Most wore the work clothes of a farmer or cowboy, but there were also men dressed in fancy suits. A few even sported accents he didn’t recognize.
“There is a big section of land north of the river reserved for a school for Indian children.”
That bit of news seemed to please her, but it could make it harder for him to get land near hers.
“Hey, squaw,” a man behind Luke hollered. “How come you got land? Didn’t you get an allotment from the government?”
Sarah stiffened, and Luke spun around, fists clenched. The men in line right behind him had turned around, probably looking at the lout who’d uttered the comment. Luke set his sights on the bearded man in ragged overalls glaring at Sarah. Planning on teaching the man some manners, Luke took a step toward him, but a hand on his arm stopped him.
“Let it go, Luke. It’s a fair question.”
Luke turned to face Sarah. “But it was rude and uncalled for.”
“True, but getting in a fight won’t settle anything.”
“It would make me feel good to defend your honor.”
“Knowing that you would is enough for me.”
He smiled but then cast a glare at the man that told him he’d better keep his trap shut. Luke blew out a sigh then stepped between Sarah and the man, blocking his view of her. “What did those men at the front of the line want?”
“They asked me which town site had the most available land around it.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I said Hobart and Lawton.” Her eyes twinkled. “You didn’t think I’d tell them Anadarko, did you?”
“Only if it was the truth.”
“You don’t think I’d tell a falsehood.” She straightened, her eyebrows lifted in a show of indignation.
Luke chuckled.
“Fortunately, what I told them just happened to be the truth. Both locations are farther south and closer to the Texas border.”
“Good to know.” He had no desire for land that far away. In truth, his land would mean little to him if it wasn’t near hers. He supposed he could always sell it like some city slickers from the East who entered the lottery solely for that purpose had done. What was the point of having a ranch if Sarah wasn’t there to share it?
She fanned her face with her land deed. Sweat trickled down her cheek, and she wiped it with her handkerchief.
He didn’t like seeing her discomfort. “Why don’t you go back to the hotel and get out of the sun?”
“I thought I’d wait until you got your land.”
“It may be noon before I get to the front. No sense standin’ around until then.”
She looked over her shoulder in the direction of the hotel then hunched one shoulder. “I don’t mind waiting.”
He took her by the shoulders. “I appreciate that, but it’s hotter than Lara’s frying skillet out here. Go back and relax where it’s cooler. I’m sure there’s things you need to be doing.”
She nibbled her lower lip. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I’ve had trouble sleeping the past few nights. I wouldn’t mind resting for a bit.”
“Go.” He turned her around. “I’ll come find you when I’m done, and we can get some lunch.”
“All right.” She waved at him as she walked away.
If she’d give him a chance, he’d work hard to make things easier for her.
“That your gal?” The man behind him asked. “She’s quite a looker.”
Luke stiffened and turned but saw only friendly curiosity in the man’s gaze. “She’d be my wife, if she’d have me.”
The man’s eyebrows lifted. “Turned you down, did she?”
“The first time I asked her to marry me she did, but I intend to ask again.” He just wasn’t sure when. What if she said no the second time?
“I’ve been married eleven years—best years of my life.” The stranger rubbed his hand across his beard. “Thing is, you gotta let a woman know you care for her, just like you did by sending her back to the hotel. Show her that you love her, and keep doin’ things that tell her you care. She’ll figure it out.”
Luke nodded his appreciation for the man’s insight. He’d have to figure out other ways to express his affection. He’d been pleased to see that she was wearing the necklace he’d given her. The pretty thing had cost him quite a bit, but it was worth it to see Sarah’s eyes light up and to watch her finger the flower when she was deep in thought.
Two hours later, he stepped into the land office, handed the man at the counter his card with his information, and then stood in front of the map of claims. His gaze shot straight to Anadarko, and his gut tightened. He saw the L-shaped homestead Sarah had mentioned and her claim, but all the land surrounding them—and the river—for miles had already been taken.
Sarah’s pounding heart nearly burst from her chest as Jack drove the wagon onto her property for the first time. Gently rolling grasslands spread out before her with enough trees to offer relief from the heat of summer but not so many that they’d have to be cleared before she could build her house or plant a garden. Yellow and white wildflowers braved the hot, dry weather, dotting her field with beauty. Just imagine, one hundred sixty acres, and it was all hers. “Isn’t it the most beautiful spot on God’s earth?”
“It don’t look much different than any other land we crossed to get here.” Cody leaned forward, studying the homestead.
Jack chuckled. “That’s true, son. It looks much the same as Gabe’s land or most of the prairie we drove through, but Sarah owns this patch of property, and that makes it special to her.”
She flashed a smile at Jack. “That’s true.”
“How come you want to live here? There ain’t even a house.” Cody shook his head as if he thought her crazy.
Jack guided the horses toward a line of trees, which Sarah suspected followed the Washita River. “I’ll have a house soon enough. The builders will begin on it tomorrow.” Excitement zinged through her whole body.
“But it’s so far from home. And there’s no one to play with.” Cody yawned and leaned against his father’s arm.
Sarah smiled to herself. Leave it to a child to keep her feet on the ground.
“Land near Gabe’s ranch costs a lot now. Sarah got this homestead for free. Remember how I told you she won it in a drawing?”
The boy nodded. “I’m hungry.”
Jack stopped the wagon near the glistening river. “This looks like the perfect place to eat lunch.”
Sarah feared she was too excited to eat. She shinnied down the wagon’s wheel and hurried toward the water’s edge. It was vital to her survival. At this spot, the river looked to be about twenty-five-feet wide. The steep banks would make getting to the water more difficult, but they would protect her land from flooding. “I wonder how deep it is.”
Jack drew alongside her, holding Cody’s hand. “My guess would be four to ten feet, but there’s only one way to tell.”
“Can we go swimmin’?” Cody leaned toward the river. “How come the water is so brown?”
“Silt from the muddy banks is part of the reason.” Jack tugged him back. “I don’t know that we’ll have time to swim today. We’ve got lots to do.”
Sarah reached into the back of the buckboard for the basket that held the lunch she’d ordered from the hotel dining room. “Since Cody is hungry, let’s go ahead and eat. After that, we can finish our tour of the homestead so I can determine where to have the house built.”
Jack took the basket from her, and they walked to the nearest tree. Sarah thought about the muddy water. She wasn’t too inclined to drink it. “Is that water even drinkable?”
“All water is drinkable, but it could make you sick.” Jack stared toward the river. “You’ll probably need to have a well dug. In the meantime, we can buy a barrel and collect rainwater.”
She hadn’t previously considered that she’d have to hire someone to dig a well. She’d have to wait until after the house was done to see how much money she had lef
t. Though she’d saved most of the money her father had sent her the past eight years, paying to have a house built and buying all the supplies needed to stock it were quickly depleting her funds.
Luke had mentioned he might be able to loan her some money if hers ran low, but she was determined not to borrow any. The only dark cloud on the day had come when he told her that he needed to stay in Anadarko instead of joining her and Jack today. She followed Jack back to the wagon. “What do you think Luke is doing?”
“Business, that’s all he told me.”
“But what kind of business could he have? I know he was very disappointed in getting land so far from mine.”
Jack shot her a teasing grin. “I guess if you wanted to know so bad you should have asked him.”
She made a face at him, resisting the childish urge to stick out her tongue. She hadn’t seen much of Luke since they’d returned from El Reno. In fact, she’d wondered if he was avoiding her. He’d made several trips to Guthrie before coming to Anadarko. She knew him enough to know he was up to something, but she had no idea what it was.
Cody ran ahead of them, carrying the blanket Sarah had pulled from the railcar, which held many of the items for her house. More would arrive later, like the pretty parlor furniture and dining table Jo had ordered after they’d scoured catalogs for hours. She couldn’t wait until the house was done and everything was in place. After several nights of sleeping on a cot in a tent during their drive from El Reno to Anadarko, with the prospect of many more until the house was done, she longed for a real bed.
They settled down next to the slow-moving river and dined on pork sandwiches, hardboiled eggs, apples, and peach pie. “I was surprised to see so many wooden structures already in town.”
Jack nodded and handed Cody a hardboiled egg. “There are still a bunch of tents, but people are anxious and want to get their homes and places of business built before winter sets in.”
Using her napkin, Sarah dabbed at a trickle of sweat running down her cheek. “It’s hard to imagine cold weather is just a few months away when it’s so hot now.”
“True. We don’t normally get much snow here, but I have seen a few inches as early as October.”
“I remember that snowfall. I’m glad, though, that the weather warmed up after the snow melted. I don’t enjoy long, cold winters.” Sarah bit into her sandwich, determined to eat at least half of it. In spite of her excitement, she’d need her strength to do all that had to be done by nightfall. She would pray tonight that winter didn’t come early this year. She and all the other homesteaders would need to plant gardens as soon as possible, and that required a few months of good weather in order to reap some fall vegetables. Without them, winter’s eating might be slim pickings.
She was grateful now for all those hours of planting and weeding the garden, side by side with Lara, and relearning about cultivating seeds, something her mother had taught her before she had become sick. She hoped she’d be able to grow all the fruits and vegetables that Lara had. She yawned as she watched Jack rub Cody’s back. When the boy went to sleep, they could leave him resting on the shaded blanket while they searched the land and decided where to place her house.
She quietly packed up their leftovers from their meal then walked along the banks of the river, looking for a place where the banks were less steep. Jack unhitched the horses from the wagon, watered them, and then hobbled them in a grassy patch. Then he untied the saddle horses, including the beautiful dappled gray mare named Dottie that Gabe and Lara had given her as a combination birthday and going-away gift. Sarah turned back toward the wagon, eager to see the rest of her land.
An hour later, they’d circled the property. They crossed the river at a shallow spot to inspect the small bit of land she owned on the far side of the Washita. As they reached the final bit of land, Sarah blinked at the field of tall plants waving in the light breeze. “Is that corn?”
“Looks like it.” Jack dismounted and walked toward the plants. He reached up and broke off an ear with brown silks and waved it. “It is, and it looks ripe for the picking.”
Sarah dismounted and walked over to him. “But how did it get here? Who planted it?”
He shrugged. “I suppose it could have been squatters or possibly Indians. I heard there’s been some confusion with the Indians not understanding the boundaries of their land allotments. Or it’s possible that the people who planted this field were squatters the army chased off right before the land was opened.”
“Since this is my land now, wouldn’t I have the right to harvest the corn?”
“I don’t see why not. If you’d been fortunate to find a house on your land, you wouldn’t hesitate to live in it, would you?”
Sarah gazed at the field of corn, hardly able to believe her good fortune. She’d only just arrived, and God was blessing her already. “You’re right. I would use it—but only after I had cleaned it thoroughly.”
Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “As much of a blessing as this is, it will also cause more work. The corn needs to be harvested soon.”
Sarah walked over to a stalk and wrangled off an ear. “Let’s get enough for supper and some for tomorrow. Once the builders have arrived and have started on the house, then I can think about the corn.”
Jack nodded. “Good idea, but let’s pick it quickly. I want to get back and check on Cody.”
With Jack focused on picking corn, Sarah pulled off one of her petticoats to use to carry her bounty back. She gazed up at the sky, smiling. “Thank You, Lord, for this unexpected treat. Please bless this land and my endeavors here.”
Jack’s ears reddened when Sarah handed him the petticoat with her single ear in it.
She shrugged, feeling her own cheeks warm. “It was all I could think of in a pinch.”
He smiled, scratching his ear. “Smart thinkin’.”
As they crossed the river again and headed back to their horses, Sarah scanned her land. Pride surged through her. The only sounds to be heard were their footsteps crushing through the thick grass, the insects buzzing around them, and the grass swishing in the light breeze. She was eager to see what the future held for her in this peaceful place.
“Pa! Pa!” Cody’s scream rent the quiet.
Sarah’s heart jolted.
Jack stiffened, dropped the corn, and ran for his horse. He leaped onto its back, turned, and shot her a frantic glance.
She motioned at him. “Go!”
Luke shook Mr. Swinney’s hand. “Thank you for purchasing my homestead, sir. I hope you’ll be happy and successful on that section of land.”
The man smiled a wide, gap-toothed grin, his hazel eyes shining. “Thank you for selling it. I can’t imagine why you’d want to, but it’s a dream come true for me and my family. I’d thought I had missed any chance at getting a homestead.”
Luke pursed his lips and nodded, hoping he’d made the right decision. He’d prayed and had wrestled with his thoughts ever since winning his claim. As much as he wanted land, he longed to be near Sarah more. And if that meant selling his homestead, so be it. Now if only the second part of his plan would work out.
He signed his deed, relinquishing ownership, and handed it to Mr. Swinney. “Make sure you get that registered with the land office in El Reno so it’s official.”
The man nodded. “Gonna get my family settled on the land today; then I’ll leave for El Reno tomorrow.”
“I wish you good fortune.”
The man tipped his hat. “You too, young man. I hope things work out like you’re wantin’.”
So do I. Luke blew out a loud breath. He’d been a landowner for a few weeks, although he’d never even set foot on his property. He headed for the town square where the courthouse would be built one day. He’d read in the newspaper that the money earned from the sale of town lots at the public auction on August 6 would be used to construct the courthouse and other town features.
All around him, hundreds of tents had been erected, and a number of w
ooden buildings were in various stages of completion. All manner of storeowners were already doing business. He passed an elderly couple selling clothing. Another man hawked guns and ammunition, and a tall, thin man with a handlebar mustache offered shaves and haircuts. It boggled his mind how this land had been virgin prairie only a few weeks ago, and now it was a bustling town of thousands of people. The chatter of voices had replaced nature’s peaceful quiet.
He turned down a street and saw the town square up ahead. While eating lunch at a tent café, he’d overheard talk that people wanting to sell their town lots had tacked notices to the trees in the town square. A number of people from other states had entered the lottery in hopes of winning land they could turn around and sell, thus lining their pockets. Fine by him.
He’d made two hundred fifty dollars selling his homestead. Surely a much smaller town lot would cost less than that. If he could get one on the north end of town, he’d be less than half a mile from the edge of Sarah’s property. A smile tugged at his lips. He’d always planned to become a rancher like Gabe. He even had his own herd of more than fifty head that ran on Gabe’s land, but now the idea of owning a livery had taken root. The more he thought about it, the better he liked it. He could still work with horses, and he’d be helping others by selling and renting quality stock and buggies. He’d just have to get used to living in a town again. It was something he hadn’t done since he was a boy. He’d miss Gabe’s family and the quiet of the prairie, but he’d be near Sarah.
As he drew close to the town square, he spied the half dozen trees shading the grassy area that was empty of any tents. Several pieces of paper tacked to the trunks fluttered on the warm breeze. The first notice he checked was for a business lot on the southern end of town. Next was a residential lot and then one for a business and residential lots in the center of town. The price for the last one—three hundred fifty dollars—lifted his eyebrows clear to his hairline. He blew out a whistle.
He might have to live in his livery until he started making some money, but he’d lived in worse places. Rubbing the back of his neck, he headed to the next tree. It probably was a good idea to live on the premises anyway since he’d have valuable horses, tack, and equipment at the livery. At least until he and Sarah married.
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