"Oh, so you're already planning to go into competition with us?" Emeline's smile told she was teasing. "Going against our cattle and horses...oh, and we already have the best crew in the territory, so..."
She laughed and shook her head. "We can help each other with all that, well, except that we do have the best men. They've been such a blessing to us. And your house will be amazing, too, with plenty of room for new additions!"
But then she sobered up and nodded. "Barnabas talks about quitting his job as deputy," she admitted, knowing that Alice was the one person who would understand, "and I want him to, with all my heart. But it has to be his decision, so he doesn't regret it later, or resent me for 'making' him leave."
"Speed has mentioned that too, more than once. And yes, I want him out of that job. It's not that it's all that dangerous, I mean yes, he was shot, but other than the bank robbery, and that shoot out on Main Street, wait. It is that dangerous, and I'm not some afraid of my shadow old maid!" She said firmly, "I'm not! That's my future out there, the man I intend to marry come this June."
"Sorry, I've been pushing the risks he takes for this town aside, pushing them down as if they don't exist, but they do!" Alice confessed. "Now I know Charlie's not ready, or that's what Speed says, and if that's true, when will he be? And, how can he be out there alone at night if he's not ready?"
"If it wasn't for his involvement in this 'Founders Day Celebration,' maybe I'd push him just a little toward stepping away, but he is so excited about it I don't want to get an argument started, like you said, it has to be his decision."
"It's hard," Emeline admitted, grateful for the chance to discuss this with another woman, "and more-so for you, since you know first hand what it's like when...the worst happens. But you're right, I know we can't force them, or we'd risk resentment...not that it would necessarily be conscious on their part."
It was a difficult situation for everyone, and there was no good solution. "I'm glad to have someone to talk to about it. I know Barnabas isn't being unreasonable, and I think he likes that he can help by keeping the town safe. I just don't want to lose another man, which is silly, since men die from all manner of things."
"You and me both, Em. I've been walking around with this since he was shot with no one to talk to about it. Men do die from all sorts of things, you're right, but seeing them shot down in the street, that's different. that is preventable," Alive was saying, "A man lying there bleeding to death and for what? To keep the town safe? He was ambushed!"
"Sorry but the idea of it still rankles me. Someone paid to have him killed by a professional assassin!" She continued. "I know Case Steelgrave brought the man in who did it, but he was over his saddle like a bag of oats and couldn't say who had paid him to do it. And who's to say that person won't try again?"
"Barnabas hates that he wasn't here for that," Emeline admitted, "but, I know it's selfish, but I'm glad he wasn't." Even though they'd been hundreds of miles away, they were still effected. "I can't imagine...it was bad enough when those men tried to rob the bank."
Regardless, both women wanted their men to leave law enforcement, and both knew they couldn't force it.
"I'm surprised Steelegrave didn't have something to do with it. Unless he did and he wanted to silence the man, at the same time seeming to be the good guy." Honestly, that made more sense to her, considering the parties involved.
"And..." she hesitated to say this out loud, "I think they'd still be in some danger even if they moved on...there are men they angered, families of men they killed..."
Happy thoughts!
Alice paused, "I had his blood on my hands, the life that was oozing out of that wound. I'll never forget that day, or Doc Danforth for saving him." She said, the anger evident. I want him out at the mines, not waiting on another bullet!"
"I want us all living as well as we can, being happy. I mean, life out here is hard enough as it is, and men best fill those jobs with no families to worry about them." She continued, "Things like this Founder's Day that he's involved with, that's what we should be worried about, making sure that happens, not some nerdowell out terrorizing the town!"
Suddenly she started to laugh, "There's little we can do."
"We can support them," Emeline said, "and worry in silence."
She sipped her coffee, looking at little Wheeler, sleeping in Alice's arms, the promise of a future.
"I'm glad I've got you to talk to, though. It's been good to say the things I've been keeping inside, and to have someone who understands."
Emeline laughed then sighed. "You two need to get on with that wedding so you can start on a playmate for Em and Wheeler. You're going to be a great mother!"
"We can support them," Emeline said, "and worry in silence."
"Isn't that the way of it, worry in silence, put on the brave face. But they are talking about it and that is good!>: Alice said.
"I'm glad I've got you to talk to, though. It's been good to say the things I've been keeping inside, and to have someone who understands."
"Well that's a two way street for sure. I mean I can't talk to Pa about it, an old Bounty hunter? You know how that would go. We need to get together more often, and this is such a beautiful place, the house, the falls, the forest around you. It's like he thought of everything." Alice lauded.
"Barnabas really did do a good job with this." Emeline grinned. "I was a little skeptical to leave most of it to him, but the few times I saw it while it was still being built, I knew it would be amazing. And we got that beautiful stained glass window in San Francisco. I'm sure your house with Speed will be wonderful, too. Barnabas can recommend our builders."
When they had first started on the house, she'd had a hard time seeing the vision, but then, she'd never thought she'd be in more than a simple house with a couple rooms, a loft and a roof that didn't leak!
"And of course we'll get together!" She laughed. "I'll have to look into getting some of those pigeons...the homing ones, so we can send messages back and forth!"
"Barnabas did a wonderful job with this. But I suppose there were ranches in his life that he remembered and more or less copied the layouts that he knew worked best. And we'll need those builders, I doubt speed'll have much time, even out of the Marshal's job, he still has his mining office, plus the mines to run, but the ore will be coming quite soon from what he says. And that wioll mean money." Alice said. "We'll marry, build a house before the winter sets in again, unless we build onto what we have at the Rafter A." Which of course was the practical way of doing it.
"You know, I had not thought of that, carrier pigeons! They used them in the war, and we could really stay in touch more often. What a swell idea! We need to look into that for sure. I wonder what the cost would be? I mean, we wouldn't need very many," Oh this is so exciting to think about having a means to stay in touch!" Alice was excited at the thought, and it couldn't be all that expensive. She hoped. Not that she and Speed were paupers.