Wildest Dreams - By Rosanne Bittner Page 0,246

shook his brother's hand again. "You're right. This hasn't been home for me for a long time now." He squeezed John's hand, and their eyes held in mutual affection.

"Do you want our mother's picture?" John asked. "I have another one, a smaller one. I found them up in the attic after Dad died. I have a picture of Dad, too, if you want it."

Luke quelled the temptation to hate his father. The man was dead now. "It would be wonderful to have pictures to take home to show my children. I've told them about Dad, and of course they have asked over the years why he would never come to Montana. I always told them you and Dad were too busy with your business here. They never seemed to question that answer too much. I never had the courage to tell them the truth. Now I don't see any reason to, especially if you come and see us."

John gripped his hand more firmly. "I'll make a point of it. I promise." He let go of Luke's hand. "I'll have my groom rig up a buggy for me and I'll take the pictures to my office and have someone there wrap them up for you. Tonight we will dine at St. Louis's best restaurant and you can tell me more about this ranch of yours and how it's run. You and Lettie will be my guests right here. No sense in staying in a hotel. Besides, it will give us even more time to talk." He turned and put a hand out to Lettie. "I'm so glad to meet the famous Lettie. My brother indeed chose well, I can see that," he added. "I am so glad to meet you."

Lettie grasped his hand, big like Luke's, but much softer. "And you have no idea how glad I am to meet you. I was a little bit afraid I would regret talking Luke into coming, but now I'm very glad that I did."

John straightened. "I'm going to find my groom. I'll have Margaret get a room ready for you. Where is your luggage?"

"At the St. Louis Inn. We got in last night," Luke answered. "I wasn't sure how long we'd be here, what I'd find when I got here. Actually, everything is still in our room. I can drive back in the carriage I rented and get it."

"Fine. I'll ride with you and we can take the pictures down to the office and get the luggage while your wife rests right here. You will stay a couple of days, won't you?"

"No longer than that," Luke told him. "I'm anxious to get home and make sure everything there is all right. I do have duties as a legislative delegate I need to get back to. And Lettie misses the grandchildren."

John smiled and shook his head. "Grandchildren. You're such a lucky man, Luke. It's too bad Dad never got to meet Lettie or his own grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Hurt and anger sure can make a man do foolish things, can't they?" He sighed again. "I'm going to talk to Margaret about the room and then we can leave. Later today we'll go visit Dad's grave."

John left them, and Luke went to stand near the fireplace, looking up at the painting of his mother. He stared at it for several seconds before turning to look at Lettie. "As usual, you were right, Mrs. Fontaine. Thanks for making me come here. I just wish I could have seen Dad once more, got it all straight with him. I would never want to be so estranged from any of my children. I don't know how a man can let that happen."

"You and I were like strangers for two years after Paul died, Luke. It just happens. He's gone now, and there is no use in trying to live in the past or worrying over how different things might have been. John was right. Destiny called you to Montana, and nothing that happened here could have changed that." She rose and walked to stand beside him. "It's as though we've come full circle. I've learned to be at peace over what happened when Nathan was conceived, and now you're back here facing the painful things that caused you to leave. Neither of us belongs here in Missouri anymore. We belong in Montana." She moved her arms around his waist. "Let's not stay too long."

He smiled, tears in his eyes. "We have to be sure to keep our story