“Uncle Lucky, I wanna see my papa”
“Well, up you go then, Peapod.” Lucky hoisted the dark-haired, little girl to his shoulder so she could see over the platform.
She giggled. “That’s not my name.”
“Nope, you’re right, but you was born in Peavine, so you’ll jest have to be my peapod. ‘Sides, you and your brother look jest like two peas in a pod.”
In answer, Lilly curled a chubby arm around his neck, squeezing, trusting him to keep her safe so high in the air.
Lucky felt they had done good in the last four years. He and Zeke might be too old to work the mines, but they sure knew how to take care of babies -- especially Jesse and Miss Ellie’s two younguns’.
Zeke put a hand on Josh’s shoulder as the boy stared at his papa who was just about to finish his speech. Their mama stood beside him all gussied up in ruffles and a huge hat with feathers in it. Sure didn’t look like that cussing, smoking lady they dragged back to Peavine four years ago.
“Makes a fine Senator, don’t he, Zeke?” Lucky asked.
Zeke nodded. “Guess that voice was right. Jesse had things left to do on this here earth.”
Lucky reached up to steady Lilly, who was bouncing around and trying to clap her little hands along with the crowd. “Maybe now as he’s got those mining laws passed, he can sit back and enjoy all that gold.” He chuckled, thinking back to one particular Independence Day. After all the dust had settled, come to find out the explosion in the Nightingale had opened one of the richest veins of gold in the state.
“I don’t think Jesse’ll have a chance to relax if she’s got any say.” Zeke nodded and Lucky saw Miss Ellie hug her husband and wave at the crowd. “I heared her yakking the other day ‘bout en-viron-ment or some such thing, and how Jesse had to go and make sure there was laws ‘bout that, too.” Zeke shook his head and Lucky understood perfectly.
Miss Ellie made a fine wife for Jesse, and together they made beautiful babies, but she sure enough had some strange ideas about what should be done with this ol’ world they lived in.
Barbara Baldwin books also published by Books We Love
Lost Knight of Arabia
Spinning Through Time