Children of the Wildings Bonus Scene: Luthe’s Proposal (Luthe’s POV)
LUTHE WALKED ACROSS the yard, heading for the fence on the distant rise and the person waiting for him there. This was his favorite time of day, when the stars came out and the world grew quiet and peaceful. The other hands working on the Vendine ranch, at least the ones who didn’t have their own families, spent the evenings when they weren’t on night watch out on the range playing cards in the bunkhouse or in town at the Thirsty Cow. But in his leisure hours, he preferred the peaceful prairie, the stars – and the company waiting for him at the fence.
Tonight, though, his usual peace was hard to find. Even his nightly cigarette and the sips of expensive whiskey from his flask didn’t soothe the nervous racing of his heart and the anxious buzz of his nerves. The woman standing at the fence came into clearer view, and he paused a moment to look at her, silhouetted against the star-filled sky, and try to calm himself. Long, thick braid of curly hair, neat curves that fit his hands perfectly, a soul that matched his in love for horses, this work and this land, the stars and peaceful evenings like this.
Everything he could ever want, and the time had come to do something about it.
He took another pull on his cigarette and another swallow from the flask of whiskey, and savored them. He should probably give up smoking; his boss, her father, didn’t approve. At least he knew Vendine would never ask him to give up whiskey; the two of them did enjoy a drink together now and then.
He went on walking towards Vera, moving his nervous feet one step at a time. She didn’t look back at him as he drew near, though he made no attempt to hide his approach and she cocked her head slightly, listening to him.
He reached the wooden fence and leaned against the top rail next to her. Even in the dark, he could feel her smile and sense her awareness of him. Was that what it was like having magic, being able to sense things you couldn’t see? He would have to ask her. He didn’t have magic himself, and that was okay; the gods gave what gifts They would according to Their will, and having or not having any one particular gift didn’t make a person any more or less. But being in love with a mage, he was curious about what magic was like.
“Hey, Luthe,” Vera said, her voice warm with the smile he couldn’t see.
“Hey, Miss Vera. Busy day today.”
“Yeah. Three calves, all of them doing well.”
He smiled at the pride in her voice. “Looks like the Maker and the Provider are gonna be good to your folks again this year.”
“Yes, it does.” Vera laughed a little. “That baby bull Bee dropped today is gonna be a handful. He’ll start a stampede or two, I’d lay money. He came out kicking fit to bust.”
Luthe laughed as well, at the picture that made in his mind. His laughter faded as his thoughts went back to what he needed to say tonight. He shifted a little from one foot to the other and took another draw on his cigarette. Balancing the cigarette between two fingers, he twisted open the cap on his flask.
“What’s that?” Vera asked. “The usual?”
“Yeah.” He only bought the good stuff; it was the one thing he spent more money on than he really needed to. “Want some?”
“Sure.” Vera took the flask, gave it a sniff, and took a swallow. “Mm. Thanks.”
She handed the flask back to him – she never drank more than a few sips – and he took another swallow, followed by another drag on his cigarette.
The silence stretched out between them. Usually their silences were comfortable and familiar, but tonight it was full of the words he had planned to say that were all jammed up in his throat. Why was he so nervous? What they had was so good, so comfortable, so right, and he was sure she felt the same way.
But so much was hanging on what she said. If her answer wasn’t what he was hoping for, it would put an end to these evenings and their time together. He didn’t know what he would do; he wasn’t sure he would even be able stay here after that, with his dashed hopes always before him.
On the other hand, they couldn’t just go on with these peaceful – and secret – meetings forever. She deserved more, and he wanted more. And it wasn’t right, keeping this a secret any longer.
“Nice evening,” Vera finally said, a little shake in her own voice. She knew something was up.
Somehow, that eased his own nerves a bit. He stood straighter and faced Vera. She turned towards him, but didn’t quite look straight at him. As though she was afraid of what he was going to say.
His own hesitation was making this harder for her. Maybe she thought he was going to call an end to this. No more delaying. He dropped the remnant of his cigarette in the dirt and crushed it out with his boot. “Miss Vera,” he said resolutely. “I think it’s time we stopped meeting like this. Time I started courting you properly. I need your parents’ permission, of course, so I thought I would talk to them soon. If you want, that is…” His moment of resolve fled, along with his words.
She drew breath. “I do want that.” Then she sighed, her shoulders drooping. “But…”
Luthe’s heart sank, but he bit back his words of pleading. He mustn’t push her. She was young, just twenty-three to his thirty-seven. Often, he forgot how many years lay between them, their hearts and souls seemed so perfectly matched.
Her silence went on. ”But what?” he prompted her gently after a long moment. “If you don’t want to, honey, just say so, and I won’t say anything more about it.” Though that answer would surely rip his heart from his chest.
“No! I do want to court. But…”
At least she hadn’t outright rejected him. He puzzled over her answer, and a reason for her reluctance dawned on him. Her parents owned a ranch that she stood to inherit one day; he was just a cowhand working on that ranch, who owned little besides his horse and the clothes on his back – though he did make a good enough living to support a wife. “I don’t care none about being foreman or having a share of the ranch, if that’s what’s worrying you. I’ll even sign a paper saying so. I don’t want to be nobody’s boss, or get special treatment. I just want to be with you.”
“No. It’s just –” She hesitated. “Mama and Daddy don’t know about us. I know I should have told them before now, but I guess I was afraid of what they’d say. You’re so much older than me and you work for them, and I don’t want you to get in trouble. So I’d better talk to them first and explain it to them. Just give me a little time to figure out how to tell them. Okay?”
It still wasn’t the immediate “yes” he had hoped for, but it also wasn’t a refusal. Patience, he reminded himself. She was both as strong and as skittish as a high-blooded young mare, and he needed to give her time to do this the way that was best for her.
“Okay.” He put his hands on her hips, the curves firm and warm beneath the split riding skirt she wore, and pulled her close to him. Her head didn’t even reach his shoulder, but she still fit so perfectly against him. Warmth and need stirred inside him. “Just don’t wait too long, honey. I want to be able to have you stand beside me before the gods and your family and the world as my wife. And I ain’t getting any younger, Miss Vera.”
Vera hooked her forefingers through his belt loops and pulled him closer. The warmth inside him sharpened to a stronger heat. “Neither am I, Mr. Taber.” She tilted her face up and raised herself on her tiptoes; he lowered his face to hers and pressed his mouth to her warm, soft, welcoming lips. More than anything, he wanted these kisses morning, noon, and night; he wanted her beside him all the time, the two of them working together, living and loving together. As the kiss deepened and filled his senses, he prayed to all the gods that soon this wish would come true.
* * *
LUTHE WALKED ACROSS the yard, heading for the fence on the distant rise and the person waiting for him there. This was his favorite time of day, when the stars came out and the world grew quiet and peaceful. The other hands working on the Vendine ranch, at least the ones who didn’t have their own families, spent the evenings when they weren’t on night watch out on the range playing cards in the bunkhouse or in town at the Thirsty Cow. But in his leisure hours, he preferred the peaceful prairie, the stars – and the company waiting for him at the fence.
Tonight, though, his usual peace was hard to find. Even his nightly cigarette and the sips of expensive whiskey from his flask didn’t soothe the nervous racing of his heart and the anxious buzz of his nerves. The woman standing at the fence came into clearer view, and he paused a moment to look at her, silhouetted against the star-filled sky, and try to calm himself. Long, thick braid of curly hair, neat curves that fit his hands perfectly, a soul that matched his in love for horses, this work and this land, the stars and peaceful evenings like this.
Everything he could ever want, and the time had come to do something about it.
He took another pull on his cigarette and another swallow from the flask of whiskey, and savored them. He should probably give up smoking; his boss, her father, didn’t approve. At least he knew Vendine would never ask him to give up whiskey; the two of them did enjoy a drink together now and then.
He went on walking towards Vera, moving his nervous feet one step at a time. She didn’t look back at him as he drew near, though he made no attempt to hide his approach and she cocked her head slightly, listening to him.
He reached the wooden fence and leaned against the top rail next to her. Even in the dark, he could feel her smile and sense her awareness of him. Was that what it was like having magic, being able to sense things you couldn’t see? He would have to ask her. He didn’t have magic himself, and that was okay; the gods gave what gifts They would according to Their will, and having or not having any one particular gift didn’t make a person any more or less. But being in love with a mage, he was curious about what magic was like.
“Hey, Luthe,” Vera said, her voice warm with the smile he couldn’t see.
“Hey, Miss Vera. Busy day today.”
“Yeah. Three calves, all of them doing well.”
He smiled at the pride in her voice. “Looks like the Maker and the Provider are gonna be good to your folks again this year.”
“Yes, it does.” Vera laughed a little. “That baby bull Bee dropped today is gonna be a handful. He’ll start a stampede or two, I’d lay money. He came out kicking fit to bust.”
Luthe laughed as well, at the picture that made in his mind. His laughter faded as his thoughts went back to what he needed to say tonight. He shifted a little from one foot to the other and took another draw on his cigarette. Balancing the cigarette between two fingers, he twisted open the cap on his flask.
“What’s that?” Vera asked. “The usual?”
“Yeah.” He only bought the good stuff; it was the one thing he spent more money on than he really needed to. “Want some?”
“Sure.” Vera took the flask, gave it a sniff, and took a swallow. “Mm. Thanks.”
She handed the flask back to him – she never drank more than a few sips – and he took another swallow, followed by another drag on his cigarette.
The silence stretched out between them. Usually their silences were comfortable and familiar, but tonight it was full of the words he had planned to say that were all jammed up in his throat. Why was he so nervous? What they had was so good, so comfortable, so right, and he was sure she felt the same way.
But so much was hanging on what she said. If her answer wasn’t what he was hoping for, it would put an end to these evenings and their time together. He didn’t know what he would do; he wasn’t sure he would even be able stay here after that, with his dashed hopes always before him.
On the other hand, they couldn’t just go on with these peaceful – and secret – meetings forever. She deserved more, and he wanted more. And it wasn’t right, keeping this a secret any longer.
“Nice evening,” Vera finally said, a little shake in her own voice. She knew something was up.
Somehow, that eased his own nerves a bit. He stood straighter and faced Vera. She turned towards him, but didn’t quite look straight at him. As though she was afraid of what he was going to say.
His own hesitation was making this harder for her. Maybe she thought he was going to call an end to this. No more delaying. He dropped the remnant of his cigarette in the dirt and crushed it out with his boot. “Miss Vera,” he said resolutely. “I think it’s time we stopped meeting like this. Time I started courting you properly. I need your parents’ permission, of course, so I thought I would talk to them soon. If you want, that is…” His moment of resolve fled, along with his words.
She drew breath. “I do want that.” Then she sighed, her shoulders drooping. “But…”
Luthe’s heart sank, but he bit back his words of pleading. He mustn’t push her. She was young, just twenty-three to his thirty-seven. Often, he forgot how many years lay between them, their hearts and souls seemed so perfectly matched.
Her silence went on. ”But what?” he prompted her gently after a long moment. “If you don’t want to, honey, just say so, and I won’t say anything more about it.” Though that answer would surely rip his heart from his chest.
“No! I do want to court. But…”
At least she hadn’t outright rejected him. He puzzled over her answer, and a reason for her reluctance dawned on him. Her parents owned a ranch that she stood to inherit one day; he was just a cowhand working on that ranch, who owned little besides his horse and the clothes on his back – though he did make a good enough living to support a wife. “I don’t care none about being foreman or having a share of the ranch, if that’s what’s worrying you. I’ll even sign a paper saying so. I don’t want to be nobody’s boss, or get special treatment. I just want to be with you.”
“No. It’s just –” She hesitated. “Mama and Daddy don’t know about us. I know I should have told them before now, but I guess I was afraid of what they’d say. You’re so much older than me and you work for them, and I don’t want you to get in trouble. So I’d better talk to them first and explain it to them. Just give me a little time to figure out how to tell them. Okay?”
It still wasn’t the immediate “yes” he had hoped for, but it also wasn’t a refusal. Patience, he reminded himself. She was both as strong and as skittish as a high-blooded young mare, and he needed to give her time to do this the way that was best for her.
“Okay.” He put his hands on her hips, the curves firm and warm beneath the split riding skirt she wore, and pulled her close to him. Her head didn’t even reach his shoulder, but she still fit so perfectly against him. Warmth and need stirred inside him. “Just don’t wait too long, honey. I want to be able to have you stand beside me before the gods and your family and the world as my wife. And I ain’t getting any younger, Miss Vera.”
Vera hooked her forefingers through his belt loops and pulled him closer. The warmth inside him sharpened to a stronger heat. “Neither am I, Mr. Taber.” She tilted her face up and raised herself on her tiptoes; he lowered his face to hers and pressed his mouth to her warm, soft, welcoming lips. More than anything, he wanted these kisses morning, noon, and night; he wanted her beside him all the time, the two of them working together, living and loving together. As the kiss deepened and filled his senses, he prayed to all the gods that soon this wish would come true.
* * *
