Pike had stripped off his chaps in the barn after stabling and brushing down his Hammerhead Roan. The men were out doing various chores with the horses, some were out with the herd, while some others were out driving stock back to where they were easier to keep track of. He enjoyed the fact that he did not have to do any of the work, even though he chose to most of the time. His job in town did require him to be in the office with some regularity, There were no problems that required both him and Speed to be there all day every day, but he liked going in as much as he enjoyed working on the ranch.
HJe stepped into the mud room and got his boots off and a pair of 'slippers' on, the Missus insisted, no mud tracked into her house. He then entered the kitchen, poured himself a cup of coffee, and proceeded into the parlor and up the stairs to find Em and Wheeler. He had known that Clara Lutz had been there visiting, one of the men told him, which he did not mind one bit. Clara was like a part of the family anyway.
He found his quarry in Wheeler's room. "Ah, Misses Pike and Master Wheeler, Good morning to you both." He greetd. "Your herd and Morgan horses are doing just fine, fact is the boys are exercising the Morgans as we speak, and some of the others are with the herd. They're getting fat dispite the cold." He explained.
"And how'd yer visit with Clara go? Good she was able to come out to visit." He added.
"Mr. Pike." Emeline had just finished feeding Wheeler and was sitting in the rocker, rubbing the infant's back. "It's good to hear everything is going well." Standing, she crossed over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "And I'm glad to hear the horses are being taken out. In a few weeks I'll be ready to get back to tending them."
Holding Wheeler to his father, she asked, "Would you like to hold him? He's been so good so far, but it hasn't been long."
He took his son from Em and held him out for just a moment, then brought him in close and hummed to him a bit. "Everything is as it should be on this here well run ranch of ours Misses Guyer. How could it be otherwise? We have the best hands in the state. An, I not only got the best young buckeroo here, I got me the best wife as well! So how'd you like them apples?"
He was unconsciously rocking young Wheeler in his arms ever so slowly and gently. He liked being a dad, he liked the fact that he had Em as his wife, and, that they had been so fortunate to be where they were, thanks to a poker hand, and a good friend in Captain T.G. Taylor, "Cap" as he called the man, for it was Cap Taylor who invested that initial one-third share into the ongoing income that flowed from the mines of Sun Mountain and her Comstock Lode.
"Probably ride in an' see what Guyer's up to an' if there's a need for me to be there." He said. "That's the part I favor, havin' the freedom to come an go. Though something tells me, it won't always be that way, well, so long as I'm his deputy." He was having those recurring thoughts of stepping aside for someone else to become Speed's deputy. Charlie would do, and he deserved that chance to be on the day shift. But that was simply a thought he hadn't acted on.
"You've made a good team here," Emeline assured him, smiling as she watched him with the baby...he was a natural, and it was a bit odd to see so strong and rugged a man being so gentle and careful. "He likes having his papa hold him."
She knew that Barnabas was still undecided on remaining a deputy, and he knew her feelings on it, so she wasn't going to press him. "Of course you can go into town when you need to," she grinned, "so long as you bring us back a present!" She gave him a playful wink. "And no, you don't count as a present! In a few days, I'll be ready to get back to work, and to make a run to town...and back to riding and seeing to the horses...I'll need to rig up some sort of cradleboard so I can bring Wheeler and get him used to being around the ranch." With a chuckle, she added, "He'll be riding before he can walk!"
"That's good, cuz his Papa likes to hold him." Was the response. "Hard to believe, that I have all that I have. You, Wheeler here, this place. A man set's his course for good or bad, some of us in the middle, I reckon, and we get what's commin' down the pike. I was a lawman up in Virginia City, a hired gun, and didn't start that way, but that's how she ended up. A cow hand, and a dishwasher, and a lawman again."
"Best part of it is, I'm your husband, an' his father. All'a this is a real surprise to me when I get to thinking about it, like this mornin' out there with them cows. I'd say I'm about the luckiest ner do well to ever to hold three duces. Some say wealth not earned corrupts, but you know, I don't believe that for one second!" He was grinning, partly because he had never told her these things before.
"You've earned your wealth fair and square," Emeline pointed out. "You even worked hard at washing dishes to earn me!" There weren't many men who would do 'menial' labor like washing dishes to help out, and it was that humility that first caught her attention.
"And don't ever doubt that you deserve every bit of this! You worked hard to get this far, and I know you have no intention of slowing down." Smiling, she reached up to caress the ginger fuzz on Wheeler's head. "And your success is my salvation, really. I hadn't thought that I'd ever remarry, or have a family...much the less all that you've given me, the horses, an amazing home, hope..."
"Fair and square, luck is what it really was, on both counts Missus Pike." He corrected, well, if she could be rectified of her opinion. "You know, with the turn of a card, I would still be washing dishes at the Lickskillet, though I might not have ever come to Kalispell. Then again, that's all conjecture. I did take that hand, and I did win your heart, so I'm a pretty lucky guy I think." He gently rocked his son as he spoke.
"This little guy here, well Missus Pike, he seals the deal, made us a bonafide family, he did." He continued. "The very best part of all'a this, we're just getting started with this family and this ranch. Not sure how much longer I'll be on the town payroll, even though I donate it back to the kitty Speed an' me got for expenses. There's just gettin' to be too much here that requires me to be in the saddle." He sort of shook his head, "Speed's thinkin' the same way, what with the mines an' all." There was a note of regret in his voice.
"Of course you'll have your priorities, and those will change with time." Emeline knew that that was true for both of them, you had to take every moment as it came. Sometimes things were 'safe' and predictable, other times there were upheavals that needed to be addressed, although it could be hard to know what was right.
"I'm sure there's enough to keep you busy here, especially if we have more little ones!" She gave him a playful look, combing her fingers through his hair. "You've been patient, but I'm thinking that if you can wait another week, we can start working on a little sister for Wheeler?"
"Already got them priorities, you, Wheeler, an' the Rockin' P Ranch. Now, helpin' in town? For a bit longer, I 'spose. Ain't been an easy thing to consider. But this here is a nice quiet town till the railroad gets here, then I'd likely have to reconsider, but that appears to be a ways off yet." He responded. "Then things'll get pretty wild in town. AN' there's always either Elias or Case Steelgrave an' their men to consider, but I've heard nothin' about either bein' a threat."
He wanted to put a hand on her shoulder, but his hands were full. "Now I figger that the Good Lord'll decide what child comes next, and I'll be good with his choice. So, come next week, we'll see if we can't start on that process again. Yeah, I see things changing for us. I mean, the security of Kalispell's important or I'd not be wearing the badge, and if need be, I'll be there to help out, it's just the day to day stuff here is more important than the day to day stuff there."
"It might be a good idea to talk to the town council about hiring someone...putting out ads for someone with more experience than poor Charlie?" Emeline suggested. "That would make both you and Speed feel better, I think, when you decide to step away." She fully understood that leaving the town to Charlie was probably not the best idea, neither for the young man nor the town. "You know if anything happens, you and Speed would be devastated, so it's best if they can plan ahead, don't you think?"
The last thing she wanted was for Charlie to get into trouble if he became Marshal, and there was no reason the council couldn't find someone qualified to do the job.