Brantley's Pov
I was laying in bed with all of my girls in my arms. I got my beautiful wife Luci laying on my right side and I got my beautiful daughter Lydia Genevieve layin on my left side and I also have Minnie laying on the foot of the bed. There's only a week before Christmas and this year is the first as a family man. This year I'm not going to be sittin in my cabin getting drunk and getting high. No this year I have my girls and they are my number ones now. I looked over at the fire and saw it was slowly going out. I know its still way to early to be getting up. I looked and saw it was snowing outside. I moved out of the bed with out waking up none of the girls. I walked over to the fireplace and put a few more logs so I can warm up this old cabin. I can tell you this much next winter my girls and I will be in our new log cabin. I was about to get back in bed when I heard a noise outside. I looked over at the door and saw someone trying to open the door. I grabbed my 1860 Colt Revolver. I saw Minnie growling behind me.
"Gilbert! Open the door!" I walked over to the door so I can let Doc Addison in.
"Doc, you know what time it is?" I asked him. He looked frozen to the bone.
"Son, I'm so sorry to bother you so late. I was at the Carson farm." Doc told me.
"Oh did Mrs. Carson have the baby." I looked behind me and saw my beautiful wife standing there. Good thing she has her long night gown and her rob on. Last thing I need is for Doc Addison to see my sexy wife all sexy up.
"Yes she did. A big healthy baby boy." Doc told her.
"Oh thank you Lord. Here let me get some coffee going. Doc please sit down. And you put some clothes on. We have a guest in our home. We might live out here in the wild, but we are still Christians." Luci Jo told me. I smiled at her.
"Yes ma'am. Love you baby." I said to my wife.
"I love you too. Now put some clothes on." Luci told me. I smiled down at her.
"Yes Ma'am. Excuse me for a second Doc." I said to our town doctor as I walked to our bedroom. I grabbed my pants and put them on. I walked over to my boots and put them on. I looked over at Lydia who was sound asleep in the middle of our bed. As long as Minnie stays out here with all of us I don't think nothing will happened to Lydia. Plus I know Minnie wouldn't do nothing bad to Lydia. The dog loves this little girl as much as we do. I walked out of our bedroom after I kissed the top of my daughters head.
"So Doc how many does this make for old Calvin Carson." I asked him. I sat down next to the middle age doctor.
"This makes baby 14." Doc Addison told me.
"Lets hope they are done now." I said to him. Doc smiled at me.
"Old Calvin said that to me when Martha was born." Doc said to me.
"But Martha is baby--" Doc cut Luci off.
"Baby number 9. I know." Doc said to us, laughing. Luci handed Doc and me a cut of coffee.
"Oh thank you dear. And Gilbert once again I am sorry. I just seen the fireplace smoking and I knew one of you was up. I was just cold." Doc told us. Carson farm is 15 miles from our house and we live 3 miles to town, so I can understand why doc stopped here .
"You have no reason to be sorry Doc. Plus anytime you need my help I can help you." Luci said to our town doctor.
"You nursed before." Doc asked Luci. She smiled at him.
"No. But where I worked before I met Brantley I had to learn a few things." Luci said to Doc Addison. He smiled at her. That seems so long ago. I don't remember much before I gave my heart to my wife. She makes me a better man.
"Well now that I know that I will keep that in mind. Thank you Luci. You too Brantley. This town is blessed to have such fine family living here." Doc said to us.
"Thank you Doc. This is the first place where I fell welcome." I told him. Luci wrapped her arms around me.
"Yes that's right you was a mountain man right." Doc asked me.
"Yes sir. But now it's just ranching and logging sir." I told him.
"I didn't know you was in the logging business." Doc said to me. I looked at him.
"Not just yet sir. I want to get this ranch up and going first, then within a year or so I want to start a small logging business and just see if it will work here." I told him. Doc smiled at me.
"Well I think it will. Plus you are in with the town members. We will back you up if you will ever need our help." Doc told me.
"How do you know that sir?" I asked him. Like I will ever ask for help. I'm 34 years old and I haven't asked yet and I still wont.
"Because sir I am a town member. So ain't the Cobb's, Jonas--" I cut him off.
"I know all of this, all I'm saying is if I do need help thank you for the offer, but if I can't pay for it myself then I don't need it." I told him. He smiled at me.
"I said nothing about paying nothing. All I'm saying is we got your back son." Doc told me. I just looked at him. After a few more drinks Doc stood up.
"Well I be damn." Doc said. Luci and I looked at him.
"Oh sorry. It's just already 6 in the morning." Doc told us. I looked at Luci.
"I better go and start the chores." I said to her.
"I'm going to start breakfast. Doc you want to stay for breakfast." Luci asked him.
"I think I better be getting on home. The oldest Carson boy came and got me at 8 last night so I'm ready for a nap. Thank you for the coffee and letting me get warm." Doc Addison told us.
"Your more then welcome Doc." Luci said to him.
"And Luci, if I ever need your help--" Luci cut him off.
"Don't be afraid to come and get me. I'm here or at the school house." Luci said to Doc Addison.
"Okay. Thank you both." Doc said to us.
"I'll walk you out Doc." I said to him. I kissed Luci on the top of her head. Its cold out here.
"Brantley thank you again." Doc Addison told me.
"Your welcome sir. Now get on home and go to bed." I said to him.
"That's where I'm going right now." Addison got on his horse and rode down the old dirt road going back to town. The same old road me and my girls will be riding on here within the next 2 hours or so.
I walked over to the barn so I can start milking the goat and milk the old milk cow we have. We are so lucky to have Old Bessie. She gives us a whole gallon of milk in the morning and another whole gallon at night. The poor milking goat only gives us about a pint a day, but we will take it all. Once spring gets here I have 2 main plans that need to be done. One start working on the new cabin and 2 getting the ranch back on it's feet.
After I got all of the chores where done and breakfast was over and my girls in the wagon to head to town. It's been snowing off and on. We might have a good inch at the most. But it's only 7:45 in the morning.
"What do you want for dinner tonight Brantley? Pork and mashed taters or fish." Luci asked me.
"We have fish?" I asked her. Luci looked at me.
"No I was hopping you can get us some." Luci asked me. I love this woman with everything I have, and I would do anything for her, but---
"Hello I was only joking with you. I know you can't get any fish right now. I was only playing with you. We are having pork, rice, mash taters and bread tonight." Luci said to me. I smiled down at her.
"I love you woman." I said to her.
"I love you too." Luci said to me. I pulled up right in front of Cobb's Store. I jumped off the wagon. So glad it has stopped snowing for now.
"You get inside." I told Luci. I can't believe how cold it's getting.
"Love you babe." Luci said to me.
"I love you too. Need me I'll be at the feed and seed." I said to her. I drove the the other side of town, so I can get to work.
I pulled the team to the barn so they can relax for the rest of the day and stay warm from the bitter wind that is blowing. I made my way into the feed and seed office.
"I can't believe how cold it is." I said to my boss, and a few other men standing here.
"Yes it is. You hear about the Carson's yet." Old man Blink asked me. He was just an old man that was only out for himself.
"Yes I know. Doc Addison stopped at my cabin this morning." I told him.
"Now why would he do that for?" Old man Blink asked me.
"Warm and get away for the freezing wind." I told him.
"Well I live only 6 miles from your place he could have showed up at my cabin." Old man Blink told me. I looked at him.
"The go and asked him yourself that question." I said to him.
"Gilbert here's your orders today." My boss said to me.
"Yes sir." I said to him. I grabbed the paper work and walked out to the back so I can start work. That old man is going to be the death of my last never today.
After 5 long hours I had all my orders done and I was working on tomorrows orders. The more I can do the better we can get ahead and that's what I am. I was about to do a little cuttin when the door opened up and it was Doc Addison, Mr. Cobb and Mr. Jonas.
"Brantley, please turn everything off." Mr. Jonas told me. I turned the saw off.
"What's going on?" I asked them.
"We got a telegram from New Mark they are a bigger town 67 miles away from here, but they got 6 feet of snow. And they think it's coming right for us." Mr. Cobb told me.
"And if you look outside we could be getting something soon." Doc Addison told me. I looked outside and they are right it's a black gray color. I saw the trees just blowing like they are crazy.
"There's more." I looked at Mr. Jonas.
"What?" I asked them.
"I don't have enough Laudanum for everyone unless we can get to Happy Valley. They have 15 boxes for us." Mr. Jonas told me.
"Okay let's go and get it." I said to them.
"That's the other problem we are having." Mr. Cobb's told me.
"What?" I asked him.
"Happy Valley is 45 miles away." Doc Addison told me. I looked at him.
"We don't have anyone that is willing to go all that way. I mean we would but---" I cut them off.
"Y'all are way too old to be traveling all that way." I said to them.
"Now what do you mean by that boy." Mr. Jonas asked me. I looked at him.
"Nothing by that sir. All I'm saying is that we need a young body to go." I told him. I know they are waiting on me to say I will go.
"Whoever goes will be gone for a few days. I'm willing to give some food for whoever goes." Mr. Cobb told me. I smiled at all of them.
"And whoever goes can use my sled and my team of horses." Mr. Jonas said to me.
"Plus we will be willing to pay someone $400 to do this." Doc Addison told me. I looked at them all.
"How do you have that much money?" I asked them. I didn't think out town was that rich.
"Old man Blink." Mr. Jonas told me.
"He's only out for himself." Mr. Cobb told me. Now I do believe that one.
"I need to talk to my wife about all of this." I told them.
"So you will do this for us." Mr. Cobb asked me. I looked at all of these older men. I knew they couldn't make this trip. Plus we need Doc Addison to stay here. I guess a few people are already sick and with all of this snow that will be coming they all are needed here.
"Get everything ready I'll be back." I said to Mr. Jonas, Mr. Cobb and Doc Addison. I walked over to my coat and put it on.
"Mr. Cobb." I called for him. He walked over to me.
"Yes son." He said to me.
"If I do this would it be any trouble if my girls---" Mr. Cobb cut me off.
"Luci and Lydia can stay with us until you get back." Mr. Cobb said to me.
"Plus if we get all of this snow I want everyone in town so I can take care of everyone." Doc said to me. I smiled at them.
"I'll be back." I said to them all, walking outside. I walked over to the school house. I know I have to do this, but my girls come first. I just hope I can get to the medicine in time.
As soon as I opened the door to the church where the school house is take place the wind blow the door right out of my hands.
"Someone is comin in Mrs. Gilbert." I heard Otto saying to my wife. I got the door shut once Luci made her way over to the front door.
"Brantley what's wrong?" Luci asked me. I looked down at her. I gave her a small smile.
"I need to talk to you?" I said to her.
"Okay. Why can't this wait. I'm going to be sending the children home early. It's getting colder outside." Luci said to me.
"I know that Darlin that's why I'm here. Doc Addison, Jonas and Mr. Cobb need me to drive a team into Happy Valley---" Otto cut me off.
"That's a 45 mile trip one way sir." He told me. I looked at him.
"I know. But Doc Addison is low on meds. Without this medicine a lot of people will die." I told them.
"Children, go and get ready to go home." Luci said to everyone. All the kids got up and walked over to there coats, gloves and hats.
"Brantley are you willing to do this?" Luci asked me. I looked down at her.
"It's not that I want too it's just they asked me and I don't see no one else going?" I said to her.
"What about Sheriff Cane." Luci asked me.
"He's worthless Ma'am." Otto said to my wife. I looked at him.
"How do you know that Otto?" I asked him.
"My pa. He beat me so bad that Sheriff Cane just said If I was his boy he would have just killed me off." Otto said to us.
"This town needs a new Sheriff." Sally said to all of us.
"I agree but if you are willing to do this I'm going with you." Luci said to me.
"Like hell you are woman. You have a baby to think about--" Luci cut me off.
"And you have a job as a husband and father." Luci said to me.
"I'll ride with you Mr. Gilbert." Otto said to me. I looked at him.
"Otto this is a job for a man. Not---" Otto cut my wife off.
"And we are the same age Mrs. Gilbert. I'm 18 years old. It's my choice to go. Plus I would rather be helping then stuck out there with my papa." Otto told me.
"Thank you Otto. Why don't you run to the store and tell Mr. Cobb you are riding with me. He can give you some warm clothes." I said to him.
"Sally, go over there and tell Mrs. Cobb I'll be right over to pick up Lydia so I can---" I cut Luci off.
"You and Lydia are staying with Mr. and Mrs. Cobb's until I can get back." I told my wife.
"What about the animals and Minnie and---" I cut Luci off.
"As long as you and Lydia are safe I don't care about the animals." I told her. Luci looked at me.
"I'll ride out there and lock all the animals in the barn and make sure there is enough food for all of them. I can see if we can move the cow to Mr. Cobb's barn out back." I said to my wife.
"Okay." Luci said to me. We all walked out of the school house only to find everyone running to the school house.
"Whats going on?" I asked Mr. Cobb.
"We got to make the school into a hospital. You about ready to go Brantley." Mr. Cobb asked me.
"Sir I am but my cow needs---" Mr. Cobb cut me off.
"I'll take care of all the animals. We need you to be going. The sled is ready whenever you are." Mr. Cobb told me.
"I'm ready. Oh Otto is riding with me." I said to Mr. Cobb.
"Otto Ludwig." Mr. Cobb asked me.
"Yes sir. He wants to help." I told him.
"I can see that. Otto run to my store and tell Mrs. Cobb's to get you some warmers clothes on then meet us at the feed and seed. Hurry boy!" Mr. Cobb said to Otto. He ran out of the school house.
"Doc Addison what do you need me to do?" Luci asked him.
"Luci, we will be having a lot of people coming in, so I need this place nice and warm at all times, I need water, and I need that medicine quick like." Doc Addison said to me looking right at me.
"Don't worry Doc Otto and I will be back before you all miss us." I said to everyone walking out of the school house going back to the feed and seed. I just hope we can get the meds before it's to late.
A/N
HOPE YOU ALL LIKED IT.
MERRY LATE CHRISTMAS.
AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
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