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“It’s great news,” he announced as he stood up and whirled Hattie in the air. Sam and Joe glanced at each other in surprise. The girls laughed.
“What is it?” Sam and Joe asked, watching Lee kiss Hattie quite thoroughly.
“We’re going to Texas,” Lee announced, as he released Hattie from his kiss, but held her close.
Everyone’s mouth hung open. “Texas?”
Hattie stayed her arms around him. “What are you talking about?”
Lee turned her loose and looked at all of them. “I wired my friend in Texas. I told him we wanted to come and live with the Indians. He said he’d be glad to have us and that we were welcome there. Don’t you see? We can all live like a family there, and be happy.”
“But Lee, what about your land here? What will we do about it?” she asked.
“I’ll sell it,” Lee announced.
“Sell it! But Lee, it’s your home…” Joe began.
“You’re wrong. My home is with you, all of you. We are a family and I won’t let anything or anyone break us apart. It’s the answer I prayed for. It’s a way to be happy and happiness is much more valuable than a piece of land we have to fight over every time we turn around. I’ve had enough of fighting. I want a family, this family. I love Hattie. I want her to be my wife. In every way. I want you all to be my family. My real family. And I want more babies too, to fill our home with love.”
Lee sobered some and sat down at the table. Grabbing his coffee, he sipped it then looked at everyone who stared at him.
He extended his hand to the kids around the table. They each took it eagerly. “First off, let me say this…I love you all.”
The kids giggled.
He glanced at Sam and Joe now. “And you all know how much I love Hattie. I haven’t made a secret of it. We’ve been in love for a long time. As far as I’m concerned, she’s my wife. She’s the only woman I ever loved or wanted. Even if the people won’t recognize it. I can’t help that. Now, I want to make us a family. A real family. And the only answer I could come up with is to move to Texas and live at the Indian village. They would accept us there, and we could live out our lives happily. We can still farm, but as long as we live among them, there will be no trouble. It won’t matter--the color of our skins. It’s the only solution. I won’t give Hattie up, I love her too much. And I won’t give any of you up either. We are a family, and we’re going to Texas…”
“Are you sure…are you really sure that’s what you want to do?” Hattie gasped. “I mean you aren’t doing this just for me, are you?”
“To a degree, but it is what I want. God recognizes how I feel about you, Hattie. He doesn’t condemn us. We’ll be happy there, of that I’m sure. I’m positive. I searched for an answer, and this is the answer. The Indians welcome us. We can live in peace there,” Lee explained.
“Oh, Lee, it’s a dream come true…” Hattie gasped, grabbing his neck and kissing him in front of everyone.
Lee smiled. “But I want to know what everyone thinks about it.”
Joe studied the table for a long time. “Well sir, I never figured on ever movin’ from this place, but you are right. Happiness is more important than fightin’ for somethin’ that is no longer of value to us. If we can all live together in Texas as a family, I say, let’s move.” Joe laughed.
Sam smiled at Lee. “You really mean it, don’t you…?”
“Yeah Sam, I really mean it,” he said and reached to tousle his hair.
Violet’s eyes widened. “We gonna go live in Texas, yippee!”
Lee stood up. “Well then, I’ve got a lot to do. Gonna go talk to Mr. Harvey and see if he’s interested in buyin’ up the land, since his borders ours.”
“That would make him almost as important a rancher as the Jeffries since the land would be worth as much, maybe more with the water rights,” Joe calculated.
“Maybe if Mr. Harvey buys it, things will straighten out around here. Like you said he’ll be a major land owner, and the Jeffries will have to respect that. And knowing Mr. Harvey I’m sure in time he’ll give them some water rights. The war here will be over.” Lee smiled contentedly that he’d found a solution.
Joe and Sam started talking as they went out the back door. “Guess we’ll have to lea
rn how to talk Indian.”
Sam laughed. “Guess so.”
The girls had their chores to do and ran outside behind them, giggling and hollering about Texas.
Hattie looked at Lee, now that everyone had cleared out of the house.
