Beloved Hope (Heart of the Frontier Book #2) by Tracie Peterson

Author:Tracie Peterson [Peterson, Tracie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Christian fiction, Historical Fiction, Frontier and pioneer life—Fiction, FIC042030, FIC042040, FIC014000, Love stories
ISBN: 9781441265432
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2017-07-04T04:00:00+00:00

“I just wish Alex would send me a message and let me know that he’s all right,” Grace said as she sat at the table, grinding herbs.

“It’s not like he can run to the post office.” Hope brought Grace the glass jars she’d asked for earlier. “It’s not even that easy to get to one of the forts. Not from the areas he’s visiting.”

Grace nodded. “I know, but I’d still like to hear from him. It’s been weeks.”

Hope went back to measuring out the ingredients for a cake. It was Uncle Edward’s birthday, and they’d invited the entire family for a celebratory meal. At the last minute, Grace had suggested they extend the invitation to Lance as well, and Hope thought it would be nice to see him again. She’d noticed him at church on Sunday, speaking with Pastor Masterson, but Grace had wanted to get home, and there hadn’t been time to exchange pleasantries.

She hadn’t spoken to Lance since the Fourth of July dance, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been on her mind. It was strange to find him constantly there, in fact. She supposed it was because he was kind and undemanding. Other young men seemed to have only one thing on their minds—marriage. Women in the territory, although more plentiful now than they had been even two years earlier, were still scarce. Hope found complete strangers asking for her hand. For that matter, she’d heard them ask Mercy as well.

“Have you talked to Mercy about love and marriage?” Hope asked, glancing at Grace.

Grace looked up in surprise. “What brought that question to mind?”

“She and I are both proposed to all the time. I just wondered if you had ever talked to her about such things. Mama talked to me, but I was given to flirt and think myself in love from the time I was twelve. Mercy’s never been like that.”

“No, I suppose she hasn’t. I doubt Mama ever spoke to her about it and probably thought she was too young. When I look at her I still think her too young.”

Hope nodded. “So do I, but that doesn’t stop men from thinking otherwise. Toby Masterson certainly isn’t thinking of her that way. You should have seen the two of them at the dance.”

Grace’s expression grew serious and she frowned. “I suppose you’re right. I should talk to her.”

Three hours later, the family shared a lovely lunch. Grace had put Lance beside Hope at the table, making it hard to focus on anything but his presence. Throughout the meal, he asked her questions and told her about cleaning out the cabin. After a while, she found herself relaxed and enjoying the meal as if the past had never happened. When she realized she hadn’t thought of the massacre at all that day, it surprised her.

When everyone seemed to have eaten their fill, Hope brought out the birthday cake for Uncle Edward. “Did you save room for this?” she asked.

“Well, if that don’t beat all.” Edward smiled and elbowed his eldest son.

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