Heart of Gold by Lacy Williams Read Free Book Online Page A

ex-fiancé. She was as fine as the stone her name represented. Which made it even more difficult to imagine she’d want to be with a man like him. What could he hope to offer her?
    “Have you…” He cleared his throat to get the sudden knot out of it. “I know you and your Pa still have some things to work through, and I know there’s not any extra money around the Circle B, but maybe God’s answering your prayers, just not like you expected. What if… what if you brought your orphans out to the Circle B to live? There’s plenty of room in that big ranch house your Pa built, and more in the bunkhouse for the older boys.”
    She was quiet for a long time; he imagined her thinking about what he’d proposed. When she finally answered, her voice was slightly subdued. “And would my father expect them to work? They’re only children, you know. Some of the other possible benefactors I’ve approached suggested simply helping the older children get on at some of the factories in the city, but they’re only children—”
    He smiled in the darkness. He loved it when she got riled.
    “I wasn’t implying they’d be treated as hired hands. We’d only expect them to help out with the chores, like Carl does. If you think about it, we’d be teaching them skills they could use for once they’re grown. The boys would learn all about ranching and animals; you and Gertie could teach the girls how to cook and sew and all those womanly things…
    “You and Gertie already get along. With you around to help in the kitchen and keep all the kids in line, it just might work.”
    He was really warming to the idea now. If Opal stayed… if he could give her enough reason to stay, maybe she would fall in love with him, too.
    She tapped his chin with a finger and he went silent. “There’s one thing you’re forgetting.”
    “What’s that, darlin’?”
    “My father doesn’t particularly want me here.”
    Charlie knew that wasn’t true, but if Opal hadn’t really spoken to her father since she’d come home, how could he convince her?
    “Darlin’, I know you two have had your differences, but he does want you around. When he found out you were goin’ to visit, he couldn’t talk about anything else.”
    She went quiet and his heart started thumping hard again. He wanted to keep her here.
    “You said once before you felt you had something in common with your orphans. That you felt abandoned by your pa.”
    She sucked in a breath. “You remember that?”
     
     
    ~~~~
     
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Charlie’s “Yep,” was matter-of-fact when it came. “Guess I haven’t been able to forget much since you’ve been on the Circle B.”
    She flushed, and then felt silly, because Charlie couldn’t see her in the dark mine shaft. The thought that the handsome cowboy had been paying attention to what she’d said flustered her.
    “Were you unhappy with your Aunt Jennie?”
    Charlie seemed to want to ask only difficult questions tonight. “Any little girl would be unhappy to be sent away from the father she loved and the only home she knew.” Especially when she’d already lost her mother.
    Charlie seemed to consider her words. “Your pa doesn’t talk a lot about how bad things were back then, but he wouldn’t have sent you away if he wasn’t worried about what might happen.”
    “But nothing did happen.”
    “Not to him. Some of the other ranchers weren’t so lucky. Between the cattlemen and sheepmen, plenty lost their lives.”
    She knew it. Had followed what the newspapers called the “Johnson County War” and snuck glimpses of the letters her father had written to Aunt Jennie.
    “But what about after things had settled? Why didn’t he send for me?” Why hadn’t he wanted her back? Shouldn’t a father love his daughter enough to want her with him?
    “I can’t answer for your pa. Maybe he thought you were better off with your aunt. I do know he wants you to stay right now.”
    “If he wants me to stay, why