The new year had brought beautiful weather to the Ozarks. Even though it was cold and dry, the sun shone every day, flooding the hills and the valleys with warmth. Although it was still weeks away from spring planting, the farmers were oiling their harnesses and walking over their lands imagining the fields as they would be when they were thick with the growing harvest. Leah had built a protective shell around herself, and now she was less certain in her mind than ever about Mott Castleton. She had a genuine affection for Mott, for he had changed much in recent years. She thought often of the early days when he had wanted to marry her and wondered what sort of a life she would have had. But such thinking was futile, so she forced herself to put it out of her mind. Her attitude toward Stuart was curt, and she spoke to him only out of necessity. Ellie Devainy had proved to be quite a trial to her, for although Ellie loved Leah, she had a short way about her and a very direct one.
