Posted August 18, 2022
Isiah had learned very quickly why she had come here and fallen in love with the place. it was absolutely beautiful; the mountains were nothing compared to what they have in Tennessee. He loved those mountains in Tennessee but these were something else. "I can see why ya never came back." He assured her as he took a sip of the coffee, the hot liquid making him squirm his face some.
Then at the mention of Daisy and her apologies...well there was something about hearing that from the one person you'd been missing, your sister that he'd been closest to that made him feel his grief for his late wife in a way he hadn't in a while. He had wanted nothing more than for these two women to know each other. In his opinion, Daisy was a lot like Addy. She wasn't a girly girl, she was rough around the edges and wasn't afraid to ride a horse or shoot a gun. At the same time though her motherly instincts had kicked in with Josh and she'd been nothing but the best for them. A lump formed in his throat, but he tried to push it back and ignore it.
"You woulda loved her Addy. She was beautiful." he leaned towards his sister, swallowing hard. "You two woulda had a great time together, I just know it." He said with a smile and a small laugh.
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Josh wasn't sure how long he had been asleep but he woke up to hearing Weedy's prayer. He sat up a bit in the bed, his hands behind him supporting him as he squinted against the dark room. He could hear his Pa's voice and they were sleeping in the bed together just like they'd talked about earlier today. This was really neat to him, he liked having a permanent sleep over with his new found cousin!
He bit down some on his bottom lip. "Hey, Weedy?" Lots of times he woke up missing his Mama lately and he'd always go and get his Pa, but he was going to try and be brave and not leave the room.
Oh, the cleverness of me!
Posted August 19, 2022 / Adelaide Chappel
Reaching over, Addy took Isiah's hand and gave it a squeeze. "She gave ya a fine boy, an' I'm sure I'll be able ta see her in him." Smiling, she leaned back to sip her coffee. "It's good yer here, good that Weedy has a friend, an' a man ta help him."
Grinning, she shrugged. "I do as much as I can fer 'im, but a boy needs a man ta show him proper ways, an' yer as fine a man could do that." Then she chuckled. "Anyone accuses me'a sayin' that an' I'll deny it!"
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Weedy jumped a little when Josh called out -- he wasn't used to having anyone with him at night -- but he was quick to answer.
"Yeah? You all right, Josh?" He knew what it was like to have lost your Ma, and to be in a new place, so he'd help as much as he could.
Posted August 19, 2022
Isiah nodded his head in agreement, she indeed would see Daisy in Josh, he'd seen her plenty of times in him.
"Seems we need each other and we didn't even know it." he smiled as he sipped his coffee more, yawning a bit and then chuckling at her words. "And I'll never let you ferget you said it when I start showin' him some of tha pranks me 'n you used to pull!" He raised his brows at her, laughing more.
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Josh had heard Weedy's prayer and it had him curious. He sat up a little in the bed, leaning back on his arms. "You really think God can hear ya? The last times my Pa was talkin' to him Pa seemed real mad." While he was sad when he heard his Pa being mad at God, he was more worried about God being made at his Pa! What would God do?
Oh, the cleverness of me!
Adelaide Chappel / Posted August 21, 2022
Addy chuckled and finished the coffee, then rinsed the mug and set it in the sink. "If them boys get inta trouble because yer teachin' 'em bad habits," she chided, "yer gonna regret it!"
She laughed, then kissed him on the cheek. "I'll make ya up a pallet by th' fire, that way, anyone breaks in, they get ta you first! you can wash up in th' sink."
Going into the bedroom, she grabbed a couple of blankets that Isiah could add to his bedroll to make it softer, laying them out near the fireplace.
"That'll do fer tonight, we'll figure th' rest later." Maybe they could put a partition in the bedroom until a room could be added on to the house.
"Good ta have ya here." She gave her brother a big hug.
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"Yeah, I think God can hear us," Weedy answered as he climbed onto the bed beside Josh. "Sometimes you just don't know, but I think He does. Preacher says that He doesn't always answer how we want." Weedy knew that well enough, although he didn't really understand. Maybe he knew someone who did, but he'd keep that to himself for now.
"I was a little mad when Ma got killed, but..." He shrugged, not sure if he could explain it. "But you get to be here now, and I'm glad."
Posted August 21, 2022
Isiah chuckled as she said that, yawning as she came over and kissed his cheek.
He nodded and pushed himself up to stand. "They'll see how ugly I am and run away." He teased her back, chuckling. He was exhausted and barely even felt like washing up, but he knew he had to. Going to the sink he washed his face and hands, using the towel that lay across the back of a chair to dry up.
He walked to the living room and by the fire where she'd laid out the blankets and he grabbed his bedroll, unrolling it as he peeled out of his shirt and into the long underwear he had underneath.
He hugged his sister back, closing his eyes "Thanks for having me, sis." He said with a small smile as he kissed the top of her head. "No go and get some rest, I'm sure I've kept ya up past yer bedtime."
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Josh was happy when Weedy answered him, he thought Gold could hear him too. "I think so too." He agreed and then sat up a little more as Weedy laid down at the other end of the bed. "You think God'll get my Pa in trouble fer bein' mad at him? I don't want my Pa to go to heaven yet too." He had been worrying about that a lot...his Pa leaving him just like his Ma had.
Oh, the cleverness of me!
Adelaide Chappel / Posted August 23, 2022
"Of course I'm glad yer here." While Addy was content to be on her own, now that her brother was here, she realized that she had been aching for family, especially after the Ryker debacle. "We'll get ya an' Josh t' th' proper bath house tomorrow, so ya don't go offendin' no one! C'mon..."
Tugging hisi hand, she laughed and kissed him on the cheek, then headed to the boy's room.
"You two awake still?" Stepping inside, she towed Isiah to the bed and urged the boys to lay down, then kissed them on the forehead.
"We’ll always be here ta tuck ya in tight. A hug, a kiss, an' say goodnight! An' when there comes th' mornin' light, we’ll still be here when ya rise an' shine!"
It was an old thing their Pa used to say to them at night -- her brothers said he got it from their Ma, and she'd used it on occasion with Weedy, even though he usually wrinkled his nose in protest!
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"I think God understands if we get mad sometimes." Weedy hugged Josh, then looked up as Addy and Isiah came in.
"Aw, Addy..." His nose wrinkled up, although there was no resistance to the kiss nor being tucked in. Even though it was new to have Uncle Isiah and Josh here, for the first time in his life, he really had a sense of family...
Posted August 24, 2022
Her jokes and jovial disposition was something he sure had missed! He laughed as he followed her into the boys room and found Josh now awake and talking with Weedy.
Josh had been more than happy that no one had mentioned a bath house but he sure heard Aunt Addy say something to his Pa as they came in. "Aw, I don't want no bath!" He protested as Isiah laughed, feeling his heart warm up as Addy tucked Josh into the bed, kissing him goodnight. It made him both feel good and miss Daisy at the same time. And here he thought he could come here and try to quit missing her so bad. It seemed it didn't matter where he went, something would remind him of her. Not that he wanted to forget though. He walked over to Josh, leaning down and kissing him on the forehead too. "You're gettin' a bath. Yer lucky Weedy here will have you in the bed with him!" He teased winking at him.
Then Josh's eyes lit up.
"Hey I heard Uncle Zachariah say that before!" He proclaimed when Addy was tucking them in. Isiah smiled and chuckled at Weedy, patting him on his leg that was beside Josh in the bed.
"Goodnight, Weedy." He said to the boy, smiling at him warmly. Weedy and Addy were obviously very special to each other and because of that Weedy was special to him...he was his nephew!
"Maybe tomorrow ya'll can show us around some?" He said as he grabbed his bedroll and laid it out on the floor and then put a few blankets on top.
Oh, the cleverness of me!
Adelaide Chappel / Posted August 25, 2022
Addy pulled the door to the boys' room mostly closed, although she left a little gap so that Josh didn't feel completely cut off, then followed Isiah out.
"Sure, I can show ya all th' wonders'a Kalispell come mornin'!" Addy chuckled, helping to get his blankets arranged, "after breakfast. I gotta delivery in th' afternoon, but there'll be plenty'a time in th' mornin'. Oh, an' if a big orange one-eyed cat comes ta sleep with ya, that's Buster."
She gave her brother a hug then retreated to her room, leaving the door a bit ajar.
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The first hint of dawn was starting to light the small house when Addy was up and dressed. Moving quietly, she grinned as she stepped past her brother -- Buster was stretched out across Isiah, happily asleep.
Going into the room where Weedy and Josh were, she gently shook Weedy awake. "Hey, ya wanna come help gather some eggs fer breakfast?" She wasn't sure if Josh had had a chance to do 'fun' things like gather eggs.
Weedy blinked sleep, then nodded slowly. "Sure..."
Posted August 26, 2022
Isiah crashed. He slept and he slept hard. While back in Tennessee normally he was up around the same time as Addy, getting ready for work and for the day ahead, but today was different. Today he was finally in his new home. Today he and Josh didn't have to get up, load up everything and hit the trail yet again. It had taken then quite some time getting here on horseback and the travel had worn him out more than he realized. So not the sun, not the tip toes of his sister, nor their whispers in the bedroom woke him. He lay snoring, sleeping soundly. It was content sleep too. He didn't feel like he had to sleep with one eye open to keep an eye on Josh during the night, protecting him and keeping him safe. Here at the house he had both Addy and Weedy to help him so finally he could rest. And he did.
Josh was already waking up some as they sun was rising and so he heard his Aunt Addy when she came in to Weedy. He sat up on his elbows some and with one eye squinted, he heard her question and was eager to help as well. "Can I help?" He asked through a yawn.
Oh, the cleverness of me!
Weedy / Posted August 26, 2022
"Yes, ya can." Addy grinned and patted the boy's shoulder then glanced at Weedy. "You two get dressed an' meet me out back, just be quiet, Isiah's still sleepin'." She chuckled. "Or pretendin' to so he don't gotta do chores!"
She slipped out and past Isiah again, then headed out to the shed to get things ready for the boys to gather eggs and milk the cow. She wasn't sure how much of that sort of thing Josh had been able to do back home...she'd have to catch up with Isiah, but they could do that over flapjacks and bacon!
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Weedy rubbed his eyes then crawled out of bed. "You ever gathered eggs?" he asked. "Our chickens are nice, they don't peck or anything. We can feed them after we get the eggs, like a reward."