Chapter 38

It seems Attie took a couple of photos with her phone camera to share with Uncle Bill so he would know I was safe and sound and would be late to work. Very thoughtful of her.

The photos spread everywhere and by the end of the day old man Jones had called to offer us the use of the chapel on his ranch. Very nice of him.

If I had found Attie, I would have gleefully strangled her. Very original of me.

Savannah, Tim and I walked over to Mrs. Bohannon's house for breakfast. Somehow Mrs. Bohannon wasn't after my hide for keeping Savannah out all night. In fact she was downright civil and even offered me two links of homemade sausage. The twins sat between Savannah and Mrs. Bohannon while I had Tim on my shoulder trying to understand how to burp a baby. Savannah kept looking at me and giving me pointers how to tap Tim's back hard enough but not too hard to get a burp out of him.

Taking things for granted Mrs. Bohannon said, "When's the date? I'm not getting any younger you know?"

I looked at Savannah and laughed. "Who's in on this?" I asked.

In a casual and offhand way she replied, "I really don't know what you mean."

I smiled; I really did not care if there was a conspiracy going on so long as it included Savannah.

After breakfast came cleaning up and then Savannah took off for a shower leaving me and Mrs. Bohannon alone with three children. I was a basket case after five minutes as the kids ran all over the place laughing and playing tag. You could see the twins were close with Tim the obvious odd one out. My head kept turning this way and that trying to keep an eye on them. Mrs. Bohannon was very calm and collected while chaos continued all around her.

"How do you do it?" I finally asked.

"Do what?"

"Stay so calm."

"Oh, when you get to be my age, there's not much that worries you. The kids are fine and happy so what's there to be concerned about?"

I was so glad when Savannah came down and joined the mêlée. My estimation of her rose even higher than before as I started to see how busy life will be. I hovered about watching and listening but rarely offering to help. Finally Savannah patted the floor and asked me to sit down beside her.

"You were the only child and it shows. The only way you are going to learn is hands on." With that she plopped my namesake on my lap. He looked at me then at his mother and let out a long and loud cry. He tried to wiggle out and get back to his mother but Savannah said, "No way. You have to fend for your self. It's feeding time for Tim." With that she picked Tim up, put a blanket over her shoulder and started to feed him, first one side then the other.

Early afternoon was nap time. It was like magic as the children fell asleep. I was ready to join them. Savannah had other ideas and said, "Come on, let's go for a walk while we have time."

We closed the door and walked out into the cold weather. We got close together as we walked. "You okay?" Savannah asked. "It is a bit overwhelming at first, slowly you get used to it. Are you sure you want this?" She was offering me a gracious way out.

"Savannah, I'm not a quitter. I'm in to the end."

"They will push you to the very edge and then some. They may be kids, but they are a real handful."

"All I can promise is my best."

"Okay, then we need to talk about the future. What are you thinking the future is for us?"

"I had some plans but now they will be changing."

"What were you thinking of?" Savannah asked.

"Did you hear about Pedro?"

"No, what about him?" replied Savannah.

I was expecting Savannah to know all the latest goings on even though she was not here. I guess some things are not that important. I told her about my return from the colt starting clinic to find Pedro let go and my decision to swap places and how that had pushed me into making the decision to go back to school as the army owed me four years.

"I didn't know you had done that. That was so kind of you. It reminds me of something the old John Tyree did. Well I think he did. I've never proven it yet." She gave me a sideways glance as we walked. "Have you found out about your father's coin collection?"

"The one that I cashed in and the money just disappeared?"

"That's the one."

"Yeh, I found out about it and can't believe I was so rich and poof it was gone. I'm still trying to track that one down."

"I think I know the answer. You visited me and Tim. Let me rephrase that. You visited me and we went to see Tim in hospital. It was about two weeks later that we were told that someone rich had given Tim a lot of money so we could get him in to M D Anderson cancer center to take part in an experimental cancer treatment. It worked so well that Tim went in to remission. We thought we had made it. That gift made the difference."

"One night I was thinking, there are not that many rich people in Lenoir that we know or actually live there. The only person I knew that had any money was your father and he had died and you were gone. I started to wonder and started to ask questions. I tracked down the person who sold the Tyree coin collection and got stuck there. Your father's collection was worth a tidy sum that was remarkably similar to the amount deposited into our medical account at the bank. Like I said, I can't prove anything, but I have strong suspicions."

We walked while I thought about what Savannah had said. On one hand it sort of made sense, while on the other hand I couldn't believe I gave all that money away. Finally I said, "Okay, easy come, easy go. If I did it, it's all in the past and we start off without it."

"That's the point, it's not all gone…"

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Not all gone?"

"No."

"Oh!" was all I could think of saying. I rejoined Savannah as we walked. "I think I'd better tell you where I am. I have no job, no insurance. On the positive side I have a Harley, four years of free college and a load of cowboy clothes. I also have my winnings from a good bet I made and won. That is O.G. in a nutshell."

Savannah picked up and replied, "When Tim's parents died they left him their estate. When he died I inherited it. My parents live over the road and I'm their only child."

"Is there a college in Lenoir?"

"We have Caldwell Community College and Appalachian State University there."

"I'm okay with that. I'll check out the degree programs they offer and we can go forward from there."

"What about the people here?" Savannah asked.

"They have been better than family to me. I came here with nothing but hope and they opened their arms. I've had an absolute fantastic time here and will hate to leave it. I was planning to head to Texas in a matter of weeks, now I'm happy to go with you to Lenoir. The key thing is being with you."

"Why Texas?" So I explained my plans to work on a degree in Range Management.

"Once you mentioned a degree in special education, but I think you were just talking as that is what I have a degree in."

"I did? I mean you do?"

"Yes I do. That's another story I have to tell you, one day."

Sounding upbeat I said, "I think I'm going to like listening to all your stories. That way I don't have to say much and put my foot in it."

"Oh John." Savannah thought for a moment and asked, "What is it? Should I call you John or O.G.? I mean, we have a John in the family and two John's might get confusing. I don't mind O.G. except when I'm saying Oh, O.G. and then it doesn't sound right."

"Why did you call him John?"

The sudden change in direction and the direct question had Savannah sort of wriggling in embarrassment. I let her stew as we walked. I had no plans to help her out. Actually it was kind of cute to watch!

"Okay. Okay. Okay. You want to know?"

"Yes, I'd like to know."

"I chose the name because of you. You were and are my first love. I can't fight it and it's no use denying it. The coin story is true, so I called him John. Happy?"

"Happy? Hell no… I'm ecstatic!" I had to ask, "Why did Tim go along with the name. Surely he knew."

"Oh, he knew. He knew about us. He was there at the beach back in 2000. He was disappointed by the choice at first then he knew what you meant to me and was gentlemen enough to go along with it. Tim was not an ogre like that. Knowing our second son would be called Tim made things easy between us."

Then it was Savannah's turn to change the topic. "Look, I've been married once. It was a big wedding. I am happy to do whatever you want. Think of it as your choice."

I stopped walking and said, "You know, I haven't proposed."

Savannah stopped, turned round and calmly said, "Then, you better hurry up as it is getting close to feeding time. Tim is as regular as clockwork."

It was out back between Mrs. Bohannon's barn and enclosure that I got down on one knee and formally asked Savannah to marry me. She strung me out hemming and hawing, looking about as if in deep thought. Finally she gave up, smiled and said yes.

We walked back to Mrs. Bohannon's house. Savannah was right. There on the porch was Mrs. Bohannon holding Tim. Mrs. Bohannon handed Tim to Savannah and they disappeared inside.

"Well Aunt Bess, I guess you will be seeing quite a bit more of me."

"About time you two saw reason. I'm not getting any younger. When's the date? How about this Saturday?"

"Isn't that a little quick?" The speed of light just increased by two points.

"Listen sonny, not at my age. It ain't."

"I'll have a word with Savannah," Then I thought, "Don't you need a license or something?"

"Don't worry about a license, I can have one here in ten minutes. I knew several Justice of the Peace and judges in the county." Her words conjured up the classic picture of Aunt Bess with her shotgun standing behind Savannah and me as we said 'I do' to one of her old cronies.

As the afternoon wore on I realized I had not been home to shave, shower, change clothes or take care of Blackie. I was embarrassed and told Aunt Bess I had to go and take care of things. She said she was wondering how long it would be before I'd realize I was looking like a scarecrow dragged backwards through a hedge and smelt like one also. I gave her the evil eye as I left to saddle up Blackie and ride home. Aunt Bess' final words were she'd let Savannah know where I was.

Strange how things turn. One moment I was off to Kingsville and college and now I'm off to get married, have three kids, move to Lenoir and study there.