“Okay, but if you need a ride to Savannah, or anything like that, just call.”
“I’ve got it covered,” Cathy said. “Hope all goes well for you guys tomorrow, and be careful working cattle.”
“Thanks,” Duke said. “Talk to you soon.”
Cathy heard him disconnect and then put her phone back on the charger and turned out the lights. But instead of going off to sleep, she lay there in the dark thinking about her life.
When she’d first left Las Vegas on that bus, she’d had no goal in mind except escaping her ex-husband’s reach. And she’d been wandering aimlessly until she’d found Blessings. She’d chosen it because it was so far away from where she’d come, and because nobody knew her here, she’d felt no threats.
But now that she was making friends here, she’d discovered another facet of Blessings she hadn’t expected. It was beginning to feel like it could be home, and Duke Talbot’s abrupt arrival in her life was another plus. Even though they’d just met and he was intriguing, she was guarding her heart as closely as she was guarding her location.
Chapter 7
The passing days in Blessings were changing for a lot of people.
Melvin Lee’s enforced life of babysitting was over, and he’d made peace with repeating first grade after his daddy came home. Danny Wilson still hadn’t settled on what kind of job he was going to look for, but it would be a local one and that’s all that mattered.
Minna Atkins settled into her room and the routine of the Wilson family’s life better than she had imagined, and Junie was elated to have her husband home for good, but considered her morning sickness as due punishment from the universe for all of her misdeeds.
Duke and Jack’s cattle loss was entered into the farm account as a very expensive loss, and Hope found out she was pregnant. It wasn’t exactly planned, but she wasn’t unhappy about it, and Jack was over the moon.
After Duke congratulated them properly, he had to face the fact that the day had finally come when a separate residence was becoming a reality for either them or him. That evening as they were all cleaning up the supper dishes, Duke made an announcement.
“In light of the upcoming blessed event, I’m calling a family meeting.”
Jack hung up the dish towel he’d been using, and Hope put the last of the leftovers into the refrigerator, and then they all gathered back around the kitchen table they’d just cleared off.
“So what’s up?” Jack asked, and reached for Hope’s hand.
Hope saw a look on Duke’s face that she’d never seen before, and it scared her.
“Is something wrong, honey?”
Duke smiled. “No, no, nothing like that. In fact, everything is right, even perfect, and I have a proposition to make that has to do with our growing family. I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of years now and just let time get away from me without talking to you two about it. I think it’s time that I found a place of my own.”
Hope gasped, and Jack was so stunned he couldn’t speak.
“Oh, don’t take it like that,” Duke said. “For God’s sake, it should have happened years ago when you two first got married. Hope, bless her heart, didn’t just move in with one man. She moved in with two, and frankly, honey, I don’t know how you stood me.”
Hope’s eyes welled. “I always knew that the farm and you were part of the deal and considered myself fortunate. I don’t want to be the reason it’s breaking up.”
Duke clapped Jack on the back to punctuate his sincerity.
“You guys are missing the point. We’re not breaking up. We’re growing! I’m thinking that big library we hardly ever use and the old room Mom called the sewing room would make an awesome master bedroom and nursery.”
“But that leaves the whole upstairs for you,” Jack said.
“No. You’re missing the point,” Duke said. “This is a special time for the both of you, and you deserve the freedom to be yourselves and share this time together, without wondering if I’m going to come walking in the house. Those bedrooms will fill up in the years to come.”
“What are you planning for yourself?” Jack said. “There are a lot of great places on the farm to build. We don’t want to lose you, Duke.”
“You’re not losing me. I’ll be here every day just like I am now, and we’ll still work the farm together,