A Rancher's Pride - By Barbara White Daille Page 0,22

but still, she was a friendly child who liked to play with others.

Besides, interacting with the locals would provide Kayla with an opening she desperately needed.

Sam and Ellamae might have lowered their voices in the courtroom that morning, but out in the hallway, Kayla had been able to pick up on the woman’s caution to Sam.

The judge wanted Sam and Becky to get comfortable with one another, and for the judge’s spies in town to see that and report back to him.

Well, Kayla would make darned sure those spies got a good eyeful of just how well she got along with her niece.

The thought of almost using Becky this way gave her a momentary pang of conscience. She couldn’t let that stop her. All her efforts were for her niece’s benefit. Her only goal was to take care of Becky. To do that, she would have to please the judge so he would let her take her niece home again.

If Sam didn’t want to cooperate with her idea to find playmates for Becky, that could only work in her favor. She kept her smile and voice determinedly offhand. “I’ll check at Town Hall or with your Chamber of Commerce. Someone will know about summer activities.”

“It’s a small town.”

“Yes. I’m aware of that.” Ellamae had warned her that morning, too. “But there should at least be some type of arts and crafts available. Or maybe a reading club at the library. They might even have a weekly story hour.”

“She can’t hear.”

Kayla swallowed her sigh. His response didn’t surprise her. It couldn’t make her angry, either. Unfortunately, she’d seen plenty of people react just as he had done. People who had been around deaf children a lot longer than Sam had, and who should have understood without needing an explanation.

She looked at him. “Sam. If a librarian reads a story, I can interpret it for Becky. How do you think she’ll manage when she goes to school? She’ll be provided with an interpreter.”

Her niece wouldn’t be attending school in Flagman’s Folly. But by not mentioning that little detail, Kayla might lull him into thinking he had a chance to keep Becky here. Into thinking Kayla wouldn’t give him much trouble at all. “She’ll be in a mainstream class with a hearing teacher, hearing students and the interpreter. Since that’s the case, a story hour or some kind of summer class would be perfect right now, to get her ready for the experience.”

“The other kids…” He trailed off.

“Will love her,” she assured him. “And kids pick up quickly. I’ll have time to teach them enough basic sign to let them learn to talk with Becky.”

He shrugged and turned abruptly back to his dinner.

His behavior infuriated her. Is this how he had acted when he was with Becky and his mother the first day? Had he attempted to talk with his daughter? Or even to interact with her?

Kayla wiped her mouth carefully with her napkin, placed the napkin carefully in her lap and turned to Sam. “How was your dinner?”

“Fine.”

“It ought to have been, I guess, since it was mostly your mother’s cooking.”

“Yeah.”

“She’s a good cook.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And a good mother and grandmother.”

“Yeah, sure.” Unsmiling, he looked toward her. “What about you?” she asked, purposely adding emphasis to the last word.

“Am I a good cook?” He kept his tone light, but his eyes turned a cold gray as he locked gazes with her.

Her mouth went dry. She despised herself for having to clear her throat before speaking. “You know what I mean.” She glanced over at her niece and found her busy making a small mound of her peas, which she hated. Kayla turned back to Sam. “Are you even trying to be a father to Becky? You didn’t once get involved in our conversation.”

He shrugged. “You two seemed to be carrying on okay.”

“That’s not the point.”

He tossed his napkin down beside his empty plate. Then he stood, pushing his chair back so abruptly, the legs screeched against the wooden floor. “The point is,” he said, “you’re here to watch my child for a short time while my mother’s out of commission. It’s not part of your job to direct the talk at the supper table.”

She opened her mouth quickly—and just as abruptly closed it again. Becky looked up, turning her head from one to the other of them, her expression quizzical.

Smiling, Kayla signed to her that dinner was over and she should go play in the living room until dessert time. She nodded, happy to