why he was so worried about me,” Carl quipped, rising to his feet. “Mind, as soon as you’re done shaving, it’s my turn.”
Carl returned to the horses, fed and watered them, and brushed their coats down with an old rag. Then he went back to the creek bank and picked up the basin and razor.
“James, what I need is a bath and a change of clothes.”
“Can’t wait for Saturday, huh?”
“That foolish brindle cow keeps pushing me in the mud.”
“Brindle always was a mite spooked. Well, I got a spare pair of trousers that might do. We’re near the same length, looks like. Maybe Ma has an old shirt tucked away that Ben or Peter left behind.”
“It’s going to be hard to ask that of her.”
“Yeah. But you need the clothes.”
“Well, I’m bound for that old swimming hole downstream. Thanks for the loan of the razor.”
As Carl turned away, James stopped him, holding something out. “Brother, don’t forget the soap.”
~~~
James had to wait two days before both courage and opportunity to speak to his father coincided. As they worked together reinforcing a wagon, James said, “Pa, did you forget to ask Mr. Bingham to bring his family with us?”
“You mean Joseph Bingham, son?”
“Yes. He’s your friend.”
“He is my friend. He’s a kind and gentle man.”
“Then he and his family should come with us.”
Rod put down his hammer and looked across the wagon bed at James. “He’s a cripple. He can’t go.”
“He’s getting better all the time, Pa. I can drive his wagon, do his chores.”
“What would he do in Colorado, son? He has a home and a business here, and his wife can manage the bakery. He’s not up to building again in a different place.” Rod picked up his tool and began to pound a nail into a sideboard.
“Then give me your leave to ask Miss Jessica to go with us.”
“What? Leave her family? Why?”
“I’ll be her family. I want to ask her to marry me.”
“That wouldn’t be fair to her, asking her to go across the country where she’d never see her kin again. No.”
“She’d do it, Pa. I’ve been sparking her on Sunday nights.”
“I won’t break up a family. Since Joe can’t go, no one else of his kin goes.”
“Pa—”
“No, James. They don’t have time to get ready.”
~~~
Rod turned over in bed in the middle of the night and whispered in his wife’s ear. “Julie.”
She sat up with a rustle of the tick beneath her, eyes blank and staring in the moonlight that poured into the room from the un-curtained window. Rod pulled her down beside him.
She released a rush of air. “You startled me, Rod. What do you need, this time of night?”
“Julia, I’ve been thinking.”
“In the night? Thinking?” She squirmed into the hollow of his elbow. “You’re almost too old for anything else, I reckon.” She chuckled, then yawned largely.
Rod squeezed her, then released her shoulders, slipped his arm free, and sat up. “We got to have a weddin’ before we leave.”
“What?” Julia sat up again, wide awake.
“Yes. I’ve been thinking on the matter of our journey. For one thing, it’ll take several months, and for another, it’ll take us into land that isn’t settled.”
“What does that have to do with a wedding, Rod?”
“We’ve got us a couple of young men who need good wives. We’re also takin’ several young ladies along with us, and they need men to take care of them.”
“Roderick Owen! You’re not thinking—”
“When Carl met young Ida Hilbrands, I reckon some sparks flew around her pa’s store. He’s going to drive a wagon for Randolph, and he might as well marry into the family, same as Rulon did. Since James has a hankering to marry, Chester’s girl strikes me as a strong, likely match.”
Julia sat mute.
“It’s a good plan, Julie. You know it is. We won’t have a lot of carrying on if the boys are safely wed, and it’ll make tight bonds between our
Carl returned to the horses, fed and watered them, and brushed their coats down with an old rag. Then he went back to the creek bank and picked up the basin and razor.
“James, what I need is a bath and a change of clothes.”
“Can’t wait for Saturday, huh?”
“That foolish brindle cow keeps pushing me in the mud.”
“Brindle always was a mite spooked. Well, I got a spare pair of trousers that might do. We’re near the same length, looks like. Maybe Ma has an old shirt tucked away that Ben or Peter left behind.”
“It’s going to be hard to ask that of her.”
“Yeah. But you need the clothes.”
“Well, I’m bound for that old swimming hole downstream. Thanks for the loan of the razor.”
As Carl turned away, James stopped him, holding something out. “Brother, don’t forget the soap.”
~~~
James had to wait two days before both courage and opportunity to speak to his father coincided. As they worked together reinforcing a wagon, James said, “Pa, did you forget to ask Mr. Bingham to bring his family with us?”
“You mean Joseph Bingham, son?”
“Yes. He’s your friend.”
“He is my friend. He’s a kind and gentle man.”
“Then he and his family should come with us.”
Rod put down his hammer and looked across the wagon bed at James. “He’s a cripple. He can’t go.”
“He’s getting better all the time, Pa. I can drive his wagon, do his chores.”
“What would he do in Colorado, son? He has a home and a business here, and his wife can manage the bakery. He’s not up to building again in a different place.” Rod picked up his tool and began to pound a nail into a sideboard.
“Then give me your leave to ask Miss Jessica to go with us.”
“What? Leave her family? Why?”
“I’ll be her family. I want to ask her to marry me.”
“That wouldn’t be fair to her, asking her to go across the country where she’d never see her kin again. No.”
“She’d do it, Pa. I’ve been sparking her on Sunday nights.”
“I won’t break up a family. Since Joe can’t go, no one else of his kin goes.”
“Pa—”
“No, James. They don’t have time to get ready.”
~~~
Rod turned over in bed in the middle of the night and whispered in his wife’s ear. “Julie.”
She sat up with a rustle of the tick beneath her, eyes blank and staring in the moonlight that poured into the room from the un-curtained window. Rod pulled her down beside him.
She released a rush of air. “You startled me, Rod. What do you need, this time of night?”
“Julia, I’ve been thinking.”
“In the night? Thinking?” She squirmed into the hollow of his elbow. “You’re almost too old for anything else, I reckon.” She chuckled, then yawned largely.
Rod squeezed her, then released her shoulders, slipped his arm free, and sat up. “We got to have a weddin’ before we leave.”
“What?” Julia sat up again, wide awake.
“Yes. I’ve been thinking on the matter of our journey. For one thing, it’ll take several months, and for another, it’ll take us into land that isn’t settled.”
“What does that have to do with a wedding, Rod?”
“We’ve got us a couple of young men who need good wives. We’re also takin’ several young ladies along with us, and they need men to take care of them.”
“Roderick Owen! You’re not thinking—”
“When Carl met young Ida Hilbrands, I reckon some sparks flew around her pa’s store. He’s going to drive a wagon for Randolph, and he might as well marry into the family, same as Rulon did. Since James has a hankering to marry, Chester’s girl strikes me as a strong, likely match.”
Julia sat mute.
“It’s a good plan, Julie. You know it is. We won’t have a lot of carrying on if the boys are safely wed, and it’ll make tight bonds between our
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