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“Is he all right?” Ben asked.
“Yes. The tooth couldn’t be saved but other than a bruise on his chin he’s fine. Keri, on the other hand, is not. She blamed herself and looked ready to cry at any moment, but it wasn’t her fault. Boys are rambunctious. He’ll have more than one bruise before he’s old enough to keep his feet under him good.”
Betsey gave Ben a pointed look. “Why aren’t you buying food to eat?”
He shrugged. “Haven’t thought about it. I eat at the ranch most days.”
“Even supper?”
“Not normally.”
“Well, you can’t survive on no more than you get in the bunkhouse. Come over here when Holden sends you home and you can eat with us.”
“It’s a bit out of the way, isn’t it?”
“No more than the saloon is.”
He laughed. “You got me there.” He grabbed Cash’s reins and climbed onto his saddle. “If it isn’t too late, I’ll come by but I don’t see a need in it.”
“You have to eat, Ben.”
He glanced her way and grinned. “Well, I told Morning Dove she’s more than welcome to come cook for me so you two work it out amongst you.” He clicked his tongue and pulled the reins so Cash would turn. “Thanks for supper, Morning Dove.”
“You are welcome.” He stared at her for a long moment before heading out of the yard. She watched him until the darkness swallowed him up, then turned to the house. Betsey was still there, a smile on her face unlike any she had seen before. “What?”
“What?” she repeated with a raised eyebrow. “Something going on between you and my brother?”
“No.” The word came out louder than she would have liked.
Betsey laughed before turning back to the house. Morning Dove followed her inside. She could hear Aaron talking and Samuel laughing. Betsey started putting away the clean supper dishes.
“So.” Betsey said, giving her a quick glance.
“So what?” she said when Betsey didn’t say more.
“So…what is going on with you and Ben?”
“Nothing. I told you that already.”
Betsey laughed. “It didn’t look like nothing. From where I was standing, it looked as if he was about to kiss you.”
It looked that way to her, too. She felt her face heat again and shrugged.
With the dishes now put away, Betsey leaned back against the cabinet. “I don’t have a problem with that, you know.”
“A problem with what?”
“You and Ben. Lord knows he needs a good woman in his life.”
A good woman? The praise was so small it was almost nonexistent, but the fact Betsey considered her a good woman warmed her in ways nothing else had in a long time.
Betsey looked toward the hallway before pushing away from the counter. “It doesn’t sound like Aaron is putting Samuel to bed like he’s supposed to be doing so I’m going to turn in.”
Morning Dove nodded. “Goodnight.” She filled a pitcher with water before blowing out all the lamps but one. She carried it to her room and set it on the dresser, along with the pitcher of water.
Washing and slipping on one of the cotton gowns Betsey had given her was done with only one thing on her mind. Ben. Betsey saying he needed a good woman in his life and him telling her she was welcome to cook for him made idiotic thoughts fill her with hope she had no reason to feel. The desire to long for things had been beaten out of her years ago and even though she’d been living in Willow Creek for some time, wishing for things was still hard. Planning for her future was hard for no other reason than she was different. The people in town didn’t want an Indian woman amongst them, and anyone who married her would become a target of their scorn as well. Their children--if they had any--would become a target too. Half breeds were not welcome in any society.
What sort of man would put up with that?
