here.â The baby in his arms yawned like it was all beyond him.
Marge nodded. âDoes he suit you?â
âFine. Youâre alright?â
âIâm doing fine.â
âGood. Heâs a great boy.â
So his son was there at last. Things at home should settle down. He rocked the baby in his arm. One more of his widespread family.
C HAPTER 6
Marge and the baby were fine, and Chet had Monica round up plenty of help. He intended to make a check of things on the Rim, so had Jesus load two packhorses. He planned to stop and see Betty and Leroy Sipes at the Oak Creek place, visit Tom at the sawmill, and then ride on to Regâs at the Mogollon Rim Ranch. Bo had bought him, sight unseen, ten homesteads near the big ranch on the Rim and he wanted to look them over, if he had the time. Word of his plans must have slipped out, because the morning they were ready to leave, Cole was there to go along as well.
After Chet kissed his wife and baby good-bye, the three set out for the lower place. Down on the Verde River Ranch, Susie met them on the front porch and laughed after hearing the news of his sonâs birth.
âWell you won this race, big man. How are they?â
âFine, how are you?â
âReady to get it over with. Come on inside. When they tell Sarge youâre here, heâll come. Iâll make some coffee.â
âCanât stay long. We need to also see the Sipeses today.â
Susie shook her head, amazed, and put the pot on the range. âThat man is a wonder. He sends us food twice a week.â
âMonica says he even brings her garden stuff.â
âI donât know how he has time for anything.â
âBetty is probably doing a big part of that.â
âI bet youâre right.â
âBesides, he really wants to prove heâs valuable to us.â
âHe sure is that.â
âWell, the threesome is back,â Sarge said, taking off his hat and coming in the doorway. âPapa, congrats. We understand your wife is doing good.â
âSheâs fine. Iâm headed up to see Leroy, and then Tom at the sawmill. Weâll ride on to Regâs after that.â
âThe mill must be going full blast. Weâre making money dragging logs. He says heâll need at least two new teams before fall.â
âSarge, donât complain. Between him and his crew, we arenât using any cattle sales money so far. His operation is carrying the ranches.â
âWe have hay and grain going his way in the next two days.â
âHowâs Barbwire John?â he asked his man with Sarge.
âMaking rolls. But, for us, there is no end, is there?â
âI donât think so.â
âHerefords doing alright?â
âGreat calf crop on the ground. The ranch is having a good calf year, too.â
âAnd we should have some steers to sell off this place at long last.â
âOh, yes.â
âSargeâs drives are working. Bo Evans has bought us several homesteads that join the Windmill ranch, too. That usually means thereâs water at these places, maybe some farm land.â
âDo you have a description of where they are?â Susie asked. âIâd love to go find them.â
âYou can do thatâafter the baby is born.â
She wrinkled her nose at him and began pouring coffee. âI wonât be a housewife forever.â
âWeâll see,â he teased her.
They rode on, and by evening were at Oak Creek. Betty and Leroy hugged the three of them. Horses put up, Leroy showed them the cabins nearing completion and his acres of vegetables, fruit trees, and berry bushes. While they walked through his crops, Betty rushed off to cook supper for them.
âAnyone ever tell you that you have a green thumb?â Cole asked.
âNo, itâs the rich land I have to farm.â
âEveryone that gets the fruit and vegetables appreciates