This time Edison smiled, and said, "I'm impressed. You did your homework. And now you're here to talk about taking my daughter away."
"No, I'm here to ask you to give me her hand in marriage."
"And if I said, no?"
"Then I'll work as long as it takes to convince you to say yes."
"You're both of legal age," Edison said. "Why wouldn't you just go ahead and get married?"
Tyler was beginning to get a handle on this man. "Because I respect you as my elder and as Rose's father, and I want your blessing," he replied.
"You're both very young," Edison said.
"We're old enough to know our own minds," Tyler replied.
"And you think you can provide for Rose and my grandchildren?" Edison asked.
"That would be my primary goal from the moment we exchange vows," Tyler replied. "I can promise you with certainty that I'll do everything in my power to make Rose happy because that's the only way I could be happy."
Edison fixed him with hawk like eyes, and Tyler was sure he was about to lay out the long range terms for gaining his approval, which would include waiting two years. But then his eyes softened some, and he said, "I think you're a man who's true to his word. However, I also think you should wait until you're both older, but because I don't believe in unwed couples living together, if you and Rose have decided you can't live alone at this point then you have my blessing." He leaned forward and offered his hand.
For a moment, Tyler looked at the outstretched hand in stunned surprise, then he clasped it solidly, and said, "I won't let you down, but more importantly, I won't let Rose down."
In the truck on the way back to the ranch, Rose snuggled against him, and said, "I can't believe you talked my father into letting us get married so soon. What changed his mind?"
Tyler kissed her quickly on the forehead, and replied, "Chief Joseph."
"I don't understand."
"It seems the spirits are finally working for me," Tyler said. "I downloaded volumes of information on the Nez Perce because your father suggested I learn about my roots, then I set it aside to read later and never got back to it. Then a couple of days ago, when I was watching some cloud formations while trying to figure out how to approach your father about asking him if I could marry you, the clouds moved into the image of an Indian on a horse and I got an urge to learn about Chief Joseph, so I started reading and drawing to help memorize it, including Joseph's surrender speech, and it stuck in my head, and the first question your father asked was if I'd learned anything about Chief Joseph."
"Are you making this up?" Rose asked.
"No, angel, I'm telling you I'm a believer now," Tyler replied. "Someone up there saw fit to bring you to me and I'll never question Him again. Now, let's hope the spirits are still with me when we run this past my father."
CHAPTER 19
Jack's gaze shifted between Tyler and Rose, who were sitting together on the couch in the family room. Fixing his eyes on Tyler, he said, "I'm not doubting that you two know your own minds, but marriage means family, and as the man of the house you'll need to provide a home. You can't raise a family in a stable, and houses cost money. The boys and I can help build one, but you'd have to get the loan for the materials, and you can barely meet your expenses as it is."
"I could help him build a log house," Adam said, from his stance near the doorway. "Marc and Rick are also ready to help. We already talked about it, in the event Tyler decided to do something like this."
Jack glanced over at Adam, and said, "That's all well and good, but even a log house costs money for foundation and roof work, as well as all the wiring and plumbing and interior work."
"Between Rick and Marc and I, we have materials left over from building our own houses to give Tyler a good start," Adam replied.
"It takes a lot more than leftover materials to build a house," Jack said.
"Hold it!" Tyler called out, to get everyone's attention. "Rose and I plan to live at my place until we have kids, so building a house is a ways off."
"Kids can come even when you take precaution," Jack said, "and following rodeos with your act to all parts of the country is not compatible with family life. For that reason your brothers all quit the rodeo circuit when they decided to settle down."
"I've thought about that too," Tyler said, "which is why I've decided to limit how many rodeos I do and concentrate on opening a school for natural horsemanship. I'd be working with horse owners who are having problems with their horses, but I also want to work with dyslectic kids and teach them how to use pictures to learn how to decode books, and at the same time they can learn how to communicate with horses. I know I can do this."
"You'd need some kind of college degree before working with kids," Jack said.
"Actually, all I'll need are the books I plan to write and illustrate," Tyler replied. "They'll be a series of easy readers about a kid and his horse and how they communicate, and while the kids are learning how to read, using my method of phonics, they'd also be working with horses and learning body language, so learning will be fun and not stressful." Tyler handed Jack the tablet he'd prepared, and said, "These pictures will give you an idea of how I intend to do it."
Jack took the tablet, and as he flipped the pages, Grace leaned against him and looked over his shoulder. When Jack got to the last drawing, Grace took the tablet from him, studied the drawings closely, and said to Tyler, "Honey, this is a wonderful idea. You've combined some of the methods we tried over the years, but in addition to having the knowledge about how to teach phonics in a way dyslectics can understand, you also have the artistic ability to carry it out your way, and any one of us can help you with the grammar and punctuation."
Tyler curved his arm around Rose and pulled her snuggly to him, and said, "Rose is willing to unscramble things as I go along and help me with that, since she knows how I think, which is another reason why I need her for my wife, because half the time I don't even know how I think."
Rose smiled at him, and said, "Honey, you understand perfectly how you think. It's the rest of us who are out of sync, but you and I have a lifetime for me to learn."
Grace closed the tablet and folded her hands over it, like it was special, and said to Jack, "Sweetheart, we put money aside for each of the kids to go to college, and it's clear that Tyler's given a lot of thought to his future, so if we put his college money toward his horse arena and whatever kind of small facility he needs to help the dyslectic kids—maybe something like a tiny one-room schoolhouse with a school bell on top—I know he could do this."
Maureen, who was sitting with Howard, said to Jack, "I'm with Grace. We've all watched Tyler over the years and seen his determination whenever he wanted to conquer something, whether it was reading, writing, training horses to work together while standing on their backs, or planning a life with a woman who seems to understand him better than any of us, so I wholeheartedly give these two fine young people my blessing."
"So do I," Howard said, "and I'm not too old to help nail on sideboards for the arena or siding on the little schoolhouse when the time comes."
Maddy, who'd been sitting on the back of the couch that Jack and Grace were seated on, said to Rose, "You do realize you're marrying a centaur, not a man, don't you?"
Rose smiled up at Tyler, and said, "Maybe I'll become the first centauress."
Tyler eyed her with amusement. "Sorry, angel, Shakespeare beat you to it in King Lear, Act 4, Scene 6, when Lear said, 'Down from the waist they're centaurs, though women all above.'" He looked at Maddy, and added, "Shall I go on?"
Maddy rolled her eyes, and replied, "Please, brother, spareth me thy soliloquy."
This time Tyler was grateful for Maddy's off-the-wall humor because he could see his father lightening up some from the serious, inflexible man he'd been a few minutes before. Catching his eye, he said, "So then Dad, do you still have reservations, or can you drum up a little confidence in me and give us your blessing?"
Jack sh
ifted his gaze to Rose, and said, "Is your family on board with this?"
Rose glanced at Tyler, then said to Jack, "Yes, as of about two hours ago."
Jack scanned the faces of the others, then looked at Tyler, who prepared himself for a long-winded spiel about the importance of waiting and saving and getting the horse business started before getting married, when his dad stood, walked over to him, placed his hand on his shoulder, and said, "Son, I've always had confidence that you'd succeed in any of your ventures, so you and Rose have my blessing too."
Tyler stood, and looking his father in the eye, he said, "Then you're okay with us getting married this summer?"
Grace cut in before Jack could respond, and said to Tyler, "Honey, it takes time to plan a wedding. Maybe fall would be better."
Tyler offered his hand for Rose to take, and when she was standing beside him, he put his arm around her and said, "Honey, you're to be the bride. I'm just the guy who can't live without you, so what do you want to do?"
Rose looked at him with about as much love as any man could ever dream, and said, "It doesn't take any time to exchange vows on your mountain, while surrounded by your mares, and with both of our families there as witnesses. That's all I want."
"That's fine with me, angel, but is there some kind of elder we need to marry us?"
"Yes, my uncle, Judge John Starbright."
"Then he's like a medicine man or something?" Tyler asked, uncertain if Indians had special wedding ceremonies.
Rose laughed. "No, sweetheart, he's a county judge."
Grace clasped her hands together. "Then it's settled. The girls and I will put together a reception spread, and the boys will bring it up on the chuck wagon, and Josh can play some harmonica music for square dancing afterwards." Then her face became sober, and troubled, and she looked off, and said in a wistful voice, "I just wish Jeremy and Billy and little Amy could be here. It's been so long, and we have no idea where they are."
Tyler came about as close as he'd ever come to breaking a promise, when Maddy patted Grace on the shoulder, and said, "It'll be okay, Mom. We'll have someone video the wedding, and during the reception we'll all say something to Jeremy and Billy, and the kids can say something to Amy, and we'll post it on You Tube and they'll feel like they were there."
"I suppose," Grace said. She looked at Rose then, and said, Honey, I'm sorry, but is there a special kind of reception you'd like to have? I just assumed we could put something together and take it up on the chuck wagon, but maybe your family would want to do things differently."
"Actually, my dad has three sisters who cook up a storm whenever there's a powwow, so they'll be making stuffed frybreads, and Indian tacos, and corn soup, and my mom's sister works for a bakery, decorating cakes, so she'll want to do the wedding cake, so there will be plenty of food for the chuck wagon, but whatever you want to add will be greatly appreciated."
"So it's decided," Grace said, "but first..." She went over to where Rose was sitting and opened her arms for a hug, which Rose responded to by standing and hugging her back.
The women were chattering excitedly when the door swept open and Marc entered. He looked around the room, and seeing all the smiling faces, he said, "Sorry I'm late but I didn't get the message to come over until I got back to my house. What's going on? Did I miss something?"
"Yeah," Jack said. "Your little brother just announced he's getting married."
Marc looked at Tyler in surprise. "Are you serious? I mean, I know you're serious about Rose, but isn't this kind of fast?"
"Not nearly fast enough," Tyler replied. He closed his arm around Rose, gave her a little kiss on the cheek, and said, "A man can be a free spirit only so long before he finds himself thinking it would be a lot more fun to snuggle up to a warm female body at night than a pillow."
He was tempted to announce that he'd heard those precise words from Jeremy when he was in Wyoming, when Marc gave him a knotted fist to the shoulder, and said, "You can thank Kit for linking you up with Rose. She's the matchmaker. The day she interviewed Rose for the job she pegged her as the only woman who could turn your head away from your mares, and I told her she was dreaming, that nothing could turn your head away, and as usual, Kit's right. But I also have an announcement to make."
"Let me guess," Tyler said. "Kit's pregnant again."
"Could be," Marc replied, "but that's not the big news. I just returned from Whispering Springs and the voices are back."
Tyler looked at him with a start. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," Marc replied. "I sat through the whole cycle."
Tyler turned to Rose, and taking her by the shoulders, he said to her in absolute sincerity, "Honey, I'll promise you this much, those spirits will never be disturbed again."
Rose looked up at him, and when she smiled, and Tyler saw the glassy sheen of happy tears in her eyes, he made a pact with himself that he'd personally be keeper of the cave, and those voices would never again die.
***
Rose rested against Tyler, who was sitting with his back against the fir stump while gazing up at the night sky, and said, "I can’t believe both our parents agreed to us marrying."
"Neither can I," Tyler said. "I guess when it's right, it's right, but now we can start making plans, like deciding what kind of house you want."
"We'll be fine in your place," Rose said.
"I mean eventually, when I have the horse school running, lots of rodeo contracts coming in, and money to spare. What kind of house do you want then? What's your dream home?"
Rose snuggled closer to him, and said, "It makes absolutely no difference to me. If I have you, that's all I want."
"Angel, you'll have me for better or for worse, no matter what, and that's forever," Tyler said, "but we'll still need a house bigger than what we have, one large enough for the kids to have their clutter off somewhere, and you to have your space for weaving baskets, and me to have a corner where I can keep my stuff organized the way I need to, though it doesn't seem as important as it once was."
"Then you have to give me some ideas because my daydreaming hasn't gone beyond living with you in your cozy place, and snuggling up each night in our single bed, and being able to brush against you whenever we cross the room, and stand next to you when we wash dishes, and have a shower small enough so there's no room between us when we soap and rinse so we have no choice but to slip and slide all over each other."
"Oh boy," Tyler said. "You have any idea what kind of images are cluttering my head right now?"
"Yes, sweetheart, I know exactly," Rose replied. "In fact, I'm beginning to think I'm a little dyslectic too because the images in my head are coming a lot faster than four images a minute, and they're pretty graphic, so as soon as you're finished daydreaming about our house, maybe we can go shower again and act out our images."
"Okay then, we can get this done fast," Tyler said. "How about a giant yurt?" He kissed the side of her neck.
"You mean one of those hexagonal things made of canvas?" Rose asked, while lifting her chin so Tyler could kiss her throat.
"Umm hmm," Tyler hummed, while moving to kiss beneath her ear. "Heavy, insulated canvas. They're open and spacious, and we can build it in the middle of the pasture, and with windows all around we'll be able to see my mares from every direction, and they can look in the windows and see what we're doing." He moved back to the hollow of her throat.
"Which will probably be enacting out our fantasies a good part of the time," Rose said, as Tyler placed a kiss behind her ear. "Won't that be a little embarrassing?"
"Could be," Tyler said, "but if my mares all start smiling every time we're going at it, I'll close the blinds. And speaking of going at it, our first child's going to be a girl."
Rose looked at the top of Tyler's head as he sent a trail of kisses across her chest. "What makes you think that?" she asked, in a breathy voice.
"A Steller's jay told me." Tyler unbuttoned her top button and placed a kiss on the swell of her b
reast, distracting her momentarily.
"How did it do that?" Rose asked, finding her thoughts becoming disconnected while trying to decide if Tyler was kidding about the Steller's jay.
"It was simple." Tyler kissed her on the lips. "I was telling my ladies that we were getting married and might be having a foal in a year or so, and at that moment a Steller's jay landed on the fence post, so I figured it came with a message about the baby, so I told it to flap its wings if we were going to have a girl, and fly to the fir tree if it was a boy, and it flapped its wings."
"Flapped them, as in waving them up and down?" Rose asked, still skeptical about the whole thing, but from the look on Tyler's face, he was dead serious.
"She didn't exactly flap them," Tyler said, "but she lifted them a little and I knew what she was telling me. I want to name her Mary Claire." He planted a kiss on the side of Rose's jaw.
"The jay?" Rose asked, still puzzling over the fact that Tyler truly believed in his heart, that spiritual beings existed. That was a miracle in itself.
"No, our daughter," Tyler said. He took her earlobe between his lips.
Rose let out a little gasp, sucked in a deep breath, and said, "Why Mary Claire?"
Tyler released her ear lobe, and replied, "Mary's your grandmother's name, and Claire was my great-grandmother's name on my grandmother's side, so our little Mary Claire might be a genetic throwback too."
Rose turned around in Tyler's arms so she was facing him, and said, "Honey, if all of our kids turnout to be dyslectic, genetic throwbacks, I'll feel like the luckiest woman in the world because I'll have you to help me raise them, and that will make all the difference."
Tyler kissed her squarely on the mouth. "You've got that backwards," he said. "The difference will be you raising them with me because, as Othello said when he was trying to express his love for Desdemona, 'Perdition catch my soul, but I do love thee! And when I love thee not, chaos is come again.' And it's true. Without you in my life, chaos will return."
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