“Who is he?”
A small hand wrapped around Elijah’s leg, and he looked down to find Toby pressed against him. “Something wrong?”
The boy only clung tighter to his leg.
Elijah settled a hand on Toby’s head. “Why don’t you go play with the others while I talk to the grownups?” He raised his voice loud enough for Mac and the children to hear. “I bet Uncle Mac will be the snow monster for a while.”
Mac sent him a glare, but Toby stayed by his side while the balding man took the last few steps to them.
“Well looky here. Ya led me straight to my young’uns.” The man slapped Isaac on the back. “Thanks, Sheriff.”
His young’uns? The hairs on the back of Elijah’s neck prickled. He’d seen the squat man around town maybe once or twice in the past few weeks, but not often enough to know his name or what he did for a living.
“Didn’t realize you were following me, O’Byrne.” Isaac’s shoulders slumped even more.
“Followin’ ya? Naw, I wasn’t followin’ ya. Just saw ya walking is all. Decided to see if you’d learned anything about my young’uns yet, but I didn’t expect you’d lead me straight to them.” The man’s eyes narrowed in on the children the way a trapper’s would when counting his precious furs at the end of a season.
Isaac muttered something again, then cleared his throat and stuck a finger beneath the collar of his blue wool coat. “Elijah… I’d, ah, like to introduce you to Norman O’Byrne. He’s been living near town for a few weeks, but going by his second name, Virgil, which is why it’s taken… ah, so long to find him.”
A dull buzz started in Elijah’s ears as he stared at the rotund man with shifty eyes. The man who’d caused Toby to stop playing and burrow into the side of his leg.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Their father was supposed to be… different, better, the kind of man that would give Jack, Alice, and Toby all the same chances in life his own pa had given him.
How could he let a three-year-old boy go into the care of a man he was frightened of? And why was Toby frightened in the first place?
“Hello, there. Good to meet ya. Thank ya for looking after my young’uns after what happened to Jenny. Sure was surprised to hear about that. She was just like a ma to the kids, ya see. So I didn’t know there’d been any trouble till I got to the cabin and saw the note ya left. ” Norman—or was it Virgil?—extended his hand.
Did he have to shake it? He’d rather grab the three children, rush home, and lock himself and the O’Byrnes in the cabin for the next six years until Jack was legally old enough to look after Alice and Toby.
“Um, you’re welcome.” He reached out and gave the man’s hand a shake anyway.
How was he going to explain this to Victoria? Victoria, who had held back her tears, forced a smile, and told him how happy she was that her sister just had a second child when he’d given her Beatrice’s letter. Never mind her heart was breaking over her own lack of children. She’d cry the whole night through when she heard about O’Byrne returning.
“Who did you say this was?” Mac came up beside Elijah, settling a big, bear-like hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced yet.”
Elijah swallowed the thickness in his throat and half listened while Isaac stumbled through another introduction.
“Pleased to meet you.” Mac’s gritty voice sounded anything but pleased, but he shook O’Byrne’s hand anyway.
“Like I told Mr. Cummings here, thanks for looking after my young’uns while I was away. Though I’ve got another request to make, if it isn’t too much trouble, ya see.” O’Byrne turned back to Elijah. “I’m working at a logging camp just outside of town for the winter, so I don’t got a place for the children to stay just yet. Maybe you could keep them for a few more days while I get some things together?”
Elijah rested his hand back on Toby’s head. “We’re happy to keep them as long as you need.”
Longer, even.Dare he hope the man wouldn’t be able to find somewhere to live until spring? That they could keep the children several more months?
Except the children would have to go back to their pa eventually.
Even so, maybe a little more heartache on his and Victoria’s part would be worth giving the children a good, loving home for as long as they could.
Feet pounded the snow behind him, and a second later Jack and Colin appeared by his side.
Jack froze, his gaze glued to his father. “You’re back.”
“That I am, son.” O’Byrne gave a stout nod. “Now come on and give your pa a hug.”
But rather than go into his father’s arms, Jack took a step back, then turned to Elijah. “Do we have to live with him?”
“You complaining about the kind of home I provide for you?” O’Byrne’s voice came out as a threatening growl, and Toby burrowed himself harder against Elijah’s leg.
