Did anyone not like the man? A reluctant smile tugged at Ella’s lips. “So I’m told.”
Hattie bounced the baby in her arms. “Keep your heart open, young lady. You just might fall in love with that handsome cowboy of yours. It would be good for both of you. He’d never admit it, but I think Cody’s starved for love. He’s carried a chip on his shoulder from the moment he left that orphanage, always lookin’ out for others and makin’ sure his sister and now these children are cared for. I think havin’ someone to care for him for a change is the key to unlockin’ that gruff exterior he hides under.”
That unfamiliar sensation went off again in Ella’s chest. It felt as though someone squeezed her lungs together, making it difficult to breathe, combined with a strange lightness that left her feeling dizzy.
“I…I don’t…think…I’m c–capable…”
Hattie patted her arm sympathetically. “Somethin’ tells me that heart of yours also needs unlockin’, dearie.”
Ella wasn’t sure she wanted her heart unlocked. It was safe as it was, hidden behind walls that would rival any fortress. Loving someone meant opening herself to pain. Did she even want to let Cody in, giving him the power to hurt her?
A moan sounded from the direction of the parlor. Desperate for a distraction, Ella placed the plate on the drying rack and ran her hands over a towel. “I’ll see to the boys.” Even if Isaiah had been actively avoiding her since the tea-spilling incident.
Hattie’s knowing gaze followed her out of the kitchen. A chill slid down Ella’s spine. Just how much could Hattie see? She shook off the notion and made her way to the parlor.
Isaiah lay on the floor. He pressed one hand against his eyes. Jonah sat beside him, prodding his shoulder.
Alarm crept through her. She sank to her knees beside the boys. “Isaiah?”
He moaned in response. “My head.”
A quick touch proved the fever had not returned, though Ella knew from experience that didn’t mean a person would feel better—and children seemed more susceptible to pain. An ache an adult could handle without complaint could be devastating for a child.
“Would you like a cold cloth?”
Isaiah nodded.
Jonah looked at Ella, a plea in his eyes, as if he begged her to help his brother.
She stood. “I’ll be right back.” She hurried back to the kitchen.
Hattie glanced at her from where she rinsed Addie’s bottle with one hand. “Everythin’ okay?”
“Isaiah said his head hurts. I’m here for a bowl of water and a soft cloth.”
Hattie nodded at a drawer. “Cloths are in there.”
“Thank you.” Ella fetched a bowl. She poured some water, placed a cloth inside, then headed back to the parlor to tend to the sick child. Her own worries paled in comparison to Isaiah’s illness. Would he get better soon, or would she have to send for a doctor?
Cody secured a final length of rope along two posts. That should be enough to keep the cattle in until he could properly repair the fence. He let out a sigh of relief, his breath puffing white in the frigid air as he looked around the west pasture. It was the smallest of the four, his animals generally preferring the flatter east or south pastures. At least they’d found the missing livestock without much trouble.
Hank came alongside him, wiping sweat from his brow despite the cold. “It’s a good thing there’s four of us. Joey and Eddie did great roundin’ up those missing cattle.”
Cody nodded his appreciation to the two young ranch hands standing nearby. “You boys saved the herd. I owe you my thanks.”
The twins alternated between grins of pride and modest looks at the ground. “Just doing our job, Boss,” Eddie said.
Cody clapped a hand first on Eddie’s shoulder, then on Joey’s. “You boys have turned out well. Don’t you forget that. You’ve come a long way from your orphan days.”
Joey glanced up. “Thanks to you. Without this job, who knows where we’d be now.”
At twenty, the twins were finally leaving behind the stigma of their past. Raised at the same orphanage as Cody but ten years his junior, they’d always been interested in cowboys, dreaming of one day having their own ranch. He’d hired them two years ago when they aged out, knowing it would bolster their confidence and strengthen their dream. He might have a reputation as a bear, but with orphans, his heart was for helping. That was why he hired them. It was why he’d helped Cassie start her café. It was why he accepted his three young charges, even though he knew nothing about being a father.
It seemed that soft spot extended to hurting young women.
And yet he’d left his wife on her own all day. Darkness had started to fall, and though winter had earlier sunsets, it was still getting late. He adjusted the hat on his head and turned to his workers.
“Thanks for everything today, boys. Let’s turn in for the night. Tomorrow will be another early start. We’ve got to properly fix that fence.”
