CHAPTER TWENTY

A lot of the smaller items that had come from Loren's store were still packed in boxes and Angelina and Hank spent the next few hours sorting everything out. Angelina arranged the kitchen how she wanted it and Hank nailed up curtain poles for the new curtains they had ordered and laid out the rugs. By the time everything was done they were starving and glad to find a basket of Grace's food amongst some of the boxes.

"Never noticed that, Robert E must have brought it in," Hank said.

They ate meatloaf and cherry pie at the kitchen table, washed down with large mugs of Grace's cider. Then they went up to their new bedroom for an early night.

Angelina didn't go to the saloon the following day. Hank took her for a short ride in the morning so she could try out Blue before he went into town himself. Blue was easy to handle and as fast as the wind, keeping up with Hurricane without too much effort and Angelina loved riding her. She was a little disappointed to return the horse to the corral, but she still had a lot to do in the house and she wanted to bake some bread in her new stove. Hank intended to return around eight o'clock for supper rather than stay until the saloon closed, so she made pot pie and peach cobbler.

When Hank returned he reported that the advertisement for the girls had already been answered and that Kathy and Jane were helping the new additions settle in. They were two brunettes from Manitou, named Jessica and something he couldn't remember; Angelina discovered the next day the second girl was called Suzette. They both seemed nice enough, fairly similar to Kathy and Jane really. At least they were nothing like Marjorie and both seemed eager to please the customers and disinclined to cause trouble.

From then on, most days Hank and Angelina went to the saloon together on horseback and she would work the afternoon, cook supper for Hank, George and the girls and sometimes Jake and then mostly go home halfway through the evening. Usually Hank rode back with her and then returned to the saloon alone, but occasionally he sent George or Jake to accompany her. Even with the summer bringing light evenings, Hank wouldn't let her ride the half mile home alone.

It was just four weeks before the wedding when Angelina discovered she was pregnant and even then, she wasn't sure it was that until she saw Michaela. Her monthly was late and she thought it was probably more to do with the constant excitement over the past few weeks of moving to the house, planning the wedding and so on. Then the next evening after Hank had ridden home with her and returned to the saloon, she went into the parlour to light a fire, experienced a moment of dizziness and opened her eyes moments later to find herself lying on the rug, unaware of how she got there. She realised she must have fainted and decided to go and see Michaela the next day.

Angelina called in at the clinic during the afternoon when the saloon was busy and Hank was occupied with a card game. She doubted he would even notice her absence. She told Michaela she had fainted and was late for her monthly.

"When did you have the last one?" the doctor asked.

"About five weeks ago. Maybe six."

She examined Angelina and said that she was certain she was at least a month pregnant. Angelina sat up quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Angelina straightened her clothes, grinning from ear to ear. "That's wonderful," she said. "I'm delighted. So will Hank be, when I tell him."

"Do you think so?" Michaela asked. Angelina stared at her.

"You really don't think much of him, do you?" she said.

"I've known him a lot longer than you. I've seen the way he treats people."

"Well, maybe you should look closer at the way he treats me," said Angelina. "He makes me happy; isn't that what's important?"

"I'm sorry," said Michaela. "I suppose he is different in some ways. Even Sully says so and those two never got along that well. Not until recently anyway. So when are you going to tell him? About the baby."

"Not until tonight when we get back to the house. The saloon's pretty busy at the moment."

Angelina returned to the saloon and got to work on supper. Although the afternoon was busy, the evening was quiet. After supper when she went back into the bar after doing the dishes, only a handful of men were still there drinking. The girls sat with some of them, flirting and chatting. Hank joined in a poker game with George, Dick Lutter, another man Angelina knew as Geoffrey and Jake. Angelina leaned on the bar watching, not having anything else to do and not inclined to set off home just yet.

For once Hank wasn't doing too well in the game and had already lost two hands. Usually it was the customers who left the saloon out of pocket. He looked up suddenly and beckoned Angelina over as George began to deal another hand. She walked over and Hank caught her around the waist, pulling her down onto his lap.

"Need an Angel to bring me some luck," he said with a grin. She slid her arm around his neck, brushed his hair away from his face and kissed his cheek. Then she sat there, snuggling against him as he continued the game. Apparently her presence did bring him luck, because he won the next hand and then dealt another.

It was about half an hour later when a newcomer walked into the saloon. Hank was dealing the cards, one arm either side of Angelina. He picked up his hand and looked at the cards, holding them close to his chest and taking the opportunity to give her a quick kiss. Then the doors swung open and they both turned to see who had entered.