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dead, and you know that.”
    “My ma left, and she never came back,” Mabel said. Colleen started crying. Tommy, the newest addition to the family, kept quiet.
    “Now look what you’ve done!” Luc glared at Kurt.
    “What’er we gonna do, Luc?” Joey asked.
    “Audrey said she’d be back, and I believe her,” Luc asserted. “I’ve been with her just about longer than any of you, ’cept Dulcie. She ain’t never gone back on her word to us. Not ever. And we promised to do what we’re supposed to do. Right now we’re supposed to git over to Maddie’s for school, so that’s what I’m gonna do.”

Chapter 6
    Hell’s Gulch was a welcome sight to Audrey after the long hours on the rough trail road. At contrast to its name, it looked like a paradise in the early afternoon sun. Situated in a lush, flat valley at the foot of the Medicine Bow Mountains, its prairie was awash with spring flowers, coloring the fields in wide swaths of white, purple, and yellow flowers.
    A sprawling, three-wire fence demarcated McCaid’s ranch. Judging by its length, they had to have been traveling along his property line for the last two hours of their trip. When they pulled onto the property at an open gate, Audrey felt her stomach tighten into a knot. What would the conditions be like out here? McCaid had a house under construction—she knew because of all the supply wagons that had rolled through town last year. Was the house finished yet? Where would she and Amy stay?
    Coming over a slight hill, Audrey could see several corrals, a covered wagon, and a couple of buckboard wagons. Off to one side was a small white house. A large, open tent canopy covered the space between the house and a scattering of tables and benches. Farther out was a big fire pit with several wooden benches situated around it. Audrey looked across the encampment, seeing it was as she feared: not another woman was in sight.
    There was a long low building, which Audrey assumed was the bunkhouse. Between it and the cookhouse were several white tents lined up in three neat rows. Would she and Amy have a tent of her own? Would they have to sleep among the men? Or would they be sleeping in the open air? She brought a coat for both of them, but hadn’t any spare blankets to bring from home. She wasn’t outfitted for a truly rustic existence.
    Before McCaid could even draw the wagon to a stop, several of his men trotted over. Audrey helped herself off the wagon, not waiting for McCaid or any of the men to assist her. She lifted Amy down while McCaid walked around the wagon and unloaded her satchel. He seemed tense, which only increased her nervousness.
    “Franklin, this is Miss Sheridan, from town, and her daughter, Amy Lynn. She’s come out to cook for us,” McCaid said to a balding, friendly faced man.
    “Oh.” Franklin looked from McCaid to Audrey and back again. “Oh, I understand. Cook for us, huh? We weren’t expecting you to bring a woman back with you—I mean, a cook. Well, we expected a cook but not a woman.” He drew a breath as color painted his face. “Have you told Jenkins?”
    “It came up at the last moment. I don’t think he’ll be too upset—he never took to cooking anyway.”
    “True enough. Well, I guess they should take the cabin over by yer tent.” Franklin pointed to a tiny structure that Audrey had not yet noticed on the crest of a nearby hill. “What ’er you slack-witted hombres staring at? Come introduce yerselves to Miss Sheridan and her little girl,” he barked to the crowd of men gathered behind him.
    A half dozen men filed by, tipping their hats to her. Some looked happy to see a woman, some none too pleased. She recognized a few from town. Audrey’s throat ached from Kemp’s roughness. She tried to ignore the appraising gazes that strayed to her bruises, but couldn’t help wondering if her whole neck was black and blue.
    “Let’s go see the cabin,” McCaid said over his shoulder as he took off with her satchel