“Are there other outbuildings?” Nate asked.
“An old soddy,” Dutch said. “But not much left of it.”
“Should we look there?”
“I don’t know that I could find my way to it in a storm and I don’t fancy getting lost in this.” The wind battered the walls of the barn.
“My sentiments exactly,” Nate said, and Sam echoed agreement.
Nate perhaps had more reason than the other two to avoid foolish decisions. Louise and her baby depended on him. He’d given his word.
Last night, he’d held her hand until her fingers relaxed and her breathing deepened, signaling she’d fallen asleep again. Only then did he let go of her and reach over to tuck her arm under the covers. He’d been happy to offer her comfort and the promise of protection should Dusty do something strange—stranger than going out into a storm to look for a dog that, as Dutch said, likely had enough sense to find shelter and stay put until the storm ended.
Too bad his owner didn’t have the same healthy sense of self-preservation.
But Nate did. “Let’s return to the house.”
They tromped through the snow, squinting into the swirling powder. Nate knew how easy it was to grow disorientated in such a storm. He only hoped Dusty had found shelter someplace.
Louise rushed to him as he stepped inside the house. “You’re back. I was afraid—” She didn’t finish but helped him out of his snow-covered coat and scarf, and draped them next to the stove to dry.
“Any sign of Dusty?” Archie asked.
“No, but we only went as far as the barn. We decided we couldn’t risk getting lost out there.” Nate watched Louise. Her hands fluttered as if she wanted something but couldn’t remember what.
He caught her hands and pulled her close. “We’ll stay here until it’s safe to move on.”
She nodded and edged closer.
He touched her chin. “I’ll make sure you’re safe.” It seemed to be what she wanted to hear, because she nodded and the worry fled from her eyes.
He led her to the table and they sat down. Soon the others gathered around. Rowena poured them coffee.
Dutch chuckled, bringing all eyes toward him. “I know we’re stranded here until this storm passes and maybe to some of you, it seems primitive. But I gotta tell you, I’ve endured far worse. Worse surroundings. Worse company. One time I was holed up for three days with an old miner who only opened his mouth to spit 'baccy juice.” He shuddered, as did Louise, who was still sitting close enough to Nate that he felt her every breath.
He kind of liked knowing she wanted to be so close, even if it might only be because she feared the storm.
Dutch nodded sagely. “I’ve hated chewing tobacco ever since.”
That brought a chuckle from everyone.
Sam leaned forward on his elbows. “That reminds me of the time I got stranded in a storm. I might have been willing to trade places with you, Dutch.”
Dutch snorted. “I doubt it.”
“I got stuck in a house with a preacher and his maiden sister. The preacher wasn’t too bad, but the sister—” He shuddered. “Any of you ever hear of a woman who was a man hater?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “This one was. I was only there one day and overnight, but I have never been so happy to ride out in breath-freezing cold in my life.” He rolled his head back and forth as if trying to erase the memory.
Miss Rolfe wasn’t about to let him stop there. “What did she do?”
Sam made a great show of drawing back. He held up his hands. “Please, I’d rather forget.”
“Well, I want to know,” Miss Rolfe insisted.
“Me, too,” Missy said.
Beside Nate, Louise laughed softly. “He’s making it up. Stringing us all along.”
Sam shook his head. “I’m not. It was awful, I tell you. She kept ordering me to sit up straight.” He jerked to rigid attention to illustrate. “Square my shoulders.” He did. “Mind my manners. ‘Please, ma’am’ and ‘Thank you so much.’”
“That’s not so bad,” Miss Rolfe said. “No reason to complain.”
“You weren’t there. If I stood up, she told me to sit down. If I opened a book, she pointed out I held it wrong. Shoot, she even complained that I closed it wrong. Too loudly.” He illustrated the right way to close a book by slowly bringing his palms together.