Gingham Mountain Read Free Page A

annoyed to furious in one fell swoop.
    He had the sudden desire to wipe the superior expression off Hannah Cartwright’s face. “This isn’t any business of yours.”
    “Now, Miss Cartwright, that’s not—”
    The train whistle blasted again, drowning out Martha’s words even though her lips kept moving.
    “It’s very much my business if children are being exploited.”
    “Exploited?” Grant erupted, but then he caught hold of his temper.He didn’t calm down for the prissy female. He did it for the children. They didn’t need to start out their life watching their new pa throw a pitched fit at a young woman, no matter how bad-mannered and misinformed that woman might be.
    With exaggerated politeness, he said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, so I’ll forgive your rudeness.”
    He turned to Libby and Charlie. “Let’s go. We need to get back to the ranch in time for the noon meal.”
    Libby backed away from him a step and peeked up at the nagging woman behind him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Miss Priss take a step forward—to keep an eagle eye on him, no doubt.
    “Why don’t the children stay with me until we can find a suitable home for them?” Her voice had a nice quality to it, all smooth and sweet. At the same time, it rubbed on him like a rasp, burning him until he felt all raw and tender inside. He wished for just one second she’d use it for something besides giving him a hard time.
    “Oh no, that would never do,” Martha said. “We can’t let an unmarried woman have a child. That’s out of the question.”
    “Why is it out of the question for a single woman but not a single man?”
    Grant glanced over his shoulder. “You really want to adopt these children?”
    Dismay crossed Miss Cartwright’s face, as if she’d spoken without thinking. Grant decided the look was fear that she’d be saddled with two kids when all she wanted was to be a troublemaker.
    “Well, a single man probably would be out of the question most of the time,” Martha said in her brisk, stern voice that concealed a heart as big as Texas. “I know orphanages sometimes place their children with bachelors or spinsters, but I’ve never approved of it. Children need a family, a mother and a father. Grant is a special case. We make an exception for him.”
    The pest pushed past Grant to face Martha directly. “Mrs. Norris,you know I’ve been on the train with you for a while now. I’ve taken a liking to the children. I don’t want them. . . that is. . . can’t they. . . ” The lady frowned at Martha, her blue eyes shining in the swirling snow, her dirty face going pink under the grime. “Can I at least talk to the children before you decide? I want to make sure they really want to go with him. They might be so tired from the train that they’re desperate. And they might still find families elsewhere if we—”
    “Miss Cartwright, please,” Martha cut her off. “This is the last town we have appointments in. No, if they don’t find a home at this stop, Charlie and Libby will have to ride all the way back to New York. The children will be better off with Grant.”
    Grant and Martha exchanged a look. He reached for the children’s hands and felt a small but firm grip on his arm. Exasperated, he wheeled around and faced Miss Cartwright.
    “I’m not allowing you to leave with these children. I know how this works. You take them out to your ranch, virtually stack them in inadequate space, and press them into being little more than slaves. I’m not going to allow—”
    Libby made a little sound that sounded like pure fear. She started crying, dry sobs escaping her otherwise silent lips. She hurled herself into Charlie’s arms, and Charlie staggered backward a step but held on and looked angry, his eyes darting between Grant and Miss Cartwright.
    Grant gave Miss Cartwright a furious look, which she returned in full measure, shooting flaming arrows from her blue eyes that liked to