The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,319

more than written proof of his failure. His bags were already packed. He would be accompanying the troops marching south tomorrow.

Back in Denver City, no one would have ever, in their wildest of dreams, imagined the explosion was anything but a tragic accident. But in a way, it signaled the beginning of the end to the gold fever that had rocked Denver City throughout the past two years. The dreams men had fostered of getting rich quick seem to have been prioritized by the intermittent news they received of the distant war. Many left their claims to return to their homelands, concerned for the families they’d left behind. Others opted to go west, vowing if they had to fight, they’d rather fight redskins, than their own friends and families.

Letty remained neutral about the whole thing, more concerned with having a healthy baby than taking sides in a war destined to be a disaster, no matter which side won.

And, like every other woman in her condition, she began what Alice and Mary called nesting. Curtains were taken down and washed. Mattresses were hauled out of the house to be aired and fluffed. She cleaned floors already clean, and washed windows that were already streak-free. She counted and sorted the baby clothes they’d all made, then counted and sorted them again.

Each night as she was going to bed, she would look for the lantern light at Robert Lee’s tent and then go upstairs to her bedroom window, squinting through the oncoming darkness until she located the cross on Eulis’ grave.

Each night it seemed harder and harder to find, and made a mental note to get the grass cut down between the grave and the house. There was an underlying panic in her need to be able to see it—as if losing sight of it would mean she was forgetting him. And, by the same token, she wouldn’t let herself consider why it was so important for her to know that Robert Lee was close by.

By the time October arrived, there was already a strong hint of winter in the air. Mornings were freezing or below, while some days it warmed up some by noon. When Letty’s due date finally arrived, it was just ahead of a gathering storm.

Alice had taken the wagon and gone into town to pick up supplies, taking Katie and the other women with her. It was the first time Letty had been alone in the house since Eulis’ death.

She walked through the rooms with a judgmental eye, making mental notes as to what would have to be moved once the baby began to walk. Even as she was planning the changes, she couldn’t help but look back at the changes in her world.

A year ago, she and Eulis had been in the first throes of learning how to be rich. They’d spent money frugally, until it became apparent that they weren’t going to run out any time during the next hundred or so years. After that, Letty had been generous with her choices of furnishings for the fine house they’d been building. She’d imagined growing old with Eulis in this house, not living a life without him, let alone raising their child alone.

The house seemed stuffy as she moved through the rooms. Although a fire had been lit in the parlor fireplace, it wasn’t cold enough for fires in all the rooms. And, while the weather outside today was somewhat mild, it was too cold to open windows. She felt aimless—too awkward and too close to delivery to start a new project—but still anxiously awaiting what would be the biggest project of her life.

The women had been gone for almost an hour when she finally wandered out onto the front porch and sat down. T-Bone jumped up from his spot in the flower bed and ran up the steps to plop down at her feet.

Letty eyed the dirt on the dog’s side and the big bare spot in the flower bed and frowned.

“You do know that you’re going to be in trouble with Delilah. She’s not going to appreciate you napping in her flower bed, even if most of them have already frozen back.”

T-Bone’s tongue lolled from the side of his mouth as he gazed up in adoration. The scar from the knife wound he’d suffered at the robber’s hands was still visible, but slowly fading as hair continued to grow back over the old wound.

She patted his head, then leaned back in the rocking chair and cupped