Sarah Snares a Soldier

by Linda K. Hubalek

  “No, you’re not really my uncle,” she replied, still pouting.

  “Sure I am,” the man bent in half to gently tickle her sides. “I’m your Uncle Daggy, because you’re my niece ‘Maggie Daggie’!” Then he scooped her up and lifted her to the ceiling. Maggie happily squealed and hit both hands flat on the ceiling before Dagmar playfully “dropped” her to the floor.

  Now Dagmar looked around, pretending he didn’t see Maisie standing in front of him, holding her arms up. She wanted to be lifted up like the rest of the kids.

  “Where’s ‘Maisie Daisy’?” Dagmar said with his hand above his eyes like he was looking in the distance, while turning around in a circle. “Is she over here?” He walked to one corner of the room, with the giggling girl running after him. “Or is Maisie over here?” Dagmar rushed to another corner of the room. Then he turned around, bent and scooped her up high and held her there. “Here she is! Maisie Daisy is up on the ceiling looking down at us!”

  “Uh, uh,” Maisie grunted, as she tried to reach the ceiling with her fingers. She was a tiny thing, so Dagmar stood on his tiptoes and stretched as far as he could so the beaming child could touch the ceiling, too.

  Now it didn’t matter if there were finger marks on the ceiling after making the children happy. The smears would match the ones on the windows she didn’t have time to clean anyway.

  “Okay, Momma Sarah, it’s time for your nap,” Dagmar said, pointing a finger at her.

  Tears ran down her cheeks from exhaustion and relief. “Thank you all for giving us a break today. I really need it.”

  “Ah, that’s okay. Cora wants to have a dozen kids so this is good practice for us. Come here and give me a hug.”

  As soon as Sarah timidly approached Dagmar he grabbed her by the waist and pushed her to the ceiling, causing the children to scream and clap with glee.

  Sarah left the room with a smile on her face, knowing she could relax and get several hours of deep sleep. Her children were in good hands for the day.

  ***

  “Feeling better?” Marcus asked, as Sarah came into the dining room. This was the first noon meal he’d seen her wearing a clean dress since the children moved into the ranch house. Of course, his shirt sleeve had gravy on it because Maisie waved her arm and hit his forearm with her spoon of food.

  Marcus noticed the dark circles under Sarah’s eyes were still there, but she looked more relaxed. Sarah would have to sleep a week to get over her exhaustion, but their surprise company was a relief for all of them. He hadn’t had a full night’s sleep in a week either, but at least he wasn’t up every few hours like Sarah and Cate to feed the triplets. How in the world would Margaret Sullivan have handled the six children without help? Well, same as any mother—married or widowed—women just did it, no matter the cost to their own health.

  Sarah and he were so blessed to have the friends around the dining room table.

  “Have a seat, Sarah,” Cora rose from her own chair. “I saved a plate of food for you.”

  “Which you’re lucky she did, or else I would have eaten it, too,” Dagmar pointed his fork at Sarah, before cutting another piece of cherry pie with his fork and popping it into his mouth.

  “Where’s Isaac? I assume Momma is still napping,” Sarah asked looking around the table. Masie and Marty sat on either side of Marcus. Tate, and Dagmar’s new “girlfriend”, Maggie, sat on either side of Dagmar who was helping the children with their food. Darcie held Amelia on her lap, patiently giving her little bites of mashed potatoes whenever the baby opened her mouth.

  Sarah looked around realizing the absence of the infants’ cries.

  “Nice to hear the silence for a change, isn’t it?” Marcus quietly said while giving her a slight smile. The silence was bliss.

  “Grandpa and Grandma are upstairs smoochin’,” Marty mumbled, as his mouth was full of food.

  “No, Grandpa brought a tray of food up to Grandma to eat,” Cora corrected him.

  “Nuh nuh, they kiss pretty often. I’s seen um,” Marty replied between chewing his food.

  Oh really? Marcus looked across the table at Sarah, who raised her eyebrow in silent question back to him.

  “Oh, no…they’re just practicing for the Kissing Game we’re doing this afternoon after you guys have your nap. The winners will get the surprise in the secret box,” Dagmar brushed off Marty’s declaration.

  “No, the p…”

  “No, No, No, Potato Man! Don’t say a word. Remember, we’re not. Telling. Anyone. What is in that box.”

  Marcus watched as Cora and Darcie about choked on their food trying to keep from laughing out loud. What was in the box? Marcus saw Dagmar whisper something to Rusty when they arrived, and then the foreman took the box out of the Bar E Ranch wagon and carried it over to his house.

  He looked over to Sarah, who had a worried look on her face. It was hard to say what Dagmar had planned for the finale of their day’s visit.

  ***

  “Those aren’t real words, Uncle Daggy,” Maggie giggled.

  It was so good to see the grief stricken child happy and getting a day of attention. This was what the older children needed. Dagmar and Cora had taken turns singing songs from their childhood and having the children repeat them.

  She and Marcus slowly swung back and forth on the porch swing, while Cora rocked in the porch rocker. Dagmar sat on the porch floor, legs stretched straight out, with Marty leaning on one leg and Maggie tucked under his arm on his other side.

  Darcie was inside washing the dishes while the babies slept in their baskets and the two toddlers slept on a blanket spread on the dining room floor.

  “Yes, they are. Me and my siblings grew up in Sweden, so our moder sang Swedish songs to us,” Dagmar told Maggie.

  “Your ‘moder’?”

  “Some of our Swedish words sound close to English words, like ‘moder’ means ‘mother’ and ‘fader’ means ‘father’ to you.”

  “What’s house?”

  “Hus,” Dagmar drug out the vowel sound to make Marty laugh.

  “What’s a horse, a dog, a chicken?!”

  “Häst, hund, kyckling,” Dagmar slowly pronounced. “Kind of sounds like the same words doesn’t it. That’s not always the case, but sometimes it’s similar.

  “Okay, listen to the Swedish song again, because I bet you know it. Think of the tune this time. Blinka lilla stjärna upp där, hur jag undrar var du är.”

  Maggie studied Dagmar as he softly hummed the tune again. “Is it ‘Twinkle Little Star’?”

  “You’re very smart, Maggie!” He told her while giving her a hug. “Twinkle little star up there, how I wonder where you are.”

  “How’d you do that?” Marty asked with the brows puckered together on his little face.

  “I learned Swedish when I was young as you, and when we moved to America, my family learned to speak English. When Cora and I have children, they’ll learn both languages, so they’ll know two words for each thing…like a barn and a dog.”

  “Poppa Marcus, can you teach us Swedish?”

  Sarah was surprised Marty called him ‘Poppa Marcus’ and apparently Marcus was, too, by the surprised look on his face.

  “You’ll have to learn Swedish words from your uncle Dagmar and his sisters, because I’m not familiar with it…yet,” Marcus quickly added the “yet” when he saw the look of disappointment on Marty’s face.

  “Next time we’re over here I’ll teach you some new words so you can teach your Poppa Marcus. Is that a deal?” Dagmar looked into the eyes of both children before he said, “Okay?” He gave them both hugs after they nodded their heads.

  “Now, go inside and camp out on the dining room floor for a little ‘shut eye’ while us grownups nap out here.” Dagmar pushed the children to their feet and pointed toward the door.

  Once Sarah knew the children were in the dining room, she sighed. “Dagmar, you are so good with children. They never once gave you any trouble today. I almost wish I c
ould send Maggie and Marty home with you.”

  “Any time you want a break, they can camp out at the Bar E. Tate would love their company. Darcie will be at the Bar E doing the cooking and washing for the ranch hands until Reuben comes back from visiting his relatives in New York.”

  “Besides your being exhausted, how are things going with the children?” Cora asked.

  Sarah looked at Marcus before answering, wondering what his answer would be to Cora’s question, too.

  “Each day gets a little better, but nights are still hard. Then the three older children want their parents and cry themselves to sleep. It’s hardest on Maggie since she’s older. She’s still avoiding me, but comfortable with Marcus and Momma.” She was grateful when Marcus squeezed her shoulder in support.

  “Marcus how are you doing with your overnight fatherhood?”

  “I’ve slept with soldiers in tents many a time, but little children crawling in bed with you during the middle of the night is a different situation. They never stay in one place, and don’t always wake me up when they need to use the chamber pot,” Marcus chuckled.

  “Thank goodness for Cate, Isaac and the ranch cook. Otherwise Sarah would be taking care of the infants and older children while I’d be washing diapers and cooking the meals. I’ve learned to appreciate the hard work women do to keep the children fed, clothed—and the house halfway clean.”

  Sarah lightly punched his shoulder when he said ‘halfway’, but right now the house did look like a whirlwind went through it.

  “Since you haven’t said anything, I assume you haven’t heard from Mrs. Rayburn yet?” Cora stopped rocking and leaned forward.

  “No, but we’re thinking positive, and if not, we have another idea to help other children,” Sarah slyly hinted.

  “So what’s the wedding date?!” Cora looked expectantly between her and Marcus.

  “Oh no, Cora, we haven’t quite thought that far ahead,” Sarah quickly responded, noticing Marcus wasn’t adding anything to the conversation about their possible marriage.

  “Well, it would be a little embarrassing to get hitched right away, you know…with a different man than the one you were supposed to marry recently,” Dagmar mused.

  “Dagmar! Don’t even bring up that Sunday!” Cora scolded her husband.

  “No, we were all relieved when Sarah didn’t walk up the aisle,” Dagmar turned to answer his wife. “Ethan’s a nice man, but Sarah and he weren’t right for each other. Some little lady needs to waltz into town, sweep Ethan off his feet, so to speak, for him to find the love of his life—and stand up to his mother. And his special woman should have a bunch of kids to throw Mrs. Paulson in a tizzy, too.”

  Everyone laughed at Dagmar’s remarks, and Sarah was so glad she hadn’t walked down the aisle to be Ethan’s bride. There was a woman for Ethan, but they hadn’t met yet.

  Conversation continued about family, ranching, and town gossip, but Sarah was having a hard time keeping track of who said what. Maybe she’d just lay her head on Marcus’ shoulder for a minute and close her eyes.

  Chapter 12

  Sarah had softly snored for over an hour while leaning on his shoulder. His arm was numb from the pressure on his shoulder but it had been worth it give her more rest. He and Dagmar talked quietly after Cora went inside to check the napping children and to see if Darcie needed help.

  Marcus thought Dagmar handled the day very well, considering he almost didn’t marry Cora three weeks ago. The giant man had been terrified he would hurt the petite Cora, his logic being his babies would be too big for Cora to give birth. She calmed his fears, but he went into a panic again when the family had arrived at the Cross C to find out Margaret had died after childbirth. Doc Watson had a time convincing Dagmar that Margaret’s death was due to the blow to her head, not the childbirth.

  When Dagmar held Micah today, he beamed at Cora. Marcus knew a single child would be a few pounds heavier at birth than the smallest triplet, but Dagmar seemed assured Cora could handle a child this size. Because twins ran in the Hamner family, he even joked about them having a matched set in their future family.

  It saddened Marcus he wouldn’t likely have a child of his own blood, but he’d come to terms with it. He was warming to the idea that these six children on the Cross C may be his permanently family, but he wasn’t letting himself believe it until they heard back from Margaret’s family. Marcus worried that Sarah was already so attached to the children, she’d have breakdown if she lost them. That’s why he hadn’t “officially” asked her to marry him. Sarah knew he wanted to, but there were decisions hanging in the air which they had to deal with first.

  “Hey, sleepyhead, time to wake up,” Marcus whispered in Sarah’s ear as he rubbed her cheek. He hated to wake her, but the children were up and ready to play their final game.

  “Hmm? Are you sure I can’t stay in this spot for another hour. I’m tired and the heat makes me so drowsy.”

  “Sorry, but our day help is about to leave so you need to become ‘Momma Sarah’ again,” Marcus nudged her off his shoulder.

  Isaac and Cate finally joined them—he didn’t ask where they spent their day “off”, but they both looked relaxed and happy. He had been surprised about Marty’s remark about the pair kissing, but…good for them if they were. Marcus would like to see them marry, he decided.

  “Okay, line up for the final game, people! Girls stand here, and boys, go stand clear over by the swing,” Dagmar ordered. Darcie and the children were outside, too, and joined the line ups. “The object of the Kissing Game is…for whichever group I point to first, you have to chase and catch a person in the other group and give them a kiss. For example Grandma could ‘chase’ Grandpa and give him a kiss. Or maybe Grandma would catch Tate first and give him a kiss. We’ll do this three different times, and whoever decides the winners…wait…who’s the judge?” Dagmar stopped and put his hands on his hips, causing the kids to squeal with delight. “Because I’m going to catch Cora or Maggie so I can’t be a judge.”

  “I’ll be the judge!” Rusty waved his hand, after setting down the wooden box he carried out of his cabin, but left by the door. Of course, Dagmar and Rusty had this all planned, but Marcus didn’t know what to expect. He looked over at Isaac and he lifted his shoulders and turned up the palms of his hands, conveying he didn’t know what was about to happen either.

  “The girls outnumber the boys, so Amelia and I will be judges too!” Darcie called out as she walked over to stand by Rusty holding her wiggling baby in her arms.

  “Okay, pay attention. On your mark, get ready and go!” Dagmar shouted while pointing to the girls’ group. Then he trotted in the direction Marty and Tate went, pretending to run away from the girls. Screaming mayhem broke loose and everyone ran around, sometimes in circles or dodging out of the way of each other.

  The women waited until Maggie and Maisie ‘caught’ Dagmar and Marcus, and then Sarah picked up Marty and gave him a big, smacking kiss on the cheek. Cora chased Tate in circles around Darcie and Amelia until Cora stopped and went in the other direction, causing Tate to run straight into her legs. Tate laughed when Cora picked him up and gave him a peck on the lips. Once they caught their breath and looked around, they saw Cate with her arms around Isaac’s middle, giving him a kiss on the lips which seemed never ending.

  “Okay, grandparents! Time to stop kissing and get back in your line!” Dagmar shouted, while jogging in place. Once everyone returned to being divided into two sides, Dagmar yelled, “Go!” pointing to the boys to chase the girls.

  This time Tate tackled Maisie—who luckily didn’t cry—and gave her an awkward kiss like he’d seen the grownups do. Marty grabbed his sister and they twirled around until she gave in and let her brother kiss her on the cheek. Dagmar grabbed Cora and lifted her up to kiss her. Her feet dangled a good foot and a half off the ground while he gave her a long kiss. Of course Isaac and Cate walked back together to continue their kissing.

  And this was Marcus’
turn to give Sarah a kiss she’d remember. He caught her around the waist, pulled her tight against his body and kissed her hard, then softened his lips and backed them away, only to have her follow his lips to continue the kiss. Marcus realized everyone else had stopped kissing, but he kept hold of her, giving her little kisses, until the kids tried their hardest to pull them apart. Sarah smiled and held his gaze, happy with the result of the kiss. Marcus would be happy to continue this game—if they could find time to be alone this evening after the kids were in bed. Maybe he would make sure of it.

  “Last round, folks! This is a free for all! Just grab anybody and give them a kiss! The last three people…to be caught, and kissed…will win the grand prizes in the box! Go!”

  Dagmar immediately grabbed Tate before he got out of reach, and Isaac had Cate back in his arms in a few seconds. Cora, Marcus and Sarah chased Maggie, Marty and Maisie around a while before finally scooping up the children and giving them each a kiss on the cheek.

  The kids were ecstatic they had won…something…and jumped up and down screaming and laughing when they were out of the adults’ arms.

  “The winners of the Kissing Game are…Maggie Daggie, Mighty Marty and Maisie Daisy!” he clapped his hands until everyone joined in. Then he put up his hands to stop the noise. “Will the ‘head judge’ bring the prize box over to the winners’ circle, please? Now, everyone be very quiet when Rusty opens the box…”

  Oh, no. Marcus heard noises and guessed what the prizes were…that sneaky Dagmar.

  Rusty took the lid off the box and up popped three puppies’ heads. Three children stood in shock looking at the puppies, while Tate jumped up and down, proud of himself for keeping the secret.

  Dagmar got down beside the box and lifted the first black and white puppy out of the box and put it in Maggie’s arms, helping her hold the puppy the right way. “My dog Yipper had babies, and she wanted you to give them a good home and lots of love.”

  Dagmar picked up the next puppy with a little different mix of color. Marty held out his arms ready to take his new dog next. “Your Momma Sarah and Poppa Marcus have given you a new home, just like you’re giving these puppies a new home. They’re taking good care of you all and your three baby brothers, so I thought you children would like to take care of and love Yipper’s babies, too.”