“I think not,” she challenged.

As always when emotion rose within him, Daniel's throat closed. He couldn't force the angry word out.

Karlee had no such problem. “I wouldn't climb in there if it were the only way to Heaven. And you're not putting your no-name daughters in that hole while I've strength left to fight. We'll face the drunks together, for I'll not be boxed again. And that's my final word, Reverend.”

Daniel almost laughed in amazement. He might be a preacher by calling, but he'd spent most of his life being a blacksmith by necessity. He could easily send her to meet her Maker with one mighty blow, if he were a man given to violence. She might not be a thin woman, but he was well twice her size.

“You have no idea what's going on in this town. The preacher who built this house was shot in the streets.”

Karlee raised her chin. “Well, if they've come down to murdering women and children, I might as well go now and avoid the dread of dying.”

Daniel took a deep breath and reminded himself he was a man of peace as he handed over his daughters to a woman he felt sure could fight off a war party. “Stay out of sight,” he ordered trying to gain back a few degrees of control.

The spinster nodded once and was wise enough not to smile at her victory. She hurried back to the kitchen with the twins in tow as Daniel slid the panel closed once more and moved to the front door.

Before the kitchen door completely closed, Karlee heard boots stomping across what had to be a long front porch. She leaned her back against the hallway door, but angry shouts from the front of the house rattled it.

She had to think of something fast without frightening the twins. With a forced laugh, she grabbed the corner of a quilt she carried and waved it across the clean end of the table. “Would you like to live in a tent?”

The twins forgot about anyone beyond the kitchen and ran to crawl beneath the homemade tent.

Karlee arranged the blankets around the table. “Now if you'll both be real quiet, I'll give you a surprise.”

She heard them laugh and knew she'd found a game. They'd be safe beneath the table.

A sudden rattling at the back door reminded her that she might not be so secure. Frantically, Karlee searched for something to use as a weapon. She wouldn't go quietly to her death in this nowhere town, and no one would hurt her little cousins as long as she breathed.

Karlee scanned the L-shaped kitchen. In a corner furthermost from the door was a fireplace, but no tools to use for weapons. The large room was furnished with a rocking chair, four chairs and a table long enough to seat ten. Nothing more.

Just as the door creaked open, Karlee grabbed the still-warm skillet dotted with burned pancake dough. She stepped behind the door as an enormous, hairy man poked his head through the opening like some huge bear checking a new den.

Karlee raised the iron skillet and swung with all her might, figuring a skillet was like a gun. She wouldn't have picked it up if she hadn't planned on using it.

The bearded man took the blow to the side of his head without even time for surprise to register on his face. For a moment, he just stood still, like a mighty oak unaware of a final ax cut.

Karlee lifted the skillet, prepared to hit him again. But slowly, he crumbled, open-eyed and out cold.

She moved around him, her weapon ready, pride straightening her shoulders.

Two blonde heads popped out from beneath the blanket, their eyes curious at the sound.

“Our surprise!” they both shouted as they crawled from the blanket tent. “Uncle Wolf!”

“Uncle Wolf?” A sickness settled over Karlee thick as cold molasses.

The girls jumped on what they thought was their sleeping uncle.

A fine brew, Karlee thought, another great idea soured into a half-baked scheme. The curse of her life had followed her to Texas.

THREE

DANIEL TOOK ONE LOOK AT WOLF HAYWARD sprawled across his kitchen floor like some bear rug children had dressed up to resemble a man. Without hesitation, he knew who was to blame. The Spinster Whitworth. Daniel had faced a dozen drunks on the porch without striking a blow. She'd managed to clobber his best friend.

Without looking in Karlee's direction, he knelt to check Wolf for a pulse. Daniel needed no explanation. The skillet in her hand and Wolf on the floor said all that needed saying.

Daniel let out a long-held breath. At least the huge man was still alive. Blood pounded beneath the layer of skin and hair at his throat.

As Daniel walked to the pump, Karlee followed like a orphan pup, but he didn't say a word to her. Wolf was the one person he could trust in this town. Daniel had come to Jefferson at the hairy ranger's request. She'd probably scrambled the man's brains.

The more he saw of this old maid, the more he believed she must have been stuffed in the trunk by his wife's aunts and put on the first boat. But he couldn't remember them disliking him so.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered from behind him. “I didn't mean to kill Uncle Wolf, whoever he is.”

Daniel drew water and fought the urge to keep an eye on her and the weapon. He was starting to fear what she might do next even more than he worried about the mob forming outside. She was a woman whose only talent seemed to be unpredictability.

“Is he your brother?” She leaned over the counter at his side.

Her action tightened her dress over her ample chest, forcing him to concentrate on not looking. “No,” Daniel managed to mumble.

“Well, he's no kin of my side of the family. I'd have remembered someone with that much hair. With the wind blowing, I thought he was a walking willow come to call. So, if he's not your brother, or from your wife's kin, why do the girls call him ‘uncle’?”

Daniel forced the words out slowly. “He's my brother Adam's wife's older brother.”

“Oh.” Karlee nodded as if his words explained everything. “I guess that's why he never shaves and lurks about the back door after dark. Being a brother to your brother's wife must be a trying job with no time to visit a barber or learn manners.”

Daniel looked at her then. Her face was front-row serious, but her bright green eyes danced with mischief. He wasn't sure if she were attempting to tease him, or a concentration of the “odd” traits had cursed her double in a family where everyone was half-off. He used to tell his wife that he'd definitely got the “pick of the litter.” This wife's cousin seemed more likely the “bottom of the barrel.”

Lifting a bucket from below the pump, Daniel moved across the room, thinking he'd tell her as soon as there was time that he had no sense of humor left. It was buried with May. If… if he ever had a moment's peace with this redhead shadowing his every step.

He splashed first a little, then all of the water over the huge man on the floor.

Wolf jerked and roared loudly. He scrabbled from the waterfall, then shook his head like a wet dog and looked around for answers.

The twins giggled at him, then darted beneath their blanket tent.

Karlee slowly moved the frying pan behind her skirt and stayed well protected at Daniel's back.

“What happened?” Wolf asked as he took Daniel's offered hand.

“You just met my wife's cousin. She's used to folks who knock.” Daniel glanced at Karlee. “Miss Whitworth, I'd like you to meet Wolf Hayward. He's a friend and the best Ranger Texas ever had.”

Wolf took a wide swipe of his hand over his shoulder-length hair and full beard before making a deep bow and erasing any improvements he might have made in grooming. “Thank you for not killing me, Miss Whitworth. You are right, a man oughta knock before poking his head in a home. I'd been drinking some tonight, I must confess. You sobered me right up.”

The Southern drawl to his voice made Karlee smile as he continued, “My mother always said drinking would lead a man down the path to Hell, but I swear when you hit me I saw the Pearly Gates of Heaven there for a minute. You may have given me the only glimpse I'll have. For, unlike the reverend here, I'm not a peace-loving man.”

Karlee laughed. She'd expected anger, or maybe even an attempt at reprisal, but not appreciation.

Wolf pointed to the twins playing beneath the blanket. “Did you come to help out with the wee wild ones?”

Karlee stared at Daniel. “We haven't had time to talk about it, but if the reverend will allow me, I'd like to help. I haven't been around children much for the past few years, but I'm sure I could learn.”

Daniel started shaking his head before words could come out. “I don't think so. I can manage fine without assistance.” He'd look somewhere else for help. He didn't need Karlee scrambling up his household. He was a man who lived with order. He doubted she'd ever heard of the word or its meaning.

Wolf looked at Daniel as if he'd been the one whacked with the skillet. “Now, Danny boy, wait just a minute. With Willow married and in a family way, she don't have the time or the energy to chase after them two. You've got your hands full with this town. You can't cook and clean and take care of them while you're trying to settle things with a town full of men used to fighting. There ain't enough hours in the day.”