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Authors: Cynthia Woolf
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swung up behind her. “Give me the reins.” He took them and kicked Bertha in the sides. She started trotting and Sarah nearly fell off because of the hard uneven gait. The only thing that kept her in her seat was John’s strong arms.
“Heeyah.” He kicked Bertha again and she broke into a canter. This smoother gait actually made the ride fun and Sarah found herself enjoying it.
John kicked the horse again and she started galloping. This was her fastest gait and Sarah was exhilarated. She was free and laughed out loud.
He ran the horse as far as the gate at the main road, then slowed her down and turned around. The girls jumped up and down on their return.
“Our turn,” MaryAnn called.
John dismounted first, then reached up and grasped Sarah around the waist and lifted her down. She slid down the front of his body and she gasped at the intimate contact.
“That was wonderful. I hope we do it again.”
“You can count on it,” he said before his lips claimed hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
“Oh, yuck,” said MaryAnn. “You two are mushy. I’m never getting married. There’s too much kissing.”
John and Sarah laughed. “Someday, you’ll meet the right someone and you’ll like all that kissing,” said Sarah.
Katy made a face and MaryAnn said, “Nope. Never. We’re never gonna do it.”
John got back up on Bertha. “MaryAnn you get to ride first because you haven’t done it before. Sarah, hand her up to me.”
She lifted her up and John bent down and gathered her in his arms, then settled her on his lap.
He walked the horse a short way then took her up to a gallop. Sarah heard her daughter’s laughter and smiled.
It was a very good day.
* * *
July 4, 1867
It was Independence Day and Golden City was having a party. There was food and games and a rodeo in the afternoon. Farmers and ranchers from miles around came into town for the celebration.
“Come on ladies. Let’s hurry it up,” John called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Hold yer horses,” said Bertha. She was tying her bonnet as she walked to the stairs. “They’s gettin’ all prettied up for ya.”
“We’re ready,” said Sarah from the head of the stairs.
She was a vision in pink. Her high-collared jacket buttoned up to her neck, hiding the bounty he knew was underneath. It nipped in at her small waist and flared over her skirt and the generous hips it covered. She’d done her hair up in a loose bun on top of her head and covered it all with a matching pink hat.
His daughters were visions of their own. Katy was in light blue with lace at the collar, the cuffs and the hem. She wore her best Sunday shoes and Sarah had braided her hair into long pigtails on the sides of her head. MaryAnn was in green. Her dress had ruffles at the bottom. Sarah had braided her hair in one long plait down her back.
He backed away and looked at all four of the females in his house. “You are all just beautiful. We’re taking the carriage today. Don’t plan on buying anything that has to come home. There’s just enough room for the five of us. And of course the three pies your mother made for the pot luck. Here. You each get to hold a pie. No nibbling!” A small smile escaped through his attempt to project a stern demeanor. He handed pies to Bertha, MaryAnn and Katy.
Katy nodded her head in agreement.
“Okay, Papa,” said MaryAnn.
Sarah beamed. It hadn’t taken MaryAnn very long to attach herself to John. She’d been needing a father all this time but Sarah hadn’t known just how much until MaryAnn decided to call John ‘Papa’ after they’d been there only a week. It hadn’t taken Sarah long to need John either. He was funny and kind, a gentle lover and very protective, not just of Katy, but of her and MaryAnn too.
John helped each of them into the carriage. MaryAnn first followed by Bertha and then Katy, all sat in the back. Then he helped Sarah in. Did his hands linger just
“Heeyah.” He kicked Bertha again and she broke into a canter. This smoother gait actually made the ride fun and Sarah found herself enjoying it.
John kicked the horse again and she started galloping. This was her fastest gait and Sarah was exhilarated. She was free and laughed out loud.
He ran the horse as far as the gate at the main road, then slowed her down and turned around. The girls jumped up and down on their return.
“Our turn,” MaryAnn called.
John dismounted first, then reached up and grasped Sarah around the waist and lifted her down. She slid down the front of his body and she gasped at the intimate contact.
“That was wonderful. I hope we do it again.”
“You can count on it,” he said before his lips claimed hers.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
“Oh, yuck,” said MaryAnn. “You two are mushy. I’m never getting married. There’s too much kissing.”
John and Sarah laughed. “Someday, you’ll meet the right someone and you’ll like all that kissing,” said Sarah.
Katy made a face and MaryAnn said, “Nope. Never. We’re never gonna do it.”
John got back up on Bertha. “MaryAnn you get to ride first because you haven’t done it before. Sarah, hand her up to me.”
She lifted her up and John bent down and gathered her in his arms, then settled her on his lap.
He walked the horse a short way then took her up to a gallop. Sarah heard her daughter’s laughter and smiled.
It was a very good day.
* * *
July 4, 1867
It was Independence Day and Golden City was having a party. There was food and games and a rodeo in the afternoon. Farmers and ranchers from miles around came into town for the celebration.
“Come on ladies. Let’s hurry it up,” John called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Hold yer horses,” said Bertha. She was tying her bonnet as she walked to the stairs. “They’s gettin’ all prettied up for ya.”
“We’re ready,” said Sarah from the head of the stairs.
She was a vision in pink. Her high-collared jacket buttoned up to her neck, hiding the bounty he knew was underneath. It nipped in at her small waist and flared over her skirt and the generous hips it covered. She’d done her hair up in a loose bun on top of her head and covered it all with a matching pink hat.
His daughters were visions of their own. Katy was in light blue with lace at the collar, the cuffs and the hem. She wore her best Sunday shoes and Sarah had braided her hair into long pigtails on the sides of her head. MaryAnn was in green. Her dress had ruffles at the bottom. Sarah had braided her hair in one long plait down her back.
He backed away and looked at all four of the females in his house. “You are all just beautiful. We’re taking the carriage today. Don’t plan on buying anything that has to come home. There’s just enough room for the five of us. And of course the three pies your mother made for the pot luck. Here. You each get to hold a pie. No nibbling!” A small smile escaped through his attempt to project a stern demeanor. He handed pies to Bertha, MaryAnn and Katy.
Katy nodded her head in agreement.
“Okay, Papa,” said MaryAnn.
Sarah beamed. It hadn’t taken MaryAnn very long to attach herself to John. She’d been needing a father all this time but Sarah hadn’t known just how much until MaryAnn decided to call John ‘Papa’ after they’d been there only a week. It hadn’t taken Sarah long to need John either. He was funny and kind, a gentle lover and very protective, not just of Katy, but of her and MaryAnn too.
John helped each of them into the carriage. MaryAnn first followed by Bertha and then Katy, all sat in the back. Then he helped Sarah in. Did his hands linger just
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