Minnie on the top of the page. A full blooded German Shepherd
Luci's Pov
I was trying to get everything done before Brantley and I leave the cabin to go down the mountain to go to town. We just had some eggs and bacon at 5 in the morning and Brantley wants us to be leaving now and I still isn't ready just yet. I have no clue where Brantley ran off too. All he told me Be ready when he shows back up. I'm trying to get the cabin kitchen all cleaned before we leave. Like Brantley told me, it takes 3 hours by wagon to get off this mountain, and once comes winter we will be snowed in up here for months and months. I just hope the baby and I can handle this hard mountain winter. But something tells me I won't have to worry with Brantley being my husband.
I took one more look around the cabin kitchen and I was happy with all of this. So far our small little home is nice and cozy and clean. I've never seen a small cabin that tracks all the dust unlike this one. I'm always dusting this home. But I don't mind at all. I walked over to my purse that was laying on the kitchen table. Brantley gave me some money so I can get my yard for the baby clothes I'm making for my baby. Plus I would like to see Doc Jackson when we get to town, so I know everything is going okay with the baby.
I walked outside and sat down on the rockin chair waiting on Brantley and Minnie to return home. It's a nice April morning. The dew is still on the grass. The wet air feels so good. I wrapped my shawl around my body more so I won't get as clod waiting on Brantley and Minnie to return. I was humming to the baby. Something I find myself doing all the time. I was rubbing my belly, just humming to the baby when I heard Minnie barking. I looked up and saw her and Brantley walking up to the cabin. I stood up and walked off the small porch.
"You ready Darlin." Brantley asked me.
"Yes. The kitchen is all cleaned up. The laundry is hanging in the house. You said we going to left overs for dinner right." I asked my husband.
"Yes Darlin." Brantley said to me picking me up and setting me in the wagon.
"Okay. I got my money you gave me. Thank you again Dear." I said to him. Brantley jumped into the wagon and sat next to me. Minnie was on one side of me and Brantley was on the other.
"Your welcome. You have your list." Brantley asked me. I opened up my hand bag.
"Right here." I told him.
"Read it to me." Brantley said to me. I smiled at him.
"Okay. I need yard patterns. I'm going to see about 3 yards." I said to Brantley. He looked down at me.
"Get 6. We will be coming down one more time before winter sits here, but after that we won't get down from the mountain until spring gets here." Brantley said to me.
"I'll see if I have enough money." I told him.
"No you mark 6 yards your gettin." Brantley said to me. I looked at him with a big smile on my face.
"Thank you." I said to him.
"Anything for you babe." Brantley said to me, giving me a kiss.
"Okay then with the yard I'll like to make a new curtains for the cabin. And I would like to get a new table cloth. If I can get enough yard for all of this." I told him. Brantley smiled at me.
"And you will. Get the fabric for the baby and then get something different for the table cloth and for the curtains. But I don't see what is wrong with the one we got." Brantley said to me.
"That's because there's only one and it has holes all over it. We need something new. We are still newly weds and I'm trying to make that cabin a home. I was thinking of red. Or Blue. What do you think?" I asked Brantley.
"Darlin I don't care what color you get. You've made that a cabin into a home the second you said I do to me." Brantley said to me. I just believe this man. He's the best thing beside this baby I'm caring that has ever happened to me.
"Well we will talk about it when we get to town. It's a great morning." I told him. Brantley didn't say nothing he just kept watching the old road going down the mountain.
"What business do you have in town?" I asked Brantley.
"Got to take a few things in. As you can see I have this wagon filled with good logs. I hoping Mr. Lynn, the mill owner will be okay with these. 6 feet long and seasoned already." Brantley said to me. I looked in the back of the wagon.
"How much can you get for these?" I asked him.
"About $4 a log. I have 30 logs back here so I'm thinking about $120 for the whole wagon." Brantley said to me. I looked up at him.
"That's a lot of money." I said to him.
"Yes it is. But after we leave town I have to take half of the money to McRoy and---" Luci cut me off.
"We are seeing David and Meadow today." I asked him.
"That's what I said Darlin." Brantley said to me. I smiled at him.
"Good I need to speck to Meadow about a few things." I told him.
"Oh yeah, you and her have gossip about David and myself." Brantley asked me. I looked at him.
"Like you and David don't talk about us." I asked him.
"Yeah I keep telling David I got the best wife." Brantley said to me. I had a big smile on my face. And I got the best man in the world.
"Oh I didn't think you and David would talk like that." I said to Brantley. He looked down at me.
"You are so much better wife then Meadow." Brantley said to me.
"Well not to David. Meadow and David are the best couple ever. There love is so strong I know if we just try in the smallest amount we will be okay as well." I told him.
"I love you Luci Jo James Gilbert." Brantley said to me. I looked up at him.
"I love you Brantley Keith Gilbert. More then you will ever know." I told him.
"I have my doubts about that Darlin." Brantley said to me giving me a kiss.
"Well I think it's perfect that you and David are in this logging business together. I just wish we all lived a little closer." I said to Brantley. He looked down at me.
"I understand why they live so far, I just hate it. There's a few times that if Meadow lived closer I would walk over to her cabin to ask her a few questions." I told Brantley.
"Why should you have to talk to Meadow all the time? I married you, she didn't marry you." Brantley told me.
"Brantley, I'm happy that we are married. I love you, it's just I didn't really get to talk to my mama about this before she died. She's the only mother figure that I can talk too." I told him. Brantley looked down at me.
"I'm sorry Darlin I wasn't thinking right. Anytime you need to talk to Meadow I'll be more then happier to take you over to there cabin." Brantley said to me. I laid my head on his arm.
"Thank you dear, that's really nice of you." I told him.
"Your welcome love." Brantley said to me.
"Brantley is that a---" Brantley cut me off.
"Yes it is a mountain lion. She's a beaut." Brantley said to me. I smiled at her.
"Do you think she has some babies somewhere?" I asked Brantley.
"Most likely. When we get to town you want to shop first or go see the doc." Brantley asked me.
"I can do the shopping while you take care of the logs." I told him. Brantley didn't say nothing at first.
"I'll feel better if I'm with you while you do the shopping." Brantley told me. I looked up at him.
"Why? Brantley people will always talk bad about me. As long you and this baby don't think I'm a bad wife or a bad ma then let them talk bad about me." I told him. Brantley looked down at me.
"You are a good wife, and you will be a great mama to that baby. And Darlin no one should say nothing bad about you. You have so much Grace inside of your heart that I wish they could see it the way I do." Brantley said to me. I looked up at him. Brantley wiped the tear falling down from my face.
"It's up to you dear." I said to him.
"I say I'll take you to the store then I'll go take care of the logs, then we both can go see Doc Jackson." Brantley said to me. I looked at him.
"Sounds like a great idea Dear." I told him. Brantley and I talked all the way down the mountain. Minnie never did try to run off. She jumped down to scare off a rabbit but was right back next to the wagon in a matter of seconds.
This is the first time Brantley and I have been back to Spring Hill's since we first met and got married. It's bee a month since that day, but if I know Mrs. Olsen and some of the ladies that she is friends with I know they are still talking about it. But I don't let that mind me at all. I'm a happy married woman with our first child on the way.
The long way down the road to the Olsen store people where looking at us and whispering to each other.
"Hey, we don't pay them assholes no mind." Brantley said to me. I looked up at him and smiled.
"Not at all Dear." I said to him. Brantley drove us to the store and stopped the team on the side of the store.
"Okay Darlin you stay in the store until I get back." Brantley said to me.
"Well, when I'm done with our shopping I'm coming back out here and waiting with Minnie." I told him. He looked down at me.
"I'm taking the wagon to the mill. Shit okay I'll wait here for you then when you get done---" I cut Brantley off.
"Dear, dear, dear no. You and Minnie go take the logs to the mill. I can walk down the street and meet you both there." I told him.
"No. My wife will not have to walk around this town with people looking at her." Brantley said to me. I wrapped my arms around his body.
"I don't think no one will say anything to me. I'm married to the big mountain man that could kill them if I told him to kill them." I said to Brantley.
"And you know I'll kill anyone for you Darlin. I mean that." Brantley said to me.
"Yes Dear I know that. So I will meet you and Minnie down at the mill when I'm done with my shopping." I said to Brantley. Hello he killed Samson like it was nothing. I know I can tell him to kill that man or shot this person and Brantley would do anything I tell him to do
"Yes ma'am." He said to me.
"Here's some more money." Brantley said to me. I looked down at him hand he was handing me $20. I looked up at him.
"How did--" Brantley cut me off.
"I told you before Darlin, you don't have to worry about money. I have enough. Now put that in your bag." Brantley said to me. I took the money.
"Thank you Dear. I try not to spend all of the money." I told him. Brantley pulled me over to him.
"You can spend as much money as you want Darlin and if you need more just tell Nels I'll stop by later before we leave town to pay him." Brantley said to me. I smiled up at him.
"Okay. I love you." I said to him. Brantley leaned down to kiss my lips.
"Bye babe. If you need me just come yelling for me." Brantley said to me. I gave him a peck on his lips.
"Yes dear. Now go take care of the business." I said to him, walking up the steps to Olsen store. I opened up the door and saw Mrs. Olsen and Mrs. Lynn talking. I smiled at them.
"Good morning Mrs. Olsen. Morning Mrs. Lynn." I said to them. I walked over to the yard that Mrs. Olsen has out.
"What are you do here?" Mrs. Olsen asked me.
"Brantley need to do some business here in town and I wanted to do some shopping." I told them. I know if I don't answer there questions they would start rumors about Brantley and myself. By the end of the day the whole state would know why Brantley and myself are here in her store, due to this old bag of bones.
"I see. What kind of business?" Mrs. Lynn asked me. I was looking at this pretty pattern that I can make our curtains with.
"Sorry Mrs. Lynn what was your questions? Mrs. Olsen I would like 5 yards of this pattern please." I asked Mrs. Olsen.
"Business. Why are you here for business?" Mrs. Lynn asked me. I just don't know why people have to know about other people lives. We are not that fascinating people. Brantley and I are just simple mountain people. Well, him more then me.
"Oh I don't know. I don't get into the business world with Brantley. That's his job. All I am is his wife." I told them. Like hell if I'm telling them everything. I might be only 18, but I'm not some 10 year old little child that will talk all the time if you ask them questions.
"You have money Luci. If you don't you can't get this." Mrs. Olsen said to me. I looked at her.
"Well yes Mrs. Olsen I have money." I said to her. I smiled at her.
"I see. I didn't know Brantley gave his child wife money or not." Mrs. Olsen said to me. I'm trying so hard not to loose my temper.
"Mrs. Olsen do you have any white fabric I could use for a table cloth." I asked her.
"I got white silk or that ugly green satin. That would be 5 cents a yard Luci." Mrs. Olsen told me. I smiled at her.
"That's fine. But I think I want the green satin instead." I told her. The second I saw that beautiful satin fabric I knew what I wanted to do with it.
"Fine how many yards?" Mrs. Olsen asked me. I looked at it. I would rather have a little too much then not enough.
"Well, Mrs. Olsen I'm think 5 yards should do it." I told her. She looked at me.
"And may I ask why you need that much." Mrs. Olsen asked me. I smiled at her.
"I'm thinking on a few small projects with this satin Mrs. Olsen. I think it's just the prettiest shade of lime green I've ever seen." I told her.
"Well that will be $0.25 cents." Mrs. Olsen told me. I smiled at her.
"Can I please finish up my shopping before I pay you or with everything I get you want me to pay for it one thing at a time." I asked her.
"Do your shopping Luci, just please hurry." Mrs. Olsen told me. I smiled at her.
"Of course Mrs. Olsen. How is Mr. Olsen doing?" I asked her. I was looking around the store.
"Luci, please don't ask about my husband ever again. My husband is a good Christian man." Mrs. Olsen said to me. I looked at her.
"Well yes Mr. Olsen is a great Christian man Mrs. Olsen. Seen you both at Church every Sunday Mrs. Olsen. You too Mrs Lynn and your family as well. I love hearing the Lynn girls sing. You gave them a beautiful gift I wish the good Lord gave me Mrs. Lynn." I said to them. Sad thing is before my papa did what he did too my mama and before I lost the farm everyone in this town talked to me. I went to school with Mrs. Lynn's daughters and now they won't even look at me. Mrs Lynn and Mrs Olsen both looked at me.
"Luci, please do your shopping and then leave my store." Mrs. Olsen told me. I smiled at her.
"Yes ma'am." I said to her. After that I wasn't in the mood to shop any more. I grabbed what Brantley and I needed and with my fabric I paid for everything.
"Is this all of it Luci." Mrs. Olsen asked me. I gave her a good Christian smile.
"Yes it is Mrs. Olsen." I said to her. The door opened up and we all heard Brantley and Mr. Olsen walking in.
"Then you went head first in the river. Oh man you was so pissed off at Doc Jackson." Nels said to Brantley.
"He just pulled a bullet out of my shoulder and that dumb ass pushed me in the river because you old man didn't have a good enough grip on me." Brantley said to Nels.
"Oh man, that was a great summer." Nels said to Brantley. Brantley looked at me and smiled
"Yeah it was. Darlin are you done with your shopping" Brantley asked me. I looked up at him.
"Yeah I am." I told him. I just want to get out of this store before I do something a lady should never do to someone.
"Well Darlin we won't be down for a while and look, you only got half of the things on your list." Brantley told me. I looked down and I knew that but I just can't tell Brantley the truth of what happened before they got here.
"I was thinking I was running late. I'm so sorry." I told him Brantley smiled at me. He was rubbing my back.
"Don't worry about it Darlin. Take your time. I'm going to talk to Nels about his fishing tools he just got. Love you." Brantley said to me giving me a kiss on my lips right in front of Mrs. Olsen and Mrs. Lynn.
"Love you too." I said to him. Brantley and Mr. Olsen walked into the back room. I looked at Mrs. Olsen and Mrs. Lynn.
"Well I've never seen nothing like that? Out in public. Gross. You both should be shamed of yourselves. You are just plain trash is all you are Luci" Mrs. Olsen said to me. I looked up at her and gave her a good christian smile.
"Mrs Olsen what you just seen is called Love. Maybe Mr. Olsen don't give you any love because you are just a rude old woman. I'm going to finish my shopping now, now that I know that my husband and your husband are in the next room." I told her. I gave her a sweet smile and I went back to my shopping. Now that I knew Brantley was in the store I knew I was okay and my nerves calmed downed.
About a good 15 minutes into the shopping I was walking back up front to pay for all of my things when I saw a small dirty child playing with Minnie. I walked over to the table to pay Mrs. Olsen.
"Mrs. Olsen, who is that child out there." I asked her. She looked at me.
"Mrs. Gilbert.." I bet that was hard for her to say that. "That child is just a poor dirty orphan. One day his family was here then boom 3 days later they left and left that bastard here with his old grandmother." Mrs. Olsen said to me. I looked at her.
"Where do they live? How old is he?" I asked her. She looked at me.
"I don't know Luci. I don't gossip like some people do?" Mrs. Olsen told me. I looked at her.
"I'll be right back." I said to her. I walked over to the door.
"Luci get back here and pay for your---" I opened up the door and shut it on her talking to me. That woman. Lord please help see the light someday. I walked over to the first step.
"Her name is Minnie." I told the small dirty boy. He looked at me and he looked scared. Poor thing hasn't had a good meal in a while now. How can someone do that to there own babies.
"She's a big dog." He said to me. I smiled at him.
"Yeah she is. But she's a good girl. I'm Luci, what's your name?" I asked him. He looked up at me.
"Logan. But everyone calls me bastard. Whatever that is?" He told me. I smiled at him.
"What's your last name?" I asked him
"I don't know." He said to me. This poor thing. My heart is breaking for this small child.
"Where's your grandmother Logan?" I asked him.
"She's back at the cabin sleeping." Logan told me
"How old are you Logan?" I asked him. He held up 5 fingers. He's so small to be 5. Maybe 3 at the most by looking at him.
"Wow your a big boy? Where's your ma and pa at?" I asked him.
"They said to stay here and wait with the old woman who I have to live with. They said to call he Grandmother, but that was a long time ago." Logan said to me. I smiled at him. This poor kid is so dirty, you can't see what color his hair is or nothing.
"Stay here. Don't move." I told him. I walked back inside the store.
"Hey there you are I paid for all of---" I cut Brantley off.
"I don't want none of that I need clothes for that little boy out there." I told him. Brantley looked down at me.
"No we are leaving now." Brantley said to me. I looked up at him.
"Brantley, we can't---" Brantley cut me off.
"We aren't. I just need you to stop talking. I know about him. Nels was just telling me. Nels is putting clothes in the wagon for him. We are taking him back to his grandmothers house with new clothes and some food over to there cabin." Brantley told me. I smiled at him.
"Thank you Dear." I said to him. I don't care we are in Olsen store when I said that.
"Your welcome Darlin. Now let's take that boy back home." Brantley said to me. I smiled at him. We walked out the door and we got outside and I saw Nels putting in another bag of food.
"The church set up some money for them. It's not a lot. $30." Nels told us. I walked over to Logan.
"Mr Gilbert and myself are going to take you home with a few things for you." I told the small child. He looked at me.
"All of this is for me." He asked me. I smiled at him.
"Yes it is." I said to him.
'Well, I'll make sure that she will get this. Thanks for helping them out Nels." Brantley said to one of his good friends. I know that Nels, Doc Jackson and Brantley are all 3 different men from different parts of the earth but Brantley had the honor to work and fight next to both of them in the Civil War.
"Thanks for taking all of this up to there cabin. It's a good 6 miles out of your way." Mr. Olsen said to Brantley. This little boy walked 6 miles all by himself. Poor thing.
"It's no trouble at all Nels." Brantley said to him. Brantley got on the wagon and looked down at Logan and myself.
"Well little man we are going to make one stop first before we leave to take him home. We are going to see Doc and maybe he will let me use his tub to give this kid a bath. Logan looked up at Brantley.
"I took a bath 5 days ago." He said to us. We just laughed and Brantley took us over to Doc Jackson's office. Brantley helped Logan downed then he left me. We walked over to the door and Brantley opened up the door for Logan and myself.
"Hello." Doc yelled out.
"Hey Doc come out here." Brantley yelled back. I looked down at Logan and smiled at him.
"Damn it Brantley did you fall into a cave of sh---Hello there." Doc said to us.
"Hi Dr. Jackson could you please cheek the baby out and while you do that could Brantley please give Logan here a good bath." I asked him.
"I sure will, but Brantley since its a nice warm day take him outside and give him a good outside shower." Doc told Brantley. Brantley looked down at Logan.
"What do you think little man? You want to take a shower outside." Brantley asked Logan.
"Can I." Logan asked.
"Come on then. Thanks Doc." Brantley said to Doc.
"Your welcome. There's soap hanging outside next to the brush next to the hose. You'll see it all there." Doc said to Brantley.
"Okay. Come on little man." Brantley said to Logan. They walked out of Doc's office. I smiled up at Doc.
"How are you doing Doc?" I asked him. He wrapped his arms around me.
"I'm good. A little older on some days but today I'm good. Let's see how that baby is doing?" Doc told me.
After Doc cheeked the baby out and everything is good with the baby and after Brantley and Doc talked for a few minutes we was on our way to take Logan home and drop off the food and clothes the town got together for them. I think this is perfect. Poor kid don't have much of a good start in life, so maybe he can get a better one. I looked back and saw Logan was sleeping next to Minnie. I looked over at Brantley and smiled.
"I need to tell you something, but I need you to stay calm about all of this." Brantley said to me. I looked up at him.
"What is it Dear?" I asked him.
"Logan's 'Grandmother' is just a old town whore." Brantley said to me. I looked at him.
"What?" I asked him.
"Yeah. His parents left him there and she asked Amos to help her and now once a month the church is going to help them with a few things. That's what Nels told me, but they don't want the kid to come back into town all by himself." Brantley told me. How can they do that to a sweet little boy. So sad.
"Why do some people get to be parents and some don't?" I asked Brantley.
"I don't know Darlin. God has a plan for everyone. You taught me that." Brantley said to me. I smiled at him.
"I do love you Brantley." I said to him.
"And I love you baby. Once we drop Logan off we can drop the stuff you got from the store off at the cabin and take a ride to McRoy's farm with me." Brantley said to me. I laid my head on his arms.
"Sounds like a great plan dear." I said to Brantley. Brantley drove the team right up too an old shack. I looked at Brantley.
"Is this the right place." I asked him.
"I'm afraid so Darlin." Brantley said to me. Poor family. My prays are with Logan.
"Is your grandmother here Logan." Brantley asked Logan.
"She's inside with a man." Logan said to us. Sad this small child know's all about this.
"Well we need to take this all in, so I need to talk to her." Brantley said to Logan. Right then the door opened up and a half naked old woman opened up the door.
"Is that the food and clothes for the brat." She asked us. Brantley looked at her.
"Yes ma'am. Food and clothing for Logan." Brantley said to her.
"They money. Amos said the church was giving me money. Where is it?" She asked us. Brantley looked over at me.
"It's right here ma'am." Brantley told her. I couldn't even look at her. She is not acting like a real lady right now.
"Give it too me." She said to Brantley walking over to us.
"Here. Here's the food and in that bad is clothes for Logan. Mr. Olsen told me that someone will be here next month to make another drop off to you." Brantley told the woman. She looked at us and smiled.
"Thank you all. Now if you excuse me I need to put this food up and then get back to my man. Logan you play outside until your uncle leaves." The older woman said to Logan.
"Yes ma'am." Logan said to her. She walked back inside the cabin. Brantley looked down at the boy and smiled.
"You remember what I told you." Brantley asked Logan.
"Yes sir." Logan said to Brantley. While Doc Jackson was cheeking out the baby Brantley and Logan sat down and talked. But I just hope Logan will be safe and being taking care of in the right way.
"Okay. I'll talk to you later." Brantley said to Logan.
"Thank you for the food and the clothes and for the toy Brantley and your too Luci." Logan said to us. I smiled at him and blew him a kiss. I looked at Brantley.
"I hate that we have to leave him here." I said to him.
"I do too, but his parents told her, that they will be back within the year. There's nothing we can do but pray for them." Brantley said to me. I looked at Logan who was playing outside with his new toy that Brantley got for him.
"I wish we could take him." I said to Brantley.
"We will just have to wait and see now Darlin. But we will cheek up on him again once we come down in August." Brantley said to me.
"If he can make it that long." I said to Brantley.
Brantley and I made it back up the mountain but I wasn't in the mood to ride another hour to Meadow's cabin.
"If you want I think I'll wait to give McRoy his payment tomorrow." Brantley said to me. I looked up at him.
"That's fine. Maybe tomorrow I'll be in the mood to see Meadow." I said to him.
"Yeah. I'm going to unload the wagon and put the team up for the night." Brantley said to me.
"Okay." I said to him. Brantley walked out of the cabin and I sat down I cried my eyes out. Not just for me, but for the small child that I had to leave there.
"God, please watch over Logan tonight and every night. Please dear Lord." I said to God while I was crying.
"Amen." I stood up and saw Brantley standing there.
"Sorry Love but I was about to walk in when I heard you praying." Brantley said to me. I smiled at him.
'We will check up on Logan the next time we are in town." I asked him.
"I promise Darlin, the second we are in town we will ride out to Logan's grandmothers and see him for ourselves. Maybe we can spend the night and take him fishing or something." Brantley said to me.
"I think he would like that." I said to Brantley. Starting tonight I'm going to be working on my project I'm making for Brantley. I just hope he loves it as much as I love the idea of it.
A/N
A LOT WENT DOWN ON THIS CHAPTER DIDN'T IT.
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