Page 19 of The Hardest Part

“Yeah, and Tanner’s bringin’ Arien.”

“What about Kellan?”

What about him? Was he supposed to know what the broody fucker’s plans were? Emily made no mention of him when sheinformed Arien she was going to the party and Tanner was taking her.

“Dunno. Ain’t you talked to him?”

“I haven’t.” Jake emptied his glass in one swallow, then shrugging his shoulders with a tired sigh, he said, “It’s the last party of the year. He’ll be there, I reckon.”

And the last one he’d get to be with Emily. By the time they resumed, after winter and calving season were over, she’d be eighteen and off-limits until he came of age, too.

On second thought, maybe he shouldn’t be wishing for spring to get here so badly.

Billy reached for the wine bottle and refilled his brother’s glass.

Not giving a shit who saw him, he tipped it back.

A whole fucking year without her.

And it was going to be a long one.

Aweek had gone by from the day he first saw her.

On the trail, a week felt like a year. Long days of hard riding, babies and cattle crying, hoofbeats pounding, and dust flying. He’d grown weary of it.

Beans and bacon at every meal. Johnnycakes, biscuits, and mush did little to ease the monotony. Sometimes, if they were lucky, and the hunt had been successful, they roasted buffalo, antelope, or prairie hen on a spit over the fire.

When they got to California, he never wanted to see beans on his plate again.

If they ever made it there, that is.

The first of September was tomorrow. That gave them two months to cross the Rockies and the Sierras before the heavy snows began. And two months was being generous.

Walker said winter was coming early. He urged the travelers to make haste, sometimes pushing them twenty miles in a day over steep foothills. At such a grueling pace, most often they were forced to make camp after fifteen or ten.

And with every mile put behind them, Levi watched her.

He had yet to speak to her, though not for a lack of trying. Any time Levi came near, Lucy would scurry off and sneak a glance his way when she thought he wasn’t looking.

But he was always looking.

Drawn to her in a way he couldn’t explain, Levi couldn’t help himself.

Wearing a chambray dress of pale blue, Lucy stood at the campfire with her sister. Their attention rapt, Victoria and Mary Alice studied her shoveling hot embers on top of a lidded cast-iron pot. The oven their mother tried to bring from back east, too heavy and cumbersome, had been long since abandoned. Preparing meals on the trail, especially without the conveniences the girls were accustomed to, had proven to be a laborious task.

“She makes it seem so easy.” Her shoulders slumping, Mary Alice sighed. “Why, just yesterday, I burnt what would have been a perfectly good apple pie.”

“It’s trial and error, Mare, that’s all.” Pulling her close, Victoria consoled her twin.

Levi proffered a smile. “With practice, I’m sure you’ll master it.”

“I don’t want to,” she snapped. Her face reddening, his sister stomped her foot into the dirt. “I want a proper kitchen with a real stove.”

“You will if you want to taste an apple pie again before we get to California,” Victoria said.

“Won’t get to, anyhow.” Crossing her arms, her face took on a pout. “There’s no more apples.”

“Soon enough, fair sister.” Drawing her into his embrace, Levi smoothed her tangled blonde locks. “I’ll build us a big ole house with a mighty fine kitchen, and plant you a whole damn orchard.”

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