Paradise Peak (New Americana 5)

will that be?”

Travis forced himself to speak. “Sunday morning.”

After the spring dance. That way, if he was asked to leave Paradise Peak, he’d at least have one more perfect memory of Hannah and the family he’d grown to love to carry in his heart with him.

* * *

Red’s hamburgers were grilled to perfection, a warm spring breeze blew across the freshly stained deck of the lodge, and the solar lights strung along the deck rails sparkled to life as the sun slowly set, giving way to a starry night sky.

This Friday evening dinner should’ve been as pleasant and relaxing as all the others, but Hannah couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Or, more to the point, something was up with the men who sat at the table.

Red, who sat at the head of the table, had toyed with the swan napkin beside his plate for most of the meal, and shot anxious looks at Margaret as she talked a mile a minute. Travis, seated to Margaret’s right, had smiled politely and nodded occasionally, giving the impression that he was interested in every word she said, but each time Margaret had paused to catch a breath, he’d stared at the mountain range with a somber expression on his face.

And those guilty shadows in his eyes—the ones she’d noticed the night Margaret had hugged him at the One Stop Motel—had returned full force.

Hannah reached across the table and squeezed Travis’s hand. “Are you feeling all right? You’ve barely said two words all evening.”

He glanced in her direction and smiled—the action forced and his mouth tight—then looked down at the formal dinner plate, still full of food, that Margaret had placed in front of him an hour ago. “I’m fine.”

Hardly. Hannah frowned. He’d barely touched his meal and had yet to look her in the eyes since they’d joined Red and Margaret on the deck for dinner. And over the past few days, she’d noticed that the more the ranch had thrived with the new improvements, the quieter and more withdrawn Travis had become.

Just last night, as they’d sat on the front porch and watched the Carrollton boys chase fireflies, she’d asked Travis in the most undemanding way she could manage if he’d thought about having children. She’d held her breath, waiting for his answer and hoping he’d open up to her about his wishes for the future, hoping that maybe, he’d grown to care for her as much as she had for him. And for a moment, he’d looked at her in such a way that she thought he might finally open up.

But he hadn’t. Instead, he’d only offered a quiet, one-word reply, kissed her good night as usual a couple hours later, then returned to his room, leaving her to crawl into her bed, frustrated and longing for his touch, for the umpteenth night in a row.

Seemed it would take a much more drastic act to snag his attention.

Shaking her head, she leaned closer and whispered, “Something’s wrong. I can see it on your face. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

Travis hesitated, then moved to speak. “I need t—”

“And do you know what Phillip and Niki did next?” Margaret tapped her hands on the table and raised her eyebrows at Red. “They took the bet and held an impromptu father and daughter pool tournament after the dinner party, won every round, and donated all the proceeds to a children’s charity.” Smiling, she sighed. “Oh, Phillip always did know how to have a good time, and Niki was always up for anything when it came to her father.”

Red shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. “Speaking of a good time, Carl told me earlier this afternoon, before he left, that you’d asked him to bring by a portable dance floor?”

Margaret nodded. “I hope you and Travis won’t mind putting it together tomorrow afternoon before the party? Carl said it’s one of those snap together deals, so it shouldn’t be too much trouble to set up.”

Red smiled stiffly. “No problem. Though, I thought we’d agreed to just use the field across from the stable.”

“Oh, but a dance floor will keep everyone’s nice shoes out of the grass and dirt.” Margaret elbowed Hannah good-naturedly and winked. “Our high heels will be safe.”

“Hannah doesn’t wear high heels,” Red pointed out.

Wincing at the angry note in Red’s voice, Hannah sneaked a glance at Travis, her cheeks burning. “It might be nice to dress up just this once.” She smiled at Margaret. “I told Margaret I would. As a matter of fact, I was planning to swing by and see Gloria tomorrow to pick out a dr—”

“And not too many people are gonna dress to the nines for an outdoor dance anyway,” Red interrupted, eyeing Margaret. “I’ve told guests it’s an informal celebration where they can kick back, relax, and enjoy each other’s company.”

“But I’ve already told most of the ladies that the dance is to be a formal affair,” Margaret countered. “And it’s not just for my enjoyment. Gloria received a shipment of new stock for her store last month that she’d ordered before the fire. There are several beautiful dresses and suits in those boxes, and besides a few hardware items, that clothing is the only merchandise Gloria and Vernon have available at the moment. Selling a few items would help boost their income and several women have already bought dresses. It’d be a shame to change the plan now.”

Red frowned. “Well, I wouldn’t want to hurt Gloria and Vernon’s income, so I’ll go along with that, but everything else”—he drew a line in the air with both hands—“stays exactly as I originally planned.”

Travis shifted uneasily in his seat, and Hannah glanced at Margaret, who nibbled her bottom lip and twisted her hands together.

“Except for maybe one thing,” Margaret said in a small voice. “I asked Carl to set up a stage tomorrow afternoon and I’ve found two bands that are available for performing tomorrow night. I just need to decide which group to go with.”

Red’s cheeks turned scarlet.

Laughing, Margaret spread her hands. “And of course, we’ll need tables and chairs around the dance floor as well as decorations. And a tent for—”