A Rancher's Pride(23)

Luckily, once the three of them were seated at the dinner table, Becky began chattering away. Kayla voiced everything so Sam could follow the conversation.

She might as well not have bothered.

He seemed more interested in his dinner and rarely looked away from his plate for very long. When he did glance up, he never once made eye contact with either of them. As the meal went on, Kayla grew more concerned. And more irritated.

After Becky quieted down and focused on her own plate, Kayla turned her attention to Sam. Now, instead of wanting to hold back, she was determined to get him to talk.

“Becky needs some interaction with children her own age,” she told him. “I’d like to get her involved in something fun. Maybe a swim class or arts and crafts, something that will help her burn up energy but keep her attention. Is there anything like that in town?”

It took a few seconds for his response. “Nothing I know of.”

She nodded in acknowledgment. “I’ll do a little research tomorrow, see what I can find. Do you have any recommendations about where to start?”

“No.”

“Are there any of your neighbors who might know about classes?”

“I doubt it.”

He seemed reluctant to cooperate with her on anything to do with Becky. How could he be so unconcerned about her?

Kayla looked away. His lack of enthusiasm wouldn’t stop her from doing what she could, on her own if she had to. Becky wouldn’t be here very long, but still, she was a friendly child who liked to play with others.

Besides, interacting with the locals would provide Kayla with an opening she desperately needed.

Sam and Ellamae might have lowered their voices in the courtroom that morning, but out in the hallway, Kayla had been able to pick up on the woman’s caution to Sam.

The judge wanted Sam and Becky to get comfortable with one another, and for the judge’s spies in town to see that and report back to him.

Well, Kayla would make darned sure those spies got a good eyeful of just how well she got along with her niece.

The thought of almost using Becky this way gave her a momentary pang of conscience. She couldn’t let that stop her. All her efforts were for her niece’s benefit. Her only goal was to take care of Becky. To do that, she would have to please the judge so he would let her take her niece home again.

If Sam didn’t want to cooperate with her idea to find playmates for Becky, that could only work in her favor. She kept her smile and voice determinedly offhand. “I’ll check at Town Hall or with your Chamber of Commerce. Someone will know about summer activities.”

“It’s a small town.”

“Yes. I’m aware of that.” Ellamae had warned her that morning, too. “But there should at least be some type of arts and crafts available. Or maybe a reading club at the library. They might even have a weekly story hour.”

“She can’t hear.”

Kayla swallowed her sigh. His response didn’t surprise her. It couldn’t make her angry, either. Unfortunately, she’d seen plenty of people react just as he had done. People who had been around deaf children a lot longer than Sam had, and who should have understood without needing an explanation.

She looked at him. “Sam. If a librarian reads a story, I can interpret it for Becky. How do you think she’ll manage when she goes to school? She’ll be provided with an interpreter.”

Her niece wouldn’t be attending school in Flagman’s Folly. But by not mentioning that little detail, Kayla might lull him into thinking he had a chance to keep Becky here. Into thinking Kayla wouldn’t give him much trouble at all. “She’ll be in a mainstream class with a hearing teacher, hearing students and the interpreter. Since that’s the case, a story hour or some kind of summer class would be perfect right now, to get her ready for the experience.”

“The other kids…” He trailed off.

“Will love her,” she assured him. “And kids pick up quickly. I’ll have time to teach them enough basic sign to let them learn to talk with Becky.”

He shrugged and turned abruptly back to his dinner.

His behavior infuriated her. Is this how he had acted when he was with Becky and his mother the first day? Had he attempted to talk with his daughter? Or even to interact with her?

Kayla wiped her mouth carefully with her napkin, placed the napkin carefully in her lap and turned to Sam. “How was your dinner?”