Posted October 14, 2022
"No pie?" Emeline frowned as she took his hand and stood, then rested her free hand on her belly. "Cornelius will be disappointed!" Well, they did have to pass the restaurant on the way to their rooms, so pie was certainly an option later.
"We'll see, I might have to sneak down at midnight, for a snack!" She slipped her arm into his, then started walking beside him. "You know, Mr. Pike, even once we get home, I'm going to drag you out on walks after supper now and then."
With everything they were going to have going on when the ranch was in full-swing, simple, private times would be hard to find, so she was determined to make them.
Posted October 15, 2022
""Now I never said no pie, what I said was, that there was no previous agreement about pie." He clarified. "Perhaps, after a walk, things will settle and there will be room for pie, so far as I am concerned. And, I'll not have you sneaking down at all hours to raid their kitchen. Why you could be arrested and where would that leave me? Laid over awaiting your trial? I think not!" The he laughed.
"If it's pie you want, then it's pie you shall have. And walks on the ranch after supper? Now that'll be easy enough. It won't be like I have to do all the work, that's why we'll have hired hands, to help share the workload." With that he walked to the counter and paid the bill, then, with her on his arm, they stepped out into the cool of the evening.
Posted October 15, 2022
"You forgot one thing, Barnabas," Emeline murmured demurely as they stepped into the street, "no one in their right mid would be brave enough to challenge a pregnant woman seeking snacks...and they certainly wouldn't want her locked in their jail!"
She laughed again, then shrugged. "I promised not to embarrass you, and I won't...if I sneak down at night, I just won't get caught! After all, I do know my way around a kitchen!"
The cool evening air was invigorating, and the crescent moon was just visible among the trees. "This is nice," Emeline mused, taking a deep breath. The big cities had been interesting, but she was a country girl...
Posted October 16, 2022
"Danged if you ain't a passel 'o trouble woman." Barnabas chided as they left the road and started along a well worn path alongside the Truckee River, which was flowing nicely and providing a nice sound of the water tumbling over the rocks and fallen tree limbs. "You decide what kin of snack you'll be wanting and we'll get it before we go off to our room which by the way, is on the ground floor, no 'down' to it."
"There' s enough daylight we can walk a good ways yet, sun's not even down." He advised as the clatter of horses crossing the bridge behind them filled the air. "Town is plenty good sized, and likely has a lot to offer. Once we turn back we can cross over and have a look-see if you like, I mean just ahead of stocking up on midnight snacks for you and the child. Spoilin' it already."
Posted October 17, 2022
"Oh, well, now, you know I married the deputy so I can get away with things, right?" She grinned up at him sweetly, then shrugged. "We'll see about snacks when we get back. Besides, being on the ground floor will make it all the easier to sneak out! No climbing down the walls!"
If she hadn't been pregnant, she may very well have tried it, just because she could! Lucky for Barnabas, she wasn't going to take any chances with the baby, so she would behave herself...for now!
"I love the sound of the water," she mused, "it's so peaceful and inviting. I'm glad we have the falls so close by, and all the trees." She couldn't have asked for a better setting than what they had back home, and it was going to be a wonderful place to raise children.
"We should probably have a fence up around the yard, though, to keep the children confined, at least until they are older. We don't need them running to the river or out with the cows!" She didn't want to fret every moment over whether the children were getting into danger.
Posted October 18, 2022
"There isn't a better site in Kalispell, not the Lost Lake or the Evergreen." He bragged. Maybe a little hard to get to though by now the road up to it is wider than when we left to accommodate the wagons with materials. But I think you'll like the place once we get back to see it." He explained, then went on, "You know, things will likely never be the same after this trip."
"So, there'll be no midnight cookie thieving, woman. I can't get you out of anything here in Nevada. Probably not in Virginia City either, so I'd be mindful of my P's and Q's was I you. But yes, the sound of the river here is most pleasant. Has me thinking about home, the falls and the river running by and through the place."
"Now, a fence, makes sense, Don't know that one was in the plans, but easy enough to build one. I don't see a problem with that at all." He concluded.
Posted October 19, 2022
"Things haven't been the same since you started washing my dishes...well, before that, even!" Maybe it hadn't been the first time she'd seen him, but certainly soon after, she had realized that this man was her future, and nothing would ever be the same.
"Of course, this is far different than what I had thought, not that I'm complaining, mind you. The longer we are away, the more I look forward to the new house, life at the ranch, the horses, and having little Abiel..."
She chuckled and squeezed his hand. "I know it will take time to settle in, but I'm starting to think I'll be so busy there...not that I'm making any decisions just now, but..." She shrugged. Unless she hired out most tasks, the ranch was going to keep her busy.
Posted October 19, 2022
"It is far different than anything I had planned." He admitted. "I mean I knew that there was money, but I really had little use for it, I mean I got hired by the town to be Speed's deputy, and what they were paying was the money I used, and what was coming from Nevada here was almost lost on me. Then there was you and the dish washin' job, which was really an excuse to be near you."
"I'm none to worried about what you decide about the cafe, it's yours to do with as you please, mining money or not. And yes, the ranch is going to be a handful for us both, decisions need to be made, but not tonight, or even tomorrow. Maybe on the trip home." He suggested, "We'll have plenty of time to discuss just about everything under the sun. Rails only go so far north."
"You never said nothin' about before washin' dishes for you. Funny ain't it? both of us lookin' to meet the other and see what happens? Guess the idea stuck." And he laughed.
Posted October 21, 2022
"More proof that we were meant to be!" Emeline smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. "I just liked the idea of having a law man close by!"
In truth, it had been nice, and good for her to have people -- friends -- around, and having Clara and Barnabas in her life had really perked her up and given her a lot of joy. And now, she had hope, and a future, and even some financial security.
"We'll take it as it comes, that's worked so far, right?" Well, that wasn't to say that she wasn't imagining what it was going to be like once they got home, and she was organizing in her head, even though she really didn't know many of the specifics.
"At least we'll be rested, and ready to jump into our new lives, and I know we'll do well together. And I've no doubt the hired hands will fit in."
She paused and looked up at Barnabas. "How much do you know about cattle ranching, anyway?" Or was this going to be the blind-leading-the-blind?
Posted October 21, 2022
"I've done my share, growin' up and working for others." He said, "I wouldn't own one if I didn't know some about runnin' it. The men bringing the herds have been at this a while, if I can et them to stay on. Which was the original deal I made with 'em."
"As far as this rest yer talkin' about, I'm afraid that there'll be little rest on the last leg of the trip, we'll be in a coach, or our own conveyance of some sort and, that'll be slow going at best." He smiled, it was not going to be easy, that last leg after the end of track. "But I will say this, I'll do everything I can to make it as comfortable a humanly possible. That I promise."