With Autumn's Return (Westward Winds Book #3): A Novel by Amanda Cabot Page B

all the ladies wanted to pinch our cheeks.”
    “Oh, my!” Miriam laid her hands on her cheeks, as if she were imagining a pinch. Tall and slender with sparkling green eyes, Miriam might not be beautiful, but she was attractive, and her vivacious personality made it easy to understand how she’d become one of Charlotte’s closest friends. “That sounds painful,” Miriam said as she lowered her hands.
    “It was.”
    “But moving had to be even worse. I hated it when we had to leave Denver because Papa decided Cheyenne needed another newspaper. I pouted for weeks and told him and Mama that they were ruining my life.” She feigned a pout. “They’re now quick to remind me that if I’d stayed in Denver, I’d never have met Richard.” Miriam cast a fond glance ather husband, who stood a few feet away, as if unwilling to eavesdrop on their conversation.
    “I’m afraid our moves weren’t my parents’ choice. Papa was a minister—the kindest, godliest man you could imagine—but he had very strong opinions, and they weren’t always what the church fathers wanted to hear. It seemed that we’d no sooner get settled than we’d have to move again. Fortunately, I had my sisters.”
    They were a large part of the reason Elizabeth had chosen Cheyenne for her office. Charlotte had made it her home almost two years ago, and though she and Barrett were currently in the East with Charlotte’s son, David, they expected to return before winter. Just as wonderful, by the end of the year, Abigail and her husband would settle here too. When Ethan’s commitment to the Army ended, Abigail claimed they planned to raise sheep and babies, although she admitted that she expected to have most of the responsibility for the latter. “Ethan can have his smelly sheep,” she’d written. “I’ll take care of the babies.”
    “It doesn’t seem fair, does it?” Miriam linked her arm with Elizabeth’s and led her to one of the chairs. “We might as well rest our feet while we can,” she said. “This may be our last chance until dinner is served.” She shook her head, setting her delicate gold earrings to bouncing. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand people. Papa’s strong opinions bring him more subscribers, but your father’s resulted in uprooting your family.”
    Elizabeth wished she hadn’t mentioned the moves. It hadn’t been a ploy for sympathy. Unlike Abigail, who had hated the disruption, Elizabeth had considered the family’s moves almost an adventure. It was only now with the perspective ofadulthood that she realized how much her sisters had sheltered her. She tried to lighten the mood by grinning. “The pinched cheeks weren’t that bad.”
    As she’d hoped, Miriam returned the grin with one of her own. “I can promise you won’t have any of those tonight.”
    And she did not, though Richard, who must have heard more than Elizabeth had realized, pretended to pinch her cheek when he rejoined her and Miriam. “You picked an excellent location for your office,” he said as he took his place at Miriam’s side. “You’re next door to a good friend of mine. I understand you’ve met Jason.”
    Elizabeth tried not to wince at the thought that, as one of Richard’s close friends, Jason Nordling had probably received an invitation to tonight’s party. It had been unrealistic to think that their paths would not cross again. Cheyenne was not a large enough city to provide anonymity. “Yes, I have met him,” Elizabeth said, keeping her voice noncommittal, “but I can’t take credit for choosing the location. My sister and Barrett are responsible for that.”
    A few minutes later, Miriam’s parents descended the stairs, apologizing profusely for not having greeted Elizabeth when she arrived. “A piece of lace came loose,” Mrs. Taggert said with a frown at the offending ruffle, “and it took Mary Alice eons to fix it.” Though a couple inches shorter than Miriam, Amelia Taggert had the same slender