enough for the four people now crowded in here for the winter. But on the hill is the surprise I planned to have ready for you before we wed. A big house. It is as fine as any house in the West. No, finer. There are six bedrooms besides the main bedroom, which has two large dressing rooms plus a nursery, so it’s really a little suite in one wing of the house.
    He