CHAPTER 29
12 Days Later
Haley stood sipping a clear soda trying to settle her churning stomach while Axel and his family received visitors into the horse arena. The arena was now home to some six dozen families whose homes had been destroyed by the tornado. But today, the cots and personal belongings had been cleared away. In their place, tables and chairs had been set up for a memorial service and barbecue. Warren’s service would be the last, and possibly biggest, of the seven people who’d lost their lives in the tornado.
The governor had declared Prairie a disaster area, and with that, the National Guard and FEMA had boots on the ground, facilitating cleanup and the long, slow process of determining how to rebuild. Or if to rebuild, as she’d heard in occasional mutterings from townspeople.
Jamey Sinclaire and Dottie had teamed up to provide food every day in the town park, one of the first places to be fully cleared. Almost immediately, they’d set up grills and cooking stations for people to bring their perishable food. Millie Prescott, who ran the organic grocery, cleared out her shelves. Her store had sustained some damage, but not the total devastation of Main Street. But without power, food would still go bad. In spite of the tragedy, and largely thanks to Jamey and Dottie, the park had an air of festivity. People would gather and stay well into the night, talking and connecting.
She and Axel had barely seen each other. Every spare moment was spent volunteering on cleanup or cooking crew. At night, they’d fall into bed and into each other’s arms, clinging to each other while they slept. Axel had made her promise not to do anything strenuous, and she’d willingly done so. At any other time, his protectiveness might have pissed her off. But after this ordeal, she understood why. Promising to take care of herself, and by extension, the baby, was easy.
The seats and tables filled, and Haley did her best to stay out of the way. She stole a glance at Axel in the receiving line. Her heart gave an erratic thump. They’d been too tired for lovemaking, and too sad. But seeing him clad in black denims that hugged his hips and thighs, tugged at something deep and low within her. He looked goooood. His reddish scruff stood out against the white of his shirt, and his hair peeked out from under his black Stetson, curling around his collar.
As the last person came through the line, Axel glanced over and grinned when they made eye contact. So what if he’d caught her staring? She needed a little eye candy in her life right now. They all did.
He motioned her over, and nudged Gunnar, tilting his head to whisper something in his ear. Whatever he said made Gunnar nod in agreement. When she got close, Axel wrapped an arm around her waist, hand settling possessively at her hip. The tight knot of anxiety that had been her constant companion these last twelve days, began to melt away. They might not have things worked out, but Axel always made her feel cherished… wanted.
Axel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and leaned in, brushing his mouth across the sensitive skin there. “Mmmm. You smell delicious, as always.”
A little shiver of warmth danced through her, reminding her just how long it had been since they’d made love.
Gunnar rolled his eyes good naturedly. “Get a room you two.”
“What? I can’t kiss my woman when I’m happy to see her?”
Gunnar turned to her. “Before my brother loses himself completely in your charms, we have a question for you.”
“All of us do,” Maddie Sinclaire chimed in as she bounced Henry in a sling.
Haley didn’t know Maddie that well, but she’d been impressed with the woman’s strength in the aftermath. Her eyes were tired and full of anguish, but she’d pitched in to help where she could. Handed Henry off to loving arms and helped serve food. Even offered to watch the children of volunteers. In fact, the Hansen clan as a whole had pulled together in the wake of Warren’s passing. Haley fought a jealous pang. She had grieved Mama June alone, and been sent to the next foster home as if nothing was wrong.
Maddie reached out and squeezed Haley’s arm. “We wanted you to be the first to know, since you were there for dad when none of us could be.” Maddie wiped an eye, and Haley resisted a lump of grief that welled up and stuck in her throat. “Dad had a little inheritance. Not much, but something for all of us,” she nodded at her cousins. “We decided Prairie needs its own clinic. I don’t know if it would have helped save dad, but we’ve needed it before. Like when I went into labor during the ice-storm at Christmas.”
“Or when Warren had his heart-attack,” Axel added. He laced his finger through Haley’s, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “You’re part of this family now too, so you should know before we announce it. We’re pooling our inheritance and will seek matching funds to build the Warren G. Hansen Memorial Clinic.”
Warmth flooded Haley as tears pricked at her eyes. “I think that’s a wonderful tribute to Warren,” she answered sincerely.
Family.
Did Axel know what it meant to her to hear those words? That she was part of a family? His family? She grinned up at Axel.
He kissed her temple and pulled her close. “Yes. You heard that right.”
Haley’s heart gave an extra kick as his words sunk in. She belonged to someone. To a family. Surely, she and Axel could figure out their future. That’s what family did, right?
But would they still want her when it was time for her to go back home? Were the Hansens the kind of people who could expand their sense of family to include her, even if she was down in Norman? She pushed down the nugget of doubt that still lurked at the edges of her consciousness. The piece of her that said she wasn’t worth the hassle. Yes, she and Axe were having a baby together, and at the very least, they would always share that. But she wanted… more. Hell, who was she kidding? She wanted everything. The prince, the carriage, and the happy ending. But there remained a three-hundred mile gulf between them that at present, seemed to be impassable. Family or not.
She pasted on a smile. That problem would have to wait a little bit longer. Axel kept his arm around her as the family filed in to the seats up front. When the crowd quieted, Dottie stepped up to the makeshift podium. On one side stood a large bouquet of flowers, on the other, a large picture of Warren laughing, holding his grandson, Henry.
Haley squeezed Axel’s hand with everything she had. If she started crying now, she’d lose it and ugly cry in front of the whole town. She’d cried enough. An entire reservoir’s worth of tears since the tornado. Sniffles and muffled cries carried across the gathering.
Dottie cleared her throat and looked down at the piece of paper she’d placed in front of her. Then she folded it up and stepped around the podium and offered it to Maddie. “Here, Sweetie Pie. Read this another time. I’m just gonna speak.” She looked up at the gathering and raised her voice.
“I never much stood on ceremony, and I’m not gonna start now. I’ve known Warren pretty much my whole life. Saw his ugly face pretty much every day, too.”
Laughter rolled through the crowd, and something eased in the room. “Now, I’m not gonna say this is easy, because although Warren was an ornery ole’ cuss, he was my friend.”
Dottie directed her attention to Maddie, her voice thickening. “And he loved you somethin’ fierce Maddie Jane. And little Henry, too. Heck, who’m I kidding? He probably loved Henry more.” More laughter tittered across the crowd. “That baby was the apple of his eye, and he was never prouder than on the day he was born. Except maybe the day you married Blake.” Dottie waved her hand. “Now, I know there was a little bit of excitement in the lead-up to you marrying Blake, but it tickled Warren to no end that the Hansens and Sinclaires had finally put their disagreements behind them and joined up. Like family.”
There it was again, that word. Haley’s breath caught in her throat.
Dottie looked around the room. “Family. Family meant everything to Warren. Prairie meant everything to Warren. So I’m not gonna stand here and waste my breath sayin’ nice things about Warren that you already know.” Dottie’s voice grew stronger. “I’ve been hearin’ a lot of chatter over the last week that I’ve found to be bothersome. Chatter about leavin’. Throwin’ in the towel. Putting Prairie in the rear-view mirror and never looking back, and I don’t like that.”
She scanned the crowd, and Haley could see her making eye contact with certain individuals. Some who nodded, some who squirmed and tried to avoid her sharp eyes. “Lemme tell you somethin’ about my friend Warren here,” she waved at his photo. “We all know that Warren died making sure that little Daxton was safe.” Dottie screwed her face up and took a breath, then let it out before continuing. “Now, I’m a mama, and I’d put my life on the line for my babies. Warren did what he did because he understood that every one of us in this town is family. Every. One. Of. Us,” she repeated.
“And is that how we’re going to treat our family? Say thanks to our family? By packin’ up our bags when the going gets tough and gettin’ outta Dodge? Hell. No.”
Maddie sniffled. Other voices murmured in agreement. Haley’s heart sank like a stone. Dottie was right. Family stayed. Family stuck it out for each other. Family didn’t run when the going got tough. She fought back a sob of despair.
How could Axel leave Prairie?
He couldn’t.
Not now. Not ever.
And she’d never ask him to. Yet how could she stay with no job prospects and an inability to work remotely? It wouldn’t be fair to burden Axel in that way – make him entirely responsible for the health and well-being of two more people, in addition to the workings of the ranch. She owed it to her child, their child, to not only continue her work, but to pull her own weight. Because wasn’t that family too? Making sure no one shouldered the burden alone?
As much as she’d hoped the universe might give her a pass just once in her life, let her have the tiniest measure of happiness, circumstance would yet again snatch away people she loved. Her stomach roiled.
“Lemme tell you what’s gonna happen to Prairie,” Dottie continued, steely determination entering her voice. “We’re gonna rebuild. We’re gonna thrive. My family’s been here since the eighteen-seventies. We’ve survived fire, depression, dust, drought, and now this. Sinclaires have been here even longer. You think they’re going anywhere?”
Through a film of unshed tears, Haley could see folks shaking their heads.
“I’m gonna rebuild the diner and make some much needed updates. Emmaline’s gonna rebuild her dress shop. Millie’s going to re-open the grocery here in another week or two. Anders is going to rebuild the Feed ’n Seed so you all don’t have to drive forty-five minutes to the next town. We’re gonna fix the school, and the Lutheran church, and the bank, and every other building and home that was taken from us in that storm. And we’re going to help each other doing it. We got three churches here in town, how many of you go?”
A fair number of hands raised. Dottie nodded, her eyes bright. “I don’t go near as often as I should, but let me remind you this. Weeping may last through the night. But joy comes in the morning. Now Prairie may not yet be done weeping. But our joy is coming.” She walked up the center aisle, looking at her friends and neighbors. “But only if we stay and work together. Are you with me?”
Haley twisted in her seat to follow Dottie. Heads nodded and murmurs rippled across the space. “Not good enough. Are. You. With. Me?”
This time, calls of ‘yes’ and ‘you bet’ and ‘not going anywhere’ could be heard. Dottie shook her head and returned to the front. “What if I told you that the Hansen gang is giving all their inheritance to build the Warren G. Hansen Memorial Clinic? Would that convince you? Prairie’s going to get its own clinic. How many times have we had to drive to Manhattan for emergency medical care? Or Wichita?” Grief flickered across Dottie’s face. “How many times over the years have we lost someone because emergency care was too far? Well no more. Are we going to rebuild?”
More yesses were called out.
“Still not good enough. Say it.” Dottie’s voice boomed. “You love Warren Hansen? You love any of the six other folks that died? You love Prairie? Then stay. Fight for her. Rebuild. Who’s with me?”
Spontaneous applause broke out, and this time the yesses were shouted. Axel gripped Haley’s hand, clearly moved.
“I will give a million dollars to help build the clinic,” Zack Forte’s voice reverberated across the arena.
Haley whipped around, looking for her boss, and spotted him toward the back, standing, hands on hips.
A collective gasp went up. A man next to Brodie Sinclaire stood. “I’ll give a million dollars too. And set up a trust to provide funds to anyone who needs help rebuilding.
Axel leaned in. “Mason Carter, friend of the Sinclaires. Good guy.”
And obviously filthy rich.
“And I’ll match whatever Carter throws in,” Forte added, clearly not to be outdone.
Applause broke out again, and people stood, clapping, hugging and crying. Dottie beamed and clasped her hands. When the group quieted again Dottie spoke. “I have nothin’ more to say folks. It’s time for a party.”