drawer.
Cordelia eased a little closer to her. “I don’t think you should play in your uncle’s desk.”
Maggie pressed her finger to her lips. “Shh.” She pulled out a sack and shoved the drawer back into place.
Smiling brightly, she crawled into her previous hiding place and crooked her finger. “Come ‘n.”
Folding her body, Cordelia worked her way under the huge desk, wondering if everything in Dallas’s life was big.
“Close your eyes,” Maggie said. “Why?”
“Unca Dalls says so.”
Dallas had taught the little girl how to make sadness go away? Cordelia lowered her lashes.
“Open your mouth.”
Hesitantly, Cordelia obeyed. She heard paper crackle. Then something hard skipped across her teeth and hit her tongue. She tasted sweet and bitter before she spit it into her hand. She stared at the lemon drop.
“When it’s gone, so is your sad,” Maggie said. “Unca Dalls says so.” She reached into the bag. “I gotta sad, too.” She popped a lemon drop into her mouth and snuggled against Cordelia’s side.
Holding the child close, Cordelia popped the confection back into her mouth. She heard Maggie smacking as she sucked on the candy.
She was surprised to discover that a little of the sadness did melt away.
C HAPTER
F OUR
It had been a mistake to leave his new wife alone, but then it seemed to be a day for making mistakes.
After Reverend Tucker left him, Dallas decided to carry her belongings to the house. She had only brought one small trunk, and it didn’t take Dallas long to haul it to his bedroom, but apparently it was long enough to lose her.
Darkness was settling in, and people were beginning to take their leave. Without his wife by his side, Dallas thanked them for coming and refused to answer the questions he saw reflected in their eyes.
When the last wagon filled with townspeople rolled into the night, the tension within him increased. He was beginning to think he might know how a length of rope felt when it was being made: stretched taut and wound.
He needed to find his wife, give her the opportunity to say farewell to her brothers, send them on their way, and get to the business of realizing his final dream.
He saw Houston leaning against the corral and didn’t waste any time in crossing the space separating them.
“You seen my wife lately?” he asked.
“Nope.”
“I took her trunk up to my bedroom, and now I can’t find her.”
Turning, Houston scanned the dwindling crowd that consisted of the lingering ranch hands. “She has to be here.”
“I’ve looked everywhere. Even in that gaudy thing she travels in.”
“I know what you’re thinking. Nobody stole her.”
“But she might have left.”
Houston nodded sagely as though he thought she probably had. “Let’s find Austin—”
“Houston!”
Both men turned at the sound of Amelia’s frantic voice.
“I can’t find Maggie,” she said as she skidded to a stop and dug her fingers into Houston’s arms.
“What do you mean you can’t find her?” Houston asked, panic threaded through his voice.
“I mean she’s lost. The men were supposed to take turns watching her, and they lost track of whose turn it was. I should have kept my eye on her. I shouldn’t have started dancing—”
Houston leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers to silence her. “We’ll find her.”
“But what if—”
“I know where she is,” Dallas said. Relief washed over Amelia’s face. “You’ve seen her?”
“No, but I know where she likes to hide out. If I’m right, she’s gonna go home with a big bellyache.”
He started walking toward the house, Amelia’s peace of mind taking precedence over his own.
“Have you seen my wife?” he asked Amelia as they neared the house.
“Not since you took her walking. Why?”
“I think she’s left.”
He shoved open the front door.
“Surely not,” Amelia said softly.
“I can’t find her, and I don’t imagine she’s hiding under my desk with
Cordelia eased a little closer to her. “I don’t think you should play in your uncle’s desk.”
Maggie pressed her finger to her lips. “Shh.” She pulled out a sack and shoved the drawer back into place.
Smiling brightly, she crawled into her previous hiding place and crooked her finger. “Come ‘n.”
Folding her body, Cordelia worked her way under the huge desk, wondering if everything in Dallas’s life was big.
“Close your eyes,” Maggie said. “Why?”
“Unca Dalls says so.”
Dallas had taught the little girl how to make sadness go away? Cordelia lowered her lashes.
“Open your mouth.”
Hesitantly, Cordelia obeyed. She heard paper crackle. Then something hard skipped across her teeth and hit her tongue. She tasted sweet and bitter before she spit it into her hand. She stared at the lemon drop.
“When it’s gone, so is your sad,” Maggie said. “Unca Dalls says so.” She reached into the bag. “I gotta sad, too.” She popped a lemon drop into her mouth and snuggled against Cordelia’s side.
Holding the child close, Cordelia popped the confection back into her mouth. She heard Maggie smacking as she sucked on the candy.
She was surprised to discover that a little of the sadness did melt away.
C HAPTER
F OUR
It had been a mistake to leave his new wife alone, but then it seemed to be a day for making mistakes.
After Reverend Tucker left him, Dallas decided to carry her belongings to the house. She had only brought one small trunk, and it didn’t take Dallas long to haul it to his bedroom, but apparently it was long enough to lose her.
Darkness was settling in, and people were beginning to take their leave. Without his wife by his side, Dallas thanked them for coming and refused to answer the questions he saw reflected in their eyes.
When the last wagon filled with townspeople rolled into the night, the tension within him increased. He was beginning to think he might know how a length of rope felt when it was being made: stretched taut and wound.
He needed to find his wife, give her the opportunity to say farewell to her brothers, send them on their way, and get to the business of realizing his final dream.
He saw Houston leaning against the corral and didn’t waste any time in crossing the space separating them.
“You seen my wife lately?” he asked.
“Nope.”
“I took her trunk up to my bedroom, and now I can’t find her.”
Turning, Houston scanned the dwindling crowd that consisted of the lingering ranch hands. “She has to be here.”
“I’ve looked everywhere. Even in that gaudy thing she travels in.”
“I know what you’re thinking. Nobody stole her.”
“But she might have left.”
Houston nodded sagely as though he thought she probably had. “Let’s find Austin—”
“Houston!”
Both men turned at the sound of Amelia’s frantic voice.
“I can’t find Maggie,” she said as she skidded to a stop and dug her fingers into Houston’s arms.
“What do you mean you can’t find her?” Houston asked, panic threaded through his voice.
“I mean she’s lost. The men were supposed to take turns watching her, and they lost track of whose turn it was. I should have kept my eye on her. I shouldn’t have started dancing—”
Houston leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers to silence her. “We’ll find her.”
“But what if—”
“I know where she is,” Dallas said. Relief washed over Amelia’s face. “You’ve seen her?”
“No, but I know where she likes to hide out. If I’m right, she’s gonna go home with a big bellyache.”
He started walking toward the house, Amelia’s peace of mind taking precedence over his own.
“Have you seen my wife?” he asked Amelia as they neared the house.
“Not since you took her walking. Why?”
“I think she’s left.”
He shoved open the front door.
“Surely not,” Amelia said softly.
“I can’t find her, and I don’t imagine she’s hiding under my desk with
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