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Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Katie Powner
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. ONE
  8. TWO
  9. THREE
  10. FOUR
  11. FIVE
  12. SIX
  13. SEVEN
  14. EIGHT
  15. NINE
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. TWENTY
  27. TWENTY-ONE
  28. TWENTY-TWO
  29. TWENTY-THREE
  30. TWENTY-FOUR
  31. TWENTY-FIVE
  32. TWENTY-SIX
  33. TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. TWENTY-NINE
  36. THIRTY
  37. THIRTY-ONE
  38. THIRTY-TWO
  39. THIRTY-THREE
  40. THIRTY-FOUR
  41. THIRTY-FIVE
  42. THIRTY-SIX
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. About the Author
  61. Back Ads
  62. Back Cover

The old tale comforts me. When Mitch was little, I would say, “Look! Miner McGee turned his headlamp on,” and Mitch would frown and ask, “Does Miner McGee really live up there?” Always skeptical, he was. But not Bea. No, when Mitch’s daughter came along, my only grandchild, she would beg me to tell the story over and over, drinking it like water. She never questioned why an old man would live up there alone. Never questioned why the light only appeared on sunny days. Her only concern was, “What if he never finds the Big Sky Diamond?”

“He will,” I would say. “He’ll never give up.”

The sun sinks lower, and the light disappears. The story fades away. First Mitch grew up and out of the story, then Bea.

I wonder what my son is doing.

Rand’s boots scrape against the ancient porch as he struggles out of his seat. “You comin’?”

“In a minute.”

He plods back into the house, his right leg dragging a little behind. His shoulders stooped under the burden of seventy-one years of hard living. Lord Almighty, I love that man. Forty-four years together and I’ve never wanted any other life. Never wondered if we could weather any storm Montana threw our way.

Until now.

TWO

ch-fig

Bea Michaels rubbed her eyes, blinked three times, and looked again. Yep. The two blue lines were still there.

“Hot coffee.” Her version of a much stronger term fell a little flat. “Hot, hot, hot, hot coffee.”

A rush of emotions crowded her heart. Her whole body. Joy, fear, confusion, anxiety, and amazement battled for control, flushing her cheeks and tingling her toes. This couldn’t be real. Couldn’t be true. But the little white stick said it was.

She was going to be a mom.

A strangled cry-laugh welled up from her throat, and she covered her mouth with one hand. Tears pricked her eyes. There was a baby inside her. Right at this very moment, her and Jeremy’s child was growing. But she wasn’t much more than a kid herself, was she? Even though she’d turned twenty-one a couple months ago, she’d never felt less like an adult.

She thought she’d have more time to prepare. More confidence about the future. More . . . something.

The sound of the apartment door slamming made her jump. Jeremy was home. But she wasn’t ready to face him. She didn’t know how to do this.

Why did you leave me, Mom? She gasped for breath and covered her face with her hands.

He found her standing in the bathroom, bawling.

“Whoa, Bea.” He ran to her and gently put his hands on her shoulders. “Are you okay? What’s the matter?”

“Y-yes.” She worked to force words out between sobs. “I don’t know. My m-mom will never . . . n-never . . .”

His face softened, and he pulled her close. “You’re missing your mom today?”