Pioneer Passion (39 page)

Rusty bent to Russell’s level, accepting the
gift he offered her. He smiled showing off his two missing teeth
and she tussled his uncombed crop of hair smiling back, saying,
“Let’s go into the kitchen and cut open our first orange.” Her
small boy couldn’t contain his excitement and jumped up and down
squealing with delight.

She placed her finger to her lips. “Shhh, we
mustn’t wake the baby.” Taking his hand in hers they went below;
this was a private party between mother and son. The first orange
of the season was always special; even when Russell was a baby;
she’d always shared it with him.

She watched him devour his section without a
care, letting the sweet juice run down his dimpled chin. He was big
for his age and very bright, she thought. Her heart swelled
thinking how lucky she and Guy had been these past years.

Their ranch was very prosperous, being the
only cattle ranch in the valley, but he had told her that a new
neighbor was planning to raise cows. Her husband felt there was
plenty of room and profit for everyone. Her little farm was also
doing well, fattening her own purse with money she put away for her
children’s education. She didn’t care what they wanted to be, but
they would be well educated first, like their father.

Guy was spending the day with their four-year
old daughter riding the range. Terre Ann, like her in one way, was
a high spirited girl who wanted to learn to shoot and rope the
cows. This made her husband shake his head in wonderment and they
often made bets with each other on how little Sarah Ann would turn
out.

“Yoo-hoo!” Susan yelled as she opened the
kitchen door. Rusty smiled at her dear friend, and sister-in-law.
Young Scott Junior was clinging to his mother’s hand. He was a year
younger that Russell but they looked more like brothers than
cousins. Only instead of the Crawford’s green eyes, Junior had his
mother’s deep brown color, a nice contrast with his auburn hair.
Rusty wished her Terre Ann’s hair was that color but she inherited
her father’s black locks and Skye’s light blue eyes. Nevertheless,
she would be a beauty like her aunt.

Susan’s breath was labored as she huffed and
puffed her way to the kitchen chair. She was huge with her second
child and Rusty constantly teased her that she might be having
twins.

“Oh, God!” Susan gasped every time she made
that remark. “Bite your tongue. Nursing one was a handful. Could
you imagine two? My breasts tingle at the thought of it.”

That day Rusty did bite her tongue and
refrained from her teasing, seeing Susan was in no mood for her
taunting. In fact, her heart went out to the poor girl. Susan was
so tiny, just thinking about the weight her friend had to carry
around made her own back ache in sympathy. How clearly she could
recall those times when she was with child. So she said, “Russell
and I just shared our first orange of the season.” She turned to
her own son who was wiping his wet chin on his shirt sleeve,
grinning.

“Mmmm,” Russell agreed by licking his sticky
fingers with a loud smack. He was teasing Junior, and she knew her
son was happy his cousin hadn’t been there to share the treat. She
frowned at his rude behavior but didn’t scold him in front of Susan
and her son. She said instead, “Russell, why don’t you and Junior
go out and see if any more oranges have fallen on the ground.” The
boy’s eyes lit up and Russell jumped from the chair and ran ahead
of his friend. “Okay!” he yelled over his small shoulder. “C’mon,
slowpoke, I’ll race you to the grove.”

She shook their heads smiling and when the
door slammed, Rusty asked, “How are you feeling?” The answer was
obvious, but she showed more concern upon seeing the discomfort in
the lines around Susan’s eyes.

Susan laughed. “You had to ask. How do you
think I feel?” she replied, her voice laced with annoyance. “Sorry,
Rusty, it’s just this pregnancy seems to go on forever and I only
want to get it over with. My anger is with my condition not you.” A
sigh came out like a disgusted grunt. “Sorry, didn’t mean to take
it out on you. I’m sure you know well enough how I feel, having
carried three times.” Susan rolled her eyes heavenward. “I give you
credit. I told Scott this was the last time, but I said that after
Junior was born.”

Her friend’s smile was apologetic and she
smiled showing Susan that she indeed under-stood and she sat back
in her chair, reflecting once again how things had turned out.
Scott and Susan lived on a small lot in the west end of the ranch.
Their place was modest, not like hers and Guys, but they were
happy. Scott continued to work for her husband as his foreman and
enjoyed his work. Next week her in-laws would arrive for a visit.
Kyle was a successful lawyer and married Robert’s second cousin
whom he met at graduation. Skye and Robert were expecting their
first child in six months. Her reveries were short-lived when she
heard Susan shriek, “Oh, my God! My water broke!”

“Oh, no!” Rusty gasped, running to Susan’s
side. “Sit here. I’ll get Mattie.” Susan gave her a puzzled look
and said, “Where do you think I’d go, if I could go anywhere?”

She ran out back to where Mattie was hanging
the wash. She tugged the black servant away from her chores without
a word and pulled the confused woman towards the house. The cook’s
sudden stop made Rusty come to an abrupt standstill, nearly
tripping over her own feet.

Placing her hands on her full hips, Mattie
scowled at Rusty and asked, “Whot’s de matter, chil’? Yo’ gone
plum’ loco? Why yo pull on ol’ Mattie’s arm without warnin’? Is de
house on fire?”

She filled her lungs with much needed air,
for the cook was not easy to tug. “Mattie, come quick,” she panted,
“Susan is going into labor.”

“Land sakes, chil’, why yo’ no tell me afore?
C’mon, don’ just stand there, gaspin’.” She ran past Rusty.

Eight exhausting hours later a proud mother
held two beautiful pink-faced girls in her arms. The father sat
beaming from ear to ear at what he had created, making Rusty
laugh.

“You’d think Susan had nothing to do with it
the way he bragged about his beautiful daughters,” she said and Guy
had to laugh at Scott. But they also admitted that they were the
prettiest little girls that they had ever seen, after their own
daughters, of course.

At age thirty-three, and fifteen wonderful
years later she was still vital and beautiful, according to her
husband. Rusty was proud that Guy, in his forties could still rope
and ride with the best of his men. She couldn’t believe that
Russell had another year of college and Terre Ann was in her first
year. Sarah Ann, who just turned sixteen, was not at all like her
siblings. Neither she nor Guy won their bet; Sarah Ann wanted to be
a writer.

Their young daughter would spend hours
staring into space, searching the heavens for ideas to put on her
tablet. This was fine with them as they were proud of all their
children no matter what they wanted in life. Rusty had been feeling
lonely and somewhat melancholy lately with only one child in the
house. She sat on her rocker waiting for her husband to come home
from the branding. She smiled, patting her tummy. Wouldn’t Guy be
surprised to know she was breeding again, and at her age?

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