a nod.
"You'll get married one of these days, " he predicted, and immediately
frowned over the possibility.
"Because life would be easier? " He stretched out on the bedroll and
stared at the stars while he considered his answer.
"Yeah, it would be easier, and it would also be good for Caleb to have
a father around."
"My son and I don't need a man to make our family complete. Oh, you
make me so angry, Cole. You're like the majority of people I've
encountered who want to push their expectations and beliefs on me."
"It's difficult to be a single mother."
"I know how difficult it is, but I'm happy . . . genuinely happy, and
if I married someone just to gain respectability, I'd be miserable and
would have no one to blame but myself."
"Respectability? What does that have to do with anything? " "Never
mind."
"You brought it up. Tell me what you meant."
"As soon as strangers find out I'm not married and never have been,
they assume I had Caleb out of wedlock, and then . . . " He prodded
her to continue. "Then what? " "They're compelled to make sure I know
exactly how they feel about it." He was watching her closely. "How do
they do that? Give me an example." She shrugged and tried to pretend
that all the hurt she'd suffered had barely mattered to her. "When
Grace and I went shopping for supplies, a woman slapped me across the
face when she found out I'd never been married.
I had Caleb with me, and when she asked who he belonged to, Grace told
her he was my son." Cole was outraged by the incident. "What did you
do? " "I took Caleb outside."
"I'm sorry you didn't punch her." She smiled. "I wanted to, but I
didn't give in to my urge because it wouldn't have been ladylike, and I
had Caleb with me. I didn't want him to see his mother behave in such
a manner. Grace took care of her, though, " she added. She put her
hand over her mouth and giggled. "It was a sight to see. I watched
her through the window." He smiled in anticipation of what she was
going to tell him. "What did she do? " "She snatched up a ruler from
the counter and backed the woman against the wall. She didn't hit her,
but she blistered her all the same with her lecture, and by the time
she was done, the woman was crying. It was ridiculous really. Grace
was half the other woman's size. Later, we laughed about it."
"But it still hurt, didn't it? " She didn't answer him. "Grace is the
first real friend I've ever had, " she whispered. "I would do anything
for her."
"And she would do anything for you, wouldn't she? " "Yes, she would, "
she agreed. "Do you have any close friends? " "My family, " he
answered. "I'm close to my brothers. They drive me crazy sometimes,
but I'd kill anyone who tried to hurt them." She couldn't imagine
having siblings and pleaded with him to tell her what his life had been
like growing up in such a large family. She was clearly astounded to
find out that his brothers and sister and mother weren't blood