Miranda, obviously shaken and still frightened, looked from her father to Bud, who still held her; she closed her eyes and remained where she was.

"What?" Mac began, but Linnet put her hand on her husband's arm as Bud walked to the edge of the wagon.

Cal put up his arms for Miranda.

"Two," was all Miranda whispered before sliding into Cal's massive arms and snuggling against him.

Everyone around this trio could do little more than stare. Leah wondered if young Miranda was always

so forward, and she also wondered why the boys had said people, especially women, were afraid of them. This young lady certainly didn't seem afraid of them.

"Miranda!" Mac said sharply as she gazed up into Cal's big brown eyes.

With seeming reluctance Miranda turned to her father.

"Are you all right? You're not hurt anywhere?" Mac asked, stiff-jawed.

"No," she said slowly, making no attempt whatsoever to leave Cal's arms. "I'm quite all right." When Bud stood beside them she reached out her hand to his.

They were a striking trio, Miranda so small, Bud and Cal so large, the three of them wrapped together, unaware of anyone outside their tight circle.

"Miranda," Wesley said, laughter in his voice, "may I introduce Bud and Cal Haran."

"You're Cal and you're Bud," she said softly and was rewarded with a nod from both of them. "Thank you for saving my life."

Before a word could be said Miranda astonished them all by climbing onto the wagon underpinnings, slipping her arms about Cal's neck, and kissing him thoroughly. Again Linnet put her hand on her husband's arm while Miranda moved to Bud and kissed him too.

Moving back, Miranda put her hand on each big shoulder. "Come with me and I'll fix you something to eat."

Together they walked away, leaving an astonished group behind them.

"Well, that should kill the romance." Wesley broke the silence. "As soon as she finds out how much those two eat she'll run from them."

"I don't like it, Linnet!" Mac said explosively. "I don't like it at all. She's never acted like that before. How

come you raised a daughter that'd act like that about two strangers?"

Quite calmly, Leah thought, Linnet ignored her husband's temper. "I'm afraid it must run in my family. I believe your daughter has just fallen in love."

"In love!" Mac snapped at her. "She doesn't even know them. Sometimes, Linnet, you say the."

"Devon," Linnet said sweetly, "may I remind you that I fell in love with you when I first saw you? Why should your daughter do any differently?"

Mac stiffened. "There's a lot of difference between me and those two! I was rescuing you and."

The anger suddenly went out of him. "Which one do you think she's in love with?" he asked heavily.

With a sigh Linnet looked toward their store. "I hope I'm wrong but it looks as if she wants both of them."

Before Mac could speak, Wesley slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Mac. Two sons-in-law at once. And believe me, you'll need all the supplies in your stores to feed them."

Mac cast Wes a black look. "No daughter of mine," he began but stopped with a look of disgust. "Women!" he said between clenched teeth. "Come on, Lynna, let's see what she's up to now."

Glumly Mac escorted his wife toward their store.

Turning, Leah smiled up at Wesley. "I don't know if that solves something or starts new problems. Bud and Cal certainly did seem to take to Miranda, didn't they?"

"Are you jealous?" he asked, half-serious, half in jest. "From now on you may not be the only woman in

their lives."

The sunlight on his face, his eyes shadowed by his broad-brimmed hat, made him look especially enticing. Her eyes went to his lips.

"Leah," Wesley said huskily. "You're singeing my eyebrows."

Embarrassed, she looked away.

A crowd of people had gathered when Miranda's wagon had torn down the street and many people had

stayed, chuckling, to watch Miranda reward her saviors, but now they were moving away.

"That's her!" gasped a heavyset woman, looking straight at Leah.

Leah froze where she was. Never would she forget that woman's face. When Revis had shot her

husband, the woman's hatred had gone to Leah's heart.

"She killed my husband," the woman said loudly, and the next moment she was advancing on Leah with hands made into claws.

"Murderer!" the woman screamed. "Murderer!"

Leah didn't move but waited for the woman, almost as if she deserved what she got.

Wesley put himself between Leah and the enraged woman. "Don't," he said kindly.

"She killed him!" the woman screeched. "He was all I had in the world. We were gonna build a farm

together. Now everythin's gone because of her." Still screaming, she began to kick Wesley, hitting him with her fists.

"Get in the wagon, Leah," Wesley said calmly. "Go! Now!" he commanded when she didn't move.

Leah tried to keep her chin high, but it wasn't easy because she could feel the eyes of everyone in town on her. Stiffly she climbed into the wagon, her eyes straight ahead.

After a few moments Wesley sat beside her and without a word to her clucked to the horses to go.

Leah didn't blame him for not speaking to her. And imagine, she'd just started to think that Sweetbriar might be safe. What little safety there had been was now goneas were her chances for gaining her husband's love. No Stanford could love a woman accused of murder.

Chapter 27.

With his shoulders hunched and his hands in his pockets, Wesley stood in the Macalister store, listlessly ordering supplies. It was raining hard outside.

"Think it'll flood?" Doll asked.

"I don't know," Wes replied glumly.

"Sure ain't no sunshine in here," Doll complained. "What happened to that wife of yours?" Doll looked at Mac. "I ain't seen her in weeks."

Mac's head rose above the counter. "She's cookin' for them two bears," he said with anger. "That iswhen my daughter ain't cookin' for 'em. Wes, I ought to wring your neck for bringin' them two here.Miranda cried all night last night sayin' she wanted both of 'em and damned if her mother didn't act likeshe thought it was a goddamn fine idea."

He went to the back of the store for a moment and returned with more goods. "Anythin' else?"

"You know anything about women?" Wesley blurted.

Doll gave a derisive snort.

After a glare in Doll's direction, Mac said, "Before I met Lynna I knew lots about women but ever' year

now I know less. You got problems?"

"He's married, ain't he?" Doll said. "Then he's got problems."

Wesley leaned against the counter, looking at his boot toe. "I used to think I understood women too, but

I don't. I thought that if you had a wife and you were kind to her, didn't beat her, gave her a good home and pretty dresses, she'd be happy."

"But yours isn't happy," Mac said. "They want love too."

Wesley stiffened. "She couldn't have any complaints there. I keep her pretty busy."

Doll gave a chuckle.