The Lonely Cowboy (Trace Atkins Family) (6 page)

“I
knew it.  I knew it.  God answers prayers.”

“What
if it had been a boy? 

“
No difference.  I would have loved him just as much.  I just wanted another Sarah around the house.”

“Is
she going to take my place in your heart?”

“No
way.  Nothing can take your place in my heart.”

“Are
you okay?”

“I’m
tired, but I’m fine.  Did you see her?”

“Yes.
  I saw her when I first came in.  Carmen was cleaning her up.  She’s beautiful just like her mother.  I knew she would be.  She has a lot of hair.  I thought all babies were bald.”

“Not
all.  She will lose a lot of it in the next few weeks.”

“Not
my Sarah.”

He
leaned over and kissed her.  “Thank you  for my daughter.”

“You’re
welcome.  It was fun making her.  She smiled her brightest smile.”

“You
rest now.  I’m going to tell the boys they have a new sister and both of you are okay.”

He
kissed her again and left the room.

Chapter
8   Sarah Rebecca Atkins

Becky,
as she came to be called, was an instant hit in the Atkins household.  The boys managed to lose their aversions to girls immediately.  Each of them wanted to hold her.  Her daddy wanted to hold her as did her mother.  The boys were fascinated at the feeding process.  Living on a ranch, they had witnessed first hand the feeding of colts and calves from the mares and cows, but the idea of a baby feeding from their mother was totally different.  Neither of them believed they had fed that way.  Nor would they have believed their pa loved to feast on these same breasts., so they weren’t told about it.

From
the very beginning, Becky was a good baby.  She began sleeping the night through at about four weeks.  Trace got up and brought her to Sarah for her middle of the night feeding prior to that.  Sarah reveled in the love and attention shown both to her and to Becky.  He was a doting father.

When
she was a month old, they took  her in to  Cimmaron to be checked over by the doctor.  He told them what they already knew.  Becky was perfect.  They took her to be introduced to the preacher and to Elizabeth. They agreed, she was indeed a beautiful baby. 

*
* *

Becky
did everything early.  She cut teeth early, she crawled early and began walking just after she was eight months old.  When she gained mobility, she was into everything.  Everything.  Anything within her reach was fair game.  Her pa took her everywhere with him.  Trace swore she was saying daddy before she was 6 months old. 

She
smiled her first smile while being held by Trace.  Sarah said, “It’s probably gas, but Trace didn’t accept that.  Through it all, Sarah just smiled.  She was happier than she had ever been in her life.  Even though Becky received a lot of Trace’s attention, there was plenty left for her. 

Trace
proved to be a very attentive husband.  He did not want Sarah to exert herself.  “Honey, I’m fine and I’m healthy.  Women have had babies since Adam and Eve.  I have to do things.  You can’t be mother and father.”

“You’re
right, but you’re so special to me, I want to protect you.  I know, you don’t need protection all of the time, but I can’t help it.  I couldn’t be there for Clara, because of the war, but I can and will be there for you and for our family.

*
* *

Laying
in bed, one evening after  making love, Sarah and Trace were in their favorite position in which Sarah had one leg in between his and the other outside, Sarah was idly tracing her fingers over Trace’s chest and upper body, stopping briefly on the scars from his Gettysburg wound and the gunshot wound near the Rocking A, said, “I’ve been reflecting on how lucky we’ve been.” 

“
If you hadn’t told the preacher how lonely you were after Clara passed and he wouldn’t have introduced us.  Just think, we could have gone on through life missing out on what we have.

You
could have bled to death after you were shot if Josh hadn’t wanted some of your attention and found your horse in the barn.

We
were truly blessed with Becky coming and being healthy.  In fact, all of us are healthy.

Now
the railroad is coming through our land, paying us a sizable amount of money for the right-of-way.  We seem to be financially set.  I have never been happier in my life tan I am at this minute.”

“Honey,
I feel the same way.  It really makes you feel as if a supreme being has chosen us to look after.  We were created for each…

The
quiet moment was broken when Becky came running in, wearing a blue polka dot dress, her long blonde hair braided in pigtails bouncing off her back.  Her blue eyes were as big as saucers as she said,  “Daddy, Josh fell out of the tree and is crying.  You better hurry.  I think he’s dying or something.”

“You
were saying what… asked Sarah?

“Becky,
you go get a wash cloth and wet it and put it on his head.  I’ll be down in just a minute.”

“Okay,
Daddy.”

Trace
and Sarah went outside to the tall Cottonwood tree, where a very serious Becky was trying to apply the wet cloth, which had been dropped in the dirt, to a recalcitrant Josh.  Be still Josh.  Mama said.” 

Josh
got up and ran to get away from his insistent sister.  “Mama, make Josh be still.  He won't let me fix him.”

Sarah
and Trace stood there, her head leaning on his shoulder, trying not to let Becky  see them laughing.  Trace  scooped Becky up in one arm, put the other around Sarah and walked slowly back in the house.

“It’s
all right, Becky.  You know how boys are, said Sarah.” 

Becky
said, “Yeah, boys…”

Trace
said nothing.  He was living his dream.  He was a cowboy, and best of all, he was lonely  no more.

The
blended Atkins family continued to enjoy the good life.  The ranch prospered.  The herds grew.  Both Thomas, and Josh would continue to suffer the ministrations of Becky’s treatment of their cuts and bruises.  They would grow to be cattlemen and oil men.

Becky
would grow into a beautiful young girl, every bit as kind as her mother and as stubborn as her father.  She would remain a daddy’s girl throughout her life.

Sarah
continued to retain her beauty as she grew older.  She continued to show kindness to all of the many ranch hands. She knew all of their names as well as the names of their spouses and children.

Trace
turned out to be an astute businessman, and never failed to ask Sarah for her advice.  He always asked for and respected the opinions of his lovely wife.  He still, on occasion visited the grave of Clara on the hillside, under the Cottonwood tree.  He would talk to her and tell her how blessed he was and tell her about Becky and his boys.  He said, “You would really like Sarah.  She’s so good for me.”  

Sarah
understood the visits and never questioned him.  She wished she could do the same with her first husband but he remained in Gettysburg where he had fallen in battle.

Trace
was never able to understand why he was chosen to be so blessed.

Susan
Leigh Carlton is a native Texan, born and raised in Houston save for a brief exile to Lafayette, Louisiana.  She is the daughter of an oilman.  Her mother had an oil well on her property.

Susan
lives with her husband in Tomball, TX, a suburb of Houston.

She
has authored several books and short stories, all available on Amazon.  Visit 
Susan's website.
 

Top of Form

Sort by              

Bottom of Form