Badland Bride by Lauri Robinson Page B

invention she could possibly think of, from televisions to space shuttles and everything in between. Without stopping she talked until the wagon rolled around two large pens full of calves and their mommas. Then whatever she'd been saying completely escaped her.
    Followed by a huge black lab, Jessie walked across the yard. The loose, white blouse floating around her rounding stomach was like a slap of reality.
    Lila glanced around. Yes, she had married the man of her dreams, was being escorted in a horse drawn carriage by the ruggedly, handsome cowboy. But this wasn't some fairytale. It was real. She was in the nineteenth century where they had very few hospitals, no medical insurance, and just like Jessie, she was pregnant. But she had hope—the other girl didn't.
    Her joyous, festive mood faded as Skeeter eased the wagon to a halt. He twisted to gaze at her. The wide smile on his face slowly slipped away. “What's wrong?” he asked.
    A lump the size of Mount Everest formed in her throat. She couldn't tell him his sister-in-law would most likely die in childbirth. “Nothing,” she lied. “It-it's just the size of their house. You're right it's big, and—and very nice.” She glanced to the house for the first time.
    He wrapped her in a solid, hard hug. “It'll be all right. I promise you, everything is going to be all right."
    She nodded and hid her face in his chest for a brief moment, wishing she could believe him. Wished everything in this topsy-turvy world she'd been thrown into would be all right. She willed a deep breath to ease her frustration. Knowing Kid and Jessie waited for them forced her to lift her head and smile a greeting.
    "Hello,” Jessie said brightly.
    "Hi,” she responded. Her heart ached for the couple.
    Skeeter helped her down, and the other woman instantly took her hand. “Come on into the house, it's already getting warm out."
    "Oh, I guess I hadn't noticed,” Lila said as they walked toward the house. Over her shoulder she watched Skeeter and Kid lead the horses to the barn. The harnesses jingled and hooves clomped. The sounds seemed to echo in her ears, emphasizing a world, a time, where she didn't belong.
    "This is Sammy,” Jessie introduced her to the large dog walking beside her knee. “He's never far from my side. I hope you don't mind."
    "No, a friend of mine had a lab while we were growing up. They're great dogs.” Lila sighed. “I have a cat, Tabby. He's the independent kind, easy to take care of.” This dread on her shoulders was smothering. “I'm sorry. I guess I'm out of sorts this morning."
    Jessie looped an arm through hers. “We'll go inside and have some tea. Maybe that will help. When I was first pregnant, I was so sick tea was the only thing that would stay down."
    Lila didn't have the heart to say she wasn't morning sick. She picked up her feet, forced them not to shuffle, and walked up the porch steps. Jessie opened the wide front door and waited for her to enter first. She stepped over the threshold and paused, glancing around the great room. It reminded her of a lodge she'd stayed in while skiing in Colorado several winters ago.
    A massive, stone fireplace covered one wall, but it was the picture hanging above the mantle that drew her gaze. A large, framed, canvas painting of Jessie and Kid hung prominently in the center of the stones. Several white-faced cattle dotted the field behind them. They gazed at one another, and the artist had displayed their love so richly it made Lila gasp.
    "A young friend of ours painted it. Her name is Eva. She and Willamina live up the road a bit. I think she did a wonderful job."
    "She certainly did,” Lila admitted. The painting captured the image of love every ad agency in the future tried to use to sell products. They'd all failed. Something so real couldn't be reproduced with actors. She turned to Jessie. The woman would never leave her husband to come to the future and have her baby. That was as clear as the Kansas summer