Page 36 of More Than Meets the Eye

He led Shamgar past the barn, telling himself to focus on the house in front of him, but his gaze darted sideways against his will. The barn door stood open, and in a flash, Logan was sixteen again, coming upon his father’s lifeless body, his mother’s good tablecloth draped over all but one side of his sire’s face. Bile rose in Logan’s throat. His steps faltered. But he righted himself, tightening his hold on Shamgar’s lead line as if it were his tether to sanity. Forcing his feet to keep moving, he jerked his attention back to the house.

“Zach!” Eva’s shout effectively snapped Logan’s mind back to the present. “Seth! We need your help.”

Before her sentence was even fully uttered, Hamilton threw open the door and bounded outside, fists clenched, jaw set. He zeroed in on Logan. “What did you do?” he growled, advancing.

Logan lifted his chin but held his ground.

“He saved this poor girl’s life, Zacharias,” Eva said. “That’s what he did.” Logan swore he could hear her roll her eyes. Her exasperation made him grin, which only darkened Hamilton’s features further. A nice bonus. “Quit your posturing and come help me with our guest.”

“Guest?” Hamilton’s head zipped around as he faced his sister with a look halfway between incredulity and horror. “What do you mean, guest?”

Logan couldn’t help but be a little gratified that he wasn’t the only one having his life turned upside down by the fierce little sprite glaring down at them all from atop her commandeered steed.

“Oh, for pity’s sake. Does no one around here have an ounce of hospitality in their tiny male brains?” Eva glared at Hamilton, then grumbled something under her breath as she slid off Shamgar’s back. “Seth. Thank heavens.” The blond Hamilton brother approached Shamgar cautiously, his gaze darting between his sister and the woman still atop the horse who appeared to be trying to fold in on herself. “My new friend needs help, and Zach doesn’t seem to be up to the task.”

Hamilton made a sound of protest, but Eva turned her back on him and addressed Seth instead.

“Be careful,” Eva warned in a quiet tone. “She’s been through a horrible ordeal and needs a hot bath, dry clothes, and a good meal.”

“Here, miss,” Seth said, his voice low and gentle as he extended his arms to her. “Let me help you down.”

His brother’s acceptance of the woman seemed to snap Hamilton out of his shock-induced stupor. “I’ll put extra water on the stove,” he grumbled as he shot one last glare at Logan before stomping back toward the house, “but don’t think we won’t be discussing this.”

Eva didn’t bat an eye. She lifted her chin and glared at his retreating back. “After supper,” she said. She turned to Logan. “And we’d love to have you join us for the meal.”

“What?” Hamilton halted, spun to glare at Logan, then turned his attention to his sister and shook his head adamantly.

Eva, however, just kept smiling, undeterred. “It’s an insufficient thank-you for your heroics today, but I hope you’ll join us. Seth’s Sunday pot roast is delicious, and there’s always plenty to go around.”

Knowing Hamilton wanted nothing more than to send him packing made accepting Eva’s offer that much sweeter. With a bow of his head and the sizzle of Hamilton’s searing glare boring through his chest, Logan fingered the brim of his hat. “Much obliged, Miss Evangeline. I’d be honored to share your table.”

“Excellent.” Her eyes danced with mischief, and Logan loved the feeling of comradery springing up between them.

Eva stepped aside as Seth collected the injured woman from atop the horse. When he settled her into his arms to carry her to the house, she made a grab for Eva’s hand, and all teasing vanished from Eva’s face. She cast a quick glance at Logan, begging him to understand.

He nodded. “I can find my way around,” he assured her. “I’ll tend to Shamgar, you tend to her.”

Her eyes warmed with gratitude, and his chest warmed with something else altogether. Something dangerous. Something that could derail his plans.

Logan clicked to Shamgar and set off for the barn. Time to remember why he was here.

Seth set the young woman on her feet once they reached Evangeline’s room. “I’ll bring in the tub,” he said, “and some extra blankets. The poor gal is shivering something fierce.”

Evangeline met her brother’s concerned gaze. “Thank you.”

Once he left, she extricated her hand from the woman’s grip and bustled over to the wardrobe to retrieve two clean skirts and shirtwaists. After laying them on the bed, she turned to face the woman, who hadn’t moved. Pointing to first one skirt and then the other, she asked, “Would you like the brown or the red?”

The girl pointed to herself, her eyebrows arching upward.

“Yes.” Evangeline touched her arm lightly, careful not to make any sudden moves. Then she looked the girl up and down and pretended to give the inane fashion decision serious contemplation. “The red, I think. No more blacks and grays for you.” She shivered, recalling the charcoal blanket dragging her down. Then a thought occurred. “Oh, unless you’re in mourning.” She eyed the soggy black dress plastered to the woman’s body. “I probably have something darker if—”

The woman shook her head and pointed to the red skirt.

Evangeline grinned. “Red it is.” She set the gored skirt off to one side and laid the matching calico shirtwaist on top of it. Sprigs of dark red flowers dotted the pleated tan bodice and puffed sleeves. “This will look lovely on you. All that dark hair of yours. I think I have a red ribbon somewhere, too.” She crossed to her dresser and fetched dry underclothes for both of them from the drawer, then pulled a ribbon from the basket that sat on top.

“I’ve got the tub,” Seth called from the doorway, the large copper bathing tub stretching his arms wide.

“Wonderful.” Evangeline tossed the underthings onto the bed and stepped past her guest to help her brother situate the tub along the interior wall in its usual place. She pulled two blankets out of the basin along with the toweling Seth had added and set them on the chair she kept by her writing desk.