Colorado Territory
Spring
1874

Eighteen months had passed since the wedding.

The town of Little Springs seemed delighted that spring was in the air. Shopkeepers had propped open their doors and wagons crowded the street as families came to town. 

There seemed to be children everywhere.

Nate stood outside the school building with Eliza and couldn’t help smiling at the high spirits around him.  

Beside him, Eliza looked as excited as any of them.

Nate watched her without speaking. She wore a pale blue dress beneath her coat and her long hair was tied up. She was smiling as Rose and Lily showed several younger children the new slate boards inside the schoolroom.

His wife.

Even after a year and a half, the thought could still fill him with wonder.

After the violence and uncertainty that had preceded their wedding, the months that followed had been among the happiest of Nate’s life. There had been difficulties, of course. It had been a harsh winter and he’d lost many cows in a blizzard.  

Yet he had spent the storm-bound days with his wife and family. They had gathered close to the fire while the snow piled against the windows. Eliza read aloud in the evenings, while the children played games or put on plays for them. The kittens became playful adults who were never far from the girls’ laps.  

Nate had enjoyed every moment.

Even the noisy ones.

Especially the noisy ones.

In time, Rose and Lily had begun sleeping peacefully again. The nightmares came less often, and they no longer crept into Eliza’s room every night. They knew they were safe now. They knew the ranch was their home and no one could take it from them.

Their recovery had given Nate and Eliza the privacy newlyweds deserved and Nate was silently and profoundly grateful.

Caldwell had been sent to prison for a long list of crimes. As the investigations continued, more victims had come forward and more wrongdoing had been uncovered. He would be an old man before he had any hope of freedom—if he lived long enough to see it.

The authorities had also examined the deed Eliza had discovered and declared it legal and binding.

The land was hers.

So was the gold mine upon it.

Eliza, who had grown up in a children’s home, was now a wealthy woman. But it had not changed her. The only difference was that she now had the means to help others as freely as she wished. She had helped fix up the ranch and then finished the schoolhouse project.

Caldwell had offered to repair it but the work was never done. 

Eliza had paid to have it completed.

The town was changing. More families arrived each season, drawn by the promise of honest work and land no longer controlled by Caldwell. New houses had appeared beyond the church. Businesses were thriving.  

And today, the new school was opening.

With Eliza as its teacher.

Nate had mentioned it to Eliza first. He knew it was her dream. She protested at first, but he told her the girls were growing up now and didn’t need as much minding. They could also use a good school. Abigail had married Samuel and moved out. But Nate decided to hire Luke Roberts’ sister, Shirley, to help out in the kitchen.

Luke had obtained leniency for helping authorities bring Caldwell to justice. The neighboring families had become close again. 

When the girls disappeared into the schoolhouse, Eliza turned to Nate. Her eyes shone.

“Can you believe it?” she asked. “I’m going to be a schoolteacher.”

Nate smiled. “A brilliant one.”

A bell rang inside the building, followed by a fresh burst of excited voices. Several parents called last-minute instructions to children who were no longer listening.

Eliza glanced toward the open door. “Too bad we’ll have to find another teacher now.”

Nate frowned. “Will we?”

“I expect I’ll have other things keeping me busy soon.”

She studied him for a moment, then lowered one hand to her stomach.

Nate felt a burst of joy.

“Do you… No! Are you sure?”

Eliza was laughing now and he could not stop himself from kissing her in front of everyone.

“I stopped by the doctor’s office just now. He confirmed it.”  

They had never spoken much about having a child. It was a hope he had guarded too closely to put into words. He already had Clara and with Rose and Lily, the house was full of children. He had suspected Eliza wanted her own child but the timing had never been right to discuss it with her. 

Eliza’s smile faltered. “You are pleased, aren’t you?” she asked.

There was a hint of anxiety in her voice.  

He caught her face between his hands.

“Oh, darling.” His voice broke, but he did not care who heard it. “I couldn’t be happier.”

The uncertainty vanished from her eyes.

When he drew back, her eyes were wet.

“Perhaps a little boy this time?” she whispered.

Nate smiled. “But another little girl like Clara or Rose or Lily would be wonderful too.”

Eliza winked at him. “Or she could be more like me.”

A little Eliza. What a marvelous thought.  

“But you wouldn’t have to stop teaching,” Nate said. “Perhaps Abigail could hold the fort while the baby is young?”

Eliza considered. “We may have enough children here for two classes. Perhaps there is room for two teachers.”

Nate smiled at her. 

The ranch house that had stood silent and cold for so many years would be full of life. There would be toys underfoot and muddy boots by the door. There would be quarrels, tears, and laughter. Perhaps more kittens, if Lily had her way. There would be crowded meals and sleepless nights and one more beloved face waiting for him whenever he returned from the pastures.

The school bell rang again.

“I should go inside,” Eliza said. 

At the doorway, she turned and looked back.

Nate stood beneath the gentle spring sun watching Eliza round up the children. 

She had brought so much joy to the town and the ranch.  

And to his heart.  

 

THE END