Montana Sky

airport. I’ve got to go see her off.”
    “You okay . . . with everything?”
    “I’m living with everything. Thanks to you and Ben, I’m living.” She gave his hand a last squeeze before going to the door. “Ham.” She didn’t turn back, but spoke, staring out into the hallway. “Was he Jack Mercy’s son? Was he my brother?”
    He could have said no, and just let it die. It would’ve been easier for her. Or it might have been. But she’d always been a tough one. “I don’t know, Will. The God’s truth is, I just don’t know.”
    She nodded and told herself she would live with that, too. The never knowing.
    When she got outside, she saw Lily, already in tears and holding on to Tess for dear life.
    “Hey, you’d think I was going to Africa to become amissionary.” Tess squeezed back her own tears. “It’s only California. I’ll be back for a visit in a few months.” She patted Lily’s growing belly. “I want to be here when Junior comes.”
    “I’ll miss you so much.”
    “I’ll write, I’ll call, hell, I’ll send faxes. You’ll hardly know I’ve left.” She closed her eyes and hugged Lily fiercely. “Oh, take care of yourself. Adam.” She reached out for his hands, then went into his arms. “I’ll see you soon. I’ll be calling you for advice in case I end up buying that horse.” He murmured something. “What did that mean?”
    He kissed her cheeks. “My sister, in my heart.”
    “I’ll call,” she managed to choke out, then turned and nearly bumped into Bess.
    “Here.” Bess pushed a wicker basket into her hands. “It’s a ride to the airport, and with that appetite of yours, you’ll never make it.”
    “Thanks. Maybe I’ll lose this five pounds you put on me.”
    “It doesn’t hurt you any. You give my best to your ma.”
    “I will.”
    With a sigh, Bess touched her cheek. “You come back soon, girl.”
    “I will.” She turned blindly and stared at Willa. “Well,” she managed, “it’s been an adventure.”
    “Sure has.” Thumbs tucked in her front pockets, Willa came the rest of the way down the stairs. “You can write about it.”
    “Some of it.” She swallowed hard to steady her voice. “Try to stay out of trouble.”
    Willa lifted a brow. “I could say the same to you, in the big, bad city.”
    “It’s my city. I’ll, ah, drop you a postcard so you can see what the real world looks like.”
    “You do that.”
    “Well.” She turned. “Hell.” Shoved the basket at Nate and spun to walk into Willa’s open arms. “Damn it, I’ll really miss you.”
    “Me too.” Willa tightened her grip, clung. “Call.”
    “I will, I will. God, wear some lipstick once in a while, will you? And use that lotion I left you on your hands before they turn into leather.”
    “I love you.”
    “Oh, God, I’ve got to go.” Weeping, Tess stumbled toward the rig. “Go castrate a cow or something.”
    “I was on my way.” With a little hitching breath, Willa took out her bandanna and blew her nose as the rig rumbled away. “ ‘Bye, Hollywood.”
     
    T ESS WAS SURE SHE ’ D GOTTEN HOLD OF HERSELF BY THE time she’d checked her bags in the terminal. An hour-long cry was good enough for anyone, she thought, and Nate had been considerate enough to let her indulge in it.
    “You don’t have to come to the gate.” But she kept his hand clutched in hers.
    “I don’t mind.”
    “You’ll keep in touch.”
    “You know I will.”
    “Maybe you’ll fly in for a weekend, let me show you around.”
    “I could do that.”
    Well, he was certainly making it easy, she thought. It was all so easy. The year was up, she had what she wanted. Now it was back to her life. The way she wanted.
    “You’ll keep me up with the gossip. Fill me in on Lily and Willa. I’m going to miss them like crazy.”
    She looked around, busy people coming and going, and wished desperately for her usual excitement at the prospect of getting into the air and flying.
    “I don’t want you to wait.” She made herself look up at him. Into those patient eyes. “We’ve already said good-bye. This only makes it harder.”
    “It can’t be any harder.” He put his hands on her shoulders, ran them down her arms, up again. “I love you, Tess. You’re the first and last for me. Stay. Marry me.”
    “Nate, I . . .” Love you too, she thought. Oh, God. “Ihave to go. You know I do. My work, my career. This was only temporary. We both knew that.”
    “Things change.”