Winter's Refuge

Chapter One Hundred Ninety-Three

LOM

Heyes sends telegrams every day, sometimes twice a day, asking me to check out potential hands for them to hire. And then he started to ask me to check out contractors to make sure they were honest. I have a decision to make, and it would be easier if Wayne and I went to Phoenix. The US Marshal's office has made me an offer that I'm considering. I can do it anywhere and I think I want to do it at Phoenix.

HEYES

We expected the Kid, Chrissy, Ruth Ann, and Aiden home on Thursday, but a telegram from the Kid on Wednesday morning changed that. I read it to Angie and Auntie.

"Heyes,

Plans changed. Aiden and Oliver pa sick. Denise knows. We're going to Cheyenne to talk to Colin. Letter mailed today.

Kid"

Angie had me read it again. "Does it say how sick their father is? I understand why Dr. Arden is going to Cheyenne to be with his brother. But why are Jed and Chrissy going to talk to Colin?" she asked.

"We'll just have to wait for the letter," Auntie said patiently. "Won't this be an exciting adventure for Ruth Ann?"

JED 'KID' CURRY

Packed and ready to go, we took a buggy to the Denver School of the Deaf to pick up Aiden and Ruth Ann. Chrissy was anxious to get home. As we were leavin', Roberto Malone came out of his home and walked toward us.

"Jed, Chrissy darling scared," Chrissy said, grabbin' my arm.

"He ain't goin' to get near you," I said. I moved to block his view of my wife.

"Saw you were leaving," Roberto said, and forced a brown paper wrapped canvas into my hands. "You are a very lucky man." And he turned and left suddenly. We didn't open the package, just packed it into the buggy with the luggage.

When we got to the school, Aiden and Ruth Ann were waitin' for us for the ride to the train depot. But Aiden looked distressed.

"Mama! Papa!" Ruth Ann said, then she signed, "Home."

"Jed, Miss Chrissy, I need to speak to you for a moment," Aiden said. I lifted Ruth Ann into the back seat of the buggy where we could see her then walked to where he stood a few feet away. Chrissy had her hand on his arm and was near tears.

"As I just told Miss Chrissy, my father had a serious stroke yesterday and Oliver and I are needed at home," Aiden said. "I'm going to change my train ticket and meet Oliver in Cheyenne, and we'll go home together. Nancy and their daughter will accompany us. That leaves the problem of the Rocke children. One of Oliver's telegrams said they offered to take Stephanie and Steven with them, but the children refused as Oliver and Nancy are planning on living there until our father is well."

"Jed, we…" Chrissy started.

"I was thinking the same thing, Miss Chrissy, but that will require much paperwork and permissions from the right people. I don't want to impose, but do you think you could accompany me and work with your friend, Colin Apperson, to become the legal guardians of Stephanie and Steven instead of Oliver and Nancy? I don't know what has to be done, but he will."

Chrissy was noddin' at me, so I quickly said, "Yes, of course. Have you checked when the train for Cheyenne is leavin'?"

HEYES

Arriving two days later, the Kid's letter was short but now that I knew what was happening. I had to prepare. First thing I did was to go down to the blacksmith shop and talked to Rocky.

"Mr. Heyes, hi, what brings you down here?" Rocky asked. "Something need fixing?"

Rocky's gotten very good at making repairs, especially for things that are brought into the shop often, like stew pots and hoes.

"No, I need to talk to you. Come on in the back room," I said.

I saw the look on his face. "Did I do something wrong, sir?" he immediately asked.

"No. I got a letter from the Kid. You know Dr. Oliver and Dr. Arden's pa is real sick from that telegram, right?" I started.

Rocky shook his head no.

"I'm going to read it to everyone at dinner, but I wanted to talk to you first. Well, in Kid's letter he said that both men and Nancy are going back east to see their pa."

"Yes, sir." And then the thought struck him. "What about Stephanie and Steven?"

"Seems like Dr. Oliver and Miss Nancy are going to stay there. They asked your brother and sister to come with them…"

"That's far away, aint it?" he interrupted me.

"Yes, it's far from here. But they told him they don't want to go that far from you." I finished my sentence and saw him give a sigh of relief.

Before he could ask another question, I kept talking. "The Kid and Miss Chrissy have gone to Cheyenne to try and become the legal guardians for Stephanie and Steven," I said quickly so he wouldn't interrupt me again.

"And live here at Phoenix? I don't make enough money to pay for their keep," he said. I could see the worry in his eyes.

"No worry about money, Rocky. They are wards of the state of Wyoming. The state pays for their keep, but Dr. Oliver refused to take any money to raise them. I doubt the Kid and Chrissy would either."

"Be nice to have them here," Rocky said softly. "Wish I didn't have to sleep in a locked room with no windows. I miss sharing a bed with Steven."

He didn't say it, but I saw his embarrassment at the arrangement. When they were here in the summers, they never went into Rocky's room in the house. It just looked like a regular door to a bedroom. But that room was destroyed, and he was still living at Ken's house.

"Don't know what can be done, but I'll mention it to the Kid in my letter. No promises now," I said.

"Thanks. No promises, I understand. It will be nice to have them here."

JED 'KID' CURRY

Ruth Ann was tired and cranky waitin' in the buggy. Aiden told us she hadn't slept last night thinkin' about goin' home. She leaned against Chrissy in the back of the buggy. I drove while Aiden talked quietly about his stern father who forced his three sons to become doctors. The oldest brother had died of the flu just a year ago, leavin' all their father's ambitions to fall on Oliver and Aiden.

"NO!" we heard Ruth Ann yell from the backseat. Chrissy had told her we weren't goin' home today but visitin' friends. I turned around quickly and saw her sign, "Want home now."

Handin' the reins to Aiden, I signed, "No home now," and gave her a stern look as Aiden had taught me.

She looked at her ma who had the same stern look. And smiled. "Train?" she signed.

"Yes, train," Chrissy signed back and pointed ahead to the train station.

And our daughter said a word new to us, "Good." Me and Chrissy understood it, but few others would.

"Very good," I signed to Ruth Ann with a big smile.

ASJ*ASJ

As excited as Ruth Ann was, she fell asleep on Chrissy's lap soon after the train pulled out of the station. Aiden told me about his pa. He was nothin' like mine. He was strict with his boys, demandin', stoic, and never showin' affection. There was no choice of profession for the boys. They would carry on their father's work and all be doctors. I listened, but it saddened me that I heard no trace of affection in Aiden's words, only duty.

That's not the Aiden I have come to know.

HEYES

We got a telegram from the Kid that he and Chrissy and Ruth Ann had been invited to stay with ex-governor Sanderson and Miss Tina just outside of Cheyenne and could be reached there in case of emergency. Well, we faced a crisis, but I knew I could handle it here…and it needed to be handled quickly.

JED 'KID' CURRY

Miss Tina was delighted we were stayin' with them, and she adored Ruth Ann. She sat with Chrissy and our daughter and insisted on learnin' some of the sign language. I met with her husband, the ex-Wyomin' governor, Charles Sanderson, and her nephew, Colin Apperson. Colin had arranged for Dr. Oliver and Miss Nancy to be the legal guardians of Stephanie and Steven Rocke when Rocky went to Phoenix to serve his parole. But now Dr. Oliver and his family were goin' east and Stephanie and Steven wanted to stay near Rocky.

Me and Miss Chrissy volunteered to take the children, but there were problems. There were always problems. The children were wards of the state of Wyoming. We live in Nebraska. And even though me and Chrissy have amnesty, we are ex-convicts.

Colin stood and walked to look out the window. "The board that places wards of the state is very diligent in their research of potential families," he told us.

"And we're not good enough for them," I said defiantly.

"Well, they are not convinced that Phoenix with you is the right place for them. They are coming to interview you and your wife tomorrow." Colin smiled. "My recommendation is that they couldn't find a better place for Stephanie and Steven."

"And I will add my endorsement to Colin's recommendation," Charles added. "Nothing else for us to do about this today; let's join the ladies for supper. I'm anxious to meet this daughter of yours that has Tina so enchanted."

ASJ*ASJ

Our things had been stacked in the corner of the Sanderson's huge livin' room. Chrissy had gone through them and pulled out clean clothes for us and our daughter and a few other necessities. And now that's where we found our daughter and Miss Tina, searchin' through the small pile of boxes and travel bags.

Just as me and Chrissy entered the room, with Charles and Colin, we heard Miss Tina exclaim, "Oh my! This is beautiful!" Ruth Ann had found the painting of the triplets by Roberto and ripped the brown paper off of it. And Miss Tina was holdin' it on her lap cryin'.

"Oh Chrissy, Jed, I didn't mean to pry but Ruth Ann is lookin' for somethin' , I can't understand what, and she found this. It's more than beautiful, it's almost spiritual," Miss Tina said.

It was a private picture and me and Chrissy didn't mean for many people to see it but there was nothing we could do now. Charles was quiet as he examined it until he saw the signature. "And that's a Roberto Malone. He's one of the most acclaimed painters there is. One of his paintings, a landscape, hangs in the new governor's office."

"Such feeling in the babies faces," Miss Tina said through tears and Chrissy was cryin' too.

"Our babies together," she managed through her tears.

Ruth Ann stopped her search and looked at the picture. She signed the signs she uses for Diane Frances and Josiah and then baby. And went back to what she was doing.

"Jed, please put this picture up high where it won't get damaged and I'll have it rewrapped in brown paper before you leave." Miss Tina told me.

And Chrissy signed with Ruth Ann to see what she was lookin' for, pullin' all our things out on the floor. "I don't know what she wants," Chrissy said but she says she needs it.

Ruth Ann found the other picture wrapped in brown paper. The one that Roberto had given to us as we left. We hadn't bothered to unwrap it. Weren't sure we wanted to see it. Before I could stop her, our daughter pulled the wrappin' off.

"Papa," she said, touchin' the paintin'. I had no idea what he had painted. I didn't want anythin' from him except an apology and for him to stay away from us. "Mama," Ruth added.

I looked. The main picture was of me practicin' shootin' in the backyard of the house in Denver. I'm lookin' back over my shoulder and smilin' at Chrissy sittin' on the back porch of the house with an easel in front of her. It's a side view of her. You can't see what she's paintin' but you can tell she's with child. And she's smilin' back at me that smile that melts my heart.

"Another Roberto Malone?" asked Miss Tina. "Oh, he's so good at emotion. You can tell how much the two of you love each other from the detail in the expressions on your face. You must know him?" she asked.

"He was our next door neighbor in Denver," I told them.

Colin studied the picture, "Jed, somehow he managed to make you look like a wild outlaw and a man in love. Did you sit for him?"

"Sit for him?" I asked just wantin' this conversation to end.

"No he paints from memory," Chrissy finished. She took a long look at the picture before stacking it with the other to be wrapped again in brown paper.

"Doll" Ruth Ann said aloud as she happily pulled the doll Chrissy had bought her on the trip to Denver from the bottom of her box and showed her to Miss Tina.

HEYES

I should have done this two months ago, but it was far down on my list of the things to do. When Ruth Ann and Nettie ran away and they heard the wolf, I realized how close it was and made out a sign to post on the community board in Three Birds for someone to kill a wolf. But I kept forgetting it at home when I went into town. There were too many things to do, especially when the Kid was splitting his time between here and Denver. I shouldn't have waited and hired someone to kill that wolf weeks ago and now the wolf has killed our dog, Joe. Not Joe always stays close to home but Joe liked to run in the woods on the other side of the stream. Those woods that the wolf roams.

The whole family is in mourning and looking at me with accusing eyes, although they all say they understand. And it is my fault I didn't do it earlier. Two drifters came today offering to get the wolf and any cougars for fifty dollars an animal. I don't know them. They wear their guns tied down but say they just want work. I was about to turn them away until I remembered that me and the Kid were drifters and took jobs like this when we couldn't find anything else. So, I hired them. And told them that first and foremost I want that wolf killed.

It was easy hiring them. When I thought about it, I wasn't intimidated at all talking to them and hiring them, not like I had been with Russell. I realized I attach power and authority to Russell. These two had no power or authority. I'm not intimidated my men who tie down their guns. I do the same when I wear mine. I didn't ask them many questions about themselves. I just want them to get that wolf.

Juan, who had been listening nearby, added, "Think I'll go make sure they find those bunks in the barn."

And I silently thanked all the trusting people who had hired me and the Kid to do odd jobs when they knew nothing about us.

JED 'KID' CURRY

Colin had made the board members' interview sound like a few questions about things they already knew, but they came at us like a pack of wolves.

"You have seven children and an eighth on the way, Mrs. Curry. Do you plan to use Stephanie as a live-in au pair?" the man with the long nose and skinny face asked.

I could see my wife wanted to hide within herself from these demandin' people. But she knew this would determine the fate of the Rocke kids, so she didn't. Miss Tina sat next to her and held her hand under the table.

"A pair of what?" Chrissy asked, confused. She looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"A nanny, dear. Do you only want Stephanie to come live with you to watch your children?" Miss Tina explained.

Chrissy 'thought' for a moment, and I was afraid she was goin' to hide in her mind. "No, I take care of my kids, and we have family around. Stephanie needs to go to school. She told me she wants to be a teacher of mathematics."

Snortin' the man asked, "And where would the children go to school?" he demanded. I reminded myself that it was his job to place the kids in the best possible place and held my temper. But I was glad that the Sandersons and Colin were in the room with us.

Colin answered this question. "They would be enrolled at the school in Three Birds. It has an excellent reputation and has recently hired a second teacher to instruct the younger children so Mrs. Kolmand can concentrate on the teenagers. She has multiple teaching degrees and is an excellent teacher. One of her degrees is in teaching mathematics so it is perfect for Stephanie." Colin's voice was so calm, so certain.

Snortin' again, the man wrote somethin' on his notepad. The short woman in the severe navy blouse and skirt took over the questionin'. "Very, well. Mr. Curry, do you expect Steven to be a ranch hand or work in your blacksmith shop?"

After the nanny question to Chrissy, I expected this one. To me, the way it was worded, sounded like a trap. "No, not a ranch hand and not in the smithy. His main job is the same as the rest of our older kids, go to school and learn. All of the kids do have some chores," I answered, knowin' that would lead to the question of what chores do the kids handle.

But then Ruth Ann, tired of drawin', wandered into the room. "Papa," she said with her arms up. Immediately, she had the attention of both the man and the woman.

"This is one of your children?" the woman asked.

Ruth Ann didn't know what she said but had started signin' at her from my arms.

"What's wrong with her?" the woman asked with a horrified look on her face, backin' away..

Chrissy's mama bear defenses took over. "There is nothing WRONG with Ruth Ann. She is deaf and just said, "Hello, what's your name? Pretty dress," in sign language.

"Oh," said the woman, still not comfortable with a deaf child.

Chrissy asked our daughter in sign language what her chore was. "Eggs," Ruth Ann said aloud.

"Was that a word?" the man asked, interested.

I smiled. "Yes, My wife asked her what her chore was at home, and she answered, "Eggs." She helps gather the eggs from the chickens in the morning. She has a small verbal vocabulary, but it is growin'.

"Are all you children deaf?" the woman demanded.

"No, just Ruth Ann, but they all know sign language," Chrissy answered, defiantly.

Ruth Ann signed to me very fast. I understood and was thinkin' what to tell her when Chrissy spoke. "She wants to know who the new people are." She left out that Ruth Ann had signed, "mean people."

The man approached Ruth Ann in my arms. "Would you tell me how to say hello to her?" he asked.

I did and he repeated the simple sign. Ruth Ann smiled widely and signed it back to him and signed 'down' to me. Running to climb on Miss Tina's lap, she looked back at the man shyly. Then she touched Chrissy's belly and signed, "Baby."

The man walked over to her and knelt on one knee next to Miss Tina. "Did she just sign 'baby'?

"Yes," Chrissy said, as she tucked Ruth Ann's hair behind her ear.

"How do I ask her how old she is?" the man asked.

"Just ask her parents. They're right here and she's deaf," the woman complained.

"No, I want to ask her." He watched carefully as Chrissy signed, "How old are you?" to him and then signed it to Ruth Ann."

Smilin', she answered, "Four soon five."

"I saw two numbers. Is she four or five?" the man asked.

"She signed 'four, soon five'," Chrissy answered. Her birthday is next week. But Ruth Ann had kept signin'. "And she said at five she will go to school with the big kids."

He stood up abruptly. "We have a few deaf children in our system. Before meeting your daughter, I assumed that they were unadoptable and should stay in an institution. Where did this cutie learn to sign?"

"Our doctor, Aiden Arden, gave us a book on sign language and some articles published in his medical journals. Her aunt, Angie Heyes, works with her, and all of us, every day. And Ruth Ann spent the last month at the Denver School for the Deaf learnin' more," I answered.

The woman hissed, "Heyes" under her breath but we all heard it.

The man wrote the name of the school on his notepad. "Does she attend there all the time?"

"No, only for one month. She belongs at home with us," answered Chrissy, firmly.

"I agree. I can tell she is well loved. My recommendation is that Jedediah and Christina Curry become the legal guardians of Stephanie and Steven Rocke. I assume you agree, Miss Dunkirk?" Before he said that, I didn't know which of these people was in charge. But his tone made it clear that he was.

"Yes, sir," Miss Dunkirk said meekly.

The man stopped and thought for a moment. "Did you say you live near Three Birds, Nebraska?"

"Yes we do," I answered.

"Do you know Felix Birde?"

"Yes, the Birdes are friends of ours," Chrissy answered. And Felix is our state representative.

"Well then I think we can expedite this placing. Mr. Birde is the head of the Board and has the final recommendation," the man said with a wide smile. He reached over and shook Ruth Ann's hand before shakin' mine. She was delighted and clapped, grinnin' widely.

"And I'm going to recommend that the deaf children in our care are identified and see if we can start lessons in this sign language for them. Goodbye, Mr. Curry, Ma'am, Governor, Mr. Apperson," he said.

"Home now?" Ruth Ann signed.

"Soon," I signed back. "Not today. Not tomorrow."