Free Dakota Father by Linda Ford

tried.
    He scrubbed his hands on the thighs of his jeans and adjusted his hat then strode toward the house. This was only about Meggie. He needed to keep reminding himself.
    He paused at the bottom of the steps and carefully kept his gaze on his niece. “What would you like to see first? The cats or the horses?” The mounts in the nearby corrals were used to people and posed no danger.
    â€œKitties?” Meggie sounded cautiously eager.
    â€œScads of ’em. Come along.” He straightened and finally allowed himself to face Jenny. Her eager expression almost undid all his harsh self-talk. Oh to see that eagerness every morning, to share it about the ranch. Whoa. Stop right there. This was about Meggie, not him.
    He stepped aside and waited for Jenny to descend. Meggie skipped along at their side as they headed for the barn.
    â€œTell me about your ranch,” Jenny said.
    Her words caught him off guard, left him struggling to find an answer. “We raise cows and horses,” he said tentatively, not knowing if she wanted any more information.
    â€œYour animals range free?”
    â€œTo some extent. Most of the ranchers let the animals roam, but with more and more settlers things are changing.” He had his own ideas of how things should be done. “Most ranchers let their animals graze during the winter, too, but I think it’s too risky.”
    â€œWhy?”
    Her eyes brimmed with interest and he willingly told her how he considered the risks of having them unable to find enough to eat if they should get a lot of snow. “Cows can’t dig through the snow like horses or buffalo. I prefer to contain them closer to home and have hay ready to take out if there’s a need.”
    â€œThat’s very forward thinking of you. How do the other ranchers react?”
    How did she guess there were mixed feelings about the way he did things? “Some think I’m overly cautious. Survival of the fittest, they say, produces the strongest cows.”
    â€œI suppose there’s something to be said for that, but still, cows are not created to survive certain elements.”
    He realized they had stopped walking and stood talking intently. For his part, he was lost in the interest and knowledge she showed.
    Meggie had paused to examine a bug crossing their path.
    â€œLet’s see if the kitties are still around.”
    They reached the barn. Most of the cats had disappeared but the old mama cat still lay in the sun, enjoying her rest from her newly weaned kittens. This old cat was the tamest of the bunch, having been around since Burke first arrived, and having learned humans meant warm milk and a gentle rub behind her ears.
    â€œGo slow, little Meg,” he warned.
    Meggie, who’d been about to pounce on the unsuspecting cat, stopped.
    Jenny caught Meggie’s hand and knelt at her side. “Let her get used to us first. After all, we’re brand new here.”
    Good advice for befriending both human and animal.
    Jenny held her hand out to the cat and called softly.
    Old mama meowed but didn’t move.
    â€œShe’s lazy. Or maybe wore out. Just raised a bunch of kittens.”
    â€œKitties?” Meggie looked around expectantly.
    Burke laughed. “Three of them went to neighbors. The other two are wild. You wouldn’t want to hold them.” He wished now that there were tiny kittens available but he knew of none.
    Meggie turned back to the mama kitty. Squatting down she jiggled forward in a funny little frog walk.
    Burke grinned.
    Meggie reached the cat and touched it with one finger. The cat meowed and purred, obviously glad for the attention.
    Meggie plunked to her bottom and the cat wrapped paws about her leg. The little one giggled. Soon the two were busy being friends.
    Jenny stood back at Burke’s side. “This is good for her. There’s something about pets that eases sorrow.”
    â€œMaybe I should get myself a new