Ladies, if you want to join the cause for women’s suffrage, why not come to the beautiful state of Montana? Here, you can meet face-to-face with our nation’s first-ever congresswoman, Jeanette Rankin, who hails from Missoula. Surrounded by nature at its finest, you can link arms with strong women of the Northwest who have a passion for women’s causes. Lest you think we are behind the times, think again. Our rugged surroundings have strengthened us and caused us to appreciate both our backbones and our future. Join us if you dare.
—Ellie Cannady, editor of The Modern Suffragette
* * * * *
AS THEY CLIMBED INTO THE backseat of Brett’s Ford, Alanna fought to keep her focus on the mountains in the distance. Doing so proved to be a bit of a challenge, what with the broad-shouldered cowboy hefting the bags into the trunk of the vehicle. It took every ounce of strength not to turn around and gawk at his rugged physique. As he lugged the largest of Mama’s bags, the muscles rippling under his white shirt quickened her pulse. He carried himself with a commanding air—not really haughty, but self-confident. A girl could go a long way on a sight like that.
Still, a Southern lady would never be caught dead staring at a fella, handsome or not. Think about it, certainly. Do it? Never.
She turned to look at the scenery. Seconds later, the cowboy walked directly past her, distracting her all over again. Still, she could not be held accountable. Not when he walked smack-dab in front of her.
Tessa let out a little whistle as she climbed into the car. “We’ve died and gone to cowboy heaven. This is my reward for being so well-behaved all my life.”
“Hardly.” Mama also climbed in and then took the spot beside her.
Tessa’s eyes fluttered closed, and she sighed. “I would like to capture Tanner’s image and keep it forever embedded on the insides of my eyelids. That way, when I’m sound asleep, I will still see him.”
Mama tugged at her gloves, finally wriggling them off. “I believe we’ve seen that face before. He looks just like the cowboy in the portrait in your papa’s study, don’t you think?”
“There are some similarities, I suppose.” Alanna turned to catch a glimpse of Tanner to compare, but he’d disappeared from sight.
“Ooh.” Tessa’s eyes widened. “All shockingly handsome cowboys must look the same, whether one paints them in oil or has the privilege of seeing them firsthand. Makes me wonder why we waited so long to come to Montana.” A girlish giggle followed.
“Shush.” Alanna put her finger to her lips as she caught a glimpse of him rounding the back side of the touring car. “He’s coming.”
She remained silent as the young man climbed into the driver’s seat. Alanna glanced out the window, taking in the view, then shifted her gaze to Margaret as she too joined them in the backseat. “Squeeze in, everybody. There is more of me than ever before.” Her happy smile reminded Alanna of their real reason for coming to Montana. Cowboy distractions aside, she focused on her older sister, giving her hand a loving squeeze.
Brett took his spot up front in the passenger seat, and they were on their way. Alanna drank in the beauty around her—mostly the landscape, but a wee bit of the back of Tanner’s head, as well. He did have lovely hair—so thick and wavy. A luminous buttercup-yellow, it stood in stark contrast to his deep tan. She fought the overwhelming desire to reach out and run her fingers through it.
Heavens. Perish the thought. He’s a total stranger to me.
Not that she was accustomed to running her fingers through a fella’s hair, anyway. Must be something about the state of Montana that had tipped her moral compass off its center. Why, she never had scandalous thoughts like that back in Savannah.
Alanna gestured out the window at the mountain range in the distance, ready to focus on something other than the cowboy’s features. “I’ve never seen anything quite like this.”
“Isn’t it beautiful, Lana?” Margaret squeezed her arm. “Every morning I wake up and gaze at that mountain range and think about how blessed I am to be living in a place of such beauty.”
“It is very pretty.” Tessa closed her eyes and drew in a breath. “And the air is so fresh. It’s very…crisp.”
Tanner laughed and turned back to face them, revealing two well-placed dimples. “That’s because we’re so close to the mountains and they’re capped with snow. It’s great for the lungs. The fresh air is, I mean.”
“I just can’t get over it, though.” Tessa looked completely mesmerized by the very idea. “Snow, in October.”
He gave her a little smile. “Just wait a month or so, and you will likely see much more of it on the ground, not just the mountaintops.”
Alanna shivered, just thinking about it. Suddenly the idea of staying put in the rigid cold held little appeal. What was she thinking, bringing her mother and Tessa all this way—only to turn them into blocks of ice?
Oh, yes. To save a beloved sister from a fate worse than death. For that, she would endure the cold. She breathed in deeply and made up her mind to be strong even if the weather did not cooperate.
Please, Lord, let it cooperate.
Her thoughts shifted to sunny Savannah, to the town she loved. How she pined for the tropical breeze that picked up the salty scent of the Atlantic and floated through her bedroom window. She could almost envision it now. If not for the ripples of sunlight streaming off the white peaks in the distance, anyway.
Alanna focused on the small group of people. Tilting her head to one side, she stole a look at Tanner’s profile. Something about him still captivated her. Perhaps it was the strong cheekbones and the inherent strength in the set of his jaw. She appreciated a man of strength.
Meeting him almost made the trip tolerable. And something about the way he talked about Montana made her appreciate him even more…to a point, anyway.
“All the seasons here are beautiful,” Tanner said as he pointed the vehicle down a long, winding road. “And they’re so distinct.”
“Oh, yes.” Margaret sighed. “I remember my first summer here. I saw countless fields of flowers. White bear grass. Yellow evening stars. Blue hyacinth. Purple fairyslippers. Pink bitterroot.” On she went, describing her favorite Montana flowers. “Of course, you’ll see all these if you stay till the spring. Then you’ll know that I’m not exaggerating.”
“My favorite part of Missoula is the vast expanse of land.” Tanner took his hands off the steering wheel—which almost caused poor Mama to lose her breath—and pointed to the range in the distance. “You can stand atop the mountains and gaze down at acres that go on for miles.”
“Sounds lovely.” Mama smoothed her skirts and leaned back against the seat, her eyes fluttering closed.
Tanner continued to ramble about their surroundings, now carrying on with a hint of boastfulness. “If you think that’s nice, just wait until you see the herds of elk, lumbering along, or a baby fawn resting in the tall grasses in the late afternoon.”
“I can honestly say we’ve never seen elk in Savannah,” Alanna’s mother said.
“Heavens, no.” Alanna fussed with her gloves. “I can’t even imagine it. Of course, Savannah is quite genteel, so animals are rarely seen.”
“Except for our neighbor’s cat, of course,” Tessa chimed in. “But he’s not part of a herd, though Papa insists he’s more trouble than a dozen yapping canines.”
Everyone got a laugh out of that except Mama, who offered up a weak smile and looked wearier than ever.
“Maybe one day I will visit the South,” Tanner said. “Tell me what I’ll find there.”
“What you’ll find in the South, or in Savannah in particular?” Alanna asked.
“You choose.” He turned and gave her what appeared to be a little wink.
Fresh!
Well, two could play at this game. “I choose Savannah, of course.” She paused. “Everything in Savannah is pretty much the opposite of here. Where you have cold weather, ours is luscious and warm, wrapping one in a summery cocoon. Where you have mountains, our terrain is flat. But there’s nothing dull about our area. Why, we’re—”
“Oh, look at that, will you?” Tanner pointed through his open window at the sky above.
“What is it, Tanner?” Brett leaned out of the passenger window, likely to have a better look.
“Didn’t mean to interrupt, but look at the patch of sky over the Bitterroot Range. It’s prettier than any painting.” Tanner glanced back at the ladies and grinned. “Montana boasts the biggest sky in the country, you see.”
“Biggest sky?” Tessa pursed her lips and appeared to be thinking. “I always thought the sky was the same size everywhere.”
“Nope.” Tanner chuckled. “It’s bigger here, trust me. And look at those colors, will you? Brilliant blue. The clouds are like the wisps of fur on Snowball.”
“Snowball?” Tessa’s asked.
“Our dog. She’s an Eskimo.”
“An Eskimo?” Alanna and Tessa spoke in unison.
Tanner laughed. “That’s the breed. She’s as white as those clouds and nearly as fluffy.” He gazed off in the distance again, his voice intensifying. “Aren’t they magnificent? It’s as if they’ve been instructed to hang there in shimmering white to contrast the deep emerald of the evergreens below. Of course, the evergreens fade to white in the winter, like everything else. But even then we have varying shades of white. You’ve never seen anything like it.”
Alanna cleared her throat, ready to remind him that she had been speaking. “Well, if you think that’s pretty, I wish you could see some of our plantation homes back in Savannah. And the gardens are magnificent. There was even a write-up in the paper about our local garden society.”
“A write-up in the paper?” Tanner chuckled. Amusement flickered in the eyes that met hers as he turned. “Is that how a fella is supposed to know what’s good to look at? They think folks aren’t clever enough to figure it out for themselves?” Before she could respond, he pointed back out at the mountains. “Now, there’s something worth discovering on your own.”
Alanna chose not to respond.
Tessa sighed as she leaned through the open back-seat window. “You’d be hard-pressed to tell where the mountains leave off and the clouds begin.”
Ready to change the direction of the conversation before this handsome cowboy gave Tessa one more reason to want to stay in Montana, Alanna cleared her throat. “Well, that’s lovely, but—”
Tanner glanced back over his shoulder at her. “Not to one-up you, but the kinds of things I’m talking about are God-made, not man-made. You’re talking about houses and gardens, things folks have paid to construct. I’m talking about something that rises far above all that.”
“Yes, well…”
“Honestly, have you ever seen such a vivid contrast of colors as on that mountain range up there?” He turned the car onto a small, bumpy road. “It boggles the mind how the Lord must’ve done it. All these mountains, and then, quite unexpectedly, a river cuts through everything. And not just any river, either—one that winds and weaves like a needle. I tell you, there’s nothing like it.”
“Well, actually, in Savannah—”
“The rivers here twist and turn with rushing waters moving so fast that the fish elude you, no matter how tempting the bait. The way I see it, this was all placed here to stir our imagination.” His eyes sparkled as he glanced her way before looking back to the road. “I can honestly say that the Lord planted me right here, in the heart of Montana, in much the same way that he planted deer by streams of water. It’s the most spiritual place on earth, one that draws folks to the very heart of God.”
Alanna grew silent, unsure how to compete with such high praise of the state in which she now found herself. For, while Savannah held her heart, it had not captured her imagination to quite this extent. Tanner was absolutely smitten. No doubt the man would never marry. What woman could ever compare with the love of his life—Montana?
She remained silent for the rest of the drive, listening as the others turned the conversation to the weather. When they arrived at the ranch, she could hardly believe the vast expanse of land in front of them.
Alanna glanced Margaret’s way. “All of this…”—she gestured to the many acres spreading out before them—“belongs to you?”
“There’s much more than this. Brett’s portion of the family land is nearly sixty acres. His parents still live on the larger patch of land with Tanner and Katie.”
“Larger than sixty acres?” Tessa looked stumped by this idea. “Makes our yard back home look teensy-tiny.”
“Actually, our patch of land, as you call it, is a full acre.” Alanna pressed her white gloves back on, determined not to be bested.
“A full acre, eh?” Tanner turned back and gave her another wink, which sent her heart fluttering. “Better not go outside without a map, then. You might get lost.”
She did her best not to groan aloud. This fella certainly left her feeling discombobulated.
Tanner pulled the car to a stop and they got out. By now, the exhaustion from the past several days gripped her. Alanna could hardly wait to get inside and take a long, hot bath. Hopefully that would ease her aching joints and muscles. Did houses in Montana have indoor plumbing? She took a closer look at the large, rambling, beautifully constructed log home and felt sure it did. In fact, it would appear that her sister had not gone without any of the usual creature comforts during her stay in Montana. Everything seemed very…civilized. Surprisingly so.
As Alanna straightened her skirt, a beautiful young woman with long blond hair came rushing toward them from where she’d been standing on the front porch. She was followed by a large dog as white as the snow on the mountains and as fluffy as the clouds overhead.
The woman’s face lit with the prettiest smile as she practically threw herself into Mama’s arms, and her blue eyes sparkled with obvious delight. “I can’t believe you’re here at last. All of you.” She released her hold on Mama and reached for Alanna. Now finding herself in a tight embrace, Alanna listened as the stranger carried on. “And you’re Alanna. I see the resemblance, of course, though your hair is certainly curlier than Margaret’s, as she’s often told me. Why, it’s beautiful—the color of a starless night sky. What a lovely dark hue.”
“Thank you.” I think.
“It fits your light skin tone. No doubt about it. Have you always had curls?”
“From the time I was a youngster. I didn’t care much for them as a little girl, but now that I’m older and my hair has grown out, the curls are my pride and joy.” She released a little sigh. “Though I suppose it’s wrong to be prideful about such things.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” the young woman said. “I think it’s quite fashionable.”
“Thank you. But with so many women bobbing their hair these days, I do wonder if it will stay in fashion for long.”
“You will find that women in Missoula don’t pay as much attention to the latest hairstyles and such.” The young woman’s messy golden tresses shimmered under the afternoon sun. “We’re too busy to fuss, most of the time.”
“We stay pretty busy in the South too,” Alanna said. “It seems women are always going from one party or charity event to another.”
The girl grinned and brushed a wayward hair from her face. “We really are worlds apart. Up here, women are rushing from tending babies to running for political office to plowing the land.” The talkative stranger shifted her attentions to Tessa, her smile broadening. “And you’re Tessa.”
“I am.” Tessa grinned, perhaps taken by the girl’s enthusiastic welcome.
The vivacious blonde grabbed Tessa by the hand, an unquenchable warmth spilling from her vivacious eyes. “You’re sixteen. I’m barely eighteen, myself. We’re going to be best friends. True sisters. I can feel it.” She put her hand to her heart. “Right here.”
“In case anyone’s wondering, this is our kid sister, Katie.” Brett laughed as he reached for the bags. “She’s very shy, as you can see.”
“And never seems to have anything to say, poor girl,” Tanner threw in.
“Hush now, Tanner. You don’t have to go out of your way to vex me on such a special day as this.” Katie stuck out her tongue, and he laughed then went to work at unloading the bags.
The outline of his broad shoulders strained against his shirt fabric as he hefted Mama’s largest piece of luggage. Alanna did her best not to stare. Still, she could hardly fathom such a muscular fella. Most of the boys back home were…well…boys. Compared to this cowboy, anyway.
Margaret led Mama and Tessa inside, but Alanna remained, with Katie—in part to have a closer look at the cowboy and in part to offer a hand. If she could accomplish both at the same time. Right now Tanner held her full attention. And judging from the shy smile on his face, she held his as well.
What was a Southern belle to do? Why, drink up every moment, of course.