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stay in bed and recover from her journey. But his sister had been adamant. She’d wanted the family to attend service together, the three of them.
    Family . It was almost a foreign term to him. Had been since his parents died the year he was twenty-one and Alice fifteen. That was the same year he’d started working for the express company in San Francisco. His sister had been in the care of neighbors in Oregon, so he hadn’t worried about her. He’d sent money to see that she had what she needed. And he’d meant to go back to see her. Soon. Someday. But someday had never come. Just over a year later, sixteen-year-old Alice had married Edward Jackson and moved with her new husband to Wisconsin. After that, there’d been no point in Matthew going back to Oregon, no point in settling down in any one place. That’s how he’d lived for more than a decade.
    But his first week in Grand Coeur hadn’t been all that bad. He’d kept busy, learning again the duties of an express agent from William Washburn. In the evenings, he’d readied the house for his sister and nephew’s arrival. He’d even convinced himself that he might not mind staying in one place as much as he’d thought. Not for a couple of months. Surely that was all it would take to restore Alice to good health.
    The congregation rose to sing a final hymn, Shannon Adair once more playing the organ.
    A smile crept onto his lips. Miss Adair was an accomplished young woman and very easy on the eyes. No argument there. But if her nose was stuck any higher in the air when she looked at him and others, she’d be in danger of tipping over backward.
    With the closing prayer said, Reverend Adair walked down the center aisle of the church and waited by the exit to shake hands. His daughter remained at the organ, playing some familiar hymns.
    Matthew stepped into the aisle and offered his arm to Alice. She slipped her hand into the crook and allowed him to guide her toward the door, Todd on her other side.
    “Pleasure to see you again, Mr. Dubois,” the reverend said, shaking his free right hand. “And this must be your sister.”
    “Yes. Reverend, may I introduce Alice Jackson and her son, Todd.”
    “How do you do, Mrs. Jackson?”
    “Good day, Reverend. I enjoyed your sermon a great deal. I shall endeavor to put it into practice.”
    “God bless you. Would that many in the congregation do so.”
    “Was that your daughter playing the organ?”
    “Yes, indeed.”
    “I hope to get to meet her and tell her how well she plays. I’ve always envied those with musical abilities.”
    “I’ll make certain the two of you are introduced soon. Like you, she is new to Grand Coeur. I know she will welcome the opportunity to make a friend close to her own age.”
    “Then I shall look forward to it.”
    Matthew felt Alice’s grip tightening on his arm and sensed she was tiring even as they stood there. He bid the reverend a pleasant afternoon and escorted her down the steps. As he’d done the day before, he allowed her to set the pace as they walked toward home, and once again he was reminded that he hadn’t yet asked her for more details about her ailment. He needed to change that and would do so as soon as she was rested.

    After a Sunday dinner of chicken potpie, Delaney Adair lay down to rest and was soon asleep. Not wishing to wake him, Shannon went outside onto the small porch and sat on one of two chairs placed there.
    The day was pleasant, warm but not hot, and without the humidity that made one’s clothing stick to the skin. Shannon could appreciate that. And she supposed the surrounding hillsides would be pretty if they were still covered in trees. At least the tall pine growing by the corner of the house had been spared.
    The church and parsonage were built on a hillside, giving Shannon a view of Grand Coeur. Not that it was a pleasant view. But the early morning haze of wood smoke had drifted away on a gentle breeze, and that was a blessing.
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