Holding the baby closer to her, Emma Jane gave the man her best smile. “I’m sure we will be most cooperative, and you will have no reason for hurting us.”
The man slurped down the rest of his soup. “We’ll see.”
He turned to leave, but as his hand was on the door, Emma Jane spoke up again.
“I realize that I’m imposing on you... However, might I trouble you for the baby’s name? I appreciate knowing that I’m caring for Daisy, and I’d sure like to know who this little guy is.”
The man didn’t turn around. “We all just refer to him as Ben’s brat.” Then he slammed the door behind him as he exited.
At least she’d tried. Obviously, she couldn’t expect the bandits to warm up to her and have a friendly little chat over tea. But she was making progress, and soon enough, their ordeal would be over.
“What were you thinking, challenging a dangerous criminal like that?”
Jasper’s scolding came as completely unexpected and, in Emma Jane’s mind, completely inappropriate. Didn’t he see that she was trying to keep them both alive?
“Me? You were the one who looked like you were trying to crucify him with your eyes. I was just trying to be sure he knew that we are not a threat.”
“By telling him all about Daisy?”
“At least he confirmed her identity, which is more than any of the others have.”
The baby started fussing again, so Emma Jane began rocking him slowly. Then she spoke in a soft voice.
“We can’t quarrel. It upsets the baby. But you have to know that I am doing my very best to keep the peace to avoid any conflict with the bandits that would make them want to kill us. Is it so hard to try to be agreeable?”
The dark scowl on Jasper’s face said that it was, indeed, a difficult task. In fact, he looked like he wanted to kill her almost as much as the bandits seemed to want to kill him.
“These men can’t be reasoned with. They are cold-blooded murderers.”
“So you keep saying.” Emma Jane sat down in the rocking chair with the baby. “What proof do you have of this?”
“The man who was just in here? His name is Rex McGee. There are a number of wanted posters from several places with his name and face on it. Rumor has it that he’s killed many a man just for giving him a cross look.”
“I thought you didn’t pay attention to rumors.” Emma Jane couldn’t help but glower at him. For all his talk about hating people saying bad things about him, he was awful quick to believe stories about the bandits.
“Wanted posters are not rumors.” Jasper groaned and rubbed the sides of his head. “But you’re right, I have no factual basis for the rest. I’m sorry.”
And now Emma Jane was sorry. Clearly, Jasper’s head was paining him, and here she was getting him all upset.
“You should rest. The men gave me some pain relieving powder to use on Daisy, but since I can’t get her to take any of the broth, I could give it to you. I found it most helpful when my own head was hurting.”
For a moment, she thought he’d refuse out of pure stubbornness.
But then he sighed. “Do you think it’s safe?”
Emma Jane got up and showed him the packet. “It looks identical to the one I had when I was injured. I think you should try it.”
Jasper nodded slowly and closed his eyes. “I suppose you’re right.”
She put the baby back in the crate, then mixed the powder. Part of her felt bad for using medicine intended for Daisy, but if the poor woman couldn’t take it, then at least it was being put to good use.
Sitting next to Jasper, she handed him the concoction. “I would tell you to drink it slowly, but it tastes terrible, so you should drink quickly and get it over with.”
He took the cup and did as she instructed. The lines around his eyes seemed deeper as he released a ragged breath.
“Why don’t you lie down and rest? I’m sure your head pains you more than you’re letting on, and the rest will do you good.”
Jasper examined her face, like he was seeing her for the first time. “I don’t understand you.”
“What’s there to understand? You’re in pain, and I’m trying to help you.”
“And Daisy, a stranger.”
He sounded so incredulous. Even after seeing her helping out with the pastor’s mission, he seemed oblivious to the fact that helping others is what Emma Jane did.
“Why would I do any less?”
And then he looked at her with such intensity in his eyes. “But why haven’t you ever helped yourself?”
His words thundered against her chest as she stood. How was she supposed to answer that question? Help herself? What did that even mean?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She started to walk toward where she’d laid the baby down.
“Don’t pick up that baby as an excuse to avoid the conversation.”
Emma Jane turned to him. “What would you have me do instead?”
“I’m trying to figure you out. I have seen you take all kinds of abuse from others, but when it comes to taking care of someone else, you are like a tiger. No one gets in your way, and you stand up admirably to anyone who does. So why haven’t you ever stood up for yourself?”
For a moment, it felt like Emma Jane couldn’t breathe. And then she did. She took a breath, and another.
“Because standing up for myself seemed like an exercise in futility. It never did any good.”
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes as she remembered all the times she’d tried standing up for herself against people like Flora Montgomery.
“Who do you think you are?” Flora
