Hank had been standing by the door waiting and was anxious to know if they were both all right. He carried the baby around with him, not turning him lose for a second.
The doc reassured him and then asked about George. "Can I go out there?" Rose asked.
Hank yelled at her. "No…you can’t. Here, you take the baby."
The doc shook his head. "He’s right, it’s best you don’t. This isn’t a sight for women folk."
"But he was like family…" Rose protested.
"Later, when he’s laid out, you can see him. Not now…Now you go on back in the house and wait fer us." The doc instructed her.
Rose fretted but decided to mind for once, things had just been too traumatic to raise a ruckus.
But an hour later, she watched through the window as they carried George out in a wrapped up sheet. She grabbed her mouth and she couldn’t stop the tears from falling. George had been such a faithful worker and always there for them. The fact he had no family made it sadder. But then Rose shrugged, she was his family…her and Hank!
Chapter Eighteen
With George gone and Josey laid up, Rose knew her and Hank had to run the farm. Hank kept up the fields and outside work, while Rose cooked and cleaned and took care of the baby and Josey. The sun was unmerciful on their backs and necks as they worked many days side by side. Hank made a cradle so Rose could help him from time to time. The baby strapped to Rose’s back, Indian style.
Hank came in from the fields one day, mopping the sweat from his brow. Rose was just putting the noonday meal on the table. He washed up and sat down at the table, waiting for her to join him.
He looked out the window at the fields and the silence in the room surrounded him.
"Can you help me in the fields this afternoon? We got to get the corn in before it’s scorched," Hank announced.
Rose grimaced. "I guess I’ll have to, won’t I." She set the mashed potatoes on the table and passed him the pork chops. "If you can help me shuck it in the evenings?"
"Shore I will. Is Josey any better?" he asked, drinking his water down quickly.
"No…just keeps staring at the walls. She never looks at me, never reacts to anything. The doc said a full recovery could take a while, I guess he was right, it’s been a while since she woke up. But I guess I shouldn’t complain, at least she can eat now by herself."
"Does the doc think she’s going to get better?" Hank asked.
"He don’t know. He says sometimes it takes another kind of shock to sorta wake ‘em up after somethin’ like this. But Lord, how many can she stand…she’s lost a lot of weight, she don’t even look like my sister anymore." Rose’s voice lowered as she choked the words out. "The dark circles under her eyes worry me. I been trying to get her food down her, but it’s hard. Sometimes it just comes back up."
"I know, honey, but what can we do?" Hank asked.
"Not much I reckon." She sighed. "At least not that I know of. I wish Leroy was home, maybe he’d know what to do."
"This might not be the best time to ask, but…well, I’ve been thinkin’. Don't you think it’s time we got married…if you still want to." Hank announced.
Rose looked at him closely. "Y-you really want to?"
"Shore I do…we are family. What’s left of it. I love you…always have…you know that." He smiled grabbing her hand. "The past is the past Rose. If we want a future we got to grab it now."
Rose twisted her head to look at him closely, Hank had grown up, and he had become quite a man. His handling of the farm was a life saver for Rose. Not once had he complained about the chores. Killing the jayhawker had made him a hero to the community. Respect grew for Hank and so did Rose’s love. She didn’t know what she would have done without him. It seemed like so long ago when they would steal moments in the barn. Lately, the only thing they did was eat and sleep, they were too tired to do anything else. Hank had taken to her bed, but he hadn’t touched her in a long time. He told her wouldn't touch her till she was fully recovered and ready.
She had begun to think he wouldn’t touch her again, and something deep inside her hurt that he was rejecting her.
Softly she laid her hand on top of his. "I’d be pleasured to be your wife, Hank." She said throatily.
His smile was slow and sensuous. He nodded. "I’ll fetch the preacher when you are ready."
She nodded, her smile meeting his. "I love you Hank…" she struggled to say, her emotions swamping her.
"Hey…this is supposed to be a happy occasion." He squeezed her hand.
"I guess I’m too tired to show you how happy I am, but I’ll make it up to you Hank," she promised, her expression speaking for her.
"We’ll do all right…" Hank winked. "And Josey’s going to get better. I just know it. This old war can’t go on forever…”
"We’ve lost just about everything, but the farm and her…I sure hope so," Rose said, a tear slipping down her cheek again. "I wish Mama was still here. She was so wise about the world and knew how to handle things."
"You know Rose…you’ve been wonderful through this. Takin’ care of Josey every day, and helpin’ me, and takin’ care of the baby too. That’s a lot of work. I’m real proud of you. You ain't even complained about all the work." He nodded sadly. After a while he added, “I wonder where Leroy is? We ain’t heard nothin’ from him in so long."
Rose thought about Leroy and shook her head.
"Well, he’s fightin’ a war, he probably just don’t have time to write. Let’s hope that’s the reason we haven’t heard from him. That's all it would take to do her in, if something happened to him."
"This damn war has caused all of this." Hank frowned pushing his meal away and leaning back in the chair. "I wonder if the big politicians think it's all been worth it?"
"Is the South losin’?" Rose asked.
"I don’t know Rose…Funny, but the way most people talk about the war now, no one cares any more, they just want their families to come home."
"We’ll be all right…won’t we?" Rose asked staring at his tired face.
"Yeah…we’ll be all right." Hank repeated dully. "Well, better get back at it. Bring a bucket of water when you come out, okay?" He winked at her from the doorway.
"You didn’t eat much." She noticed his nearly full plate.
"It’ll keep till supper." he said.
"Okay, I’ll cover it and we’ll try again later. And we won’t talk about the war any more today," she called.
“Yeah…that might be a good idea.”
His sexy smile curled around her heart. When he stared at her so long she smiled. Hank had filled out as a man. His body was lean and taut and he had muscles now that bulged when he moved his arms. Perhaps she hadn't noticed, but she saw it now and it stirred something within her.
"What are you lookin’ at?"
"You darlin’, just you."
He turned to go again and her words stopped him. "Hank?" She called suddenly. "I really do love you…"
"I know…I finally know that…I guess we done a heap of growing, haven’t we?" He smiled. "Don’t forget to bring the water.”"
And he was gone.
~*~
When the doc visited again a month later though, there was more bad news. Rose wasn't sure she could handle more bad news.
"Yeah, it was a pitiful sight, right there in the street. They caught a fella they’d been chasin’ for some time. Name of Talbut. He’d been hidin’ out in some cave, but he ran out of food, and with no gun or traps he was starvin’. The Ranger came through town and happened to recognize him when he came out of the dry goods place, been to see his ma. Anyway, he was in pretty bad shape and she had tried to get him to come see me. Maybe that’s where he was goin’ when they spotted him. They told him to halt, but he just kept goin’. They called out his name and he half turned to look at them. ‘Bout that time one of the soldiers hollered, and the bullets started flyin’."
Rose and Hank stared at each other, Rose’s face paled. "He didn’t m
ake it…" There was finality in her words.
"He never had a chance. They hauled him out of town with them and that was the last we seen of him. Don’t recall him doin’ anything wrong ‘cept maybe he didn’t sign up for soldierin’. They shouldn’t ought to have killed the man, but not one man stood in their way either. Kind of arrogant, if you ask me, and they was our own men. Makes you wonder if the South is in the right or not."
Rose nodded. "It sure does, Doc."
Hank came into the room, and watched the doc work with Josey’s arms and legs to check her circulation.
Rose's head jerked up when he burst out. "Doc, how goes the war. I ain’t heard hide or tail from my brother in some time."
"Some say the war will be over before long, others grumble that it won’t never be over. Heard tell of a Federal Major General William T. Sherman wants to march to the sea through Georgia, and capture all of Georgia. They say he’s already started out. If he has, like they say, it will be the beginning of the end for the South. Sherman is a very determined Federal. He believes in what he is fighting for, and he gives no quarter."
"Cain’t nobody hold him back?" Hank asked his face a mask of frowns and emotions. "You sound like he’s some kind of one man army."
"He is. Don’t know if Grant is for this march or not, but Lincoln thinks this could turn the war and end it. God only help us if he has gone through with this crazy plan. They say he's burnin' Georgia."
Rose gasped. "So the South is losin’?"
"Seems so." The doctor nodded. He put Josey’s arms down and stared into her young face. "She’s better. She’s healing up nicely, better than I expected, but I see she hasn’t really snapped out of the coma completely. She got her reflexes back, she’s eating on her own, and her color is returning to her cheeks. Just keep doin’ whatever you been doin’ Rose, ‘cause I can tell it is helpin’. You might not be able to see it, but I can. Yes sir, I think Miss Josey is going to be okay…given a little more time. And thanks to your good care of her."
Rose sat on the bed, holding Josey’s hand. Josey wasn’t looking at anything but the wall, but Rose sighed heavily. "That’s the first good news you brung."
The doctor smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.
They went into the other room and the doctor had a cup of tea. After a bit the doctor narrowed his eyes on Hank. "Where’s Leroy now, do you know?"
"No sir, we ain’t heard nothin’ from him. Last we heard, he was in Arkansas and that was months ago. He could be anywhere by now." Hank said. "And we all know Arkansas has taken a beating."
"Well, the war don’t always carry news quickly. Wouldn’t have known about this Sherman fella, but the paper did a piece on him. Wrote a whole page up on the man. Although most of the news is bad about the war these days, Texas has held her own. We can be proud of that. But I’m afraid the Confederate States’ fate is still undecided. When we lost Vicksburg and control of the Mississippi, that was a terrible defeat. At Gettysburg we lost nearly thirty thousand men, a slaughter even, considering we also lost twenty-five thousand Federals too. I can't imagine that scene. Sherman already began his march back in June. When Hood took over and tried to distract Sherman in another direction, it didn’t work. Sherman is still marching through Georgia as we speak, and the word is he is burning her."
Rose’s eyes widened. "Burning what?"
"I’d say the whole state of Georgia." The doctor informed them. "Aw now…I shouldn’t be talkin’ this way."
"I sure wish Leroy would write to let us know he was all right. I think if we could get a letter Josey might come around." With tears in her eyes, Rose nodded to Josey, and the doctor laid a hand on Rose once more. "You’re a strong young woman Rose…you sure are."
"Doc, we want to get married, but the way things have been goin’ well…I sorta hate to leave the farm to fetch the preacher. Is there any way you could let him know?" Hank asked as he showed the doctor to the door.
"I’d be glad to son. Mrs. Anderson would be proud of how you two have held out, that’s a fact." The doctor said and moved out the doorway. "I certainly hope your brother makes it home okay. For everyone’s sake."
"Thanks Doc…I got two other brothers in the Union Army and we ain’t heard nothin’ from them since they left." Hank said his head bowed.
"I’m sorry to hear that, Hank. I didn’t know. Have you checked the papers?"
"When I get the time I do…but they don’t always print the Federal death list." Hank said looking at Rose.
"That’s true, well, hopefully this war will be over soon and everyone can come home. I expect if they do I’ll be busy…"
"Never thought about that, Doc, but I guess you will…Don Phillips said his son’s leg was amputated and they sent him home with a bad infection. Have you seen him?" Hank asked.
The doc bowed his head, a silent tear escaped the old man, and then he nodded slowly. "Oh yes…I buried him just the other day. He had gangrene. It was too far gone when he was brought to me." The doctor said in a low whisper. "A bloody shame the lack of medicine in those camps. They amputated with nothing to knock him out with but whiskey. But the unhealthy conditions led to the infection and then they sent him home in a wagon. His folks hightailed it over to me, but it was already too late. He’d been travelin’ more than a week and the infection spread to his heart, I couldn’t do a thing."
"Damn…I liked him…" Hank hung his head. "We went to school together."
"You seen any of Jay Upton or Frank Meyers" Rose moved closer to Hank and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I was close to them too."
"Upton wrote home, he’s fine, he’s at Galveston now. Meyers’ hadn’t heard from him though."
"Well thanks Doc…take care of yourself, and thanks for checkin’ on Josey…" Hank shook his hand.
The doc looked around the farm place, his gray eyes marred by the sadness in them. "You two take care. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks, and I expect to hear you married by then." He chuckled softly.
"Thanks Doc."
~*~
Rose was anxious to marry Hank, so after all the corn had been gathered and shucked and canned, they decided together the time was right to marry. The preacher and a handful of people came to the farm, including Hank’s mother. Although Rose knew before the war, Mrs. Van Houghton wouldn’t have approved of her; she voiced no objections now, since she held her grandson at her breast. "He looks so much like Hank when he was little." She beamed as she smiled at Rose.
"I’m so glad you were able to come." Rose poured her some tea and setting the food on the table she offered her some. She laid a cloth over the top of it, as the ceremony was about to begin and she didn’t want the food getting cold.
"I wouldn’t miss Hank’s wedding for nothin’ and seein’ my grandchild. And…I’m happy that you are part of my family now Rose. Me and your ma we talked many times of havin' a weddin'. I am so happy you two are here and that you're takin' such good care of Josey."
"Ma have you heard anything from Tom and Frank?" Hank joined Rose and held her hand.
Mrs. Van Houghton’s face colored, she bowed her head, and took her kerchief from her pocket. "Tom wrote a letter the other day. Seems he’s with Sherman and his march through Georgia. Said Frank was kilt at Gettysburg according to one of the commanders. They buried him up there." She dabbed her eyes, as some of the women gathered about her to console her. "They said that it was jest too far to bring him home. I guess a lot got buried on the field, but I sure miss him."
Hank grimaced. "Gettysburg…Doc told us about that battle, they lost a lot of men there." His ma nodded.
Rose hugged Hank to her. "I’m sorry, Hank."
Hank hung his head and doubled his fist, then reached to hold Rose's hand. "Damn war…it’s got to end…the killin’ has got to end."
"Did Tom have any news of the war?" He asked after a long silence.
"Said if Sherman succeeded, the war would pert near be over." His ma nodded.
Rose digested the new
s with mixed emotions. "Surely this Sherman won’t do what they said?"
"I’m afraid he already has…Georgia is practically on fire, according to Tom. She said it was hard to witness, but he had to. Said he wasn’t sure how he felt about things anymore, and that most of the others felt the same."
"Then the South is losin’," Rose uttered.
"‘Fraid so…"
But as the somber news passed around the room, the preacher moved to the center and called upon them. "Let us begin…"
The ceremony was short and sweet and Hank took the time to kiss Rose hard and long. There was a raw need in him as he gazed into in her soft brown eyes and their emotions seemed to match.
Rose was particularly proud that everyone enjoyed the meal. Everyone marveled at her cooking.
When they were all about to leave, Rose clasped Hank’s mother’s hand and smiled. "I hope you come to visit often."
"I will…I shore will." She smiled up at them both. "I’m so happy. At least one of my boys is happy. Wade and Clay, they been runnin’ the farm for me, but their hearts are not in farmin' since their brothers all disappeared. The war has changed a lot of things about the people."
There was a silence that everyone felt.
"Thanks for comin’ Mama." Hank hugged her. "And me and Rose will visit, maybe I can spurt them on about the place. I got some ideas on plantin' I'd like to discuss with them."
"Be happy son…and take good care of my grandson. I want to see him regular, you hear?"
"I’m sorry Mama, we just been so busy…here."
She glanced around the place. "You two have done a dandy job. The place looks good around here though…And only the two of you to do it, plus a baby and Josey all sick, too. That's a tolerable amount of work."
"Yes, but we did it. Together."
"Your daddy and I had some hard times together, but those times pull you together and in the end your happier for them."
Rose nodded. "You are so right…"
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