for sure. But I just got here. And with all this”—she gestured toward the door—“and now, with Joe showing up, I’m wondering if it was a mistake for me to come here.”
“I had an idea this might be about Joe,” Lorna said. “Do you still have feelings for him?”
“It doesn’t matter. Joe is married. He’s got a beautiful wife and a darling little boy. I’ve seen them both. I know they live apart—he told me that. But married is married. And if Blake were to learn the truth . . .” Sarah shook her head. “The only thing I know is that I mustn’t let Joe come near us.”
Lorna reached across the table and took Sarah’s hand. “I can only offer you one piece of advice. Give it time. If you run now, you’ll never know what might have worked out. But if you stay and build a life, as a teacher and a mother, good things are bound to happen—good things that you deserve. People here are waiting to be your friends, Sarah. Will you give Blue Moon a chance? Think about it, at least.”
Lorna said good-bye with a hug and drove away in her buggy. Her friend was right, Sarah told herself. She couldn’t let her feelings for Joe keep her from building a life here. For now, she resolved, she would do her best to be a good teacher, a good mother, and a useful member of the community. As for the future, she could only trust it to luck and fate.
* * *
After a long day in Miles City, Joe rode homeward under the late-afternoon sun. Chilly nights had painted the oaks and maples on the hillsides with a crimson blush, but the Indian summer days were warm. He had taken off his leather jacket and laid it across the saddle as he rode.
Passing through Blue Moon, he turned his gaze away from the school and the adjoining house. Two weeks ago, in the gray dawn of that morning when he’d left Sarah’s place, he had made himself a promise. He would not seek out Sarah, or his son, again until he could go to them with honor, as a free man.
Even then, he’d known that the cost of his freedom would be high. Just how high, he’d been in the process of finding out. After talking with his lawyer and with the bank in Miles City, he was surprised at how wealthy he’d become. That was the good news. Other news was less encouraging.
Amelia was holding the cards and, unless he could trap her in adultery, she was under no obligation to give him a divorce. His only chance would be to play on her avarice and offer her half of his land, livestock, cash, and business holdings. Financially, the blow would be devastating. But some things were worth more than money. A life with Sarah and their son was at the top of the list.
He passed the outskirts of Blue Moon and rode on, surrounded by open fields on both sides of the road. A flock of geese flew in to settle on a harvested grain field. They would spend the night resting and feeding among the stubble before lifting off at dawn to fly on south.
The Hollister ranch was a little less than an hour from here. Joe didn’t look forward to broaching the subject of divorce with Amelia. She was bound to want her proverbial pound of flesh before she listened to his offer. What he did look forward to was riding up to the house and seeing Mason race across the porch to meet him. Joe would give Amelia almost anything in exchange for his freedom. But he would insist on access to Mason. He would never walk away from his boy—not for any price.
Unlike Benteen Calder, who’d placed the value of his cattle above the cost of a man’s life, Joe had learned that some things were worth more than money. Of course, Benteen had it all. The herd of 2,000 cattle he’d first driven to Montana had increased to more than 20,000 head of longhorns and other breeds. He had more land than he could ride around in three days. He had a magnificent home; and his marriage to Lorna was the envy of every man who knew them.
But Benteen’s wealth hadn’t come as a reward for being kind and fair. He’d acquired all that he possessed through ruthless drive and ambition. Joe was still looking for a way