Chapter 18
When the mayor heard that if Marta Romera was hired then Grady Harper would also come to be a deputy in Sheridan, it was a done deal.
Then it became known that Lynn Neece was seeing Brody Harper and Darcy Cain was seeing Carson Thatcher, they made their decision about the three teachers they needed right then and there.
If it would help out the bachelors in Sheridan with their love life, they would do whatever they could to move it along.
All three of the women got acceptance letters to become teachers in the next school year at the Sheridan school.
They were thrilled to be so close to their boyfriends, and for Marta and Grady to get married and to live so close to her.
Grady sent a telegram to Sheriff Owen Tanner asking if he was still looking for another deputy, if he was he’d like to apply for the job.
Tanner sent one back, that the job was his.
He could report as soon as he could to start work.
Grady was thrilled. So was Marta. He kissed her goodbye and told her that he’d be back for her graduation and their wedding.
He left on the next train. He needed to find them a home and get it ready. He had a month before she graduated.
Sheriff Tanner met him at the train depot with a badge in his hand. Deputies Clark Bandy, Chris Michaels, and Cooper Thatcher were also by his side. “Welcome back to Sheridan. We’re all real glad that you’re going to become a deputy. The town’s got so large that another deputy is needed.”
Grady smiled and was sworn in on the boardwalk. They also pinned on the badge. Cooper slapped him on the back. “Marley tells me that you’re going to get married to Marta as soon as she graduates in a month, is that the plan?”
“Yes, it is. She was hired by the town of Sheridan to be a teacher for the year along with her two best friends. Lynn is seeing Brody, and Darcy is seeing Carson. They are two really nice women, and I think the town is really lucky to have them as teachers in their school. But I do have a month to get a house found and fixed up for us to live in. Any ideas of where there are some empty houses around here…I will tell you that I don’t like a lot of nosey neighbors, if you know of something close to the school and where no one will bother us, I’d be thrilled. ” Grady told them and they all laughed.
“Sounds like he wants something like you and Marley found, but by the school.” Chris told them all.
“Yep, but I don’t know if we have what he wants.
We might have to start from scratch to get it done.
In a month, we can do it, but we won’t get too much help from the folks, August is thrashing time for the crops.
They’ll be busy getting the corn, wheat, and oats in before it gets too late in the season to get it done.
But John Feldman is a cracker jack carpenter, and he should be able to build you one if there’s a lot available.
Let’s take a look to see if we can find what you want. “Cooper told them.
All of them took off to find them a lot near the school and near the outskirts of town.
Sheriff Tanner picked up John Feldman to make sure that he was available to build them a house.
John was not busy at the time and his crew was available.
They found a lot, in fact three of them to give Grady and Marta some room.
Grady loved the lots. They had trees for shade, and a small stream was running through it to give his horse water in the corral.
“This is it. I can see where I want the house…not too big, three rooms…a kitchen, two bedrooms, water closet, with a loft, cellar, smoke house, washstand, rinse box, clothes lines. I want a barn, and a large corral. I want a cookstove with a reservoir, a large fireplace, a pump in the kitchen and the barn, a pig pen, chicken coop…wooden walls in the cellar, and the floor.” He turned to John Feldman, “Will you have any trouble with getting all of that done in a month? I should have said that I want log walls on the outside, lumber for the inside walls, roof, and floor. The same with the barn.”
John stood there with a pad writing everything down.
I think we can get it done in time for you Deputy Harper.
Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, we can work around it.
I assume shelves in the kitchen, cellar and in each of the bedrooms?
” He saw Grady nod, “How about the barn? How many stalls? A workshop or a work area? Bunkhouse? Ladder or stairs going to the lofts and cellar?”
“I want stairs going to the lofts and cellar. I want a work area in the barn for all my tools, and a few shelves to hold the grain for the animals. Make it six stalls. If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know.
I have the money in the bank…I almost forgot, make a sink that drains out and a tub too.
I don’t want to be taking it bucket by bucket.
Do you want half now and the rest when its done? ” Grady asked him and saw John nod.
“That would be great, Grady. We can start ordering the lumber, cookstove, windows, and everything else we will need to finish the project.” John told him figuring what the job would cost. He followed Grady to the bank to get half of the cost of the house.
Grady also had to go the land office to buy the three lots.
He was walking on air to get the house of their dreams for Marta.
He also had to go out and tell his folks about their upcoming marriage, her teaching job, and his deputy position.
Grady rode out to see Nimrod and Kyra later that very day. They were excited to see him. Kyra was outside with the twins in a buggy that Nimrod had built for her. Of course, she was working in the garden. Grady couldn’t believe how much they had grown. He couldn’t tell them apart, but Kyra could.
“Grady! It’s so good to see you again. What brings you here to Sheridan? How long can you stay? Your father and brother are out starting to harvest. I’m just starting to dig up all my root vegetables. Can I make you a sandwich?” Kyra asked him after giving him a hug and a kiss.
“Ma, let me dig up those vegetables for you. You wash them off and put them on a canvass to dry. I can’t believe how big the twins are, nor that they’re sitting up.
Babies don’t stay little very long do they?
” Grady told her and began to dig all over the ground to bring up the vegetables that were still in the ground.
He quickly brought up potatoes, beets, onions, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
He also brought up the cabbages she used to make into sauerkraut.
Kyra laughed, “No, babies don’t stay little long.
You blink and they’re grown. Nimrod and I are enjoying having them as babies as long as we can.
We are taking every step they take as memories we can remember long after they are all grown up.
Which ones got their first tooth, which one rolled over, it’s all new to us and we love it. It’s keeping us young.”
“I don’t think you or Pa will ever get old, Ma.” Grady told her and helped her with picking up all the vegetables he had turned over for her.
“Nonsense, you probably felt like everyone else that I was too old to have babies, and then I end up with two beautiful little boys. It’s making me feel young all over again. Especially when they call me Mama and your father Dada.”
“I like hearing that. The reason I’m here today is that I asked Marta to marry me.
She got a job in Sheridan to teach when she graduates in September.
I turned in my Marshal’s badge and accepted a deputy position here in Sheridan.
I just hired John Feldman to build a house near the school.
It should be done by September when she graduates and comes back to Sheridan.
I also know that Lynn Neece has been writing to Brody and she’s also been hired to teach in Sheridan.
So has Darcy Cain. She’s been writing to Carson.
They’re very nice ladies. Sheridan is lucky to have them for teachers.
” Grady saw that he had shocked his mother.
“Ma, say something, aren’t you happy for Marta and me? ”
“Grady, I am thrilled with you marrying Marta, it just came as such a surprise to me…all of it, the jobs, the house, even Brody’s girl getting hired in Sheridan, too.
I love that Marta will be coming back here to teach and will become a permanent fixture to our family.
I loved that girl, and now she will be one of my daughters for real.
Congratulations to you and to Marta. Won’t your father be surprised!
” She stood up and hugged Grady and also wondered if he knew that her twins had been born by Marta and not by her.
Would it make a difference to him? “Have you and Marta talked about Mattie? Will he stay here or come to live with you and Marta?”
“Marta is very close to her brother. I assumed that he would come to live with us, but that will be between you and Marta when she comes home in September.” Grady told her and went back to digging up the vegetables in the garden.
With Grady digging, it didn’t take long at all to finish the garden.
He helped her wash them off and put them all on the canvas to dry.
Kyra took the boys to change their diapers and to give them both a bottle.
“Ma, I’m going to ride out and tell Pa and Brody about Marta, the wedding, my new job, and about the house, and the teaching jobs.
Then, I’ll head back to town and get back to work.
I love you and get to see more of you as I start riding out on my rounds to the farms and ranches each day.
” Grady told her and rode out to see his father and Brody.
Kyra was worried about what would happen when he found out about Marta giving birth to the babies instead of her.
She hugged the babies to her a little tighter and kissed them to her.
Nimrod and Brody slapped Grady on the back and stopped threshing the corn to talk to him for a few minutes.
They were amazed that he was marrying Marta, building a house, was no longer a marshal, was now a deputy, and that she was going to be teaching in Sheridan.
Brody was thrilled that Lynn and Darcy would also be teaching in Sheridan with Marta.
“Son, I’m trying to get used to all you’ve told me.
A lot has been going on that we didn’t know about.
We always loved Marta and we’re real glad to have her become a permanent member of the family.
I’m glad that John is building your house and I’m sorry that we can’t help you out very much.
Brody and I will manage to build you a bed, one for Mattie, too, and a table and benches for that house of yours, and two rockers for in front of the fireplace.
It sounds like you’ll have everything else taken care of.
Mattie is working in the barn today bringing in wagons of grass for the loft.
I’m surprised you didn’t see him when you helped Kyra with the garden.
You might want to stop and tell him everything that’s going on, especially that his sister is getting married and moving into town to be a teacher.
I’m sure that Marta will be writing him a letter telling him, but the sooner he hears it, the better it will be.
” Nimrod told him and he wondered if Marta had told him that she had given birth to the twins that he and Kyra were raising as their own.
He sure hoped that it wouldn’t make a difference to their relationship.
He loved those boys…they were their sons. And he sure wasn’t giving them up.
Grady found Mattie in the barn pulling up a load of grass using the winch Nimrod had to pull up loads into he loft. Grady came and helped him get it up there.
“I thought I saw you talking to Kyra while she was in the garden, and then I saw you ride out to see Nimrod and Brody, I didn’t know if I would get to see you or not. How are you Grady?” Mattie asked him wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“I’m doing really well, thank you. I can’t believe that you can get a load of grass all the way up to the loft all by yourself.
You must have more muscle than I did at your age.
” Grady told him and saw Mattie smile at the compliment.
“I need to talk to you Mattie. Can you take a few minutes to talk to me?”
“Sure, I need to get a drink of cold water anyway. What’s so important that you need to talk to me? Is Marta all right?” Mattie asked him while drinking from the water in the stream nearby.
“Marta is fine, better than fine. Mattie, Marta and I have fallen in love and want to get married. I hope that’s all right with you…
we want you to live with us in a new house that I’m building in Sheridan.
I quit my job as a U.S. Marshal, and they made me a deputy in Sheridan.
Marta has been hired to become a teacher in Sheridan when she graduates in September.
How do you feel about all of this, Mattie?
” Grady asked him and saw how quiet he was.
“I like you Grady. I just want Marta happy, if marrying you will make her happy, then I’m happy with it.
I’m glad that you’re building her a new home.
We’ve never had a new house before. We’ve lived in an older home with my folks.
It wasn’t that great. We sure liked living here.
I’m sure that I’ll like living in the new house, too.
I know that I’ll like going to school and meeting kids my own age.
” Mattie told him. “I will like having you for my brother.” He told him and blushed for giving his idol a compliment.
Grady pulled Mattie to him and hugged him. “So will I, Mattie, so will I.”