His Montana Bride. Brenda Minton

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       Chapter Three

      The church service ended with a prayer and a closing song. Katie sat for a moment, reflecting on the words of the sermon, a sermon about faith and persevering in troubled times. She couldn’t say that she’d ever really had troubled times. Her life hadn’t been perfect, but she’d never gone without or faced real tragedies.

      Next to her, Cord moved and stood. She wondered if he would leave now and continue with the fishing trip he had planned. Before she could ask, a lightning streak of a girl zoomed down the aisle of the church and grabbed his hand. She appeared to be a preteen, perhaps ten or eleven years of age. Her blond hair was braided and she wore jeans and a sweater. With a look she dismissed Katie.

      “Cord, you’re at church!”

      “Yes, I am. Don’t act so surprised.”

      She laughed and held on to his hand, at the same time shooting Katie a curious look. “But you never come to church. I thought you would pick me up at Grammy’s.”

      A daughter? Katie watched, wondering but knowing it had nothing to do with her. She stood and glanced around, looking for Julie, because with Cord’s younger sister she felt as if she had a friend in the strange world she’d been left in. She would thank Gwen for that. For making her feel like a pet left on the side of the road.

      Cord was speaking to the girl and Katie overheard part of the conversation. “Since I’m here I don’t have to pick you up at your grammy’s.”

      “Who is she?” the young girl asked.

      “She’s Katie and she’s staying with my parents. Don’t be rude.”

      Miss Preteen stared Katie down, curious and territorial. “Are you getting married?”

      “No, my sister is,” Katie answered.

      “Then shouldn’t she be here?”

      Katie smiled at that, liking the girl even if she asked a lot of questions. “She should, but she had to go to work. Now, you know a lot about me, why don’t you tell me your name.”

      “Marci.” Marci had big brown eyes and nothing about her features, her hair or eyes, resembled Cord Shaw.

      “I see. And are you going fishing with Cord?”

      Marci shook her head. “No, he was supposed to go fishing and then take me riding.”

      Katie couldn’t help that she wanted to know who the girl was to Cord. But neither Marci nor Cord seemed to be giving up details.

      “That sounds like fun,” was all she could think to say. She glanced around, still looking for Julie. She saw her finally, holding the hand of her fiancé, Ryan, and chatting with a group of people similar in age. She knew from Julie’s sister, Faith, that Ryan Travers had come to town for the rodeo and stayed. The reason for his putting down roots in Jasper Gulch was pretty obvious as he smiled at the young woman holding his arm. Katie looked away, uncomfortable with that easy gesture between Julie and Ryan.

      The sun shone through the golden stained-glass windows of the church, catching everything in the warm light. Katie forgot the crowd of people. She forgot the turmoil of the past few days. She allowed Cord to step away with the girl, Marci, the two deep in conversation that had nothing to do with her.

      The golden light, the soft scent of wood polish and the hum of conversations, it all melded together and Katie felt the peace she’d been looking for. When she went home to Missoula, she would find a church like this one.

      Or maybe she would never leave Jasper Gulch. The thought took her by surprise. It was a silly idea, one that came out of nowhere and made no sense. She couldn’t stay here. She didn’t have a job, probably couldn’t find a job and she didn’t have family in the area. What would she do in Jasper Gulch?

      “Katie, there you are.” Julie appeared in front of her and Katie managed a smile, shaking free from random thoughts of moving, leaving behind the life she had in Missoula.

      “Here I am,” she responded with a smile.

      “We’re all going to town for lunch. Do you want to join us?”

      Katie looked around, searching for Cord. He’d walked off and was a short distance away, Marci next to him. The older woman he was speaking to had to be Marci’s grandmother. As the two adults talked, Marci shifted from foot to foot. The girl turned, caught Katie’s gaze on her and smiled. Katie returned the gesture but then focused on Julie’s question about lunch. Cord had moved on with his own plans. She could move on with hers. Not that she really had plans.

      “Lunch would be good,” she told Julie. “Where will we go?”

      “The diner in town has a Sunday special. Usually something yummy like pot roast or fried chicken.” Julie looked from Katie to Cord and back to Katie. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Unless you have other plans.”

      “No, of course not. I was just thinking that I probably need to find another ride to the Shaw ranch. Cord seems to have plans and I don’t want him to feel like he has to give me a ride.”

      Julie nodded in agreement. “He usually does something with Marci on Sundays. It’s their day together.”

      “I see.” But she didn’t see. “Is her mother here?”

      Julie’s smile dissolved and she shook her head. “No, Marci’s mom died when she was a baby. Her grandmother, Lulu Jenson, has raised her.”

      The story settled in Katie’s heart and she felt a wave of pain she hadn’t expected. She shouldn’t have asked, but now that she knew Marci’s story it mattered. It made sense of a man she barely knew, made him more real, more like someone a woman would want to spend time with.

      “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

      “It isn’t as if it’s a secret. Cord would have told you, if he’d had a moment to spare.”

      Katie didn’t agree, but she didn’t say that to Julie. To Cord Shaw, Katie was practically a stranger. He didn’t owe her stories about his life or about a child that seemed a very big part of his life.

      “She’s cute and she obviously loves your brother.”

      At that Julie laughed. “She does love him and he does spoil her rotten. Sometimes I think he uses her as an excuse, though.”

      Katie pretended not to hear the last comment made by a sister about her older brother. What Cord did in his personal life was really none of her business. For that reason she changed the subject. “Are you sure you have room for me?”

      Julie slipped an arm through Katie’s. “Of course we do. There are plenty of us Shaws here at church, so we’ll have more room heading over to the diner. I’m riding with Ryan and you can go with us.”