Page 53 of The Hardest Part

Maybe the mountain was angry.

Maybe he lost favor for marrying Jennifer as everyone else had feared.

Nope, I don’t think so.

Someone must’ve done something bad to Jennifer, someone evil, and that meant whoever hurt her, hurt Amanda and Heather, too.

Emily just couldn’t imagine who that someone might be.

She looked over at Arien, her once vibrant eyes now vacant, rocking the baby in a chair. With a lot of love, somehow, they’d all see her through.

One day, you’ll be happy again, sweetie, I promise.

It was supposed to be a most wonderful, beautiful day.

And it was.

Until someone turned everything to shit.

Levi sat on that log long after Walker left him. He sipped his whiskey, watching the sun descend upon the snow-capped peaks. Wind swept through the valley, a chill settling deep inside his bones.Follow the river.The old man was right, goddammit. And with his path laid out in front of him, he stood. He only prayed it was the right one.

“Where in tarnation have you been, Levi Gantry?” With her hands on her hips, Mary Alice let out a loud sigh. “We’ve been holding supper for you.”

“Sorry, I was talking with Josiah. Lost track of time.”

She glanced across the camp to where Walker sat eating with his daughters, then lowered her gaze to the bottle in his fingers, and with a lift of her brow, gave him a pointed look.

“The stew sure smells good,” he said to appease her. “Where’s Eli?”

“I’ll go and fetch him.” Victoria jumped up from a rickety wood stool at the mention of his name.

“Do that.”

At supper, Elizabeth sat on Victoria’s lap, a bowl of stew cradled in hers. Eli gazed at the elder twin, flush darkening his cheekbones, while he sopped up gravy with a chunk of fresh-baked bread they’d gotten at the fort. If Levi didn’t know better, which he did, he’d swear the man was smitten with his sister. “This is a mighty fine supper, Victoria. Mighty fine.”

“But I didn’t—”

“Would you imagine that? I managed to fix a meal without burning it.” Her tone haughty, Mary Alice set Elijah straight and thumbed her nose at Levi. “And without a proper stove, too.”

“Practice,” he said with a wink, ignoring her petulance. “Didn’t I tell you?”

She folded her arms across her chest with a harrumph.

Levi turned his attention to Eli. “After supper, I need you to help me round up all the families. Me and Walker need to talk to ‘em.”

“Why?”

“We’re at a crossroads here, good brother.”Literally and figuratively. Levi set his bowl down, pursing his lips to the side. “This is where every man has to decide whether to continue on to California, Oregon, or spend winter here and pick up again come spring.”

“We are going to California,” Mary Alice insisted, kicking her foot at the ground. “Papa said so.”

“Well, father isn’t here anymore, is he?”

“I willnotstay here, Levi. Do you hear me?”

“And I will not risk losingyou,” he shouted, holding onto her shoulders. Levi looked into her innocent, doll-like eyes and calmed his voice. “Or your sister. We’ve lost far too much already.”

Their mother. Their Father. Caleb. Elijah’s parents and his sister, too.

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