Chapter 9 #2
He reaches his hand down to help me up. “Before we start the dreaded dishes, I want you to see where I spend most of my time: at the mine.”
Dusting my skirt off, we walk out of the coop and head up the hill, only for the chickens to follow behind. Rebel paces inside the corral, watching us like he’s worried we’re going somewhere without him.
“Lauren, it seems like you have wound all the animals up this morning.”
“I’m just a new person in their space. It’s just been them and you for so long that me showing up is an oddity in their world.” The hill isn’t that steep, but my ribs start aching before we reach the top. I don’t realize I’m holding my sides until Grant growls.
“Damn my inconsiderate hide, I didn’t think about your ribs, Lauren. Forgive me. Do you want to turn back?”
“No, just give me a second to catch my breath. They sure delight in reminding me every time I forget about them.” Before I can say another word, I find myself being lifted off the ground.
My arm instantly wraps around Grant’s neck, his massive arms holding me effortlessly against his chest as he continues to walk up the hill like I weigh nothing.
“I didn’t mean to complain. You can put me down now, I’ll be fine.”
“Is it bothering you that I’m holding you?”
“Well … no.”
“Then enjoy the ride. And before you say it, you are not a bother or too heavy. Any other worries?”
I shake my head no and bite my lip to keep from smiling.
For a rumored beast, he does growl a lot, but all his actions so far have been nothing but gentle and caring.
Looking around at all the baby leaves on the trees and the bright blue sky above, I allow myself a moment to relax.
His long steps quickly eat up the distance, and before long, I feel a cool breeze, and the smell of creosote seems to permeate the area.
Grant jumps down an embankment, holding me out so I don’t get jostled. We have arrived at the mine’s opening and the darkness just inside made me shiver as Grant gently sets me on my feet.
“Are you cold?”
“No, but that looks terrifying. I hate that you go in there all alone.”
“I would be lying if I said there haven’t been a few close calls. Trying to stabilize and reinforce everything as I go has not always been easy. An extra set of hands would be greatly appreciated. I simply have not found anyone I could count on or trust in this area to hire as help.”
“How do you know what you’re looking for under a mountain?”
“If you’re willing to go in, I will show you.”
Pausing, I stand there for a minute as he holds his hand out for me, and even though it looks like a giant mouth ready to swallow us whole, I know Grant wouldn’t deliberately do anything to hurt me.
So, I take his hand and let him pull me gently forward until we are standing inside the main opening.
He lights a lantern and hands it to me before lighting another for himself. “You can’t get lost because right now, it’s just a dead end. Watch your head, there are places that stick out randomly.”
Grant must bend down several times as our steps lead us further in.
The daylight from the opening disappears quickly as we round a corner, and I suddenly feel like the mountain is sitting on top of me.
Gasping for breath, I try my best to concentrate on Grant’s warm hand and the light of the lantern.
“How much further?” My whispered words seem to echo around us.
“Just around the bend.”
True to his word, we stop shortly after and he holds his lantern up. “Do you see this layer?”
“Yes.”
“This is where I’ve been removing the coal. It’s a shallow shelf hiding the true treasure behind it. Look over here where it’s been removed. Do you see that vein running along its edges?”
“Yes, it’s very prominent.”
“That’s silver. There are veins of it all over this mine. I have also found a few garnets and other colored stones as well. Toby and Eliza were sitting on riches neither of them could imagine. It’s a shame they never got to see the fruits of their labor.”
“Was the mine here when you arrived?”
“Yes, Toby had made it about thirty feet in on his own, literally inches from the first silver vein I found. I have since added the rest of this distance myself. When I originally came in, I had no idea what he was mining for. It could have been coal or possibly gold, as I found a lot of pans for sifting sitting on the back porch, but he knew something was here.”
“If all of this is here, why do you not have the entrance blocked off?”
“Everyone thinks it’s a simple coal mine.
Even though there is money in coal, it’s hard to extract, and the return is not usually worth the effort it takes to extract it.
I don’t sell anything I find locally, but the coal is a distraction.
Twice a year, I gather everything up and take it north to Salt Lake City.
I have a local solicitor sell it anonymously.
Then the funds are distributed into several accounts. ”
“That’s impressive, Grant. Do you work in the mine a lot?”
“Not as much as I should. There’s always something else that needs tending to … like a house full of dirty dishes that a certain someone keeps frowning at each time she looks around.”
I can’t help but laugh and my eyes get big when it echoes all around us. “I can do the dishes, Grant.”
“I know, but I told you I would help and I will.”
“What are your plans for this place?”
“My thoughts are scattered all over when it comes to that and I can’t decide what I want or need to do. I have been spending the money I get from the silver sales to buy up all the connecting land. Right now, I own a little over three thousand acres.”
“That’s a lot.”
“It is, and I’ve been doing random projects like that since I got here, but now that I have you, I need to decide where my … our future lies. Would it bother you if I decided to go back North?”
“As you say, I’m your wife so I don’t really have a say in such things.
I just hope I wouldn’t embarrass you too much.
I’ve lived within twenty miles of here my entire life, and I’ve met plenty of people who think our way of life is primitive and barbaric.
” A shiver wracks my entire frame and instantly, Grant puts his large hand on my back, pushing me gently back toward the opening.
“Let’s get you out of here before this cold sets in your bones.”
I don’t think I have ever been so happy to see the sky or feel the sun on my face as I am when we walk out. Rubbing my arms, I look back at the darkness, watching as Grant fills the lanterns back up with fuel before placing them on a ledge for later.
Looking down, I dust off the bottom of my skirt, then check my shirt sleeves and elbows for dirt, thankful that nothing had marked the material yet.
Grant’s huge form moves toward me, but he’s looking off down the valley at the small cabin and barn clearly in sight.
He frowns, then shakes his head before looking over at me, almost like he forgot I was there for a second.
“You alright?”
“Yes, just seeing the place for the first time in a long time, from a different point of view.”
That seems like a very odd statement, so instead of commenting, I start down the hill.
My own thoughts are all over the place as I try to figure out my role here.
Grant’s much larger steps catch up with mine quickly, but he shortens them so that we are side by side instead of me following behind.
Not knowing what to do in this new awkward silence, I start toward the house.
“I’m going to head in and get started on the dishes. If you have other things to do, I completely understand.”
“Sorry Lauren, I didn’t mean to become so befuddled and quiet on the way back down. All this time, I have simply been existing, but now, because of you, I need to look at our future.”
I try to make light of the situation, “My future says … dishes.”
Grant laughs and the smile on his shaggy, bearded face makes him look younger.
“Fine, I get the hint. I’ll gather the water if you want to build the fire up.”
We work quietly together. Grant washes while I dry, and then I organize them where I think they should be in the cupboard.
What feels like hours later, Grant hands me the last dish to put away in the cupboard.
I take a moment to count them, struggling to keep the numbers straight in my head.
“A complete, eight-piece matching set. I’ve never seen this many dishes or pans in one home. Did your sister bring these with her?”
“I am not sure where they came from. Eliza didn’t leave home penniless; she had a few jewels and other valuables with her that I still haven’t been able to locate.
But her knowledge of money and the cost of goods was limited, as I handled all her accounts.
She was simply used to walking into a place and purchasing whatever she wanted without cost being an issue. ”
Wiping the table off, I look up at him. “I can’t comprehend that world, but I think it would also be hard to adjust to.”
“I just wish she would have reached out to me. I could have made both of their lives easier.”
“Like you have done for yourself since arriving here?” I hold my hand up and back up a few steps. “Forgive me, I had no right to say that.”
Grant dries his hands off and I back up a little further when I see the frown on his face.
“Lauren, stop walking backward before you catch your skirt on fire.”
I stop, but I can feel my body start to tremble when I see his hand coming toward my face.
I flinch, squinting my eyes closed tightly, anticipating the impact, only to jerk as he cups my jaw gently with one hand, while the other grasps my hip, pulling me to him slowly.
When my body is flush against his, he tilts my head up, kissing my forehead before tucking me into his warmth.
I stand there stiffly for a moment, my head lying against his chest, before hesitantly wrapping my arms around his thick waist. He doesn’t let me go until he feels me relax.
“You should rest the remainder of the day, Lauren. Your body is still trying to heal, and I have a few things that need to be done in the barn.”
I nod my head, slightly embarrassed and a little worried that I may have ruined what has been a very rare, peaceful day in my world.