Page 39 of Cloaked in Beauty

Having never been around children before, she’d found the half hour following Dennis’s rescue quite wonderful. Calvin sat in front of her on Shadow while his brother rode with Philip, and without even trying, the boys utterly captured her heart. Two adventurous spirits, loyal to each other, and brave in the face of adversity. They awoke something maternal inside her, something that urged her to look past the massive boulders of her uncle’s threat and her family’s expectations to imagine a future that stretched beyond them, one that might include a husband and children of her own.

Calvin leaned back against her. “Maybe. But I’m gonna have to tell her it’s my fault that Dennis got hurt.” His voice drooped.

“You were playing, and the ground gave out beneath your brother’s feet. That was an accident.”

“But it was my fault Dennis was so close to the edge. We were stick fighting, and I jabbed him in the belly when he wasn’t looking. The surprise made him jump back. He slipped and fell over the side.”

Tension radiated through his small body, and Letty’s heart throbbed in response. “You didn’t intend for your brother to get hurt. Dennis knows that. Your mother will, too.” She shifted in the saddle to sit up a little straighter. “But something else happened today that was definitely your fault.”

Calvin swiveled his head, his forehead scrunched. “What?”

She smiled. “Dennis’s rescue.”

His nose decided to get in on the scrunchy action, wrinkling at the bridge. “But you and Mr. Carmichael did all the rescuin’. Not me.”

“We never would have been there if you hadn’t called for help. That makes you the hero.” She tapped the end of his nose.

He didn’t look convinced, but some of the tension leaked out of him as he faced forward again.

Letty glanced at Philip, riding a few feet away, and blushed when she caught the half smile on his face. She hadn’t given thought to who else might be listening. Shifting in the saddle, she tried in vain to subdue the overzealous dragonfly that decided to clamor about in her belly the moment she realized her escort was paying attention.

Navigating her gaze away from the dragonfly instigator, Letty dropped her gaze to the boy sitting in front of the compelling Pinkerton. “How are you holding up, Dennis?”

They’d repurposed the blanket strips to fashion a sling for his arm to make the journey a bit easier, but weariness had etched itself upon Dennis’s face.

“I’m fine, ma’am.”

He was far from fine, but she pretended not to notice. Both to spare his pride and Calvin’s guilt.

“You’re a tough young man,” she praised. “Your parents are going to be very proud of you. Of both of you.”

His chin lifted at her words, and a bit of a spark returned to eyes that had gone rather dull during their ride.

As they passed through the tree line into the clearing, Letty spotted a man leading a saddled horse out of a barn. A man wearing a gun belt.

Her gaze immediately sought out her wolf. “Rusty. Heel.”

The red wolf turned his head toward her, a questioning whine echoing in his throat.

She patted her thigh. “Come.”

Rusty trotted toward her, then stayed beside her right stirrup as they approached the cabin.

The man by the barn turned in their direction and stared for a long moment. “Dennis? That you, boy? Calvin?”

“It’s us, Pa!” Calvin lifted an arm and waved it in an arc wide enough to sway his whole body.

Their father dropped his horse’s lead line and jogged toward the cabin. “Susanne! It’s the boys. They’re back.”

A heartbeat later, the cabin door swung inward, and a thin woman emerged, dish towel in hand. “God be praised!”

She darted around her husband and ran out to meet her children, dish towel flopping unheeded at her side. Her husband followed at a more measured pace, but he stretched his walking stride to its limits.

When she caught sight of Rusty, however, she pulled up short. “Good heavens. Is that a wolf?”

“He’s tame,” Letty called out. “I raised him from a pup. He won’t hurt you.” She reined her horse to a halt, then turned to her pet. “Rusty, sit.”

Thankfully, he was in a mood to oblige.