Montana Love Letter. Charlotte Carter

“I’m going to call it a night. You want me to get Raeanne for you?”

      “If you don’t mind. She’s getting almost too heavy for me to carry.” She didn’t want to risk leaving Rae sleeping with Hailey. There were still nights when her daughter woke up screaming with nightmares about the day her father had died.

      Together they walked inside. Janelle stopped at Hailey’s bedroom door.

      “I meant to comment on the good job you’re doing raising your daughter on your own. She’s a lovely girl.”

      “Thanks. She is a good kid. I’m a little worried, though, about what’ll happen when she gets to be a teenager. I’m sure not going to be able to give her much advice about dating and wearing makeup and stuff like that.”

      Janelle chuckled. “You’ll figure it out.” A father as devoted as Adam was would do just fine as long as Hailey knew how much he loved her.

      To her deep regret, Raymond hadn’t been much of a father to Raeanne. He’d been too busy on the traveling lecture circuit to pay much attention to his own daughter. Or Janelle.

      If only she’d recognized the signs earlier.

      * * *

      Janelle woke to filtered sunlight slipping in through the sheer window curtains.

      In a quick glance, she checked on Raeanne. Sound asleep, her arms curled around Ruff. As Janelle had expected, her daughter had worn herself out playing with Hailey.

      After a quick shower, she towel dried her hair, dressed and went in search of something to eat in the main house.

      She knocked on the sliding glass door and stepped inside. Adam was in the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, cooking eggs and whistling a tuneless song.

      She smiled to herself. She added can cook to his list of attributes. “Good morning. You’re an early riser.”

      He turned, flashing a broad smile, and a crease appeared in his cheek. How had she missed that engaging dimple yesterday?

      “I wasn’t sure I had anything in the house for breakfast,” he said. “So I made a quick trip to the bakery.” He gestured toward the kitchen table and a box of assorted muffins. “And when I heard you up and about, I went ahead and started on the eggs.”

      “You didn’t have to go to that much trouble. We could have gone out to eat.”

      “Now, that wouldn’t have been very hospitable of me, would it? Help yourself to some coffee.” Pulling two plates out of the cupboard, he divided the eggs and put the plates on the table. “How’s Raeanne?”

      Janelle poured herself a mug of coffee from the pot on the counter and sat down.

      “Still sleeping. I think all the fresh air is good for her.” Janelle had left the cottage door open so she could hear Rae if she called her. Or, more likely, Rae would follow the sound of voices to find Janelle.

      She sipped the coffee. Hot and rich, made with aromatic Columbian coffee beans, if the taste was any indication. The man was fussy about his coffee, she concluded.

      “Would you mind if we ate outside on the deck?” she asked. “I need to watch for Raeanne if she wakes up.”

      “Sure, no problem.” He put the plates, forks and his coffee mug on a tray he found in the cupboard. He’d apparently showered and shaved this morning, his saddle-brown hair neatly combed, his cheeks razor smooth.

      “You get the box of muffins and we’re good to go.”

      Outside, Janelle put the muffins on the small table between the Adirondack chairs and sat down. Adam handed her a plate.

      “I was thinking...” Sitting down beside her, Adam scooped up a forkful of scrambled eggs. “I’m going to close up shop about noon today. Some guys and I have a musical group, the lead plays banjo, and we’ve got a couple of guitars, bass fiddle, violin. We play country and western, and we’re scheduled to perform at the municipal park this afternoon as part of the festival.”

      “You’re a musician?” In addition to being a mechanic? And an astronomer? A regular Renaissance man.

      “Mostly I just strum along with whatever the guys are playing.” A slight flush colored his cheeks. “Anyway, I thought you and Raeanne might like to come along. Hailey’s coming, of course. There are booths with handcrafted stuff, an art display. All kinds of food stands. You could eat lunch there.”

      She took a banana-nut muffin from the box and broke off a bite. “That sounds tempting. But I think my first priority is to find a motel room somewhere.”

      He shook his head. “That’s not going to happen, at least not for tonight. I gave the Visitor Center a call again this morning. Everything’s still booked solid.”

      She gaped at him. “Are you sure?”

      “That’s what Ariel told me. So I guess you’re stuck here for another night.”

      “Stuck” wasn’t how she’d describe the situation. Adam’s guest cottage and house were way too comfortable for her to feel anything but very fortunate. “You really don’t mind us staying?”

      His lips tilted ever so slightly. “You know what they say about Bear Lake—the friendliest little town in Montana.”

      She responded with a smile of her own. “So I’ve heard.” She still wasn’t convinced staying in Adam’s cottage was a good plan. Since they were basically strangers, it felt a little too friendly. Too much of an imposition. Still, it appeared her choices were limited. “I imagine by Sunday the town will clear out.”

      “Sure. Except for the regular tourists who are en route to or from Glacier National Park.”

      “Is Bear Lake always this busy?”

      “During the summer, yeah. And pretty much during the ski season. It gets real quiet in the fall, which is my favorite time of year.”

      Janelle could understand that. Although spring, when wildflowers began to bloom, had always been her special favorite. She loved to dry flowers and make floral arrangements.

      Adam’s attention shifted to something behind Janelle. She turned and smiled at her daughter.

      “Come on, sweetie. Adam bought us some yummy muffins.” Still sleepy, her hair mussed, Raeanne climbed up in Janelle’s lap and buried her head in her mom’s chest.

      “Did you sleep okay?” Adam asked.

      Raeanne eyed him cautiously and nodded.

      “That’s good. How about your stuffed animal? Did he sleep good, too?” Adam appeared to be doing his friendly host routine.

      Raeanne looked up at Janelle in alarm. She struggled free of her grasp, slid down to the deck and raced off barefoot toward the cottage.

      Adam shrugged. “She’s really shy, isn’t she?”

      “It’s more than being shy, I’m afraid.” Janelle pulled her lip between her teeth. “She hasn’t spoken a word since her father died. She was there when he collapsed.”

      “Oh, I’m sorry.”

      “So am I. I had her in therapy for several months, but it didn’t seem to help. Which is one of the reasons why I decided to start over somewhere else.”

      His forehead furrowed and his eyes filled with sympathy. “That’s tough.”

      “Yes, it is.” For both of them. “I just have to have faith that, with the Lord’s help and a new environment, Raeanne will find her voice again.”

      * * *

      Adam opened the garage’s big doors and went into his office.

      It surprised him how much he’d liked sitting with Janelle on the deck having breakfast together. Even with her hair wet from a