Anna started to refuse.
He added, "Mrs. Dalton is coming this morning. She knows nearly everyone between here and Willow Creek. If someone needs help, she'll know."
Anna looked at him.
"Why are you doing this?"
Thomas seemed surprised.
"Doing what?"
"Helping me."
He looked toward Lily.
Then back at Anna.
"Because you need help."
The simplicity of the answer unsettled her.
People usually had reasons.
Family loyalty.
Obligation.
Money.
Reputation.
Desire.
Thomas's reason appeared to be the fact itself.
She needed help.
Before Anna could respond, horses approached outside.
Mrs. Dalton arrived twenty minutes later in a small buggy.
She was sixty-two, silver-haired, broad-shouldered, and possessed the confident voice of a woman accustomed to giving advice whether anyone requested it or not.
Thomas introduced them.
Mrs. Dalton looked Anna over from boots to hair.
Not cruelly.
Thoroughly.
"You're the station woman."
Anna blinked.
"The what?"
"Willow Creek already knows Thomas brought a stranded woman home."
Thomas groaned.
"How?"
Mrs. Dalton removed her gloves.
"Because Clyde Patterson's boy saw you leaving."
"We arrived after dark."
"Clyde's boy sees better when he's supposed to be working."
She turned to Anna.
"Don't worry. By supper tomorrow, half the town will have you married to Thomas and the other half will have you stealing his cattle."
Anna went pale.
Mrs. Dalton noticed.
Then her voice softened.
"People talk because winter is long and their own lives aren't interesting enough. Let them."
Thomas handed her coffee.
Mrs. Dalton took it.
"Now. Work."
Anna sat at the table with her.
The older woman listed possibilities.
Schoolteacher needed temporary assistance.
Widow Chandler wanted help with spring cleaning.
Church needed sewing.
Hotel might require laundry work after the railroad crews returned.
None included permanent lodging.
Anna's shoulders slowly lowered.
Mrs. Dalton watched her.
"You sew?"
"Yes."
"Cook?"
"Yes."
"Read and write well?"
"Yes."
"Arithmetic?"
"Well enough."
"Children?"
Anna glanced at Lily.
"I like them."
Lily nodded approvingly.
Mrs. Dalton leaned back.
"Thomas needs help."
Thomas nearly dropped his cup.
"Edith."
"What?"
"I did not invite Miss Miller here to hire her."
"I didn't say you did."
"You were about to."
Mrs. Dalton looked at Anna.
"He needs help."
Thomas sighed.
She continued.
"The ranch house has been running on stubbornness and badly cooked pancakes for four years."
"My pancakes are fine."
"They're evidence."
Anna tried to hide her smile.
Thomas noticed and looked betrayed.
Mrs. Dalton continued.
"I'm not suggesting anything improper. I'm saying Thomas pays two men to handle cattle, yet spends half his evenings doing laundry badly and the other half pretending a child can live on beef and potatoes."
"I buy vegetables."
"Pickles are not vegetables."
Lily said, "I told him."
Thomas muttered something under his breath.
Anna looked around the kitchen.
"I could work temporarily."
Thomas looked at her.
"You don't owe me labor."
"I know."