Love on the Plains
Page 15
“You sure can.” Dinah patted her on the head. “But I don’t think there’s enough snow for that, yet.”
“Give it a few hours.” Colt looked at the sky as if to analyze the clouds. “We best be heading home, or we might get trapped in it. When the snow comes late in the year, it usually comes fast and hard. We could have whiteout conditions from wind and snow.”
Excitement of snow, real snow at Christmas feathered across her skin. “Then let’s go home.”
“Will Santa still make it?” Emma asked settling into the wagon under the quilt with James.
Dinah snugged her bonnet down over her ears to keep the cold away. “Don’t worry, Santa has special skills. He’ll make it to every house no matter what the conditions.”
“We need to make a stop first.” Colt winked at her. “Boat arrived, and since we won’t be able to travel back to town for a while, I thought we’d check for packages and mail.”
Dinah only hoped the doll she’d ordered for Emma and the dress for Anna would be on this boat. She wanted it to be the best Christmas ever for the children.
“There’s Anna and that boy,” Emma said, with a sister-betrayal-over-a-boy tone.
Colt moved to fetch Anna, but Dinah stayed his advance. “Give her another minute.”
He frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t like that boy. How can you be so calm? He’s a McDaniel.”
Dinah giggled. “Really? Mrs. McDaniel has been kind since James started speaking, and the McDaniel who is talking to Anna is one of the good ones. He’s going to study to be a doctor.”
Colt stood with his disapproving, tight-faced gaze. “Still don’t like him.”
“You don’t like any boy that talks to her.”
“True.”
“You know she’s going to grow up and get married someday. Little girls do.”
“I ain’t. I’m gonna live with you forever,” Emma chimed in.
“You say that now.” Dinah slid an arm around Colt, the warmth of him, the safety, the love all filled her with more happiness than she thought possible.
Anna made her way to the wagon, and they all drove to the edge of the river. “You kids stay here.”
Emma whined, but James whispered something and then Emma said, “Oh, I’ll stay.”
Dinah eyed him, in hopes he hadn’t spoiled Santa for Emma, but if she knew James, he hadn’t.
Anna winked, though. “We’ll be fine.”
Colt took Dinah by the hand and helped her down the path and into the muddy section. With the snow coming down so fast, it covered the mud, but even though her feet didn’t stick the way they had when she’d first arrived, the pathway was still slick. She was holding tight to Colt when Miss Putnam raced over.
“I have letters for you. I know you’ve been waiting for them.”
At the sight of a Colorado and Georgia postmark on the envelopes, Dinah squealed.
“Is it your sisters?”
“Yes!” Dinah ripped the Georgia envelope open and skimmed the words printed on the page, a sorrow fell over her. “Elizabeth left shortly after me, then Francine, and then Hannah. Cora doesn’t say where they went, not in this letter. Only that they both accepted mail-order proposals themselves. As far as I can tell, Cora is the only one left in Georgia, but she doesn’t say how she is or what her plans are. Only that she is well and hopes to see me soon.”
Colt rubbed his hand in small circles on Dinah’s back. “Hopefully that means she’s on her way here now.”
Hope snuggled into her with dreams of seeing her sister again. She ripped open the one from Josephine, a joyful sob forming in her chest. “She’s married, happily married.” She continued to scan the words. “Oh, my goodness, she’s with child. She wants me to visit after the baby comes.” She looked up at Colt. “Do you think we can make the trip next summer? I hear the railroad will be coming here soon.”
“I’ll make sure you get to visit. Perhaps we’ll take the entire family. That is, unless…”
“Unless what?”
He slipped a hand over her belly. “Unless you’re with child by then.” Colt blushed as if he were a little boy instead of the viral, healthy, exciting, and passionate man he was.
She didn’t want to tell him this soon. It was too early to be positive, and they’d only been married a couple of months. Mother Nature along with something wonderful deep down inside told her that she was, though. “Actually, it might be sooner than you think.”
He whooped and picked her up in his arms, swinging her around before he lowered her and patted her belly. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you? Did I hurt the baby?”
“Baby?” Andrew approached with two boxes. The man had spent the last couple of months atoning for his sins. Of course, Andrew owed Colt his life when Colt had appeared before the judge to beg for mercy on Andrew’s behalf. Colt swore Andrew had helped save their family, and for that Dinah knew Colt was willing to forgive the man as he’d forgiven himself.
“Yes, I’m going to be a pa,” Colt said, his voice taking on an excited childish tone.
Andrew rolled his eyes. “A little Colt running around Sioux City. We’re all doomed.”
“It could be a little girl,” Dinah said, as the thought of a sister for Anna and Emma made her smile. There was nothing like sisters.
Colt pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Despite the cold, she warmed, from her toes to her face. “I don’t care, as long as the baby and you are healthy. I don’t know how it happened, but you’ve made me a man again, one that I hope will be worthy of fatherhood. I love you, Dinah Hardin.”
“I love you, too.” Dinah held tight to her husband, to the man whom she’d once despised, had once run away from, and then come to care for, and ultimately fall in love with. It was a crazy courtship, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way, because in the end, she had a family again—a family she loved and would always cherish. She didn’t need fancy parties or dresses: she’d found happiness on a homestead, making bread and tending to children she now called her own. And she’d never been happier.
The End
Also by Ciara Knight
For a complete list of my books, please visit my website at www.ciaraknight.com. A great way to keep up to date on all releases, sales and prizes subscribe to my Newsletter. I’m extremely sociable, so feel free to chat with me on Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads.
For your convenience please see my complete title list below, in reading order:
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Winter in Sweetwater County
Spring in Sweetwater County
Summer in Sweetwater County
Fall in Sweetwater County
Christmas in Sweetwater County
Valentines in Sweet-water County
Fourth of July in Sweetwater County
Thanksgiving in Sweetwater County
Grace in Sweetwater County
Faith in Sweetwater County
Riverbend
In All My Wishes
In All My Years
In All My Dreams
In All My Life
A Christmas Spark
A Miracle Mountain Christmas
HISTORICAL WESTERNS:
McKinnie Mail Order Brides Series
Love on the Prairie
(USA Today Bestselling Novel)
Love in the Rockies
Love on the Plains
A Prospectors Novel
Fools Rush
Bride of America
Adelaide: Bride of Maryland
YOUNG ADULT:
Battle for Souls Series
Rise From Darkness
Fall From Grace
Ascension of Evil
The Neumarian Chronicles
Weighted
Escapement
Pendulum
Balance
About the Author
Ciara Knight is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author, who writes clean and wholesome romance novels set in either modern day small towns or wild histo
ric old west. Many of Ciara’s books have been translated into German, and will soon be translated into French and Spanish. Born with a huge imagination that usually got her into trouble, Ciara is happy she’s found a way to use her powers for good. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.
www.ciaraknight.com