Just as she cleared the doorway, she spotted Valerik round the shop’s corner, striding as fast as she’d ever seen him move.
“Ho, moй бrat.” Grinning, he raised his hand up to Nicolai, and the two men shook for a long time.
Then Nicolai jumped down and embraced his taller brother, murmuring in low tones words that only he and Valerik could understand.
“Cinnia, you’re finally home.” Dorrie ran down the stairs and to the side of the wagon.
“Oh, Dorrie, I’m glad to see you.” Cinnia held out a hand.
Smiling, Dorrie grabbed it and squeezed. “Climb down so I can give you a great big hug. I’ve missed you so much.”
Chewing her lip, she glanced at Nicolai then shook her head. “I need to wait.”
“What do you mean? Since when haven’t you climbed in and out of a wagon?”
“Hold on, lisichka.” Nicolai strode around the front of the horses, swiping a palm over his cheeks. He positioned himself next to the metal step and reached up to grasp Cinnia’s waist. “All right, careful of the first step.”
From what Dorrie could see, Cinnia’s foot never touched the step before Nicolai lifted her down. Then she was giggling and laughing, rocking her friend from side-to-side in a hug. Cinnia’s hold was just as tight. Twice, they started to speak at the same time and stopped. Then Dorrie was aware of a rounded belly that Cinnia didn’t used to have. She pushed the auburn-haired woman to arm’s length and stared. “Are you…?”
Blushing, Cinnia nodded. “Due in January, I think.”
“That’s wonderful.” Dorrie gave Cinnia another hug and then she launched herself at Nicolai. “This is great news.” As she watched Nicolai introduce his brother to his wife, Dorrie couldn’t deny that niggle of envy at how well her friend’s spontaneous marriage had turned out. Nicolai and Cinnia were acquainted for less than a week before they stood in front of Reverend Norton in the Sweetwater Springs church.
“Shall we go inside and get out of this bright sunlight?” She gestured toward the shops then laughed. “Listen to me, inviting you into your own home.” The door to the saddlery was locked so they walked through the dressmaker’s shop. Suddenly aware of the lack of garments in production, Dorrie waved a hand in the air. “Business has been slow.” She swallowed hard and turned to face her boss. “Truth is, business was dead. Everyone knows you’re the seamstress. Cinnia, the ladies will be happy to learn you’re back.”
Nicolai raised a hand. “I’m hoping to keep our arrival quiet until she’s rested.”
Valerik laughed and clapped his brother on the back. “You going to snap your fingers and make that wagon full of lumber disappear? I’m sure people in town recognize your team and wagon.”
“Oh, Dorrie, the garden is so big.” Cinnia stepped into the back yard and stared, gape-mouthed. “So many different plants.” She squinted, and then looked over her shoulder. “Are those strips from your brown dress? I’ll sew you a replacement right away.”
“Actually, I have another garment in mind.” Dorrie grinned, thinking of Jessamine’s trousers.
A sharp yip sounded, followed by happy barking. Sacha galloped across the grass, tongue lolling.
“Whoa.” Nicolai jumped in front of Cinnia and held up his hand, palm out. “Sacha, stand.”
The spaniel scrabbled to a stop, tilting her head first one way then the other, tail wagging like a flag in a gale wind.
“Come, Sacha.” He knelt and held out his arms. Sacha leaped forward and wiggling against Nicolai’s body, licking what exposed skin she could find. “Yes, girl, I missed you, too.”
Maks stood off to one side, on alert.
Cinnia pointed a shaky finger. “Dorrie, do you know that dog?”
Valerik snapped his fingers, and the husky approached his master and sat.
Nicolai glanced over his shoulder. “A Siberian, huh? Where’d you come across that breed in America?”
“Didn’t.” Valerik rested a hand on Maks’s head. “Selected him from a litter when I was in Ketchikan, Alaska Territory. He’s actually part wolf.”
Dorrie gasped, shooting a narrowed glance his way. “You never told me that.”
“I had enough going against me that first night.” Valerik spread his hands out in front of his body. “If you’d known, would you have let us stay?”
Smirking, Nicolai stood. “This sounds like a good story. But we’ll hear it inside.” He slipped an arm around Cinnia’s waist and escorted her into the kitchen. Once she was seated, he brushed a kiss across her lips. “I’ll see to the horses and be back soon.”
Cinnia smiled and nodded. Several moments passed before she turned to Dorrie and scrunched her nose. “Do I look like I’m made of glass?”
Trying not to take sides…yet, Dorrie just shook her head.
“Well, that’s how my dear husband has been treating me. He started the first morning I vomited.” Cinnia plopped a forearm on the table and leaned forward. “Morning sickness is only part of the reason for our delayed return. The other is my over-solicitous husband. I’ll admit the first week of throwing up weakened me, but not to warrant him insisting we get off the train and stay in a hotel almost every night. All so I could sleep in a stable bed and have the privacy of a room.”
“That actually sounds real sweet and caring.”
“Do I sound horrible?” Her eyes widened. “I do. I’m sorry.” She reached a hand across the table and tapped Dorrie’s arm. “Tell me about this big strapping brother of his. What’s he like? And what does he do?”
“Don’t you want to learn these things from your new brother-in-law?” Relating that information about him felt too personal.
“At least, tell me when he arrived.”
“Early May.”
“Two whole months?” She smiled, her green eyes flashing. “So, how are you getting along?”
Deep voices were heard a moment before Nicolai and Valerik came through the back door, carrying crates.
Dorrie hopped up and was happy to let Cinnia direct her on where all the supplies should go. The men lined the counter with boxes and bundles. Some went straight into Cinnia’s workroom, and Dorrie couldn’t wait to strip off the wrapping to see the new fabrics. She stirred up the fire in the other oven and popped in a ham and a half dozen potatoes. Then unloaded a crate of canned goods into Cinnia’s cupboards. She couldn’t stop thinking of the dressmaker shop’s kitchen in that way, because that had been the original division of the two shops.
An hour later, the horses were turned out into a rope corral so they could graze, and the four adults were seated around the kitchen table.
Valerik set down his mug of cooled tea. “When I wired the folks at the end of May, I got a response that I’d just missed you two. How did you know to bring lumber to expand the stable?”
“Telegraph lines go both ways, бrat.” Nicolai punched him in the shoulder. “A telegram from Mother was waiting in Sweetwater Springs when we arrived several days ago. I knew you’d have horses, so we waited an extra day for a shipment to come from Crenshaw.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” Cinnia dug in her reticule hanging over the back of the chair. “I am an auntie.” Smiling, she pulled out an envelope with a flourish. “Let me read you what Nola writes.”
Excitement pumped through her, and Dorrie bounced in her chair. “What did she have, a boy or a girl?”
Grinning, Cinnia tick-tocked her finger. “Patience, my friend. She worded this so well…” Unfolding the parchment, she ran a hand down the page. “Everyone’s well…plenty of customers…Torin’s little sister Richelle is an inquisitive delight…oh, here it is.” She looked up and glanced at the waiting people. “Our little blessing entered the world on July tenth at the ungodly hour of two eleven in the blackness of night. Finnian York Quaid…” She pressed the letter to her chest and glanced at Valerik, blinking fast. “York is our birth name, so his middle name honors our late parents.”
A sigh sounded then she bent her head to the paper
. “I already read that…Finnian is sweet, adorable, and weighed seven pounds and five ounces. I’m assuming you’re wondering how I know the exact weight. Do you believe Torin took my hours-old child out to the barn where he had a scale? My son, I love saying that, has reddish-brown fuzz on his head and dark blue eyes. Minnie—that’s her mother-in-law—says all babies have the same color, but I hope they remain. I find myself content just to gaze at his sweet face, even while he’s sleeping.” Sighing, Cinnia sank back in the chair. “Didn’t you feel like Nola was right here telling us this?”
“I did.” Dorrie swallowed the lump in her throat. “But she sounds lots more sentimental than she used to.”
Nicolai nodded. “That’s what I said.”
“She always had that, but her practical side is definitely stronger.” Cinnia laid the paper on the table and pointed to the date. “She wrote this letter later on the same day. I’m sure she was in a state of motherhood euphoria from holding her child in her arms after nine long months.”
“You’re probably right.” Her words weren’t convincing, even to her own ears. Nola, sentimental? This she had to see in person.
“That ham sure smells good.” Valerik leaned back his head and sniffed the air.
In no time at all, Cinnia and Dorrie had the meal on the table, and the conversation continued with more details about the long trip.
Nicolai passed the bowl holding the potatoes. “Dorrie, on our stop in Denver, we located some of your old vaudeville troupe and attended a theater performance.”
Jealousy stiffened her body and settled like a burning coal in her stomach. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to learn how well they were doing. “Oh, who did you see?”
Taking the bowl from Dorrie’s hand, Valerik forked a potato onto her plate and then served himself.
Cinnia first talked about the various costumes and their backdrops before naming Arney the juggler, Floyd the comedian, and Giorgio the magician.
Of course, the staging was what she’d notice. “What about the others?” If only those three were performing together, was the production a full vaudeville show?
“Milly and Gerda are now first and second chair violinists with the symphony, and Josette is a featured singer at the Tabor Grand Opera House. Flynn said the Fosters opened a private dance studio the month after the group arrived in town. They don’t stay in contact.” Cinnia took a sip of water. “He said they’re all doing great.”
Dorrie put a big bite of ham in her mouth to delay having to answer. All of the people she had traveled with for years had found their spots and were still in the limelight. Being seen by real big audiences, no doubt.
Valerik patted her shoulder. “Dorrie’s been putting on dances right here in town. Every month.”
Cinnia’s eyes shot wide, and she glanced at Nicolai. “You have? Tell us the details.”
Still saddened at the news of their successful friends, she imagined Cinnia’s attitude when she took the stage for her recitations. Maybe Dorrie’s paltry accomplishments would sound better if she pretended she was performing. Chin up, she sat straight, plastered on a smile, and used her happiest tone to put the most humorous spin on the flops and mishaps. When she looked at Valerik, she spotted his frown but she kept talking. Cinnia and Nicolai’s enthusiasm was to be expected because they were such good friends.
That night, as she lay on the mattress in the showman’s wagon for the first time in three months, she wondered about what came next. With Cinnia and Nicolai back, their lives would return to normal. They’d open their shops, customers would place orders, and Cinnia and Nicolai would be working again at the jobs they loved. Dorrie was there to lend a hand—her abilities being only basic and simple ones. In a few short months, Cinnia would have a new baby that would take up her time. So, where did that leave Dorrie? Was the same routine what she really wanted?
Chapter Nine
The first few days after Cinnia’s and Nicolai’s return were a whirlwind. From his spot atop the hotel roof hammering shingles, Valerik noticed both shops enjoyed a steady stream of visitors. If only a quarter of those visitors placed orders, both businesses would be hopping. Knowing his construction job would only last a few more days, he needed to consult with Nicolai about the prospect of using cow hides for the leather items. From the land agent Taylor Termegon, he’d learned Helena, the Territorial capital, was where he’d go to buy acreage. First, he wanted Nicolai to ride out to the spot he’d discovered along Morgan’s River to the south.
“Ready for more shingles?” Howie yelled from the ground.
Valerik glanced over the area of bare planking that remained. “Two more bundles ought to finish this section.” He straightened, pressing a hand to his lower back. Working on the incline of the pitched roof strained new muscles. He sidestepped to the ladder and the rope they used for hauling supplies. From this position, he could see Dorrie working in the garden. The big floppy hat moved, and he wondered if she was talking to the plants again. Wearing a grin, he went back to hammering.
That night at supper, Valerik glanced into a bowl with red-purple slices and chopped greens before he served a spoonful.
“I needed to thin the beets, because they were too crowded. We planted them too close together.” Dorrie glanced at Valerik then waved a hand. “I figure if they taste good fully grown, they should be just as good when they’re miniature.”
“We?” Valerik slapped a hand on his chest and raised his eyebrows. “I only made the furrow, remember?”
Laughing, Dorrie ducked her chin. “Next time I’ll read the packet more closely.” She popped in a mouthful and chewed, her eyes lighting. “They’re good.”
Cinnia took a bite and nodded. “I’m happy to taste anything fresh.”
Valerik had guessed right. Both Cinnia and Nicolai reported receiving plenty of orders to keep them busy. A fact that made his decision all the more reasonable. With a steady clientele, Nicolai would have need of a supply of cowhides.
“Ah, Valerik. You’ll need to assign prices to the scrimshaw pieces you put in my display case.” Nicolai reached for the plate of bread slices. “Someone wanted to buy the belt buckle, and I told them I’d have to get the amount from the artist.”
Artist, huh? He liked the sound of that, although he’d only done the carvings to pass the time. Since starting his carpentry job, Valerik returned at the end of the day so tired he hadn’t thought of his hobby in weeks. “I’ll do that later.”
“You’d probably get higher prices if you sent them to Father’s store.”
Cinnia turned to Dorrie. “You wouldn’t believe some of the items they sell.” She rattled off details and descriptions.
Sounded like not much had changed since the last time he’d been there. Although bone china tea sets must be his mother’s addition. The rest of the meal passed in easy conversation. That Dorrie had been included in their evening meals was an obvious routine. Once again, he was thankful that he’d made the decision to visit this small town. When the women started clearing the plates and dishes, Valerik caught his brother’s eye and jerked his head toward the outside.
After tussling with the dogs for a few moments, he pinned Nicolai with a pointed gaze. “What would you say to working with more cowhides than bear or elk?”
Nicolai signaled Sacha to lie down before scratching his chin as he thought. “The demand for cowhide products remains high. Might even be higher after last year’s blizzard cut the cattle population. The hides I’m working with went into the vats months ago. Why?”
“I’m done with trapping.” He’d finally said the words aloud, and they didn’t have the affect he’d worried they might. “That part of my life is over.”
“Was that how you got the limp?”
Now that he’d proven to himself he could do physical labor, he didn’t mind the injury as much. “Frostbite took two toes. Without Maks and the other sled dogs, I would have lost even more.”
“Sorry to hear that, Valerik. I truly am.”
/> “Appreciate it, little brother. Now I need to figure out a new way to contribute to the family business. Can you stand to have me around for a while?”
Nicolai scratched his chin. “Does a certain blonde figure into this decision?”
“Could be, but nothing’s for certain.” A smile flashed then he sobered. “I want to get your opinion on a spot that might make a good cattle ranch. But I’m hearing you received lots of orders.”
“I’ve been gone for three months…” Grinning, Nicolai clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “What’s one more day? Besides, this is for family, and that’s more important. When do you want to go?”
“Saturday’s a half day at the construction job. How about that afternoon? The ride will take less than two hours.”
“I usually close early on Saturdays.” Nicolai stuck out his hand. “Deal.”
Another matter that had been nagging at him surfaced. “When was the last time you received hides from Petya?”
Staring into the distance, Nicolai shook his head. “Must have been just after the first snow. Before the blizzard really took hold. Collected a bundle from both of you, and then fought my way home. Ziven and Yasha pulled that wagon through three-foot drifts over the last few miles.” He jerked his head around, eyes wide. “Apologies. Not that I’m making any kind of comparison.”
“None taken. My last communication was about a year ago.” Regret burned in his chest, and he kicked his good foot into the ground. “I’m the eldest, I should have been more diligent.”
“We’ll reach out, Valerik. We’ll find him.”
*
August found Dorrie so busy she barely had a chance to catch her breath. Cinnia insisted on teaching her the more advanced aspects of dressmaking. Of course, she wanted to be the person Cinnia could lean on when the baby arrived. Unfortunately, she only sat and stitched out of necessity and loyalty.
Montana Sky: Dance Toward The Light (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Entertainers of The West Book 3) Page 11