Her One Desire

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Feather

"Mr. Gregory will you or Mrs. Connors need anything else?" Cyrus asked.

"No, you"ve seen to everything, Cyrus", Nate replied.

"And I want to thank you for your help with settling everyone," Blythe told Cyrus. "I'm sorry we descended on you without warning."

"There's nothing to be sorry about ma'am. Mr. Jake told me I might expect people from time to time that I was to be prepared," Cyrus replied to her. "If you don't need me anymore I'll retire for the night."

"This railroad car is quite something," Blythe told Nate once Cyrus had left them in the sitting room alone together. The children were asleep in the bedroom she would share with them while Nate and Checkers would share the other one. Cyrus had a room at the hotel for the night.

"Jake's had this car for as long as I've known him", Nate replied. "In the morning I'll see about purchasing a wagon and team to transport us back to your brothers ranch then we can purchase any supplies we need before we leave here."

"How long do you think it will take us to reach the ranch?" Blythe asked.

"I hope not more than two days if the weather holds. Well need to skirt around Brookton so no one sees us return which means longer travel time."

"Yes I know." She wished Amy were older to where she could leave her and Matthew here with Checkers out of harms way but she knew Amy would pitch a fit once she realized her mother had left without her.

"What are you thinking," Nate asked her as he came and pulled her into his arms and Blythe embraced him. He smiled thinking how right she felt in his arms. "You seemed a million miles away just then."

" I wished I could leave Matthew and Amy here," she replied. "But Amy would be very unhappy about my leaving without her. It would be nice to know the children were not in danger anymore."

"I wished I could convince you to stay here or better yet travel on to Tucson and stay with my sister and her husband."

"Not your mother?"

Blythe felt Nate tense and wondered if he thought his mother would not approve of her and the children.

"There is something I should have told you before now," Nate said. "I didn't want to leave Tucson to come here because my mother was dying. She may already have passed on to join my father by now."

Blythes head jerked up from where it rested on his shoulder to look at him. "What! You shouldn't have come then."

"She made me," Nate replied. "She told me there was nothing more that I or anyone else could do for her. That I would regret not coming if something happened to one of the others that I would always feel I might have made a difference. So after having spoken with my sister and my brother-in-law I left like she wished me to."

"Oh Nate Im so sorry," Blythe told him as tears came to her eyes. "I would have loved to meet her and know her. She raised a wonderful son she...she has to be a wonderful woman and mother."

"She told me her one desire was to see me married even if she wasn't here to meet my bride. I'm glad I came because I would never have met you or Matthew and Amy otherwise. She sent me where I needed to go."

"Should...should you send a telegram before we leave tto learn..."

"To learn if shes passed away?"

"Yes."

"Not until this is over with Blythe because in my heart she's still here with us. She wouldn't want me distracted with grief over her passing."

"Yes, you're right," Blythe said resting her head once more on his shoulder. "Once were married where will we live? Will you still help others like you are helping my brother?"