Chapter 8
Hattie O’Dell was a godsend. Ella was convinced of that within an hour of the woman’s arrival.
Not only did she take care of milking the cows and feeding the barn animals, she insisted on staying with Ella for the day to help teach her the ropes.
Hattie got Isaiah and Jonah settled in the parlor with a set of blocks, and she sat at the table giving Addie a bottle while Ella worked on the breakfast dishes.
“You’re gonna feel in over your head, missy, make no mistake.
That’s why you gotta lean on those around you.
There ain’t no shame in asking for help, of your neighbors and especially of your new husband.
” Hattie shook her head. “I wish I’d known that in the early days of my marriage. It’s a wee bit overwhelmin’, isn’t it?”
Ella blinked. “Were you…?” She bit her lip, not wanting to seem rude by prying into this woman’s life.
Hattie chuckled. She volunteered the answer to Ella’s unspoken question. “I’ve been in your shoes, a long time ago. My first husband left me a widow with two young’uns to care for on my own. I couldn’t do it by myself, so I answered an ad as a mail-order bride.”
Ella’s mouth dropped open. “You did?”
“Yes, ma’am. Mr. O’Dell lost his wife to scarlet fever, and he had two littles to care for and a ranch that needed daily tendin’. We struck up a bargain to help each other. Love wasn’t part of the deal.” Her face softened. “’Til it was.”
Something twinged inside Ella’s heart. “You fell in love with him?”
“That I did. I’m mighty glad I let myself too.
I can be a stubborn woman and was all set to live out my days without love.
My Billy eventually got through, just by bein’ himself.
I can’t tell you when my heart knew it was his, but I was completely smitten before I even realized it.
” She chuckled. “We had two more children together, bringin’ the grand total to six.
It was a large, chaotic household, but one I wouldn’t trade for anythin’. ”
Tears sprang to Ella’s eyes. She swiped them away, confusion pulsing through her. When she felt Hattie’s touch on her shoulder, she nearly dropped the plate in her hands. With a hard swallow, Ella turned to meet her eyes.
Hattie’s shone with compassion. “You’ll be all right, Miss Ella. Cody’s a rare gem, despite appearances. He’ll treat you right.”
Did anyone not like the man? A reluctant smile tugged at Ella’s lips. “So I’m told.”
Hattie bounced the baby in her arms. “Keep your heart open, young lady. You just might fall in love with that handsome cowboy of yours. It would be good for both of you. He’d never admit it, but I think Cody’s starved for love.
He’s carried a chip on his shoulder from the moment he left that orphanage, always lookin’ out for others and makin’ sure his sister and now these children are cared for.
I think havin’ someone to care for him for a change is the key to unlockin’ that gruff exterior he hides under. ”
That unfamiliar sensation went off again in Ella’s chest. It felt as though someone squeezed her lungs together, making it difficult to breathe, combined with a strange lightness that left her feeling dizzy.
“I…I don’t…think…I’m c–capable…”
Hattie patted her arm sympathetically. “Somethin’ tells me that heart of yours also needs unlockin’, dearie.”
Ella wasn’t sure she wanted her heart unlocked. It was safe as it was, hidden behind walls that would rival any fortress. Loving someone meant opening herself to pain. Did she even want to let Cody in, giving him the power to hurt her?
A moan sounded from the direction of the parlor. Desperate for a distraction, Ella placed the plate on the drying rack and ran her hands over a towel. “I’ll see to the boys.” Even if Isaiah had been actively avoiding her since the tea-spilling incident.
Hattie’s knowing gaze followed her out of the kitchen. A chill slid down Ella’s spine. Just how much could Hattie see? She shook off the notion and made her way to the parlor.
Isaiah lay on the floor. He pressed one hand against his eyes. Jonah sat beside him, prodding his shoulder.
Alarm crept through her. She sank to her knees beside the boys. “Isaiah?”
He moaned in response. “My head.”
A quick touch proved the fever had not returned, though Ella knew from experience that didn’t mean a person would feel better—and children seemed more susceptible to pain. An ache an adult could handle without complaint could be devastating for a child.
“Would you like a cold cloth?”
Isaiah nodded.
Jonah looked at Ella, a plea in his eyes, as if he begged her to help his brother.
She stood. “I’ll be right back.” She hurried back to the kitchen.
Hattie glanced at her from where she rinsed Addie’s bottle with one hand. “Everythin’ okay?”
“Isaiah said his head hurts. I’m here for a bowl of water and a soft cloth.”
Hattie nodded at a drawer. “Cloths are in there.”
“Thank you.” Ella fetched a bowl. She poured some water, placed a cloth inside, then headed back to the parlor to tend to the sick child. Her own worries paled in comparison to Isaiah’s illness. Would he get better soon, or would she have to send for a doctor?
Cody secured a final length of rope along two posts.
That should be enough to keep the cattle in until he could properly repair the fence.
He let out a sigh of relief, his breath puffing white in the frigid air as he looked around the west pasture.
It was the smallest of the four, his animals generally preferring the flatter east or south pastures.
At least they’d found the missing livestock without much trouble.
Hank came alongside him, wiping sweat from his brow despite the cold. “It’s a good thing there’s four of us. Joey and Eddie did great roundin’ up those missing cattle.”
Cody nodded his appreciation to the two young ranch hands standing nearby. “You boys saved the herd. I owe you my thanks.”
The twins alternated between grins of pride and modest looks at the ground. “Just doing our job, Boss,” Eddie said.
Cody clapped a hand first on Eddie’s shoulder, then on Joey’s. “You boys have turned out well. Don’t you forget that. You’ve come a long way from your orphan days.”
Joey glanced up. “Thanks to you. Without this job, who knows where we’d be now.”
At twenty, the twins were finally leaving behind the stigma of their past. Raised at the same orphanage as Cody but ten years his junior, they’d always been interested in cowboys, dreaming of one day having their own ranch.
He’d hired them two years ago when they aged out, knowing it would bolster their confidence and strengthen their dream.
He might have a reputation as a bear, but with orphans, his heart was for helping.
That was why he hired them. It was why he’d helped Cassie start her café.
It was why he accepted his three young charges, even though he knew nothing about being a father.
It seemed that soft spot extended to hurting young women.
And yet he’d left his wife on her own all day. Darkness had started to fall, and though winter had earlier sunsets, it was still getting late. He adjusted the hat on his head and turned to his workers.
“Thanks for everything today, boys. Let’s turn in for the night. Tomorrow will be another early start. We’ve got to properly fix that fence.”
“Yessir.” Eddie rubbed a hand over his neck. “Boss…Hank said something earlier. Is it true you got hitched?”
Cody shot Hank a glare.
The man looked back with a wide grin. “Lucky for you, I didn’t tell them what I thought when I walked into your house this morning.”
The twins leaned forward, eyes wide.
Heat crept up Cody’s neck. He had no intention of rehashing that little misunderstanding. “Yeah, boys, I got married. Did it for my kids. They needed a mama.”
Joey whistled low. “Never thought I’d see the day you married. Especially after what Miss Liza did to you.”
Something revolted in the vicinity of Cody’s heart. Not a subject he cared to dwell on. “Yeah, well, it is what it is. I’m a married man, and I need to get home to my wife and kids.”
How was it possible for a statement to feel so strange and so right at the same time?
Cody thought on it as he rode home and rubbed down his horse in the barn.
That he no longer had to live in the house by himself was less lonely.
But he wasn’t so sure he’d be good at the whole husband and father thing.
Giving Preston a final pat along with a sugar cube, Cody squared his shoulders and headed for the house.
The aroma of savory meat and stewed vegetables tickled his nose as soon as he opened the door. His mouth watered. A moment later, he detected a hint of something acrid. Someone yelped in pain. Cody bolted toward the sound, his hat dropping to the floor.
A muffled whimper came from the kitchen.
He burst inside, then drew to an abrupt halt.
Ella stood by the oven with her right hand cradled to her chest. She had her left hand pressed over her mouth, though it couldn’t hide another strangled cry.
It took him three seconds to assess the situation.
The oven door stood open, a tray of biscuits hanging almost halfway out.
No towel lay on the floor by Ella’s feet.
She’d burned herself trying to take the tray out with her bare hands.
He was at her side in five long strides.
Ella jumped when she saw him. Tears made her green eyes appear even bigger than they were.
Cody rescued the biscuits and shut the oven door.
He put a firm arm around Ella’s shoulders and steered her toward a pitcher of water.
With one hand, he grabbed the handle. His other reached for the arm she cradled close to her chest.
“Give me your hand.”