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"You knew he was sweet on Laura, didn't you?" The doc chuckled.
"No, I didn't. But then, I don't get to town much. So, what happened between them?"
"Not a thing. She got herself engaged to Mathew Sawyer, the young lawyer in town, just happened a couple of days ago. Haywood nearly went out of his mind, been drinking ever since. But then you know Laura, she thinks she's too good for someone like Haywood."
"Glad you caught me up to snuff on that, then. I feel a bit sorry for Haywood. He's not a bad person, a little rough around the edges, but some say the same of me."
"He took it hard, but Laura has always wanted more than she needs and if she marries Mathew she'll be sitting mighty pretty. I just wonder if she can curtail all the flirting, she does with every man she sees."
"Matthew the new lawyer in town?"
The doc nodded.
"I wish her luck." Clay chuckled, "but I'm sorry about Haywood. He's taking it pretty hard, then?"
"Takes time to get over a woman. So, how's Charlie?"
"Fine, he's been doing most of the work around here, him and Willa." Clay told him. "I want to get busy on the rest of the add on, it will be cold before you know it. Willa and Elan need a room of their own."
"That's true."
"I think that young man there is part of the reason Charlie's so fit these days." The Doc nodded to Elan.
"They are close," Clay smiled. "Maybe it comes from living out here on the prairie in such close quarters, but we all get along fine out here."
The doc eyed him a moment.
They talked of things going on in town and Willa went to check on Charlie.
"This is because of her, isn't it?" The Doc asked when she left.
"It's not her fault." Clay insisted.
"Of course, it isn't. But it is inevitable, and you know it."
"I don't want to hear any more of this, Doc," Clay stood up, pacing the small confines of the kitchen. "I love her, and I'm going to marry her."
"What?" The doc turned to stare at him his brow shooting upward at the notion.
"You heard me." Clay shot him a glance. "She doesn't know it yet. But I'm going to marry her." Clay said staring out the window, watching Willa help his dad as his heart swelled at the sight of them together. They worked alongside each other so well, and his dad had perked up too since they came here. "So, I guess there will be a lot of upset people in town when they hear about it."
"You know what you are doing, Clay?"
"Yeah, I do. I've never courted a girl Doc. Never been that interested, I guess. But Willa, she's different. She's so sweet, so caring, such a good woman. And I don't care who doesn't like it, understand? All the time she's been living here, people have talked out of turn about her. I won't allow it any longer. I'm going to marry her, and we are going to make one big happy family out here. Do you hear me? I've never cared much what the townsfolk thought of me anyway."
"There will be a lot that don't like it, son." The doc looked sympathetically at him.
"I know that. But it really isn't their business. I've weighed it all in my mind. But I never had feelings like I do for her. I can't turn them on and off, doc. And I can't hide them either. Look, I haven't spoken love words to her, I haven't kissed her in the moonlight, I haven't touched her, but it isn't because I didn't want to. I love her and the only decent thing to do when you love someone is to marry. I wouldn't contemplate anything less. We've all been happy out here, since she came. Dad, he's a new person. When you find this elusive thing called love, it doesn't let you alone until you do something about it. She fits us doc, she fits this place. We love her child even. We're going to be married, in church as soon as I can arrange it. We're going to be a family."
"Have you asked her?"
"I don't have to. What I feel, she feels just as strongly. She knows what it will mean, so do I. I don't care. I love her, I faced that the day Haywood beat the hell out of me. I knew then I could die for her and still be happy."
"You realize it won't be the end, it's just the beginning of your troubles."
"I know that too."
"Then I can only wish you a happy life together. And I hope a long one." The doc added as he stood up.
