Page 84 of In These Hills

“And you decided not to go . . . because of Kathleen’s passing.”

“It was going to be the three of us. But it’s a hard land—beautiful, but not at all forgiving—and while Kathleen never backed down from anything and wanted to go with everything in her . . . Me taking Bethie out there, just the two of us? That wouldn’t be fair to her and would be completely selfish and wrong of me.” He finished washing and tossed both of their towels into the bucket. “The acreage has a river flowing through it so cold and crystal clear, with water coming straight down from snowcapped mountains, you can see all the way to the bottom. And mountains so high they look like cathedrals. When the sun hits them, they sparkle like diamonds.”

“So . . . you have land. You’ve been out there.”

“Yes, ma’am. Last summer. The mountains and rivers, the rolling prairies, and the blue sky that stretches out forever get inside you. It’s like a living, breathing thing that—” He caught himself, and laughed.

“What is it?” she asked gently.

“I don’t know why I’m going on like this. My apologies . . . Josephine.”

“No. No apology needed. I’m enjoying hearing about it. Is Bethie disappointed you’re not going?”

He sighed. “That was the worst of it, having to tell her. She was heartbroken, and is still holding a grudge. If she had her druthers, we’d already be on our way.”

“Uncle Dodge?” Bethie called as she walked from the barn.

He gave Josephine a look. “Please don’t say anything to her about—”

“I won’t. To anyone. I give you my word.”

Despite his doubts about her, he fully believed her to keep her word about this. “Thank you,” he whispered, then turned at Bethie’s approach. “How’s the calf doing? Still taking to the bottle all right?”

Bethie nodded, yawning as Dodge sent the bucket down again.

“Jake says he and the boys will watch her for me until morning. I can already tell she’s going to be sweet just like Maple.”

Bethie gave them a full report as she washed up, and Dodge appreciated the questions Josephine asked her, not a hint of pretense among them. And Bethie—apparently so tired she forgot she didn’t like this woman—answered at length.

“Give me ten minutes to get Bethie situated, and I’ll walk you back to the boarding house.”

“That’s not necessary, Dodge. I can—”

“It’s nonnegotiable. Come and wait on the porch. Please.”

By the time he got Bethie tucked into bed with Jessie lying by her door, it was closer to fifteen minutes than ten, so he was both pleased and relieved to find Josephine still sitting on the top step, waiting as agreed.

She rose and pointed. “Don’t forget your basket over there.”

He turned, not having seen it in the dark.

“Miss Gibbs delivered it earlier. She came looking for you.”

Hearing the teasing in her voice, he decided to ignore it—and the basket. Especially when remembering the looks she and Calla had given him when Rowena and her mother cornered him for lunch last Sunday. Even in the dark, he could tell she was waiting for more.

“So tell me,” he said as he picked up the lantern he’d left with her and started down the porch steps. “How are things at Miss Mary’s? Have y’all reached a truce yet?”

Same as he’d done with her, she went along with the change in subject, and they talked all the way back to Miss Mary’s.

She opened the front door of the boarding house. “Thank you again for walking with me, and for letting me help tonight. It was—”

“Scarring for life?”

She laughed softly. “Special in a way I could never have imagined. I’m sorry you lost Maple though.”

“It’s never easy, but it’s all part of raising animals. But seeing new life come into the world? That never gets old. Every time’s a miracle.”

“I can see that,” she said softly, holding his gaze.