Daunting Days of Winter

by Ray Gorham

  “Why do they care?” Emma asked, leaning forward and resting her chin in her hands.

  “Because back then, who do you think would take care of me if Chuck didn’t?”

  Emma shrugged, but David answered. “Probably your family and your neighbors, wouldn’t they?”

  Grace nodded. “Back then, it was pretty important to the community that there weren’t very many single women, or orphans, because the community would have to help take care of them. So, as you can imagine, there was a lot of pressure for families to stay together. My dad wanted to make sure Chuck understood the family’s expectations, so he made sure everyone in town knew who was committing to his daughter. “

  “Good thing it’s not like that anymore,” David said. “The government helps with that.”

  “But it is like that again, isn’t it, David,” Jennifer said, rubbing his shoulders. “We’re back to where we where a long time ago. I think that’s why I worry about your father so much. If he doesn’t make it back, we’re…” she started to choke up and paused for a second to compose herself. “We’re going to have a hard time.”

  “Dad’s coming back, Mom. Stop worrying, please. Plus, I’m still here.”

  “Yes, David, you are. But at some point, you’re going to get married and have your own family, and you won’t want to still be taking care of your old mother.”

  Grace tapped the table gently with her hands. “I didn’t mean for this to become a downer. Like I said, marriages are good for the community, both for the reasons we talked about and because they’re a celebration. It’s a happy time. I think this wedding will be good for us, especially coming out of winter. There’ll be dancing, and food, and everyone can come together and celebrate.”

  Carol stood up from the table and grabbed her plate. “Yes, it will be good for us. As the designated doctor in this town, I can assure you that people need something to celebrate. I’m no psychiatrist, but it can’t do anything but help. Now, on that note, it looks like everyone is done. Whose turn is it to help me with the dishes?”

  Emma stood grudgingly and picked up her plate. “It’s my turn, again. Boy, do I miss the dishwasher.”

  “We have a dishwasher, Sis,” David said, smiling. “It’s named Emma.”

  Emma glared at her brother and was about to throw a fork at him when Jennifer grabbed her arm and stopped her.

  Spencer laughed, then grinned at David. “Tomorrow the dishwasher’s named David,” he said, then tried to dodge as David grabbed him and began to tickle him. “Stop!” he shrieked, fighting back against his brother.

  David wrestled Spencer to the ground, tickling him as he shrieked uncontrollably. “Tell me you’re sorry,” David demanded.

  “I’m sorry!” Spencer cried, as he tried to peel David’s fingers from his side. “I’m sorry,” he repeated when David didn’t stop.

  “Hey! I thought I heard someone say I’m sorry!” came a deep, male voice.

  Everyone stopped and turned.

  “Kyle!” Jennifer cried, dashing across the room and throwing her arms around her husband.

  “Dad!” the kids cried, running to him as well.

  “Don’t squeeze too hard,” Kyle said. “You don’t want to break me right off the bat.”

  Jennifer released her grip and stepped back. “You’ve had me worried to death,” she said as she looked him over. “What happened to your jacket? It looks like it’s been through a paper shredder.”

  Kyle smiled at her as he hugged the children. “I missed you, honey. It’s good to be back.”

  “I missed you, too, Kyle,” she said, then kissed him tenderly on the lips. “What happened to you?”

  “It’s nothing to be worried about. Let’s just be happy we’re back together, alright?”

  Jennifer was about to respond when Madison began crying in the next room. “David, can you go get the baby?” she asked, then turned back to Kyle, who was staring at her wide-eyed.

  “What did you just say?”

  Jennifer laughed. “Oh, congratulations. You’ve got a baby girl.”

  Kyle shook his head. “Something’s not adding up here.” He looked at Carol for answers.

  “Congratulations, Kyle. You should be very proud,” Carol said, grinning widely.

  David returned carrying Madison. “Do you want to hold her?” he asked, extending the baby to Kyle.

  Emma pulled the blanket away from Madison’s face as Kyle took her gingerly in his arms. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she Daddy?”

  Kyle nodded. “I think I need to go back to Idaho and apologize to Roman.” He looked at Jennifer. “How?”

  Jennifer stepped back to her husband and wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll tell you my stories, if you tell me yours.”

  CHAPTER 48

  Saturday, April 7th

  Deer Creek, MT

  “I don’t think they could have picked a better day,” Jennifer said, squinting in the sunlight.

  Kyle nodded. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” He looked around at the gathering crowd, with everyone wearing the best they had and carrying lawn chairs as they filled the field for the wedding ceremony. Emma, David and Spencer were all seated nearby.

  The wedding had originally been scheduled for inside the town meeting hall, but with such pleasant spring weather, the site had been changed to the town park, a grassy field on the edge of the newly filled reservoir, lightly shaded by a row of freshly budding cottonwoods that towered over the creek. David, Emma, and some of their friends had brought the Shipley’s goats, along with shovels, to the park during the past few days to eat the grass down, creating a nice, green, if slightly irregular, pasture for the ceremony to take place.

  “You want to hold Madison?”

  Kyle nodded and took the baby from Jennifer. He smiled and made faces at her, eliciting a smile. “She smiled!” he exclaimed excitedly. “That one was a real smile; I’m sure of it.”

  “Spencer got her to smile yesterday. I thought I told you that?”

  “I don’t think so, or maybe I don’t remember. I was so tired when I got home.” He gently rubbed Madison’s cheek. “She sure is a pretty baby, isn’t she?”

  Jennifer nodded. “It’s such a tragedy her mom is gone. She’d be so proud.”

  “At least Madison’s alive and healthy, although I think she made goat noises at me when I fed her her bottle this morning.”

  Jennifer slapped him on the shoulder. “She does not make goat noises, and thank heavens we have access to those animals, or she might not be alive. Have you seen Rose yet today?”

  Kyle shook his head.

  “She’s beautiful. She modeled her dress for me yesterday and she looks absolutely stunning.”

  “I still can’t believe she followed me here. I think I was more surprised by Rose than by Madison when I got back.”

  “Are there going to be any more women from your travels showing up this summer?”

  “Maybe one.”

  Jennifer turned to look at Kyle, her eyebrows raised.

  “If the wife of that black bear tracks me down.”

  Jennifer laughed out loud, drawing the attention of the family sitting in front of them. She elbowed Kyle in the ribs. “Probably just as well I didn’t know about Rose. It would’ve put a worry in my head that didn’t need to be there.”

  Some of the wedding guests turned to look beyond the seating area, and Kyle and Jennifer did the same. “I see her,” Kyle said. “She’s on her horse.”

  Jennifer stood to watch as the wedding procession moved towards the guests, while Kyle bounced Madison on his lap. “Did I tell you when I went to Frank’s yesterday that we got ahold of Roman,” Kyle whispered loudly.

  “No, you didn’t. What did he say?” Jennifer asked as she watched the bride approach.

  “He just laughed at me. Told me that I need to be more willing to trust a Polack.”

  “Sounds like he’s a nice guy.”

  “He is, but he seemed lonely. Not sure how many
friends he has. Must be hard for him, being isolated and with no family around.” Kyle stood as the wedding party reached the guests.

  “This all seems so surreal, don’t you think?” Jennifer asked as two ladies helped Rose, dressed in a white wedding dress donated by a neighbor and modified for the occasion, down from her horse. Sean followed close behind his bride on his own horse, dressed in a gray suit that hung loosely on him, a bright red necktie adding a splash of color.

  Kyle bounced the baby in his arms. “First wedding I’ve heard of in the last seven months. Can’t imagine it’s a regular occurrence these days. It feels good, though, like we’re not in such a crisis anymore.”

  “Rose is beautiful, isn’t she?”

  Kyle paused. “Is it safe for me to agree?”

  Jennifer laughed. “Yes, you’re allowed to agree.”

  He nodded. “She looks very beautiful today. I think leaving her house was the hardest part of my trip from Texas.”

  “I said you could agree. No need to add that last bit.”

  Kyle laughed this time. “But I did leave, because you weren’t there.”

  Jennifer smiled at him. “Brownie points.”

  Kyle nodded at Sean as he walked down the aisle between the groups of chairs. Gabe, clean-shaven and dressed in a loose, black suit, waited at the front of the gathering on a platform that had been built for the occasion. He smiled broadly as he watched the couple approach.

  Rose, escorted by Sean’s niece, and Sean, escorted by his son, stopped in front of the platform and Gabe stepped forward, clearing his throat. “Friends,” he began, “This is truly a special occasion, not just for this couple, but for our community as well. We’ve been through an awful lot these past few months. Many times we probably wondered if we would make it this long, if we could ever be happy again, or if life would ever regain some semblance of normalcy. Today is an assurance that all of those things are happening. There is life, happiness, and some normalcy.

  “Sean and Rose’s union, and the fact that we’re all here to celebrate it with them, tells me that we still see a future, one filled with hope and better days. It’s much like the world of nature we see around us, coming back to life with the buds on the trees, the green grass growing beneath our feet, the calves we’ve been blessed with on the ranch, and the warm weather we’re enjoying. It all reinforces the same message – that life renews, that after seasons of cold and hardship there is a newness of life, a reassurance that things will improve, and today, that renewing is taking place for the couple you see before you.

  “Before they exchange rings, Sean and Rose have asked to share their vows.”

  Gabe motioned to Sean, who stepped onto the platform and pulled a piece of paper from his suit pocket. He smiled at the crowd, making eye contact with many of the wedding guests, then turned to face Rose, drinking her in with his eyes. After looking down at his notes, he began. “Last year at this time, I was a single father, lonely and struggling to survive in an indifferent world that rushed by and left me exhausted. The first week after everything collapsed, with all the chaos, I didn’t think I would live to see another year. For a while, I tried to make things as normal as I could for my son’s sake, but I was in a world I didn’t want to be in. We escaped the city and came to live with my brother, Craig, and his family and found a community that welcomed us in and put us to work. It was, and is, wonderful, and we are very grateful.

  “Here, I wasn’t as lonely as before because I had friends and family surrounding me. I didn’t even know I was missing something until I met you, Rose.” Sean wiped at his eyes and nose, and cleared his throat. “When I first met you and you smiled at me, I thought my heart was about to fail. I now know it was something inside me that stirred back to life that day – the desire to have a companion and a best friend, someone to share my life with, to help me through my struggles, and someone who I can help with theirs. I know things won’t be easy, but I pledge my love, my life, and everything that I am to you.”

  Sean stepped down and embraced Rose before helping her onto the platform. She wiped her own tears away and smiled radiantly at Sean. After taking a minute to compose herself, she began to speak. “I think I should have chosen to go first,” she said as she fought her emotions. “I want to tell all of you how grateful I am to be here. You’ve taken me in and accepted me under such difficult circumstances. I can’t express what that means to me.”

  She turned to Sean and smiled, her face glowing and radiant in the soft spring sunshine. “And I want to tell you, Sean, how happy you’ve made me. When I came to Deer Creek, I was just hoping for an opportunity to be part of a community that would give me a chance. I wasn’t looking for, or expecting to find, a friend and a love like I’ve found in you. It’s not often in life that we get do-overs, and I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I pledge to you that I will try and be all that you hope I am. I promise to love you and stand by you, no matter what life has in store for us. I’m so much happier today than I ever imagined I could be. Thank you so much.”

  Gabe beamed as he helped Rose step down from the platform. He directed the couple to hold hands, then performed the wedding ceremony, a short, simple, yet emotional affair that concluded with Sean taking Rose in his arms and kissing her passionately. Then, cheered on by their friends and neighbors, the newlywed couple sauntered hand in hand back down the aisle to their horses.

  In the midst of the cheering, Kyle heard a vaguely familiar sound. He looked at David, who had turned pale and nodded confirmation. “Everyone!” Kyle shouted above the din of the crowd, his voice rising in alarm. Another man towards the front was waving his arms for attention as well. Kyle yelled again. “Everyone, please!”

  The applause died quickly as attention turned towards Kyle. “I’m sorry,” Kyle began, “but I…”

  The alarm rang at the militia house again, cutting him off.

  “Gentlemen! Militia members!” Sean shouted as a silence fell over the group. “You have absolutely no idea how sorry I am to say this, but you need to grab your rifles and gather at the assembly point as quickly as possible.” He pulled Rose towards him, hugging her and kissing her deeply. “I’m sorry,” he said, then ran and mounted his horse, turning it towards the assembly point.

  Kyle handed Madison to Jennifer with an apologetic look, and he and David ran for their home to retrieve their weapons.

  Jennifer spun around, taking in the scene of despair that had quickly engulfed the community. Most of the men, and some of the women, were already running for their homes. The balance of those left behind were scared and dazed, the last assault, not yet two months old, still painfully fresh in their memories. What had been tears of joy were now replaced with fear and worry.

  “Emma! Spencer! We need to get home now!” Jennifer shouted as she grabbed Spencer by the hand. “Hurry!”

  CHAPTER 49

  Saturday, April 7th

  Deer Creek, MT

  “David, I want you to wait here!” Kyle shouted down the stairs as he ran for the front door, rifle in hand. “If things get bad, you can still help defend the town from the house and protect everyone here.”

  David bounded up the stairs. “It’s okay, Dad. I’m coming. I’m not afraid to do this. Besides, I’m already bigger than some of the men on the militia. Let’s just go.”

  “But I’m not okay with this. I don’t want you to go. I don’t think I can handle it if anything happens to you.”

  “Mom was this same way, but if we don’t keep them from getting into the town, then I’m not going to be able to stop them here. Mom and everyone else will be in trouble. Let’s go.”

  Kyle swallowed hard and threw his necktie on the couch. He knew they didn’t have time to argue. “Then promise me you’ll be careful. I love you too much to have anything happen to you.”

  “I promise,” David said as he hurried out the door, then rushed to the assembly point with his father beside him.

  When they arrived, Sean was alre
ady speaking with three of the other leaders from the militia. Sean glanced over as David and Kyle arrived, then did a quick count of their numbers. “Gather in quickly folks. We need to hurry.”

  Kyle looked around and saw at least forty people already there, with at least a dozen more heading their direction.

  “Alright,” Sean began. “We’ll do this like we did last time, but hopefully with none of the casualties. I’ve been talking to Rob here, and it looks bad. He was up in the nest and is the one who spotted the caravan. Says there are at least eight vehicles, and they look beefy. Possibly military.”

  One of the men in the group spoke up. “That’s a good thing if they’re military, isn’t it?”

  “We don’t know. Could be good, or it could be really bad. If the wrong people have that kind of firepower, we’re in for a long, difficult day. They’re on the freeway side of the river, so they’ll have to come across the bridge if they plan to pay us a visit. I want twenty people at each barricade. We’ve expanded the barricades, so you need to spread out. I don’t want anyone closer to their neighbor than they have to be.”

  The sound of engines in the distance became more noticeable, and the group shifted nervously.

  Sean continued. “I don’t know what to expect. We’ve got the machine gun from February’s raid, and our defenses are reinforced, so we’re in better shape.” Sean kept talking, hoping that as more men trickled in, it would help settle the nerves of the militia members. “I don’t know about you folks, but I’d much rather make a stand with a trained group in a fortified location than not. I know most of us don’t want to be here doing this, and if you think you’re better off taking these people on one by one at home, you’re welcome to leave. Otherwise, our best option is together at the bridge.”

  His offer was met with silence, but no one left, so he continued. “Gabe, I want you positioned here directing people. Send a couple east, and a couple south. Everyone else, I want at the bridge.”

  Gabe nodded and moved to intercept some of the latecomers.