Chapter 68

If I lived to be a hundred, I was still never gonna understand womenfolk; Izzy, least of all.

She'd no sooner gotten sick all over the yard, afore she was herself again. I tended to stay close by when I was worried 'bout her, but she'd have none of that. She shooed me away, informin' that I had things to do, and she needed to finish helpin' with supper.

I was a might dejected when I started back to unloadin' the wagon.

"She won't let ya fuss over her huh?" Emmett asked, grinnin'.

I just shrugged.

"It's gettin' late, Ed. How 'bout we just unload what y'all need for tonight and leave the rest 'til tomorrow?" Emmett suggested as we set a trunk down in the hallway.

Chapter 69

My heart was filled to burstin' as I made my way over to shut the door. The thought of me and Izzy havin' a child was both thrillin' and a might frightenin' at the same time. Knowin' my mind as I did, I made an effort to push back the fear tryin' to claw its way to the surface.

There would be plenty of time later to fret 'bout what was comin'. But for tonight, I felt the need to take pleasure in the fact that we was expectin', and that me and Izzy had finally arrived at our new home.

This was a day I'd keep in my memory for a good long while, and the need I was feelin' to be close to Izzy, to make love to her, had never been stronger.

Chapter 70

"Ed, let's talk business." Emmett said after we was through with supper.

I hadn't seen him all day, Izzy and me havin' slept uncommonly late. I didn't begrudge my girl the extra rest, but it was the first time since returnin' from the war that I hadn't woke afore the sun.

I'd spent the day unloadin' the rest of the wagon and seein' to whatever I could around Emmett and Rosa's place 'til he got home.

Emmett set down two glasses of whiskey in front of us after we was seated on the front porch.

"Old man Whitlock's made me an offer that I'd be a fool not to accept." Emmett warn't one for beatin' 'round the bush, always gettin' straight to the point. He took a sip of his whiskey afore continuin'. "If I do accept, it's gonna affect ya as well, so I gotta ask; ya still got your heart set on farmin' for yourself?"

I nodded, more than a might confused as to where this was headed.

He nodded back. "I like workin' for old man Whitlock, but part of me has always wanted my own place."

He rubbed his chin. "Thing is, if I take his offer, I'll be able to do both."

Chapter 71

"I reckon ya could say that Jasper and his Missus have been to Hell and back." Emmett began the story while refillin' our glasses. "Just like the rest of us, he don't speak of it much, but he seen his fair share of the worst."

His words had me recallin' the worst a what I'd seen; my friends gettin' cut to ribbons right in front of my eyes.

"Just afore I was to marry Rosa, me and Jasper went to the tavern and tied one on." He was grinnin' in that way he'd always done after he'd earned a trip to the woodshed. I laughed and shook my head.

Lord, how I'd missed him.

Chapter 72

All that talk of the war made for an uneasy night. My dreams was haunted by the faces of fellers I knowed to be dead, causin' me to wake more than once and reach for my wife.

As I'd come to learn, her touch had a calmin' effect on me, better'n any tonic.

Even so, the next mornin', I was fair certain that the strain of the restless night was showin' on my face.

Izzy and Rosa was up afore the rooster, bakin' biscuits and brewin' coffee for me and Emmett. I took mine from my wife gratefully as she studied me. "Ya alright?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper. I nodded and give her a small smile. She then run her hand soothin'ly across my cheek, not mindin' if Emmett or Rosa seen her.

I leaned into her hand, and closed my eyes.