CHAPTER FOUR
Hannah drove through the gates of the Double Circle Ranch. Claire’s plane, packed to capacity with people heading to San Diego, had left on time. It would be a long week without her. In more ways than one, the job at the McConachies’ ranch had come at the right time.
She drove slowly, enjoying the last of the afternoon sunlight. When she saw the main homestead, she smiled. With its high-pitched gable roof and lovely dormer windows, the McConachies’ home was story-book perfect.
She parked her truck and lifted a suitcase and a backpack out of the cab.
The front door of the house opened and Pat walked toward her.
She smiled at her new boss. “I made it.”
“I’m glad. I was worried the road might have been closed.”
Hannah swung her backpack over her shoulder and picked up her case. “It’s still okay, but I don’t know for how long. I like your home.”
He smiled and took her suitcase out of her hand. “It has been in my family for three generations. Over the years we’ve added more land, but this part of the ranch hasn’t changed. Come inside. It’s too cold to be out here for more than a few minutes.”
Claire followed Pat up the porch steps and into his warm home.
“You can leave your jacket and scarf on the coat stand. Mrs. Bennett has given you the bedroom at the top of the stairs. I’ll take you there before showing you everything else.”
The entranceway was just as impressive as the outside of the house. The tall, vaulted ceiling gave the area a sense of space. But it was the paintings that made Claire stop and stare.
Her mouth dropped open as she read the signature on one of the canvases. “Thomas Cole?”
Pat smiled. “That is one of our treasures. Ida always admired his work.”
Thomas Cole was a romantic landscape painter from the early nineteenth-century. With his gentle blend of color, his paintings brought the American wilderness to life.
“He inspired a whole generation of landscape artists,” Claire murmured. “They were known as the Hudson River School.”
“We have another of his paintings in the living room. At the time, I thought Ida paid far too much for them, but one of his oil paintings recently sold at auction for twenty-five thousand dollars. In my humble opinion, that painting wasn’t as good as the canvases we have here.”
Hannah held onto the banister as she slowly followed Pat upstairs. He told her about the other paintings on the wall, when they’d bought them, and why Ida liked them.
Her heart pounded when she saw the small canvas on the landing.
“Do you recognize this painting?” he asked.
“It’s calledThe Boat Builders.I wrote a whole paper about Winslow Homer when I was at college.” The watercolor showed two young boys sitting on rocks at the edge of the ocean. Hannah always imagined they were getting ready to launch their small boats in the rock pool, dreaming of sailing the full-sized ship on the horizon.
She moved closer, studying the painting in a way she’d never been able to before. “I saw some of Winslow Homer’s paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He’s an amazing artist.”
Pat nodded. “Ida enjoyed his paintings enormously. Before she had her stroke, we visited the Portland Museum of Art. They’ve restored Homer’s house and studio. It was one of the highlights of our vacation.”
Hannah looked down the staircase at the paintings. “I can’t believe you have so many amazing paintings. Do you ever worry that something will happen to them?”
“Ida bought these paintings to enjoy. If we worried about them, we wouldn’t enjoy them.” Pat led Hannah toward a room further along the landing. “This is the bedroom Mrs. Bennett thought you’d like.”
Hannah walked into the room and sighed. “It’s wonderful. Thank you.” The pale pink walls and floral curtains were soft and feminine and very pretty.
“Where would you like me to leave your suitcase?” Pat asked.
Hannah patted the quilted bedspread. “On here will be fine.” She carefully placed her backpack beside the dresser and looked through the window.
“Big Sky Resort is straight ahead of you,” Pat said as he stood beside her. “My ranch runs up to the edge of the resort and heads west and east for as far as you can see.”
“You live in a beautiful part of Montana.”
