"I guess so." Even as she murmured agreement, her mind sorted through the idea. Could God have possibly orchestrated bringing her to the Montana Territory, then meeting and marrying Two Stones? Did that mean He'd intended for her father to die also?
That last thought seemed more in line with the unrelenting rod of the stern God she'd experienced in Savannah, but not the one Dinah spoke of.
Who was right? Was there a way to blend the two into a Deity who made sense? Or perhaps He was a fickle God, commanding events according to his whim and pleasure.
Her middle tightened. If that were the case, it seemed she'd somehow managed to move into His good graces in marrying Two Stones. Maybe, for the first time in her life, she could finally settle into a happy existence.
Dinah paused in the midst of her stirring, studying Heidi with a scrutinizing gaze.
Sweat prickled at her neck. What had she done wrong? Did her thoughts show?
But Dinah nodded toward the door. "Why don't you go outside and cool off? I'll watch the cookies and take them out when they're finished. You've been working all morning and you look overheated."
Heidi shook her head. "I'll stay and stir that while you go outside." She reached for the spoon in Dinah's hand.
But Dinah edged her out of the way. "I'll come out as soon as this is done. You go now." A slight frown gathered at her brow. "You’re flushed. The cold air will feel good."
Shewashot, especially standing by the stove, so she washed her hands in the basin, then headed for the door. "I'll see if anyone needs help out there." She was too warm to wear the fur cape Two Stones had given her, but she reached for the wool coat.
She stepped out into the crisp winter breeze. Relief flowed through her as the cold nipped her cheeks. She drew a deep breath, relishing the sharp clarity of the air as it filled her lungs.
She paused to take in her bearings, her gaze lifting to the distant mountains that rose through a gap in the tree line. There was a majestic beauty in those peaks that crept inside her, weaving its way to her very core. In this place she could be free. No matter the challenges of survival, at least she had the same chance as the next person.
She brought her focus to the clearing around her. The barn seemed quiet now, though there had been plenty of activity around it each time she'd stepped outside for water.
She slipped on her coat and started toward the structure, the snow crunching under her boots. The older section of barn stood weathered and rusty, a testament to the years it had endured and the many, many snowfalls. The new construction had its own walk-thru door. That must be the bunkhouse Dinah had mentioned, where the younger brothers and Sean slept.
When she reached the open barn door, she peered inside, hesitating for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the darkness within.
"Hello?" No voices answered, only the rustle of animals in the stalls. Where had everyone gone? No one had said they were going to check on the herds. Might they have ridden down to the creek for something?
As she walked into the shadowy interior, her footsteps echoed around her, amplifying the quiet. A cow offered a quiet moo as she passed one of the enclosures, and she nearly jumped at the sound. She moved toward the animal. "Hello there."
The cow munched hay and eyed her.
The hairs on the back of Heidi’s neck stood on end, and she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, half-expecting to see someone—or something—coming in from the daylight outside.
But there was nothing, only the light streaming through the open door.
She turned and started back that way. Her gelding and Two Stones's horses had been penned in the corral outside. They would welcome attention, no doubt.
She left the barn and approached the corral, where the three horses grazed on hay. Two Stones's riding horse flicked its short tail slowly, the natural movement easing some of the tension in her chest.
Her own gelding gave a soft snort and wandered toward her. She met him at the fence, reaching through to rub the flat part of his forehead, then his favorite spot on his jaw. "You're such a good boy."
The horse nuzzled her arm affectionately, and she moved to rub his neck.
The crunch of boots on snow sounded behind her, and she turned to see which of the Coulters approached.
Her breath caught at the figure emerging from the shadows of the nearby trees.
The companion of the man she'd shot. Her mind scrambled for his name. Fitz? Walker was the older man, the one she’d killed. Her throat burned as it always did with that though.
"Remember me?" His growl dripped with anger.
Heidi's heart pounded loud in her ears. "Why are you here?" And why hadn’t she tucked her pistol in her waistband beforeleaving the cabin? She’d felt so safe surrounded by the Coulters, but this proved that danger truly lurked everywhere.
He took another menacing step toward her. "You're going to pay for what you did."
