Planning for the Future

(Ethan's POV)

Its September now, two months after my granddad passed away. For the past two months, I've been busy, busy trying to get my own spread ready for the cattle that I plan to purchase with the money that granddad left me to buy the cattle with. In the last two months I have built corrals, strung wire and put up fence. I know some people complain about the barbed wire that is being strung, mostly the bigger outfits but I am happy to have it. Emily complains about it too, because most every Sunday my hands are covered with cuts and scratches. She doesn't like them but to me they are the signs of progress and I wear them like battle scars. We are still together, it's been six months and I can honestly say that we are both pretty happy. Sometimes she comes out during the week to my ranch and does things at the house for me, which makes me happy. She has been out painting and making the house look a little nicer and of course arranging and rearranging the furniture that my granddad left me.

Now my biggest concern is going to Dodge City and buying my cattle. Sure I could buy cattle locally but I'm looking for something special and I know by not buying locally I will decrease my chances of my cattle straying back to their home ranges. I know Emily doesn't want me to go, she said every time I leave home for more than a day or two that something bad happens, usually to me. I laughed at that and brushed off her concern. I think I've had all the bad luck that a fellow can handle in a lifetime. I have to have these cattle, without them I won't be able to get my start and ask Emily to marry me and get my own life started.

Next month I'll be eighteen years old, an old man in my day and time. I mean Oliver is younger than I am and already he is married with a little one that's six months old. I shake my head and continue to string the wire that will ensure that my cattle stay put once I get them here.

When I finish at almost sundown I climb up on my wagon and head home. I am surprised to see the sorrel mare parked in my corral. That's Emily's horse and she's never stayed this late before. Worried I hurriedly jump down from the wagon and run to the house, where I find her, cooking.

When I come in the house, she jumps, almost dropping the spoon she is holding. She turns around and says, "Oh, Ethan! You scared me."

"Well you scared me too. Being out here this time of night." I say to her, shutting the front door behind myself.

"I wanted to cook you a good supper and tell you that the rest of your family is dealing with another crisis."

I groan, "What happened now?" I ask.

"Caleb. He was trying to help Elliot up on the roof of the barn over there and he tumbled off. Anyway, he broke his arm and the doc is over there now, setting the bone." Emily said, continuing to set the table for two.

"Poor kid." I say to her. "Well I guess I'll leave the wagon hitched up then so I can drive you to town when we're finished.

"No." she says to me, a look of determination on her face. "I'm staying here tonight."

"What!" I say in disbelief. This wasn't right. "Em, no, you can't stay here darlin', it's not right."

I can tell that Emily is disappointed by my outburst but she also looks determined. "Ethan Elliot Stabler, I will not allow you to drive me back to town tonight in the dark and I refuse to ride back there in the dark."

I don't feel like arguing with her now and deciding that she isn't going to give me any choice I say to her, "Ok, well then I guess I need to go and unhitch the horses. I'll be back in shortly." I walk back outside and I can only imagine all the things that people would say about Emily staying at my house. I can also see images of her father, John, coming after me with a shotgun and tacking my hide to a wall. I unhitch the horses and give them both a bait of oats and then go back into the house. I throw my hat down on the bench and go over to the wash basin. I wash my hands and face and then go to the table and sit down. Emily brings me my meal, meat loaf and boiled potatoes. I look up at her and smile after being so cranky and say, "Thank you darlin'. I do appreciate you comin' out and cookin' for me."

She touches my cheek and smiles. "Your welcome. I enjoy doing it. I would do it every night if you would just ask."

I would ask, if I had the cattle. The cattle have to be here before I will even entertain the idea of taking that ring out of my drawer and asking to put it on her finger. I've had that ring for a while now, since I went with Emily, Oliver, and Louise to Dodge City. I dig into my meal and keep my mouth shut though. I have to do things proper and I'm afraid if I open my mouth now, I just might ask.

After I eat, I lean back in my chair and tell her, "Em, that was sure a good meal. The best I've ever eaten." That makes her light up like a candle.

"Really? Oh, Ethan, I'm glad that you liked it." She tells me as she begins to clear our dishes.

While she is doing that I go and take a couple of blankets and make myself a bed roll in the sitting room so that Emily can have my bed. After my task is finished I go back to the kitchen, where Emily is finishing up. "You can have my bed for the night. I'll sleep in the sitting room tonight on the floor."

"Alright." Emily says laying the dish cloth over the wash basin. "Can we sit out on the porch in the cool for a while though first?"

I realize then that Emily has been missing me. Since granddad passed on I have been working hard and only seeing her on Sunday's mostly. I regret that now but she hasn't complained any so I oblige her. "Sure."

Emily gets her shawl and we go out to the porch swing that I built for just such occasions. I set down and stretch my feet out in front of myself and Emily settles next to me, her head on my shoulder. I wrap an arm around her and say, "I'm sorry I've been so busy but I'm doing it all for us."

"I know. That's what Mama and Papa have been saying too. I've just been missing you so much." Emily says to me, snuggling herself deeper into my side.

"I know darlin'." I say and press a kiss into her hair. I plan to go and ask her Pa if I can ask for her hand before I go to Dodge, so she can get busy doing what ever it is she needed to do before we could get married. I know after I have the cattle that I will be able to take care of Emily.

I know a shorty short chapter but I thought because I have people wonderin why Ethan hasn't proposed yet, well here's your answer folks. Now R&R! Please!