Second-Chance Bride (Dakota Brides Book 3)(29)

Freyda laughed and shook her head. “I’ll put out the food, but you’ll have to feed yourselves.”

Ward pulled off his hat. “First, I will pray.” He bowed his head. “Father in heaven. We thank you for family, for a good neighbor, and for the food. Amen.” He barely finished when the boys reached for a sandwich.

Freyda gave far more attention to passing around the food then it required. A good neighbor? That was all she was? Well, what did she expect? Hadn’t she given herself a similar reminder not five minutes ago?

She might have fallen into silence except the boys chattered like little birds. Papa this and Papa that. Then Mrs. Haevre, don’t you think so too? It was impossible to remain distant with them so eager to include her.

Kit launched into a long story about what the birds in the trees were doing. It seemed to involve a fight between the mama bird and other mama birds. Someone threatened to hurt the baby birds and a big crow rescued them all.

Freyda nodded as she listened to the story.

Finally done, he grabbed a cookie. “Can I go watch the birds?” he asked Ward.

Ward nodded. “Stay where we can see you.”

Milo and Kit trotted down the slope, their feet going faster and faster. The boys’ laughter rang out and Freyda leaned forward to watch them.

“That was quite a story,” Ward said.

“I think he sees himself as the baby birds but I’m not sure who the crow is supposed to be. You, I expect.” She turned so she could watch his reaction.

He grinned. “I fit the crow description. You are more like a bluebird.”

Neither of them turned away. Their gazes held, his full of warmth. Freyda could not say what he saw in her eyes, nor would she confess that she hoped he would see a longing to—

She stopped her thoughts before she could finish them. “It must feel good to know he sees you as someone to rescue him. Save him from the wicked birds.”

His eyes darkened. “Except for the times I failed. I should have known what Mrs. Wright was doing, but she was always pleasant and patient when I was around. I began to suspect something was amiss when Milo constantly ran away from the house and Kit started to rock back and forth with a worried look on his face. But I could hardly accuse the woman without evidence.”

Freyda turned to watch the boys. They went from tree to tree, looking up into the branches. “They’re hoping to find a nest.”

The boys stopped and pointed then lay down on their backs to watch the nest they found. The pair lay still, though Kit squirmed from time to time.

Freyda’s gaze searched the air and the nearby trees. “I hope there are babies there to reward them for their patience.”

Then Milo pointed and shushed Kit.

Ward chuckled. “They’ve seen something. Can you believe how quiet they are being?”

“No. I’m used to seeing them run and hearing them laugh and shout.” She shook her head in mock dismay. “It feels unnatural.”

Ward laughed. “I don’t expect it will last long.”

A moment later, a cow with a calf at her side emerged from the trees, saw the boys, and stared.

Ward sucked in his breath. If that cow should object to the intrusion of two small boys… He was on his feet and had taken two racing steps down the hill when the cow tossed her head and trotted off with the calf running at her side.

Both boys sat up and watched them then lay back down.

Ward returned to his spot beside Freyda. “I was worried for a moment.”

“Me too.”

That made him think. “What would you have done if you were alone with them and a cow charged?”

“I would chase her off.” She said it with such conviction that for a moment he had no doubt she would.

“Umm. I don’t know if you noticed, but that cow outweighs you by fifteen hundred pounds, more or less. And an upset mama cow is not easily discouraged.”

She sniffed. “Neither is a protective mother of little boys. Or in this case, someone in charge of two little boys. I would stop her or chase her or divert her.”

Or die doing it. “Let’s hope the situation never arises.”

“Agreed.”

They sat in companionable silence watching the boys, who had lost interest in the birds and pulled at a heavy branch caught in the grass and bushes.

They tugged. They pushed. They ripped at the live branches and stomped away at the grass.

Freyda chuckled. “They aren’t going to give up. I like their spirit.”

“You would.”

She jerked about to face him. “What do you mean?”

He grinned teasingly, liking the blue blaze in her eyes. “Isn’t it your philosophy? Never give up? Never admit defeat?” She had not said it in those exact words but he understood how determined she was.

She chuckled. “I might have given that impression.” The humor fled from her eyes. “It hurts to always be treated like I can’t do anything on my own.”

“Is there more to it than that?”

“Maybe.” Her shoulders rose and fell. “I was told most of my life that I was stubborn and headstrong because I insisted on doing things others thought me incapable of. I thought it would change when I grew older. That people would accept that I could do things. Whatever I truly desired to do. I had a dream to go to America. No one understood that. Why would I want to leave when I had my family to love me and take care of me right there in Norway?”