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ing, right now." Cord told him as he showed it to Charlie. "Do you approve?"
"What does that mean?" Charlie looked surprised.
"I want to marry your mother, and make us a family. What would you say to that?" Cord asked as he turned to look at Lilly.
Charlie shrugged. He looked around the place and then back at his mother. "Could I play outside here and go fishing and stuff, Ma?"
"Yes…I suppose you could." Lilly answered.
"Then I like it."
"And what do you think of me?" Cord looked him in the eyes.
Charlie stared at him a minute, "You're okay…As long as you are good to me and my Ma."
"That's a good answer. I intend to be very good to both of you. But I did want your approval before I make it official." Cord took Lilly's hand and slid the ring on her finger. She looked at it in shock.
"Cord I…. never expected…. this."
"I know. I can tell. But we have to make it official, don't we? I didn't buy this ring, but it means more than any ring I could buy. It belonged to Ma."
She stared at the ring for a long moment.
When she didn't comment, he added. "I know I'm rushing you, but you've got three months to make up your mind."
She nodded. "Alright, Cord. Three months."
He glanced at Charlie. "Can you ride, Charlie?"
"Yes sir, Ma taught me."
"Good. Can you swim?"
"Yes sir, sort of. I fell in the pond last year and I thought I was gonna drown, but Ma told me to paddle with my feet and reach out with my hands. And I made it to shore."
Cord smiled. "Do you like school?"
"No sir. Not a bit."
"Good. If you'd have said yes, I would have known you were lying. But you told the truth. That's good, we are going to get along fine."
Charlie smiled shyly.
"Are you and my Ma getting married for sure and certain?"
"That's the plan. What do you think of it?"
He looked around again and nodded. "Would Ma still work in the saloon?"
"No, she'd be here, on the ranch with you and me." Cord explained.
"That's good. That's really good. I like it. I like it a lot."
She looked at her son and smiled, "Alright, you can go back out and play now."
Charlie took off like greased lightning.
Cord smiled. "He's a fine boy, Lilly."
