Singing Montana Sky (The Montana Sky Series Book 7)

by Debra Holland

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Livingston’s suggestion had sent a bittersweet longing through Kael. More than anything, he wanted to grasp the opportunity with both hands. Having to decline touring with Sophia hurt almost as much as the death of his father. Or maybe both losses were wadded into a one big ball of pain.

  As Tyler drove the wagon from town, Kael remained quiet all the way to Green Valley Ranch. His silence seemed fine with his mother and his friend, who both appeared lost in their own thoughts. None of the riders traveling behind them caught up with their wagon to converse.

  Once at the ranch, everyone partook of a snack from the leftovers they’d brought back. Then, with a flurry of good-byes, the Walkers and Barretts drove on home.

  While Tyler and the cowhands did evening chores, Kael waited on the porch for his mother to finish talking with the womenfolk, so they could continue on home.

  His thoughts stayed with Sophia, who remained inside the house, avoiding him, he guessed. After they’d left Livingston’s office, she’d told him in a few terse sentences that she understood and supported his decision. Then she’d left him to socialize and, since then, hadn’t come near.

  Kael strolled to the porch rail and bent to lean his forearms on the top, looking across to the barn and the horses in the corral, without really seeing the familiar scene. A cool breeze kicked up some dust and brought a hint of manure his way.

  Ma joined him. She’d draped her old red shawl over the fancy black dress. “What did Mr. Livingston want to talk about?”

  He stiffened and stared straight ahead, avoiding an answer by not looking at her. “I didn’t know you saw us leave.”

  She didn’t respond, apparently willing to wait him out.

  With a sigh, Kael gave in and told the story, shooting her sideways glances to see her reaction.

  His mother kept her expression still.

  Kael hesitated before he came to the end. His mother was too astute to not pick up on his regret, and he didn’t want to hurt her or make her feel a burden. He avoided eye contact, debating what to say.

  “What was your answer?”

  Kael glanced at her and then looked away. “That I can’t leave you,” he said with reluctance. “But I’ll enjoy the concerts Sophia and I perform here in Sweetwater Springs.”

  “Oh, no, Kael!” Ma said in a low wail.

  He straightened. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything,” he ground out. “I knew you’d be upset, and I didn’t want you to feel bad about wanting to live in your own home.”

  “But that’s just it.” She pressed a hand on his arm. “I don’t want to live there.”

  “What?” Her answer was so far from what Kael expected that he turned to face her, searching her expression for the truth.

  “Home was where your father and you were.” Ma tugged the ends of her shawl tighter across her chest. “Without Leith….” She shook her head, her lips pressed tight. “Staying will be too painful. I’d like to escape.”

  He gaped at her, his thoughts awhirl. “You’d be willing to travel with us? Live in Chicago?”

  “I would, son, if it wouldn’t be a burden to you.” She patted his arm. “I won’t stop missing your father, mourning him. But I think my grief will be easier if I don’t see his memory in every inch of our homestead.”

  “Are you sure?” Kael almost couldn’t allow himself to hope. “You’re not just saying that for my sake?”

  “So what if I was?” Ma demanded, lifting her chin. “Nothing is wrong with wanting my son to be happy with a woman I could love as a daughter, to have a profession he thrives in, which would bring enjoyment to many others.” She poked his chest with one finger. “Even if I had to make a sacrifice, I’d do it for you, my dear, dear son. But as it stands, I’m telling the truth when I say I’d rather leave my home. Perhaps not forever. But certainly for a few years.”

  A lump rose in Kael’s throat, threatening to choke him. His eyes blurred with hot tears. All he could do was bend to kiss her cheek and take her in a big, tight hug.

  As was typical, Ma was the first to push away and step back. She glanced at the door of the house. “Better hurry. We’ll have to leave soon before dusk descends.”

  Kael shook his head. “This day isn’t the one to propose.”

  She smiled without a trace of sadness and cupped his cheek. “This is exactly the day. Don’t you think your father foresaw this? He told me, ‘I can hardly wait until that girl becomes a Kelley. If Kael ever proposes, even if I’m in heaven, I’ll let out a big whooping holler! You be listening for that, hear?’”

  Feeling immeasurably lighter, Kael chuckled.

  Ma gave him a push toward the door. “Now, go to her!”

  * * *

  Sophia hid in the kitchen, helping Lily dry the dishes while Mrs. Pendell washed, and Oliver played with Adeline on a quilt under the table. All of them had refused to allow Mrs. Kelley to assist them, insisting she relax on the porch. Lily tried to chase her sister outside to spend time with Kael, but Sophia had cravenly insisted she didn’t want to leave them with all the work.

  Lily shook her head but didn’t push, probably because of Oliver’s presence.

  Sophia had a feeling her older sister would soon attempt to shake the truth out of her. Maybe tomorrow the myriad of emotions she’d gone through today would smooth enough so she could find the words to tell Lily what had transpired.

  The hinges on the front door squeaked, and Sophia heard the sound of quick, heavy footsteps. Kael. She steeled herself against the sight of him and turned away, when before she would have eagerly watched for his entrance.

  “Sophia.”

  The excitement in his voice made her curious enough to meet his eyes.

  The tight expression he’d worn since leaving Caleb’s office had vanished, and his eyes sparkled. “Come for a walk with me.” He held out a hand.

  Sophia took a step back. “No, I have to help.” She brandished the dishcloth in evidence of her industry.

  “We’re almost done.” Lily stole the dishcloth. She nudged Sophia with her good hip. “Go.”

  Traitor.

  Kael reached to clasp Sophia’s hand and towed her toward the door. On the way out, he released her only long enough to steal Lily’s blue shawl from the coatrack and bundled it around Sophia’s shoulders. He grasped her hand again, tugging her through the door.

  Mrs. Kelley sat in a rocking chair, reading Lily’s Bible. She waved as they went by. “I’ll be listening for that holler from heaven,” she called after them.

  “What did she mean?” Sophia asked Kael.

  He kept walking. “I’ll tell you later.”

  She pulled on his hand to slow them but to no avail. Might as well try to stop a train.

  Once out of earshot of the house, Kael eased their pace.

  Sophia still had to walk briskly to keep up. “Kael Kelley, what is going on?”

  “Just wait.”

  “‘Later. Wait,’” she grumbled, pretending to be annoyed. But his change of mood made a funny beat of hope thump in her heart.

  He led them to the stream, and they walked toward the place where Sophia first tested her voice and often returned to practice in privacy.

  Finally, Kael halted by the giant cedar and took her other hand. “I wanted to do this at our grotto, but I’m too impatient to wait.”

  After such an invigorating walk, Sophia had to catch her breath, inhaling the scent of the ancient cedar. “Do what?” she asked, hoping this time to receive an answer.

  “Ma told me she doesn’t want to live in our homestead.” He gave her hands a squeeze. “She wants to live with us, travel with us instead.”

  Us? Sophia’s mouth dropped open and her breath hitched, the news more sudden and striking than she could absorb.

  Kael took obvious advantage of her addled wits by swooping in for a kiss that scorched her all the way to her toes.

  Forgetting all attempts to think, Sophia threw her arms around him.
Happiness bubbled inside her, and she pressed close. Her body quivered against his, and then melted like wax.

  Kael held her with gentle strength and kissed her as if he’d been starving, as if he, too, had feared their intimacy had come to an end.

  Her heart sang with joy, and she held him tight.

  When they finally came up for air, Kael took her hand and dropped to one knee.

  Stunned, Sophia gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Sophia Maxwell, I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you, and that love has only grown the more I’ve come to know you.”

  He’s proposing! Tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “I had a lot of fancy words stored up, but I’ve gone and forgotten them. All I can say is, please, my star, will you marry me?”

  Sophia lowered her hand from her mouth. “Kael Kelley,” she scolded. “I just wanted a summer flirtation, but then you made me fall in love with you.”

  Joy filled his eyes, and he grinned.

  Blinking back tears, Sophia tugged on Kael’s hand to pull him to his feet. She looked up into the handsome face that had become so dear. “My answer is yes. ‘Come live with me and be my love.’” She quoted the poem by Christopher Marlow and then laughed. “And your mother can live with us, too.”

  With an awed expression, Kael stared down at her. He gathered both her hands in his and brought them to his chest. “You loving me is the greatest miracle I could ask for. Well, actually one I didn’t dare ask the Lord for. I figured the odds of you ever loving me, marrying me, would be too big of a miracle to even bother praying for.” He raised one delicate hand and kissed the soft skin of her palm. “I did ask the Lord for your happiness, though. The miracle is that you’re happy with me.”

  “Well then,” Sophia teased, with a coquettish tilt of her head. “We have a modern miracle to add to the Bible. Do you think we should ask Reverend Joshua to write our story into the Bible? There’s space on those blank pages in the back.”

  “Might as well commission an opera,” Kael muttered.

  “Brilliant idea!” With both hands, she tapped her chest. “We could play ourselves.”

  “I’ve just decided we’ve been silly for long enough.” Kael took her hands. “No more talking nonesense,” he said with mock firmness.

  Apparently unable to contain her happiness, Sophia ruined Kael’s apparent attempt to sound like an authoritative husband by giggling like a schoolgirl.

  Whereupon, he bent and placed his lips on hers, effectively putting an end to their discussion.

  For now.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading Singing Montana Sky, Book Seven in the Montana Sky Series, although the number seven is really misleading because currently the count is twenty-three Montana Sky stories, including the Mail-Order Brides of the West books. My “big” books are labeled One through Nine, and the smaller stories fit in between.

  I hope you enjoyed Sophia and Kael’s story. Originally, this book was supposed to be a novella, to match the word count of Lily Maxwell and Tyler Dunn’s story, Painted Montana Sky.

  Sophia was only supposed to lose her voice, recuperate in Sweetwater Springs, and have a summer flirtation, until she fell in love with Kael. Then, as I was studying sopranos who’ve played Brünnhilde, I learned the strenuous role calls for a more mature, dramatic voice. That led to the idea of Sophia being forced to take the role against her better judgment with horrible consquences ensuing. So, my novella became darker and longer and turned into a “big” book.

  As a disclaimer, in reality, Sophia at age twenty-five would not perform Brünnhilde. Her body and her voice wouldn’t be ready. No one would encourage or force her to take the role, nor would she, aware of her limitations, have accepted a role she couldn’t play. But when the story came to me several years ago while in Montana attending a writer’s conference, Sophia was definitely dressed as Brünnhilde, and changing to a different opera didn’t feel right. Even though I risk offending opera fans, I chose to stay true to the story, not the authenticity of singing the role.

  Many of the characters in Singing Montana Sky also starred in their own stories: Blythe Robbins and Peter Rockwell in Sweetwater Springs Christmas, Darcy Russell and Gideon Walker in Mail-Order Brides of the West: Darcy, Reverend Joshua Norton and Delia Bellaire in Glorious Montana Sky. Julia Bosworth and Sam Ritter (briefly mentioned in this book) in Sweetwater Springs Christmas. Jonah Barrett and Lina Napolitana (briefly mentioned) in Mail-Order Brides of the West: Lina, Caleb Livingston and Maggie Baxter in Mystic Montana Sky.

  Still to come is Constance Taylor and Dr. Angus Cameron in Bright Montana Sky and Sheriff K.C. Granger and Red Charlie in Montana Sky Justice, as well as shorter stories about other characters, old and new. Keep reading for an excerpt of Bright Montana Sky.

  If you want to read more stories of the people of Sweetwater Springs and Morgan’s Crossing, Montana Sky Kindle World books—where other authors write stories set in my towns—number fifty-one (and growing). Go to http://debraholland.com/kindle-worlds.html

  Next on the line-up of Montana Sky books is Bright Montana Sky (March 2018) followed by Montana Sky Justice (August 2018.) Both are available at Amazon on preorder.

  BRIGHT MONTANA SKY

  Book Eight in the Montana Sky Series

  Jilted seamstress Constance Taylor travels to Sweetwater Springs to live with her estranged father, the livery stable owner. She plans to open a dressmaking shop and bring sophisticated clothing styles to the uncouth frontier town.

  Young doctor Angus Cameron is bitter and discouraged from his work with upper-class Londoners and the wretched poor in the East End slums. He arrives in Sweetwater Springs to share the medical practice of his brother, the town doctor.

  Although Constance and Angus don’t want to live in Sweetwater Springs, both are determined to change the town in ways they think are important. They clash over her fashionable creations, which Angus knows are unhealthy, and Constance refuses to change. They deny their attraction to each other until Constance falls ill from the arsenic used in her favorite purple and green fabrics, and Angus must fight to save the life of the woman he’s come to love.

  MONTANA SKY JUSTICE

  Book Nine in the Montana Sky Series

  K.C. Granger is the sheriff of Sweetwater Springs. Since she was five, K.C. has dressed like a man and been treated as such. She’s efficient at her job and has garnered the respect of the inhabitants of Sweetwater Springs.

  Red Charlie is a Blackfoot Indian and the blacksmith of Sweetwater Springs. He’s silently battled the prejudice against him by doing his job in a competent manner and handling slurs with dignity.

  When reports of Indian thievery begin, K.C. enlists Red Charlie as her deputy, even traveling with him to the nearest reservation and taking needed supplies for the starving people. The two of them settle into a comfortable working relationship. K.C. doesn’t know what to do with the womanly emotions of love she grows to feel for her deputy, and Red Charlie believes a relationship with an Indian will only bring trouble to the woman he admires. Then a marauding gang takes over the town, and danger threatens everything they both love.

  Excerpt from

  BRIGHT MONTANA SKY

  by Debra Holland

  1893

  Constance Taylor stood at the half-opened front window of her aunt’s home, partly hidden by the curtains, watching the house across the street. She waited for the carriage carrying her beloved Marcus Miller, home from his studies at the university, to pull up in front. Outside, she heard the sounds of life—a dog barked, a child shrieked with laughter, and a crow cawed harshly.

  She’d been waiting for the last half hour—too early really for him to travel from the train station in downtown Chicago, but she could no longer contain her impatience. She hadn’t seen Marcus since the Christmas holidays, when he’d kissed her under the mistletoe bough. He’d called her sweet Constance and hinted of marriage after he�
��d completed his stint at the university. With a blush and a brilliant smile, she let him know his suit would be most welcome.

  Once Marcus had returned to school, the months dragged by. Her Aunt Hannah had sickened, growing weaker as the weather grew warmer, until she’d quietly passed away a month ago, leaving Constance alone.

  A wave of grief made her tighten her grip on a fold of the crimped silk of her best crape mourning gown, the dress her aunt insisted her niece make in the month before she died. As Constance had sat next to her dying aunt’s bedside, a lump of sorrow clogging her throat so she could barely speak, she’d hand sewed the elegant tucks in the bodice. “You must present an elegant appearance at my funeral, my dear,” Aunt Hannah said. “Your clothing, your sophisticated style—” she repeated one of her favorite maxims “—is the best advertisement for our dressmaking business.”

  Her aunt always proved right, even if black wasn’t her best color, tending to overwhelm her fairness. But Marcus knew how she looked and loved her anyway. Aunt Hannah had made Constance promise to wear black only until Marcus came home, then to move to half-mourning. But she wasn’t quite ready to make the change.

  The pain of her aunt’s death remained too sharp. Aunt Hannah had been a mother to Constance and deserved more than the token three weeks of black that showed respect for the passing of an aunt. Still, she hoped Marcus wouldn’t insist on her waiting out a suitable mourning period before they wed; she was more than ready to transition from pain and into her new life as Mrs. Marcus Miller.

  Around her, the old house seemed to echo with emptiness. Constance leaned closer to the glass and angled her head to see down the street, hoping to glimpse the appearance of the carriage belonging to the Millers. But to no avail. She took a breath, inhaling the scent of the red roses on the bushes growing underneath the window, and urged patience.