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She turned her head in question. "I guess… why do want one?" She couldn't hold her curiosity back.
"Most of the men on a drive keep pictures of their wives or sweethearts with them. You'd be surprised how often they take them out and look at them. I'd like one of you."
"Only if you take it with me."
He smiled, "I can do that."
"And I want a copy of it too."
"Alright. We'll do it first thing Monday morning, I want you to wear your wedding dress. And I'll wear my suit."
"Alright." She smiled at him.
"Done!" he smiled. "Did you like Sally?"
"She's real sweet. She sure has a lot of kids."
"And they are noisy too. Helen and Marty keep their kids busy doing things, but Sally and Joe sort of let theirs run wild. Which I guess it's alright at their age."
Trudy laughed, "Most kids are noisy. Do you want children?"
"I wouldn't mind a few. Couple of boys, and a couple of girls. What about you?"
"I hadn't thought about it much, but yes, it would be nice. I was an only child, like you. I always wanted a big brother, one I could confide in, talk to about my troubles."
"I guess we have a little more in common than some might think, huh?" he smiled.
"I guess we do. My Mom never got pregnant again. I never understood why, but I never asked either." After a moments reflection she continued. "Our home was full of laughter, and fun. They made it that way. I never felt lonely."
When she thought about her mom, she looked at him suddenly.
"If I couldn't give you children, would that matter?"
"No, not at all. What matters is that we make a happy home." He told her simply. "While I’m gone, I want you to be careful. There are a lot of dangers out here that you might not be aware of. Snakes come out this time of year and hide under rocks and in wood piles, do be careful an ordinary task can turn into a disaster if you aren't paying attention. Fox get after the chickens every now and then, just tell Chico or Mark, they'll take care of it. And you'll know by the way the chickens make such a fuss."
"Chico, and Mark, are they the ones that will stay behind?"
"Yeah and old Bill."
"Why is he staying behind? I'd think he'd be looking forward to the drive."
"He was until I explained it to him. Bill's got an even temperament; he knows how to calm Mark down. Mark usually listens to him for some reason. Mark can be hard to deal with every now and then, and if he gives you any sass tell Bill."
"I thought maybe Rusty would be staying."
"No, I'm training him to work the remuda. He's good with horses, and I want him to learn more. So, George and Gil will work with him on that."
"Why are you letting Mark stay if that is the case?"
"Because a mean temper isn't good around cattle. Stampede's can cost us a lot in time and money. Mark's young and he's got a lot to learn. Bill can handle him. He's a bit gun happy, between Bill and Chico, he'll be alright here."
"Does Chico always stay here?"
"Yeah, Chico is my man." He saw her eyes widened and he chuckled. "Whenever I'm gone for any time, he is here around the house, making sure everything is running and working. He's knows the place well, he used to come with his father who work for us, and when he died Chico came to work here afterwards. He's good with a gun, clever, and knows how to handle most people without losing his head. I trust him almost as much as George."
"Is George going to watch after the cattle while you go to Boston?"
"Yeah, George has been here longer than anyone, he knows the business." Lance informed her.
