Despite the mouthwatering aroma, Blake had resolved to pass on the food. Taking some would imply an obligation to do business with Doyle Petit’s new bank, which was the whole idea behind the free feast. And Blake didn’t plan to stay long—just enough to look around, see who was here and what was going on in town, and maybe have a slim chance of talking with Ruth. Not that he expected her, or any of the Calders, to be here. Folks on the Triple C could have all the beef they wanted, and they were no friends of Doyle’s. Like the Dollarhides, they did their banking in Miles City. A quick glance around confirmed that Ruth hadn’t come.
Blake had heard that Mason was a partner in the banking venture. The news hadn’t pleased him, but Mason was his own man—or maybe his mother’s man in this case, doing Amelia’s bidding. Blake could see his half brother outside the bank, dressed in a suit and handing out printed brochures. Blake made no effort to approach him. There was nothing to say.
Keeping his distance, he scanned the crowd. With so many people in town, this could be an ideal time for Hobie Evans’s gang to strike the wheat farms. In the past few weeks there’d been no fires, beatings, or assaulted women. But smaller acts of mischief—a field trampled, livestock let loose, fences pulled down—gave Blake every reason to believe they were still out there making trouble. And somebody was still paying them.
If no major crimes had been committed, it was most likely because the families were on guard. They no longer left their properties unwatched or let their women and girls go out alone.
Blake found himself looking for the Anderson family. Lars would be easy to spot because of his size. But there was no sign of him or his wife. Alvar had been hired at the sawmill after the delayed logs had arrived. He was at work today, and the younger children wouldn’t be in town without their parents.
But suddenly, there was Hanna. Wearing a pink dress that appeared new, she was with a balding, middle-aged man who looked vaguely familiar. It took a moment for Blake to remember that he’d bought a load of premium, aged lumber earlier that summer. He’d paid cash and hauled the lumber away in his own wagon.
But what was he doing with Hanna—taking her arm, touching her back in a way that implied possession?
Blake studied the girl who’d woven her way into his thoughts. She seemed older somehow—maybe it was her hair, swept up, twisted, and pinned high on her head in a grown-up style. But it was her face that revealed the most. Her girlish smile was gone, replaced by a look of grim resignation.
Blake remembered Stefan Reisner and his wife, a woman young enough to be his daughter. Was he looking at a similar situation here? Was this what these people did to keep their girls in line?
The anger that welled in Blake’s chest was so hot that he almost spoke out. But he checked himself. This sad affair was none of his business. He could turn away or stand here like a helpless fool and watch Hanna walk away on the arm of a man whom, for no logical reason, he already detested.
He chose to turn away.
* * *
Hanna hadn’t been keen on going into town with Ulli. But after he’d invited her, her parents had insisted she accept. Her mother had even remodeled an old gown—out of style but still pretty—for her to wear.
Ulli had been to the house several times over the past weeks, conversing with her family and taking her for short walks around the property. The next logical step in their courtship would be an outing with him. The opening of the bank had provided an opportunity.
Hanna hadn’t been to town since the Independence Day dance. She’d told herself that going out would do her good, even if she had to go with Ulli. He was a nice man—she had to give him that. And he was a proper gentleman in his own bland way. He’d never tried to press his affections on her and probably wouldn’t until they were engaged. But the thought of being in his bed, enduring his kisses and his lovemaking, was enough to set off an attack of shudders. She didn’t love him. She would never love him. But she was trapped; and she didn’t know how to get free without shattering her family’s hopes.
As he helped her down from the buggy, Hanna became aware of turning heads and curious gazes. Her heart sank as she realized that from this day on, she and Ulli Swenson would be regarded as a couple. It was as if the whole town had learned that they were keeping company.
She could see the tall figure of Blake Dollarhide at the edge of the crowd. What would he think, seeing her with Ulli—and why should it matter? Sensing his eyes on her, she looked down at her shoes. After a tense moment, he turned away as if he hadn’t seen her.
Moving on, past the line to the food table, Ulli guided her with a hand on the small of her back. A few paces from the entrance to the bank, she could see Mason talking to people and handing out brochures. He caught her eye at once, giving her a secret smile that made her pulse flutter. Acting on impulse, she smiled back at him, then instantly regretted it. She hadn’t meant to send him a message, but to Mason, it might appear that way.
“I want to stay up front to hear what Mr. Petit has to say,” Ulli said. “After that, we can get some food.”
Hanna scrambled for an excuse to get away from all the prying eyes. “I promised my mother I’d pick up some things at the store,” she said. “The basket’s in the buggy. Why don’t I run my errand while you learn more about the bank? I can meet you at the buggy when I’m finished.”
“Fine. Whatever you like,” Ulli muttered, intent on moving forward. Leaving him, Hanna hurried back to the buggy for her mother’s basket. She scanned the crowd for Blake, mostly to avoid any questions from him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
With the basket over her arm, she crossed the dusty street and hurried down the block to the store. Her mental list of items to buy was a short one—salt, thread, a length of muslin, and a jar of liniment. As she waited in line to pay, she was tempted to buy three peppermint sticks for her younger brother and sisters. But she forced herself to resist. The money she was spending wasn’t hers, and her parents needed every cent. Maybe after she was married to Ulli she’d be able to treat her family.
After she was married to Ulli. Hanna’s stomach clenched at the thought. Ulli was still working on his house and had yet to make a formal proposal, but her family assumed that the marriage was going to take place. After seeing them together today, the whole town would assume the same.
Even Mason.
The memory of his smile was like the touch of satin on her skin. But a memory was all she could expect to have of the most exciting man she’d ever known. As Lillian had reminded her, there were some things a girl of her station could never hope to have. One of them was the love of a man like Mason.
Hanna paid for her purchases and carried her basket out the front door. Looking to her left, down the boardwalk that lined the street, she could see people gathered around Doyle Petit, who was speaking from the improvised bandstand. Ulli would be with them, probably intent on what was being said. There was no need for Hanna to join him. She would go back to the buggy and rest in its shade until he came to find her.
She had just turned and started down the boardwalk when a strong hand seized her arm, jerked her into the alley, and propelled her into the shadows behind a stack of wooden crates. Hanna’s scream died in her throat as she looked up and saw Mason smiling down at her.