Page 21 of A Steadfast Heart (Wind River Mail-Order Brides #2)

“K aitlyn!”

Kaitlyn looked up to see Tillie scampering down Merritt’s steps, the midmorning sun glinting from her dark braids. Yesterday, she’d wondered if she would ever see this child again. She pulled her hand from Drew’s and stepped in front of him just in time to catch Tillie. Warmth flooded her at the embrace of this little girl who had accepted her from the first. The little girl she loved as her very own. She ran her fingers through Tillie’s hair.

“Don’t have to be a card sharp to read that welcome,” Jack murmured behind her.

Drew chuckled.

Tillie looked up, her smile stretching nearly from ear to ear. “The bad guy didn’t getted you.” The smile dimmed a bit. “I thought he hurted you.”

Boots clattered on Merritt’s porch steps. David rushed toward them, followed by Nick and Ed. Merritt made her way to stand beside her husband. Jo trailed the group more slowly and hung off to the side.

Nick grinned at Kaitlyn. “Well, did you get it done?”

Kaitlyn nodded. “Thanks for coming here with Ed to let the children know we were safe, and for sending Jack. Having a deputy there kept everyone on their best behavior.”

David edged a bit closer. Kaitlyn shifted Tillie to a one-armed hug and opened her other arm to the boy. Her son. He rushed to her and threw his arms around her. He seemed to have grown in the last two months. Another year and he’d be taller than she was.

The boy’s brow wrinkled. “I was so worried.”

“I bet you took good care of your sisters.”

He nodded.

“Good job. I’m proud of you.”

He smiled shyly and pulled her back into a bear hug, surreptitiously rubbing a tear from his cheek. She whispered “I’ll never tell” into his ear. He grinned and backed away.

Drew took Kaitlyn’s hand and pulled her to stand next to him, his calloused palm a perfect fit against her softer one. “What’s more, there’ll be no more talk of her leaving. I love her, and she’s more than proved she’s tough enough for our West.”

Tillie squealed, then looked up at Kaitlyn. “You’re staying, Kaitlyn? You’ll be my ma for real? Can I call you Ma?”

Kaitlyn smiled at the little girl. “If you want to. I love your pa, and I’m staying.”

Ed stepped closer to them. “’Bout time you two got things figured out. We’ve all known you loved each other for ages.”

Nick slapped Drew’s shoulder. “Yeah. It’s not like you did that great a job hiding it.”

Drew shoved against Ed’s shoulder, but he put very little effort into it, and his smile made it all the way to his eyes. Like it had ever since they’d declared their love for each other. Like she hoped it would for the rest of their lives.

Kaitlyn glanced to the side of the yard, where Jo still stood off by herself. That would never do. It was high time Jo knew her place in this family and in Kaitlyn’s heart. Kaitlyn left Tillie and crossed the yard to where Jo stood. “I’m not going to try to take the place of your mother.”

Jo nodded, not meeting her eyes.

Kaitlyn’s arms ached to hug this child, but she would let Jo move at her own pace. “Were you hurt yesterday? I know you must’ve been scared.”

Jo’s lip quivered and her eyes were bright with tears she still fought.

Slowly, Kaitlyn held out her arms. Jo’s face crumpled, and she flung her thin arms around Kaitlyn’s waist, and what remained of Kaitlyn’s heart melted. She rubbed a hand over Jo’s head and down to her shoulder.

After only a moment, Jo stepped back, but Kaitlyn knew that moment would be engraved on her heart for the rest of her life.

Jo wiped her eyes. “You went with him to save us.”

Remembered fear knocked at her mind, but Kaitlyn refused to open the door. Michael was gone. God had protected them all. “I did. I was so worried about you.”

Jo inhaled, then released the air in a shudder. “You’re really staying.”

“Yes. I love your father. And I love you.”

Jo scrubbed a hand across her cheek. Kaitlyn reached across and gently wiped one tear the little girl had missed. Jo turned into the caress. “I wasn’t crying.”

“Of course not.”

Jo smiled at her. Not the malicious smile Kaitlyn had seen so often when she’d burned biscuits or fallen in the calves’ stall. No, this smile held only joy and hope.

Kaitlyn felt Drew’s gaze on her and glanced over her shoulder to meet his eyes. His loving eyes. He looked at her, then Jo, then back at her. His smile grew broader. Kaitlyn took Jo’s hand and guided her to join the rest of the family.

Drew turned back to Merritt. “It was Kaitlyn’s brilliant idea. Since we didn’t prove up the homestead, it was available for purchase. Jack rousted Ernie Duff from his bed before the sun was up. Kaitlyn brought the banker and bought the land free and clear.”

“Ed’s land is yours now?” Jo’s brow furrowed.

Kaitlyn tugged her closer. “Ed’s homestead is ours. It’s McGraw land, and the McGraw herd will run there, just like it did before. There is no mine and yours, only ours.”

“That’s just as it should be.” Merritt winked.

Drew moved closer to Kaitlyn and took her hand. Would she ever get tired of holding his hand?

Ed bumped Drew’s shoulder. “Did Quade show up?”

Drew nodded, his satisfied grin stretching almost as wide as Tillie’s had.

Kaitlyn smiled too. It had been so satisfying to see Quade show up, ready to buy the land, only to see them leaving the land office after purchasing it. When they’d asked Mr. Duff the price, he’d frowned and stalled but ultimately had no choice but to sell it to them.

Quade had been furious, but they had bought the land fair and square. They still had time to prove up Nick’s and Isaac’s homesteads, and her inheritance could buy the supplies they’d need to do it. The house in St. Louis would probably be sold to cover Michael’s debts, but his death and the finalized deed to Ed’s land removed the threat to the children.

“It’s all because of Kaitlyn.” Drew brought her hand to his lips. Her cheeks warmed, and he smiled at her, then lowered their hands. “We were all focused on getting the land through homesteading. It took a brilliant outsider to see an opportunity in the disaster of missing the deadline.”

Murmurs of “great job” and “genius” and “wish I’d seen it” made her heart light. Not that she was really brilliant. Learning to observe carefully had been her protection from Michael.

Protection from Michael.

Lord, You did that. You gave me the skill and taught me to hone it. And now it has saved the first place I’ve ever really called home.

She felt Him smiling down at her as she realized His gift. What Michael had done was not good, but God had brought good from it, just as He promised.

He’d restored to her what she’d never had. A family and a place of her own.

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