By now, she could sense the little one turning and kicking inside her. Once she had invited Blake to feel the baby kicking. He had looked uncomfortable, made a hasty excuse, and left the room. Hanna hadn’t asked again. Blake had been kind to her, even tender in her illness. But she could tell that her appearance was a constant reminder that the baby had been sired by another man.
When he was home with her in the daytime, which was seldom, she caught her gaze following him, tracing the breadth of his shoulders, the shape of his hands, and the way his Levi’s denims fit snugly around his hips. Listening to the deep cadence of his breathing at night, she found herself wanting more from her marriage than a name and a home. But when he went out at night and returned late, she knew better than to ask where he’d been or whether there was some woman who took what he held back from his lawful wife. If there were parts of his life that he declined to share with her, that was his right. All she could do was try to be content with what she had.
At least Sarah had warmed toward her, greeting her with a genuine smile and talking with her about the baby. Sarah was still somewhat distant, but Hanna had learned that what she’d mistaken for her mother-in-law’s coldness was in fact natural reserve. It was just Sarah’s way.
Hanna was about to sit down and take up the baby sweater she’d been knitting when she heard a knock at the front door. She opened it to find Alvar standing on the threshold. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.
After a moment he eased her away and studied her at arm’s length. “Good heavens, you look like you’ve swallowed a pumpkin!” he teased.
“And I just keep getting bigger. How’s the family?”
“All right. Papa cut his leg splitting kindling, but he’s on the mend. Axel’s shot up a couple of inches since you last saw him. And you’ll be proud. Britta is teaching Mama to read and write.”
“That’s wonderful! It’s about time.”
“Oh—and here’s a bit of gossip. Stefan Reisner came home and caught his wife with Webb Calder. Stefan shot him. Webb will live but it was a pretty serious wound. He’ll be laid up for a while.”
“Oh, no!” Hanna thought of her beautiful friend and how happy she’d looked dancing with Webb. Lillian would stay with her husband—that was the way of their people. But she would pay a bitter price for giving in to her secret desire.
“Alvar!” Kristin rushed down the stairs and hurled herself into his arms. Another doomed love, Hanna thought, knowing what her brother was about to hear.
“I’ve got some news.” Kristin took a deep breath, as if aware of how her news would affect the young man she loved. Then the words spilled out of her in a torrent. “I’ve been accepted at a new women’s preparatory college in Kansas City. My mother’s aunt, who lives there, has invited me to stay with her. I won’t be starting school until next fall. But Aunt Elvira, who’s a widow, wants to spend the summer on a grand tour of Europe. She needs a strong young traveling companion, so she’s asked me to go along. I’ll be joining her. Can you imagine—London, Paris, Vienna . . . ?” She gazed up at him, as if noticing his devastated expression for the first time. “Oh, Alvar!”
“It’s all right,” he said. “We both knew something like this was bound to happen. Celebrate your wonderful news.”
She took his hand. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs and talk.”
Hanna could almost feel her brother’s heart breaking as he followed Kristin up the stairs. In time, Alvar would find another sweetheart. But he would never forget his first love.
With a sigh, she settled back into the rocking chair and took up knitting the tiny sweater again. She was lucky, she reminded herself. She had a secure home for herself and her baby. She had a husband who was kind, generous, and handsome enough to make any woman’s heart flutter. And she had no illusions about the state of her marriage. Surely, in the balance, that was enough.
But she’d seen how luck could change in a heartbeat. It had changed for Ulli Swenson. It had changed for Lillian and Webb Calder. And she had just seen it change for Alvar.
Luck could change for her, or for Blake, for her family, or even for her baby. All she could do was hold on to all that was precious, all that she loved, and hope to avoid the unseen calamities that hung over them all.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SPRING TOOK ITS TIME ARRIVING ON THE MONTANA PRAIRIE. MARCH had passed before the deep snow melted to patches of white. April was well along before the pastures greened and the ground was soft enough for plowing and planting. By then the ducks and geese had flown home to their wetland nesting grounds, and the meadowlarks had staked out territory with their songs. Even then, the season was too early for the wildflowers that would paint the land with color.
Blake had started up the lumber mill as soon as the first wagonloads of logs arrived. To him, the shriek of saw blades biting through wood was a welcome sound, the scent of fresh-cut pine sweeter than perfume. With new homes and businesses going up, the demand for lumber should be high, the profits better than ever. Alvar was back at work, and Blake had hired two more husky farmers’ sons to handle the heavy logs.
On the ranges, the spring roundup was underway. Joe Dollarhide had hired extra hands to help with the calving and the branding, and the task of moving the herd to greener pastures. The market for beef was still depressed, but rumor had it that cattle prices had bottomed out and were set to improve in the months ahead.
Blake understood the value of rumors. Profits could turn on a dropped word or a line in a news article. Keeping his eyes and ears open was part of his business strategy, and like any good poker player, he’d learned to keep his cards close to his vest. While he listened, he said as little as possible.
Today, he’d come into Blue Moon for supplies. But he’d allowed himself time to take the pulse of the town. He would start with the bank.
Doyle Petit had never been a friend. He’d always reminded Blake of a slick weasel, smart but shifty and not to be trusted. But after selling off the ranch he’d inherited, he’d become a powerful businessman with fingers in a surprising number of pies. Whatever Doyle had to say would be worth hearing, even if it might not be true.
Blake paid him a call on the pretext of financing a lease on timber rights. As usual, the banker was in a mood to talk. “Draw up a list of what you need, Blake,” he said. “When I’ve got it in hand, I’ll see what we can do. You know your credit with us is solid gold.”
“Thanks. Right now it’s just an idea.” Not that Blake would ever borrow money from Doyle. If he needed a loan he would get it from his bank in Miles City.
“Of course, we’re always happy to help out the Dollarhides,” Doyle said. “After all, Mason is still a partner in this bank. I don’t suppose you’ve heard from him, have you?”
Blake shook his head—though the mention of his brother caused his stomach to clench. Busy as he was, he’d wondered what he might do if Mason were to come back and demand a role in the life of his unborn child—the child he’d abandoned along with its young mother. His first impulse would be to threaten Mason with his life if he came near her. But that choice, he realized, wouldn’t be up to him. It would have to be up to Hanna.