"Well, Love, I looked at all of the properties on the list, and if the prices were right, I'd buy them all, sort of like cattle." He said, sitting down. "Now this looks just great! But then, you are a great cook. So, businesses? A couple right off, an apothecary and a laundry are needed, I'd say, badly. Not everyone has a wife to do the washing, and most men don't want to. And, an apothecary here is better than mail order from there, wherever there is."
"We can be landlords, there's no problem doing that, and yes, we could sell to those who want to buy, that would be easy enough. But, we could also buy a tract of land west of town and sit on it until the railroad goes through. And when it does, property with buildings on it or not will skyrocket!" He said, taking a bite of his steak, then, as he chewed, "We will always be able to get our money out of it should we decide to sell.
He paused, "So, help around this house is not a want, it's a need. I appreciate the situation, and I would say we are blessed to have Modeen working for us. He has been a help and I appreciate that of him, it was not what he was hired to do, but something he stepped up to help with." Barnabas said. "Now, looking into it is all well and good, Love, but getting the right person out here to lend a hand is what we need. More than one"
"Misses Pike, there's no reason on God's green earth that we cannot afford to hire whatever help allows you the freedom to do what you want to do, that's what the money is for, far as I'm concerned. So I think we need to make plans to go to town and see what we can find; there's bound to be some reliable help available. Fact is, we have more bedrooms than we use at present, so she could live here. What do ya think?"
"I think you are wise and kind," Emeline replied with a small smile, "and I think I want to do all of it!" Which, of course, was not practical, nor well-advised, and Emeline knew it. "I suppose I'm just stubborn, since I've had to do things on my own after Andrew died, and even before that, it was just the two of us, and small ideas."
Her smile widened. "So, you see, it's hard to chose what I want to be directly involved in, well, besides tending Wheeler and the house...and seeing after your needs...and the horses...and keeping an eye on the Lickskillet...and..."
Sighing, she chuckled. "You're right, Pythias has worked out well here, and I've used help at the restaurant, so I don't suppose having help around the house would be a problem. And, as Alice pointed out, it might give a young woman a chance at a good future. So, I agree, we'll have to go to town and inquire."
"No Ma'am, having help around this place'll allow you some freedom to do as you please, when you like." Barnabas told her with an easy smile, "And yes, we ought to pay a visit to town, get you away from this place for a bit." He shook his head as if in dismay. "Stubborn? That'd be an understatement if I ever heard one!"
"I know all about wanting;' ta do ever'thing an' then gettin' upset when I can't quite pull it off, no one can, less they got or little ta do!" He referred to her earlier statement, "An' sayin' I'm wise and kind buttered me up just fine, except, I just ain't buyin' what you're sellin'. Now, we can afford anything you heart desires, so there's no argument there. Besides, I need Bodine now that spring's upon us and I'm planning on buyin' another two hundred fifty head of cattle, and claimin' another fifteen hundred acres of range for the increase."
"So we need to plan for this trip to town, ain't so easy as just you an' I ridin' off. There's Wheeler to consider, and there's the men an' our foreman needs to know that the both of us, all three of us, are goin' to town."
"A trip to town sounds just the thing!" It had been a while since Emeline had been to town, and while she didn't specifically need to go there, it would be almost like a holiday for them. "Any time suits me, so long as I have a little time to pack. The men are seeing to the horses for the most part already. and feeding the chickens and gathering eggs wouldn't take much time.
"It's up to you, when you can take the time, I'll be ready." She was new to ranching life and didn't know the patterns yet, if there was calving or branding, or something else that needed tending. "It'll give me a chance to show off Wheeler to our friends who can't get out here."
"Good, I'll get the buggy ready. Let Modeen know, and Mike as well. It's not that far, and if necessary, we can spend the night, depending on how things go." He told her. It was early afternoon, so there was a lot of daylight left. The trip ought to take a little better than an hour.
"My thought is, maybe pack like we were going to stay the night, just in case." He added before he headed out to let Pythias Modeem know, and Mike Wentworth if he was out with the roundup. He found Pythias in the barn, "Pythias, the family is going into town, chances are good we'll be overnight showing off Wheeler and all."
"If you're lookin'; fer Mikke he's out with the boys brush poppin' the strays." Pythias told him. meaning there was no telling where he was. "I'll let him know, an' I'll get the buggy ready for ya."
"I wanted to tell ya that I appreciate all the help you've given the misses, and the reason for the trip to town is, we'll be hiring some help and let you get back to cowboyin'."
"Good news, miss my time out there. But helpin' with things in the house was important, an' Cookie, Nate, was too busy to add that to his list a chores." Modeen replied with a smile. "No matter what Mike want's me doin', it'll be good gettin' back out there."
"We'll things'll be changin' soon enough. Gonna be free of that Deputy job soon enough, maybe in the next month or so. Lookin' to find a replacement." He said with a grin.
"Good! Be good, you not bein' in town, even though the risk ain't what I'd heard it was a'fore we got here."
"Yep. The Misses wants me done with it too. Speed's looking; to move on, what with the mines an' all. So, anyway, you tend ta that, an' I'll go see if I can help in the house." Pike said, feeling good about saying he was going to quit, now the problem was, when?
"Now?" Oh, she'd thought he'd meant soon, especially since he'd just come back to town, but being impulsive was part of what kept life exciting. "All right, then!"
As she scooped up Wheeler and headed for the stairs, she was making a list in her head of what they'd need, bare minimum. At least neither of them was overly fussy, so that they didn't need a change of clothes...or, it might be an excuse to do some shopping! As for Wheeler, he'd just need diapers and his soft blanket.
It didn't take long that she was back downstairs, in a more appropriate dress, with her hair straightened and a valise that held what she thought she and Barnabas would be for the night.
As she waited for Barnabas, she worked on cleaning up the kitchen and getting the house in order.
Barnabas skep-stepped up the stairs in the front of the house, paused a moment to turn and survey the waterfall and the rushing water careening down the gully that carried it southward to the other ranches and farms beyond his property. He smiled, recalling the first time he had brought Em up here. He turned and stepped inside, the screen door slamming shut behind him. He needed to do something about that.
"Okay, Em, we'll be in town in maybe an hour." He called. "Supper for three at the Lickskillet!" He was happy, they were getting away together, not like he was riding to town for work, and taking Wheeler along as well. "Pythias is getting the buggy ready for us, and he'll let Mike know. He's out chasin' cows.
"
"I'm about ready!" Emeline called down from their room. She had already taken one valise to the bottom of the stairs, and now she finished up packing the second, grabbed it and Wheeler then headed down herself. "I'm excited, this is going to be fun! Here, take your boy!"
She handed Wheeler off to his father, then picked up the two valises. "If I forgot anything, we'll just have to do without! Makes it all the more of an adventure!" Who would have thought that a spontaneous trip to town would be an adventure? But it had been some time since she'd been to town, and she did miss some aspects of living there in the middle of everything.
"That's why we have stores in town, for that very reason, or so I'm told," Barnabas said, taking Wheeler fropm his mother. "All right, big guy; we're headed for town now, and don't you go flirtin' with every pretty girl you see." He stepped toward the door, he lookedf over at Em, "Gonna be fun, and you don't have to cook tonight. I'll drive safe, bein's I've got the two most important people in Flathead County along with me
Down the steps and into the biggy, Barnabas handed off Wheeler to Em as she got situated on the seat. He walked around, picked up the ground anchor, unfastened its rope from the harness, and put it on the floorboard as he climbed in. Taking up the reins, he gave them a pop, and the horse stepped out. "Okay, we're off!"