façade, she had peered into the depths of his soul.
Sam growled at Gabriel when the skinshifter refused to release her right away. The impish grin on Gabriel's face disappeared when Sam snarled, "Rabbit stew." Gabriel blanched and took his place at one of the tables. Sam smiled victoriously and yanked Mary Ann against his chest possessively. But when his gaze met hers once more, his features softened into a look of pure adoration. "Only you could make this wanted man dream of home, Mary."
~*~
Two months later...
Silver Fox Ranch
Sam watched an owl fly over the moon. The curtains fluttered, washing his face in silver light and striking shadows. The sweet girl in his arms cooed softly. Mary Ann had given him a beautiful baby girl. Some of his painful memories threatened to surface, but Sam kept them at bay just by looking into the eyes of his daughter. She looked so much like Mary Ann that it dang near broke his heart. “Ain’t nobody in the world that’ll love you more than me, little angel.”
Her eyes blinked open, and she gave him a gummy smile that touched his heart.
Sam brushed his hand over the thin strands of light hair. Talia’s glacier stare had a ring of crimson around her pupil. He could not believe that anyone would ever want to hurt his precious daughter, but the darkness beyond the ranch sought to take her away from him. “Never again.”
His family was all that mattered to Sam. If anything happened to them, he would prove them all right and become the thing they feared most. Sam kissed her cheek and tucked Talia into her bassinet. He made sure to say hello to his nephew, who slept beside his daughter before hurrying into the corridor. Ruth sat with the children now that Jesse was well enough to look after himself. “Goodnight, Ruth.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Cassady.”
Sam ducked into his bedchamber and slipped beneath the covers. Little did he know that Mary Ann had been watching him out the corner of her eye. "How often do you sneak into the nursery to see our daughter, Samuel? I won't scold you for being a lovin' father," she chuckled. Sam had frozen in place like a deer that sensed a hunter. "Caught you red-handed, though?"
He bopped her with his pillow and settled in beside her. Mary Ann often complained about the warmth of his body during the hotter days, but the night was chilly, and she snuggled up against his chest. "To answer your question, I visit her whenever I have a moment free. It might sound strange, but I don't ever want her to question whether or not I love her."
"It ain't strange. I find it sweet. There's a lot of things that can cause a girl to despise her father, and neglect is one of them." Mary Ann kissed his neck. "She'll think you're smotherin' her as she gets older and she'll complain, but inside, she'll know you can always protect her."
"I'll protect both of you, Mary. You never have to worry about that." Sam ran his fingers through Mary Ann's hair as he thought of how far his life had come because of her.
"What's on your mind, Sam?"
"You," he answered simply. "I used to think I was cursed. I used to think this world was doin' everythin' in its power to make my life a livin' hell. And for a long time, I was right. But then I stopped one day, and I looked at you...suddenly, things weren't so bad anymore."
“When you think of the future, what do you imagine?”
“I imagine you and I in a house of our own. Ranchin’ ain’t for me. Boone knows that, so I have no interest in gettin’ involved in the legacy of our family. I see us with lots of sons and daughters runnin’ around a nice plot of land. What about you?”
Mary Ann chewed her lip for a minute before she answered. “I want us to be happy. Even if we’re livin’ in the forest like Itsá. I just want us to be happy.”
Sam nodded his head. “So do I, sweetheart. So do I.”
~*~
Mary Ann stormed into the dining room. Her bare feet slapped against the floor loudly, causing folks to peek their heads out their doors as she passed. Her life was miserable, and yet Sam sat at the table putting together his guns like nothing was the matter. She stood right in front of him and waited until he looked up at her. “Samuel, I