thoughts were interrupted by a sound behind him. "Don't come in, Matthew--" He stopped in mid-sentence, finding himself face to face with the schoolteacher.
The sun at her back was far less revealing than it had been earlier that morning when light from the window had filtered through the thin fabric of her nightgown. But it was no less illuminating. Her fiery red hair was aglow, and with her sparkling green eyes, it worked to create a vibrant presence that was hard to explain. The dull sod building seemed lighter, brighter, now that she was here. His fanciful thoughts made him frown. "Be careful. I don't know how safe it is."
Maddie glanced up at the roof that was hanging with no support over her head and stepped over the pile of debris. "It's amazing that more damage wasn't done. What do you suppose caused the buffalo to stampede?"
He shrugged. "It's hard to say. Could be anything. A bolt of lightning. Gunshot. Anything."
She stopped by the beautifully crafted baby cradle and, thinking it had probably been Matthew's, rubbed her hand along the fine wood sides. Aware that Luke was watching her, she looked up to see a muscle tense at his jaw. She sensed relief when she moved away from the cradle and turned her attention to the table.
Not even the thick blanket of dirt could hide the skilled craftsmanship. Curious, she brushed away a clump of sod to reveal the lovely grain of wood. "It's beautiful." She examined one of the chairs. "Did you make these?"
He nodded curtly and opened one of the double doors.
"You do beautiful work!" she exclaimed. "I know people in Washington who would pay good money for this."
"I think we better leave. I'm not sure how safe this building is." He waited at the door for her, his face void of expression, as if he were purposely trying to keep any show of emotion at bay.
Reluctantly she walked outside, and he locked the door after them. Since one wall was completely demolished, leaving the inside of the barn exposed, it struck her as a futile gesture. Luke Tyler was definitely a man of habit.
He scanned the horizon in every direction, his eyes narrowed in concentration as if he were waiting for something or someone.
"What are you looking for?" Maddie asked. "Not…not more buffalo?"
"Wildfire," he replied. "The prairie fires are the worst of it."
Startled, she followed his gaze across the endless flatland. "What a place this is!" she exclaimed. "Buffalo, Indians, fire."
"Don't forget tornadoes, giant hailstones, and dry, hot winds. You could say we have all the thrills and action not found in Washington."
"Washington has its share of hot wind," she replied.
He regarded her thoughtfully but said nothing. He glanced at the sky with the same careful watchfulness he gave the raw prairie land. The sky was blue-gray in color, with only a few puffy clouds in sight. "In Kansas, the sky is king. I guess we can be grateful that today, at least, the king will favor us."
Matthew walked out of the sod henhouse that was some distance away. Luke waved to him. "It looks like Matthew has our breakfast. If you'd care to join us, I'll start the coffee."
"Thank you, I'd loved to. But first I want to do my morning calisthenics."
He wrinkled his forehead. "Calisthenics, eh?" He started toward the house. "I'll call you when breakfast is ready."
More curious than ever about the man, she called to him, "Mr. Tyler?"
He stopped, his back toward her. "Yes, Miss Percy?"
"With such a talent as you have, what in the world are you doing out here?"He turned. "You're not talking about my culinary skills, are you?""I was referring to your wood crafting skills. Why would you live in a treeless place like Kansas when you could be making a fortune somewhere else making furniture?" "The same thing you're doing here, Miss Percy. Trying to live down a bad reputation."
Chapter 6
The deep, rich fragrance of coffee mingled with the dank smell of sod. Waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, Luke carefully peeled
The sun at her back was far less revealing than it had been earlier that morning when light from the window had filtered through the thin fabric of her nightgown. But it was no less illuminating. Her fiery red hair was aglow, and with her sparkling green eyes, it worked to create a vibrant presence that was hard to explain. The dull sod building seemed lighter, brighter, now that she was here. His fanciful thoughts made him frown. "Be careful. I don't know how safe it is."
Maddie glanced up at the roof that was hanging with no support over her head and stepped over the pile of debris. "It's amazing that more damage wasn't done. What do you suppose caused the buffalo to stampede?"
He shrugged. "It's hard to say. Could be anything. A bolt of lightning. Gunshot. Anything."
She stopped by the beautifully crafted baby cradle and, thinking it had probably been Matthew's, rubbed her hand along the fine wood sides. Aware that Luke was watching her, she looked up to see a muscle tense at his jaw. She sensed relief when she moved away from the cradle and turned her attention to the table.
Not even the thick blanket of dirt could hide the skilled craftsmanship. Curious, she brushed away a clump of sod to reveal the lovely grain of wood. "It's beautiful." She examined one of the chairs. "Did you make these?"
He nodded curtly and opened one of the double doors.
"You do beautiful work!" she exclaimed. "I know people in Washington who would pay good money for this."
"I think we better leave. I'm not sure how safe this building is." He waited at the door for her, his face void of expression, as if he were purposely trying to keep any show of emotion at bay.
Reluctantly she walked outside, and he locked the door after them. Since one wall was completely demolished, leaving the inside of the barn exposed, it struck her as a futile gesture. Luke Tyler was definitely a man of habit.
He scanned the horizon in every direction, his eyes narrowed in concentration as if he were waiting for something or someone.
"What are you looking for?" Maddie asked. "Not…not more buffalo?"
"Wildfire," he replied. "The prairie fires are the worst of it."
Startled, she followed his gaze across the endless flatland. "What a place this is!" she exclaimed. "Buffalo, Indians, fire."
"Don't forget tornadoes, giant hailstones, and dry, hot winds. You could say we have all the thrills and action not found in Washington."
"Washington has its share of hot wind," she replied.
He regarded her thoughtfully but said nothing. He glanced at the sky with the same careful watchfulness he gave the raw prairie land. The sky was blue-gray in color, with only a few puffy clouds in sight. "In Kansas, the sky is king. I guess we can be grateful that today, at least, the king will favor us."
Matthew walked out of the sod henhouse that was some distance away. Luke waved to him. "It looks like Matthew has our breakfast. If you'd care to join us, I'll start the coffee."
"Thank you, I'd loved to. But first I want to do my morning calisthenics."
He wrinkled his forehead. "Calisthenics, eh?" He started toward the house. "I'll call you when breakfast is ready."
More curious than ever about the man, she called to him, "Mr. Tyler?"
He stopped, his back toward her. "Yes, Miss Percy?"
"With such a talent as you have, what in the world are you doing out here?"He turned. "You're not talking about my culinary skills, are you?""I was referring to your wood crafting skills. Why would you live in a treeless place like Kansas when you could be making a fortune somewhere else making furniture?" "The same thing you're doing here, Miss Percy. Trying to live down a bad reputation."
Chapter 6
The deep, rich fragrance of coffee mingled with the dank smell of sod. Waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, Luke carefully peeled
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