Chapter 10
The following morning, Levi descended the stairs to the smell of coffee and frying salt pork.
Eleanor stood at the stove, turning strips of sizzling pork with a practiced hand, while Nora sat in her chair, banging a wooden spoon with cheerful abandon.
When Levi entered the kitchen, Eleanor glanced up briefly.
His daughter smiled and cooed before redoubling her efforts with the wooden spoon.
Eleanor plated the food and set it on the table quietly.
She was deliberately avoiding looking him in the eye.
The realization made his chest tighten as he sat down. The silence between them thickened, growing dense and uncomfortable. Unable to stand it any longer, Levi cleared his throat. “Louisa… I am sorry for walking out last night. That was not fair to you.”
She paused and set her fork down without taking a bite.
For the first time that morning, she looked at him.
There was so much emotion in her eyes that he could not figure out what she was thinking.
“I am not sorry you kissed me,” she said, the words landing with quiet force.
Levi felt heat rise in his neck. Before he could respond, Nora sent a piece of bread flying, nearly clocking her father in the head.
She giggled, hiding behind her wooden spoon as if that might make her invisible.
The interruption broke the tension, and both of them turned their attention to the child.
“Bread is for eating, silly girl. How about we try to get it in our mouth next time, okay?”
With Nora nibbling on a new piece of crust, Eleanor resumed her own breakfast, but Levi could not find the stomach to eat.
After a moment, he spoke again. “There is a church picnic this afternoon. The whole valley comes out. There will be plenty of food, games for the children, and music, too. I would like to attend this year, and I would like it very much if you accompanied me.”
Eleanor looked up. Again, a storm of emotion swirled in her eyes that Levi could not decipher. He held his breath, half expecting that she might reject the idea, but then she nodded. “I will be there.”
The rest of the breakfast was business as usual, with casual conversation flowing between them.
Neither one of them mentioned the kiss or the events of last night again.
Still, it nagged at the pastor, demanding attention, but he kept his mouth shut on the matter.
Instead, he talked about the weather and how Nora seemed to be in much better health lately.
When the meal ended, Levi rose, kissed the top of Nora’s head, and stepped out into the bright morning.
He walked the short distance to Hector’s office.
The doctor was already at his desk, sorting through his medical bag and restocking it in case he needed to make a house call.
At Levi’s arrival, he poured a cup of coffee without asking.
“You look like a man carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders,” Hector said. “In my experience, coffee helps, but you are also welcome to sit down and chat if you think it’ll ease your mind.”
Levi took the cup and sat with a heavy sigh. “I kissed Louisa last night, then walked out of my own kitchen like a coward.”
Hector leaned back, studying him over his pitched fingers. “Do you know why you reacted that way?”
“Because the last woman I kissed in that kitchen is buried behind the church.” Levi’s voice was rough.
He paused, sipped his coffee, and the bitterness of the roast tightened his mouth, leaving him silent for a while.
“But last night… I looked at Louisa and felt something I had no right to feel so soon. I guess I did not want to face that reality, so I ran.”
Hector was quiet for a long moment. “Ruth has been dead for nearly two years, Levi. Grief is not a debt you owe forever. Louisa sat up all night with your daughter when she was sick. She cares for the child, and as far as I can tell, Louisa is not a woman simply passing through. She’s your wife, and I would suggest you stop running from your own happiness.
You’ve carried enough sadness for a lifetime. ”
Levi stared into his coffee. The words settled like stones, yet he knew they held the truth. His fingers tightened around the mug.
Hector continued, “I’m heading out to the Donnelly homestead tomorrow morning.”
Levi nodded, grateful for the change of subject. “What for?” he asked.
“The boy broke his leg last week, and I want to check on how it's healing.”
“How’d he manage that?” Levi asked, if only to pass the time talking about other matters.
That afternoon, the church picnic unfolded on the wide grassy field beside the church, blessed by a clear Montana sky.
Families arrived from all over, rolling in on wagons or arriving on foot.
Quilts were spread over the grass, and baskets of food were set on long trestle tables.
Laughter and conversation filled the air.
Levi carried Nora in his arms as he and Eleanor walked together from the parsonage.
For the first time, they were walking into the community as a family.
Heads turned, with kind smiles and nods of approval.
Grace met them near the tables and immediately reached for Nora, smiling brightly at the little girl.
“Come here, sweet girl. Let your mama and papa eat.”
With Nora happily settled in Grace’s care, Levi and Eleanor filled their plates. They sat side by side on a quilt, the steady cadence of the gathering flowing around them even though they did not contribute to it. What was there to say? What could he say that would make things right?
Shortly thereafter, the games began. Children gathered for various races that ended in laughter and tumbles.
Eleanor watched them with an expression Levi wished he could decipher.
Once again, he wished he could get inside her head and figure out what she was thinking.
She did not regret their kiss, but what did that mean?
Did she want their relationship to evolve beyond convenience?
If so, why did he still get the sense that she was holding back?
Levi excused himself and joined the men at a game of horseshoe.
He rolled up his sleeves and threw well on his first turn, but when he lined up his second toss, he heard Eleanor’s laugh, clear and bright, carrying across the yard.
It completely distracted him, making him blunder the throw.
Cora Teague had taken his spot on the quilt and had evidently said something that had made his wife throw back her head in genuine amusement.
It was the first time Levi had heard her laugh so truly and so deeply since her arrival at Deer Lodge. The sound hit him like warm sunlight.
The men ribbed him mercilessly. “Pastor’s got his mind on something sweeter than horseshoes!
” one opponent called. Levi accepted the teasing with a sheepish grin and stepped out of the game as soon as it was over, choosing to return to his family.
He took a seat next to Eleanor, their arms brushing, and felt a rush of joy that filled his chest. He let out a breath, wondering if she could feel it, too.
Agnes Hartwell soon joined them and brought over her daughter-in-law. The young woman looked pale and tired, with one hand resting low on her swollen belly.
“Louisa, this is Sarah,” Agnes said warmly. “She’s been eager to meet you properly.”
Eleanor greeted her with a friendly smile. “How are you getting along, Sarah?”
Sarah sighed as she sat down, supporting her back. “It’s getting harder. I can’t sleep comfortably on my left side anymore, I’m afraid.”
Levi noticed Eleanor’s gaze briefly drop to the way Sarah carried herself. When she spoke next, her voice softened. “Try sleeping propped up with a pillow behind your back. It may help ease the pressure, and it certainly won’t hurt.”
Sarah nodded gratefully. The women shifted their conversation to other topics for a few minutes before Agnes excused herself and led her daughter-in-law to some shade where she could rest. Eleanor watched as the pregnant woman gulped down lemonade, her gaze laced with concern, yet she did not intrude on their affairs.
As the afternoon waned, Levi and Eleanor gathered Nora and began the walk home. The little girl had tuckered herself out with all the excitement and now slept soundly against Eleanor’s shoulder. The path was quiet, with golden light stretching across the grass.
Their hands brushed between them. Levi did not pull away as he might have in the past. Instead, he thought of what Eleanor had told him that morning and laced his fingers through hers.
Eleanor stilled for a moment, then squeezed his hand in acknowledgment.
They walked the rest of the way hand in hand.
At the porch, Eleanor turned to him. The setting sun caught in her gray eyes and in the loose strands of hair that had escaped her braid. “Today was a good day,” she said softly. “I enjoyed my time with you.”
Levi looked at her, seeing the woman who had crossed a continent to stand here with his child in her arms and her hand in his. “It was,” he agreed, a rare smile on his face.
For a moment, they stood in the quiet evening, the weight of new possibility hanging between them. Levi felt the urge to kiss her again, but he held back, not wanting to take too much. For now, he was content with the warmth of her fingers and the promise of more good days ahead.