Once the Hobbs brothers were safely locked away, Josh and Jeremy lost no time in returning to the mountain. The Bolts were concerned that they would never complete the contract in time now that four of their loggers were sidelined. To their surprise, the six remaining Californians worked harder than they ever had before. They wanted to prove to the others that they were not a part of the Hobbs' conspiracies. No one was fooled. Although the Bolts were more than pleased with their work, every logger let them know that they wanted nothing more to do with them.

     The citizens of Seattle were so outraged by these outsiders who had tried to harm two of their own, that Aaron Stempel was concerned for the brother's safety. Ben Perkins was dispatched to Olympia to bring the judge back for a speedy trial.

     To everyone's relief, Corky was well on the way to recovery within hours of taking Pon Lei's antidote. Once he was out of danger, Katie holed herself up in her office to perfect her lead story. The young editor wrote a very detailed account of everything she had seen, heard and done up on the mountain. She made certain that no one could overlook the fact that Pon Lei, his wife and friends were responsible for saving Corky's life.

     A week later, on September 16th, the last log destined for the Army was shipped down the river to Stempel's mill. The men cheered, stomped, whistled and applauded one another on a job well done. To add to the general good spirits of the day, Jason announced there would be bonuses for all of the loggers in their next paycheck. The men went wild. It would be a comfortable winter for them all.

     Jeremy Bolt was even happier than most. Now that they were sure of the extra money, he and Candy could finally decide on a wedding date. The young man had planned exactly how he was going to go about letting his girl know. He shouted to his brother over the cheering crowd.

     "Hey, Jason!"

     "Yes, Jeremy."

     "I say we have a party."

     "I agree. To Lottie's?"

     "Naw, bigger than that. Let's get the whole town up here tonight."

     "Up here?"

     "Why not? Afraid we won't have enough room for everyone?" He laughed and the men laughed right along with him.

     Jason looked to Josh who nodded.  "It's a fine idea. What do you say, men?"

     The roar was deafening. A party on the mountain would be perfect. The late summer nights had been uncharacteristically warm and dry for Seattle. All the men would have to do was transport Lottie's stock, and their families up the trail for the biggest party Seattle had ever seen.

     Jeremy smiled to himself as the loggers rode down the trail together. He and Candy had postponed their wedding day so often even his brothers wondered if it would ever really happen. Now Jeremy could finally begin construction on the beautiful cabin the couple had designed and redesigned countless times over the past two years.

     Back in town the community was a buzz. Kate's paper had been distributed that same morning. Well, half of the subscribers had them anyway. The press broke down after printing only one hundred copies. The editor instructed her young paperboys and girls to give out what they had along with a promise to the others that their copies would be in their hands by the next morning.

     Maybe it was the scarcity of the paper or maybe it was the news it contained, but every citizen in Seattle scurried around town to get a glimpse at a copy of the Inquirer. Kate's tale of the Californians was hot news. The reporter retold the story of Swede and Corky's poisoning from beginning to end, sparing no detail. Jess and his brother were as good as convicted now that every potential juror in Seattle had read her account.

     After the loggers arrived in town, the remaining seven Californians called a meeting with Jason in Lottie's back room.

     "We want a straight answer, Mr. Bolt."

     "What about, Herb?"

     "Will you want us workin' for you now that the job is over?"

     Jason shook his head. "Sorry, Herb. You're all good loggers when you put your mind to it, but my brothers and I have decided to hire on other men instead."

     Herb Fowler nodded. He hadn't expected any other answer. "We'll take our wages then and go."

     Jason led the men to Ben's store where the Bolts kept an account in town. He asked them to wait for him outside.

     Emily Perkins greeted him from behind the counter. "Afternoon, Jason. What can I do for you?"

     "Emily, I need to get into the safe for a moment, if it's not too much trouble."

     "No trouble at all." The pretty matron stepped before the safe and dialed the combination.

     "Any word from Ben yet?" Jason asked. "I was hoping he'd be here with the judge by now."

     Emily smiled happily, "I received a wire from him yesterday afternoon. They should arrive in Seattle sometime this evening."

     "In time for the celebration, I hope."

     Emily handed him a small canvas bag filled with bills. She watched Jason count out the men's wages as she said, "They should make it in time. Biddie told me all about the party."

     Jason paused in his counting to marvel at Biddie Cloom's alacrity. "Already? We just got back to town."

     Emily laughed, "She is a wonder! Have a good time tonight, Jason."

     "Won't you be there?"

     "No. Ben Junior has the croup. I'll be sitting up with him again tonight, I'm afraid."

     Jason handed back the canvas bag and Emily returned it to the safe. "That's a shame, but I suppose someone has to stay in town to hold down the fort."

     "I won't be alone. Aaron will be down here guarding the prisoners and Ben should be home by tonight."

     "That's true. Well, Emily, thank-you, and if that little fellow of yours starts feeling better, come on up and join us."

     "I will."

     Jason stepped outside to pay the Californians. He told them of a logging operation in Oregon that was hiring men to work till the end of the fall. Fowler said they'd look into it. They took their money, gathered their things together and headed out beyond the forest without looking back.

     Jason breathed a sigh of relief as he watched them go. They hadn't chosen to stay around town for the Hobbs trial and he was glad of it. Breaking two men out of the tiny Seattle jailhouse wouldn't have been impossible for a group like that. Jason counted himself lucky that these men didn't seem to hold any further allegiance to the Hobbs brothers.

     As soon as Jeremy and Josh got to town they headed over to the dormitory to tell the girls about the celebration. They had barely made the announcement when the ladies began scurrying about, rescheduling plans and deciding what they were going to wear. The brothers loved breaking good news to these women; they always made them feel a little like Saint Nick.

     Jeremy slipped an arm around Candy as the others bustled about and planted a kiss squarely on her lips. He couldn't wait to be alone with her to discuss their future.

     "Now what was that for?" Candy murmured.

     "Oh, just 'cause you're the most beautiful bride in Seattle, I guess."

     Candy was practically aglow. "Well, I know I'm the luckiest."

     Joshua smiled at the lovebirds then glanced around the parlor. "Hey, where's Katie?"

     Candy sighed, "Out at the Mosely's place borrowing tools to fix that press again. She's determined to get another hundred copies out of that machine if it takes all night."

     "She'll miss the party," Joshua frowned.

     "We've got to get another printing press for her," Jeremy said. "She's never going to have any fun if she's spending all of her time with that thing."

     "She won't take it from you." Candy warned, "She told me that she's saving her money and when she has enough, she's plans to pay you back for her parents' land whether you like it or not. She has a lot of pride."

     "Just like her father," Jeremy added.

     Joshua's eyes brightened. "Maybe we could give her a new press if she didn't know it was from us."

     "What have you got in mind?"

     "We'll tell Katie that we have a way to raise money for a new press. Tonight, at the party, you, Jason and I will auction off our services to people around town during the winter months. We'll work a certain amount of days clearing land, fixing homes...highest bidders hire the Bolts. We'll give the price of a printing press to Candy and Biddie and a few more of the brides, making them the highest bidders. After the auction we hand Cricket the money for the press and she never suspects a thing."

     "You know you're getting as good as Jason at thinking up underhanded plots," Jeremy grinned

     "I'll take that as a compliment," Joshua smiled. "I'm going to find Kate and tell her about our idea. See you two later."

     While Jeremy and Joshua were at the dormitory, Katie was hiking back to town with a sack of Lucas Mosely's tools slung over her shoulder. For a young woman who had at least eight hours of work ahead of her, Katie was in high spirits. Her paper was a success, her staff was taking on more and more assignments, she and the brides were becoming true friends, and the Bolts were finally accepting her as more than just their little sister. Life was beautiful.

     Katie felt only one twinge of regret: she had no one to share this joy with her. Although she cared for the brides dearly, their friendship didn't do much to ease the strong sense of loneliness she often felt deep in her soul. Most of the time the busyness of her job kept those feelings at bay, but on days like this when the air was so fresh and clean, the hills so green and the sky so blue... Well, a girl just couldn't help but shoot up a little prayer for someone special to share it with.

     She had set her awkward load down for the third time when Joshua spotted her through the trees.

     "Here Cricket, let me help you with that!"

     Katie looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Josh. It's getting heavier by the minute."

     "Why aren't you riding Scotty?"

     "I lent him to Miss Essie for the day. Her horse threw a shoe. I don't mind, I love walking."

     "I do too, especially on days like today."

     Joshua swung the sack over his shoulder. The momentum threw him off balance a little and they laughed. On their way back to town, Josh explained his idea for raising funds for a press at the party later on.

     "That's a great plan, Josh. You're a genius!"

     "Thank-you, ma'am." The young man walked a little taller.

     "I wish I could be up on Bridal Veil with everyone tonight." Katie chuckled, "I can't wait to know who you end up working for."

     Several of the brides had tremendous crushes on Jason and Joshua. If they won the bidding, heaven help her brothers.

     "There's no chance that you can get away?" Joshua asked.

     "Not unless there's another September 16th coming again this week. If I can't get the edition out today, I'll add a few stories, reset the type and send out a paper tomorrow morning to those who missed out. Either way I'm not going to get much sleep tonight."

     Joshua knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind so he changed the subject instead.

     "We'll just have to catch up on things now. You haven't been up to the mountain lately; how have you been, Cricket?

     "Lonesome." The truth escaped from her so easily it surprised her.

     "Lonesome? With twenty-five brides around you at the dormitory?"

     "They are fun, but, they came to Seattle to marry and start families. Me? Well..."

     Josh smiled, "Don't you ever want to get married, Katie?"

     "Sometimes when I see Candy and Jeremy together, I want to very much, but I don't know that I would want to give up my freedom even for love."

     Joshua had figured as much. "Let me tell you from experience, Cricket, once you're in love you can rethink a lot of things you thought were true about yourself."

     "I'll take your word for it. What about you, Josh? Don't you want to get married?"

     The young man grinned, "The brides haven't told you about the women in my life?"

     "Not really."

     "Amazing," he laughed, then answered truthfully. "I'd like to get married someday."

     "Is there anything else you'd like to do?" Kate asked.

     The expression in Joshua's eyes softened. "I'd like to see Kilmaron."

     "Kilmaron. I haven't thought about her since we moved to Chicago."

     "It doesn't belong to the Bolt clan anymore, but I've been thinking that if we could make enough money, I just might travel to Scotland and buy it back from the British."

     Katie stopped in her tracks electrified by the thought.

     "You could do it, Joshua! I know you could! The logging company is a success and with the way the country's growing, business can only get better. Can't you just see yourself riding in through the castle walls in an elegant coach and four? The great American businessman, Joshua Bolt, back to reclaim his homeland. You'd have to arrive in the spring or summer."

     Joshua picked up the story. "The ground will be thick with white and purple heather. I'll see the Bolt castle standing proud and true against the ancient hills, the way Uncle Duncan said it did."

     "All the townspeople will hail you as their great deliverer, just like Bonnie Prince Charlie, and they'll offer you anything to keep you with them always!" Kate added excitedly.

     Joshua jumped up on a nearby stump and pronounced at the top of his lungs, "Joshua Bolt, Laird of Kilmaron!"

     Kate laughed at his theatrics, "Wouldn't Jason be Laird?"

     His blue eyes twinkled as he leaned down to her and whispered, "Not if we don't tell him."

     "He won't hear it from me," the girl whispered back, crossing her heart.

     Josh took Katie by the hand and pulled her up beside him.

     "Then you will be the beautiful Lady Kaitlyn of Kilmaron."

     The two joyfully acknowledged the thunderous applause of an imaginary crowd of grateful peasants. As they turned toward each other, Katie curtsied to Joshua as he bowed to her. Katie slipped on the smooth wood almost losing her balance. Josh reached out and held her tightly to himself to keep her from falling.

     "Steady there, Lady Kate," Joshua chuckled.

     Katie laughed as she gazed up at him. Their sudden closeness and the enchanting power of their dream transported them into a place all their own. The sharp features of the forest dissolved into a soft edged haze. Katie caught her breath. The handsome man before her was no longer the same Joshua she'd always known. His eyes, his smile, the warmth of his presence caused her heart to leap within her and an overwhelming sense of joy flooded her soul.

     Katie suddenly felt light-headed. As she stepped down from the stump, an unfamiliar shyness crept over her.

     "You'll get to Kilmaron, Josh," she murmured.

     Josh quietly retrieved the sack. "Some day."

     As the two continued to walk the rest of the way to town, Katie puzzled over her experience. Why in the world did she feel whatever she had just felt for Joshua Bolt? This was Squid, the tormentor. They'd spent countless hours teasing, talking, and yelling at one another. How could this man, whom she knew better than any other, suddenly become so unfamiliar to her?

     As the confused girl walked along, she came to an amazing discovery. The aching loneliness within her always disappeared whenever Joshua was around. And, despite their countless arguments, they never failed to return to a peaceful place with each other. Kate shook her head with a frown. What she had felt while being held in Josh's embrace was more than a peaceful feeling!

     Joshua Bolt smiled as he glanced over at the pensive girl. He had passed away several lonely hours up at the logging camp thinking about Kate Macready. He'd wondered if there could be even a hint of romantic affection for him in her heart. Now that he'd seen that type of love reflected in those brown eyes of hers, the young man was genuinely surprised.

     Joshua remembered the Reverend saying once that God had a sense of humor. Well, now he believed it. If he and Kaitlyn Macready did manage to fall in love, their courtship was bound to be the best joke in Seattle.

     When they got to the news office, Josh handed Katie the sack of tools. "You're sure you won't come to the party?"

     She sighed; "There'll be other parties. It won't kill me to miss one."

     Joshua started to say something more, something that would let her know how he felt, but the words eluded him. "See you tomorrow then."

     "I'll be here." Kate opened the door and stepped inside. She turned back for a second. She, too, wanted to say something more, but all she said was: "Have a good time tonight, Joshua."