Wildest Dreams - By Rosanne Bittner Page 0,209

build a house there and use it for a sheep ranch. I like the idea of having them right here on the Double L, but I think deep down Brad would rather be more on his own. He's a proud, independent young man. We can't keep Katie right under our wing forever, Luke. She's a wife and mother now, and the Lazy K isn't that far away. It's closer than Billings, so we'd still be close enough to see each other often and to help them when it's needed."

Luke watched blue cigar smoke curl into the air. The thought of Hank killing himself pained him deeply. Another friend gone. He wondered what he would have done himself if he had lost absolutely everything, but then he had Ty and Robbie, Pearl and Katie, and a new grandson. Hank's sons were grown and had never even bothered to come out and see their father's ranch. It was all Hank had ever really wanted to do, and he had lost it all. "All right. Buy it. Have you talked to Katie and Brad about this?"

"Not yet, but I know they'll like the idea. They've never said anything straight out, but I know they'd rather have a place they can truly call their own."

Luke nodded, listening quietly for a few minutes to his daughter's piano playing, ever amazed at her talent. Her playing had soothed him these past two weeks, the moving music somehow giving him strength. He set the cigar in an ashtray and folded his hands over his lap. "Tell Lucy Kline that we'll also see that a nice headstone is put up on Hank's grave. Was he buried in the Billings Cemetery?"

"Yes." She laid down a pen. "That's good of you, Luke. I get the impression they did not have a lot of extra money. I think a good deal of what she gets for the ranch will have to go to pay off debts."

Luke ran a hand through his hair. "Is there anything else you aren't telling me?"

"Well, from what I hear, the other ranchers didn't fare so badly. They all suffered some losses, just like we did, except that it's harder on them because they don't have as much to fall back on, but they'll be okay. I told Sven to tell all of them they can use some of the grazing land we have left if necessary. It will mean us buying more feed, but we can get it wholesale from the granary we own in Cheyenne. Is that all right?"

He studied her lovingly. "I'd have done the same. They've all helped us at different times, and some of them literally taught me a few things about ranching. We've ridden together after outlaws and rustlers, and they all contributed to the ransom money for Katie. We'll manage."

Lettie stood up and came to sit in a chair across from him. "There's one more thing."

He leaned his head against the back of the chair. "Go ahead."

"Nial Bentley. He lost a lot of grassland and cattle, but that's not the worst of it."

Luke frowned. "Did that stone mansion of his burn?"

"No. You know Chloris was with child."

"I know. Don't tell me she lost the baby."

Lettie folded her hands and studied them as she spoke. "About a week ago. She went into early labor, and she nearly bled to death."

Luke let out a groan, rubbed at his eyes. "Good God."

"I'm told through the grapevine that it was not a normal pregnancy to begin with. According to Dr. Manning, it's unlikely she'll have any more children. I guess Sydney and Helen Greene are in a terrible grief. Chloris was their only child, and now there will never be any grandchildren." She reached out and took hold of his hand. "The whole thing made me grateful for all my normal births, and the fact that God gave us several children. We've been through so much, Luke, but we're also very blessed."

He sighed deeply. "Well, Nial Bentley is not my favorite person, but every man wants children to carry on the name, to give everything to some day." He reached out and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. "You're right. We sometimes have to just stop and count our blessings. Maybe we should do something for them, maybe send a letter of sympathy or something." He leaned back in the chair again. "God knows he doesn't need money. His backers in merry old England will help replace his losses. But there