Coralee enjoyed the ride to town, with the wind whipping her ringlets. She passed several live oaks teeming with purple martins. Their throaty chirps and clicking calls filled the air. They would be leaving the area soon, now that the chicks had left their nests.
Leaving. Was that all she could think about lately?
She lifted her gaze to the brilliant blue sky. Lord, if it’s Your will for Houston to stay, I trust You to work things out for him here. But if he decides to return to California and run the business he worked so hard to build, please help me let him go. It would grieve me to lose him again, but I want him to be happy.
Meribeth was delighted to see Coralee and ushered her to the rooms over the mercantile, where she and her husband lived. Her friend bustled about the kitchen, preparing the meal, while Coralee set the table. The scent of fried chicken hung in the air, a promise of the tasty lunch to come.
“Do you realize how many times you’ve mentioned Houston since you arrived?” Meribeth repeated several of Coralee’s comments in a too-sweet voice. “Please tell me you haven’t changed your mind about him. Remember what he did to you.”
“I do, but he’s changed. Not that you have to worry about me throwing myself at him,” she added quickly. A change of subject was in order. “I’m glad I listened to Sally. It’s wonderful to see you again. You’re looking so—”
“Big?” Meribeth laughed, wiped her hands on her apron, and picked up the baby clothes lying on the sideboard.
Her ploy had worked. “I was going to say radiant.”
“These gowns are darling. Look at this lovely smocking.” Meribeth carried the garments to the window and examined Widow Foster’s excellent needlework in the bright sunlight.
She set the baby clothes aside and rubbed her lower back as she peered out. From her vantage point, Meribeth would have a good view of Hartville’s main street below, which was a hive of activity that morning. “I’d heard a woman in my condition could find the final months a mite tiresome. I can attest to that.”
“I’m sorry you’re hurting. Do you think you’ll feel like going to the Harts’ barn dance tomorrow night? I hope so, because it wouldn’t be the same without you and Michael.” Friends from far and wide had been invited to help the family celebrate the conclusion of another successful cattle drive. She’d been looking forward to the event ever since she received the invitation. Houston might ask to take her for a spin on the dance floor. And this time she would say yes without delay.
“We plan to join the fun, but I won’t be doing any danc—” Meribeth gasped.
Coralee was at her side in an instant. “Are you in pain? It’s too early for the baby, isn’t it?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just saw something unexpected. That’s all.”
“What?” Coralee stood beside her friend and scanned the street below, but nothing looked unusual. Clusters of people stood on the planked walkways visiting, while others entered and exited the shops. Fred Chambers hefted a large wooden trunk into the boot of his trusty stagecoach. “It looks like someone’s planning to be away for quite some time. I wonder who that could be.”
Meribeth backed away from the window, eyes wide, reached for her chair, and sank into it.
“Why do you look so shocked? It’s not like it was the midwife or anything. Annie Hart isn’t going anywhere.”
Uncertainty filled her friend’s eyes. “I didn’t see Annie get inside the stagecoach. It was … someone else. Someone you care about—even though your best friend warned you not to.”
The realization of what Meribeth had seen hit Coralee with such force that her knees threatened to buckle. “It’s Houston, isn’t it? He’s the one who’s leaving.”
“I’m afraid so. I heard people in the mercantile say he’s going to run his hardware store after all. I’m sorry, Coralee. I was afraid this would happen when I heard he’d come back. You’ve always had a soft spot where he was concerned. And now he’s hurt you all over again. It’s a good thing he’s leaving, because if he were staying here, I would give him a piece of my mind.”
“It’s all right. I’m fine.” She wasn’t, but she would deal with her pain privately. “So, tell me. Have you and Michael decided on names yet?”
Thankfully, her loyal friend let the matter drop. They enjoyed a delicious meal, although Coralee scarcely tasted it. She bid Meribeth good-bye shortly afterward, resorting to the ready excuse of needing to get back home to check on her father.