was troubling. If she remembered the fairy tales correctly, sleeping giants should be left undisturbed.
Not wishing to think about that, Lily checked the baking bread. The men would be in for dinner shortly, and she would have to introduce Cade to them, but she had not yet had any kind of talk with him. He had not even formally agreed to take the job. This was no way to manage a business. Somehow she had to regain control of this situation.
Juanita gave her an odd look and went back to her cooking. Petite and slender, her black hair drawn stiffly into a bun that didn't disguise her fragile beauty, she was everything that Lily was not, but they had worked so long together that Lily no longer felt any awkwardness over their differences. Lily's life had been an easy one compared to Juanita's. She could never resent the other woman's more feminine beauty, knowing the high price it had cost her. It was doubtful that Juanita would ever overcome her fears to enjoy the gift of beauty she had been given.
"Men!" Lily thought with disgust. She wouldn't go so far as to say they were all alike, for she knew her husband had been different, but she had seen enough variation on the same theme to doubt that there were many differences. With that thought in mind, she shrugged, set aside her potholder, and went out to confront the beast.
Lily walked out to discover that her son had confronted the new foreman first. His bronzed face completely devoid of expression beneath an irregular fringe of black hair, Cade stood with arms crossed over his massive chest, waiting for Roy to finish what seemed to be a long and involved tale. As she approached, the half-breed looked up and his features formed into a formidable scowl. She returned a scowl for a scowl, and by the time she had reached the pair, her arms were crossed just as intractably across her chest.
"A man needs to know how to ride," he said, with thorough disapproval in his tone.
"I agree." Lily watched disbelief appear in his eyes before she continued, "And girls need a mother to guide them."
A flicker of understanding crossed Cade's face. So, he was not unintelligent. Lily waited.
"You have women here who will look after Serena?"
"Juanita and I will look after Serena. In return, when there is time, you will teach Roy to ride."
He frowned, looked down at the rebellious boy with hands on hips, and nodded agreement. "We begin today. I will get Serena."
He found it blamed awful easy to dump his kid in her hands, Lily decided, but he undoubtedly thought she had nothing better to do but sit around the house like other women. It was time she made it understood who was boss.
"The men will be in for dinner shortly. I will introduce you, but you needn't give them any orders until tomorrow, when we've had time to discuss what needs to be done."
Cade turned around to face her again. The fine hair she had woven into thick braids and wrapped around her head escaped in frail tendrils to blow in her face. Tanned by the sun, her features were even and sprinkled with freckles. A generous mouth pulled in an authoritative frown ruined the rather feminine appeal of her gently molded chin.
He replied firmly, "I will introduce myself. You may take Serena to the house."
He walked away before she could argue. Lily opened her mouth, snapped it closed again, and stared after his departing back with a shiver of rage. Never, in all her born days, never had she been talked to like that. Mr. Cade Half-breed would have to learn some manners if they were to deal well with each other. But she had already drowned him with a pail of water and shouted at him like a fishwife this day. She wasn't up to another tantrum. Finding the child toddling toward the flower garden, kitten in tow, Lily went after her.
"Come on, Roy, if I'm to take care of this hooligan so you can ride, you'll have to learn to help. Grab the cat and I'll get the brat."
It was with satisfaction later that day that Lily brushed the soft,
Not wishing to think about that, Lily checked the baking bread. The men would be in for dinner shortly, and she would have to introduce Cade to them, but she had not yet had any kind of talk with him. He had not even formally agreed to take the job. This was no way to manage a business. Somehow she had to regain control of this situation.
Juanita gave her an odd look and went back to her cooking. Petite and slender, her black hair drawn stiffly into a bun that didn't disguise her fragile beauty, she was everything that Lily was not, but they had worked so long together that Lily no longer felt any awkwardness over their differences. Lily's life had been an easy one compared to Juanita's. She could never resent the other woman's more feminine beauty, knowing the high price it had cost her. It was doubtful that Juanita would ever overcome her fears to enjoy the gift of beauty she had been given.
"Men!" Lily thought with disgust. She wouldn't go so far as to say they were all alike, for she knew her husband had been different, but she had seen enough variation on the same theme to doubt that there were many differences. With that thought in mind, she shrugged, set aside her potholder, and went out to confront the beast.
Lily walked out to discover that her son had confronted the new foreman first. His bronzed face completely devoid of expression beneath an irregular fringe of black hair, Cade stood with arms crossed over his massive chest, waiting for Roy to finish what seemed to be a long and involved tale. As she approached, the half-breed looked up and his features formed into a formidable scowl. She returned a scowl for a scowl, and by the time she had reached the pair, her arms were crossed just as intractably across her chest.
"A man needs to know how to ride," he said, with thorough disapproval in his tone.
"I agree." Lily watched disbelief appear in his eyes before she continued, "And girls need a mother to guide them."
A flicker of understanding crossed Cade's face. So, he was not unintelligent. Lily waited.
"You have women here who will look after Serena?"
"Juanita and I will look after Serena. In return, when there is time, you will teach Roy to ride."
He frowned, looked down at the rebellious boy with hands on hips, and nodded agreement. "We begin today. I will get Serena."
He found it blamed awful easy to dump his kid in her hands, Lily decided, but he undoubtedly thought she had nothing better to do but sit around the house like other women. It was time she made it understood who was boss.
"The men will be in for dinner shortly. I will introduce you, but you needn't give them any orders until tomorrow, when we've had time to discuss what needs to be done."
Cade turned around to face her again. The fine hair she had woven into thick braids and wrapped around her head escaped in frail tendrils to blow in her face. Tanned by the sun, her features were even and sprinkled with freckles. A generous mouth pulled in an authoritative frown ruined the rather feminine appeal of her gently molded chin.
He replied firmly, "I will introduce myself. You may take Serena to the house."
He walked away before she could argue. Lily opened her mouth, snapped it closed again, and stared after his departing back with a shiver of rage. Never, in all her born days, never had she been talked to like that. Mr. Cade Half-breed would have to learn some manners if they were to deal well with each other. But she had already drowned him with a pail of water and shouted at him like a fishwife this day. She wasn't up to another tantrum. Finding the child toddling toward the flower garden, kitten in tow, Lily went after her.
"Come on, Roy, if I'm to take care of this hooligan so you can ride, you'll have to learn to help. Grab the cat and I'll get the brat."
It was with satisfaction later that day that Lily brushed the soft,
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