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"Willa," He called to her.
"Yes," she got up and came toward him.
"Don't let Ed scare you, he's all talk."
"But there will be others." She cried. "Besides, I'm not so sure it's all talk."
"You're probably right." He answered, putting his tools away in the shed, then he looked at her. "Let's put our cards on the table. " He came toward her again. "You are a half breed; the baby is too. People will think what they want. We can't control that, but we mustn't be afraid of it, either."
"I do not understand. What they say is ugly. To even suggest it, is ugly. I do not wish to bring a shame upon you that you do not deserve."
"Willa," He came closer now, staring down into her worried face. "There will always be people that want to cause trouble. Dad and I can take care of it. Don't worry so much. We know what they are thinking is not the truth."
"You are a good man, you and your father both. But I think I should move on."
"Oh, got a place in mind, do you?"
"No," she hung her head. "Not yet."
"Look, you got a baby to think about. You need to find a place to make a home. We're offering you one. Those kinds of offers won't come often. We need you here. Now, I don't want to be blunt, but in this case, I think I have to be. We need to talk about this and put it to rest. There are not many places you can go, that wouldn't make trouble. So, this is as good a place as any to take your stand and live your life. In return you can work right along with us to keep this place. And it takes a lot of work, I'll grant you. It takes blood, sweat and tears to make a home." He pulled her chin around to look into her eyes, "Your part of our family now, you and Elan. People are gonna talk, let them. We know the truth, and it will come out eventually."
Her breath hitched, "Why do you do this for me?"
"We've come to realize we need you." He said simply and started to walk away. "And let's face the truth here, you need us." He walked off, then turned once more with a smile. "So, it's mutual benefits. You got a home for you and your son; we have a cook and housekeeper. And someone who will fight to keep this place going like we do. So why don't you start thinking of this place as home."
"It is difficult to do that so easily. I have not worked to build this home. It is your home."
"Perhaps you are right, but we welcome you here. We do need a cook and housekeeper. We have for some time now."
"That much is true, yes." She smiled.
"So, change your thinking Willa. This is home to you and your baby now!" he walked off, as though the matter were settled.
Why was he fighting so hard now to keep her here? He'd already spent the day praying to God not to lose control around her anymore. But he also faced the fact that he was attracted to her, and that she was a fine woman in more ways than one. Still, she was right, it would cause trouble and he knew it. But he knew he never walked away from trouble before too.
Yet there was something about her, and her child that tore into Clay like no other woman ever had. He had a strange feeling no matter how much trouble it would cause it would be worth it to have her here.
He liked her! It was that simple. She was a hard worker, a good person, and that was the end of it.
***
She stared after him a long time, for his touch sent an unknown feeling through her. A feeling very unfamiliar, a pleasant feeling she didn't want to acknowledge. Yet she understood that feeling too.
The fact that Clay had said he thought of her as a woman now dawned on her. She was very much a woman and very attracted to Clay as a man. And that was the real reason she objected to staying, it would only bring trouble for him. She used the fact that she was Indian and would bring trouble upon them. The real trouble was in her heart.
They had taken her in like family. She must always remember her place here and be grateful. But her fantasies were her own and must be kept that way, she chided herself.
She shook her head; she could not have feelings for this man. It would never work, and she must be strong enough to never acknowledge it. How could this man invade her heart so easily? Still, somewhere deep inside her, she knew it was there. She must never let it grow. Inside, her heart leapt from that feeling, but no one would ever know. If they would give her and her child a home, then she would never bring grief on them or shame.
She wondered about this neighbor. She saw how he looked at her. The fear she felt was not what Clay and Charlie thought. This man could be dangerous to her in another way, but she would not voice that fear. It would seem that too many men looked at her as a woman, and not a breed. But there was a big difference in how this neighbor man looked at her and how Clay looked.
She stared at her child now. He was happy. He smiled, and he liked Clay and Charlie too. But she would teach him to know his place, always. And could she keep herself from falling in love with this man? She wasn't sure, because something in her heart melted at his plea for her to stay.
Chapter Seven
Days passed and Willa let Elan play on the floor almost every day, so he could learn to crawl soon. He rolled around and smiled a lot. He was trying to sit up now, but he had no balance yet and she kept him in his cradle while she worked, so his time on the floor was to learn to do things. Charlie made him a couple of toys out of wood and Elan loved them, chewing on them every day.
He would look at Charlie and gurgle and Charlie's eyes lit up with smiles.
