Her cheeks flushed as their eyes met. “Oh. It’s all right. I’m only glad I could be of service. Ross is a wonderful boy. You - you’ve raised him well.” She spoke softly with her sweet accent. His eyes studied the blush that crept across her face.
Zack hadn’t given her a good look for a while. He wasn’t sure why.
The young woman was beautiful. Though he thought he had noticed her pretty face upon her arrival, now he wasn’t so certain. She had a sweet little nose and full lips with sparkling eyes. The birthmark didn’t change anything, not really. Della was truly beautiful.
Swallowing hard, he forced himself to look away. He didn’t want to be caught staring. Besides, he didn’t know what else to say. So he gave her a nod and left the room.
Chapter 11
“Oh, you’ll love it,” Leah assured Della as she pulled out a bonnet. “Ah, here you go. This should fit you well.”
It was a lovely bonnet with a fine trim. Though not quite as nice as something her mother would approve of, Della knew it fit well in the wild landscape of Montana. She gently ran a finger over the lace as she offered Leah a hesitant smile. “Thank you, but I’m not so certain. What if your foreman needs something?”
The Sabbath had arrived again. For the past two Sundays, there had been enough of a reason not to attend church. She had yet to explore town and though she was curious about Dawson, Della knew that people would be even more curious about her. The very idea of people staring made her stomach queasy.
But now, Leah was insisting she join them. After all, it was about time she went somewhere else between the two ranches. Now that Ross was in much better health, there weren’t any other excuses keeping her out of town. At least, not that Della could convince the woman.
“Daniel?” Leah chuckled. “Of course he won’t. He knows we are attending church. Besides, it’s his job to take care of everything. Don’t you want to join us? It’s the last sermon before Christmas this week.”
They would stare. People always stared. She was certain that even some of Leah’s family had stared before forcing themselves to look away. Her hand raised up to pull on her hair in the hopes of hiding the birthmark.
“I don’t want to cause a commotion,” Della mumbled thickly with her eyes downcast.
Leah scoffed. “Unless you trip and bring the roof down, I think you’re fine. It’s winter, dear. Everyone will be worrying about themselves. And it’s Christmas, so people are much too distracted to care if you break something. Why do you think you would cause a commotion otherwise?”
The woman had her hands on her hips with a stern expression when Della looked up. She opened her mouth to explain, but it couldn’t be more obvious. Of course Leah saw the birthmark. It couldn’t be ignored. They had spent weeks together. But, Della realized, the woman didn’t care.
Her heart thumped loudly against her ribcage as she realized how kind Leah truly was. It was a sweet enough notion of feeling seen that she could feel her eyes beginning to mist. Della turned away and put the bonnet on. She needed a moment to gather her emotions. Once the bonnet was on, she managed a smile back at Leah.
“To church?”
The other woman chuckled as she looped their arms. “To church.”
Though Leah clearly didn’t care or stare, Della noticed others studying her as they entered the small church building. She ducked her head in the hopes of not seeing everyone. But she could still feel the stares all itchy across her spine.
“Della!”
She jerked her head up to find Ross racing down the aisle to her. Her heart immediately lightened as she opened her arms to welcome him into a tight hug. The boy appeared in much better health, and he was dressed in his Sunday best. The boy looked charming, and he gripped her tight to show he had all his strength back. It made her heart glad, and she couldn’t resist kissing the top of his head.
When she glanced up, she caught sight of Zack. He was staring at them with a strange look in his eyes. A flush crept up her cheeks as she slowly let go of Ross. She hoped he didn’t mind. Ross was a darling boy, and it was impossible not to adore him. Especially after spending days together. Both of them craved something more, she realized, and they couldn’t help but to bond.
“It is so very good to see you,” she assured him but then gestured to his father. “We’re about to start, and I think you should return to your father.”
“Will I see you at family supper tonight?” he asked her hopefully.
She pinched his cheek teasingly. “Only if you can find me.”
He scampered off, and she joined Leah with her family at their usual seats. The sermon began but Della’s mind wandered. Leah and little Ross had welcomed her from the beginning in Dawson. They were kind, generous, and liked her for who she was.
Was it enough?
The doubts continued to grow, settling in a heavy pit in her stomach. Even the hymns couldn’t help her feel better. Della worried that coming out west had been a mistake. Everyone liked her but the one person who was supposed to want her there the most.
Zack hardly talked to her and when he did, it was hardly about the two of them.
Besides, it was clear his missives had not been honest. He hadn’t told her about
