Free Claiming the Cowboy's Heart by Linda Ford Page B

been numbed by the pain in his leg and concerned about how it delayed his trip home.
    “I think nothing of the sort.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “If you want the truth, I admire your quickness with the needle and yarn.”
    She jerked back and stared open-mouthed at him.
    “Shut your mouth,” Sybil whispered. “Or you’ll catch bugs.”
    Mercy didn’t bother to hide her giggle.
    Red crept up Jayne’s neck and painted round apples on her cheeks.
    Seth sat back and resisted an urge to pound his palm on his forehead. He’d only meant to…to what? Encourage her? Make her see that she was more than she saw herself as? Instead, he had come across as a flirt. Him? Seth Collins? A flirt? He opened his mouth intending to explain he never flirted but instead clicked his teeth together without saying a thing. Least said, soonest mended, Ma used to say.
    “Look,” Mercy said. “There are the boys.”
    Billy and Grady ran around in the tall grass beside one of the buildings, each carrying a Mason jar.
    “I wonder how many bugs they’ve found.” Jayne’s voice seemed a little gravelly.
    “If they come here with jars of bugs, I’m leaving,” Sybil said, already pushing to her feet.
    Smokey jumped out of the grass and Sybil screamed. “Silly cat. You frightened me.” She headed indoors.
    Mercy closed her book, stretched and bolted to her feet. “I’m going to explore. Can you take my book in for me?” She handed it to Jayne.
    Smokey arched his back and rubbed against Jayne then leaped into Seth’s lap.
    “Well, make yourself at home.” He stroked the cat and earned a very loud purr.
    “The cat likes you,” Jayne said.
    “You needn’t sound so surprised.”
    She shook her head. “I’m not surprised at all.”
    “Really? So you think I’m a likeable fellow?” He ducked his head and paid Smokey a great deal of attention. What kind of question was that? When had he ever been tempted to beg for attention before? It must be the result of sitting around all day staring at the world creeping by on leaden feet.
    She made a humming sound. “Can’t really say, can I? I hardly know you.”
    “Fair enough. But after I’ve taught you to shoot a gun well enough to trust you with one, you’ll know me well enough to give me your opinion.”
    She squinted at him. “How long do you think these lessons are going to take?”
    He lifted a hand. “I guess that depends on how fast you learn.”
    “I learn fast.”
    “Good to know.”
    “Then you can be on your way.” As an afterthought, she added, “To your pa.”
    That reminder brought him up sharply. He had to get to his pa as soon as possible. He would not fail in his responsibility.
    His attention was diverted as Grady and his friend climbed the hill.
    Jayne introduced Billy, a boy of about six with blue eyes and blond hair. The boys’ coloring was so similar, he could have easily passed for Grady’s older brother. Seth recalled hearing that Billy and his brother and sisters had a new ma and pa and wondered what had happened.
    Billy pointed down the hill. “I live in that house.” He indicated a two-story house beyond the other buildings. It looked recently constructed. “Heard you got shot. It hurt much?”
    “Only when I breathe,” Seth said.
    The children giggled.
    “Wanna see what I got?” Billy held his jar toward Seth.
    Seth took it and examined the bug collection. “Wow. You’ve been hard at work catching bugs.” There were a dozen or so bugs including several furry caterpillars. He offered the jar to Jayne. “You want to see them?”
    She held up a hand and wrinkled her nose. “I see them fine from here.”
    He chuckled at her expression then turned back to admire Grady’s collection of bugs. After a bit the boys set their jars aside and chased after each other.
    “It’s nice they have one another to play with,” Jayne said.
    He didn’t say anything.
    “It must be lonely being an only child.”
    He heard the question in