Work Song - Ivan Doig [109]
Grace blinked.
“Or, if you prefer,” I spread my hands in offer, “woman and husband.”
My proposal took full effect. She covered her mouth with her hand as if a hiccup wanted out. When the hand came away, there was a rosy glow of anticipation on her face, dimple and all. “You mean it?”
“I do. As you shall hear me repeat at an altar, if you so wish.”
“Grace Morgan?” she tested out with a lilt very close to music. “I’ll need to make a clean start on the name.”
I gave her a smile that went back to the beginning before this one. “You wouldn’t be the first.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My imagined Butte and its Richest Hill and Morrie’s beloved library could not have taken shape in these pages without the unflinching help of librarians in the right places: Rich Aarstad, Ellie Arguimbau, Karen Bjork, Jodie Foley, Lory Morrow, Barbara Pepper-Rotness, Brian Shovers, and Zoe Ann Stoltz of the Montana Historical Society; Anne M. Mattioli and Christine Call of the Butte-Silver Bow Public Library; and Sandra Kroupa, Rare Book Curator of the University of Washington Libraries. My heartfelt thanks to them all.
I’m similarly indebted to the cadre of talented souls who vitally aided in one way or another in the making of this book: Liz Darhansoff, Charles Hulin, Marshall J. Nelson, Becky Saletan, Elaine Trevorrow, Marcella Walter, Mark Wyman; and Carol Doig, this lucky thirteenth time.