Written for Steemit: A love story occurs during a time anomaly. A woman from today somehow steps into an anomaly and meets a cowboy asleep on his ranch, in his bed, in the 1850's. ©Jeff Kubitz 2016 - All Rights Reserved.

Birth - Chapter 10 - Song of Angels, Book II

Mindy Woczlewski courtesy of Nastya Muratokova

Song of Angels - Book I
Book II Chapter 1 | Book II Chapter 2
Book II Chapter 3 | Book II Chapter 4
Book II Chapter 5 | Book II Chapter 6
Book II Chapter 7 | Book II Chapter 8
Book II Chapter 9

“Oh they are so beautiful in flight right above our heads.” Mindy remarked to Cyrus in the cold predawn January morning.

“Under a blue sky where eagles soar, blue eyes where my love soars, what more could a man want than a virgin twice?” Cyrus and Mindy laughed.

“Very poetic Cyrus,” Mindy observed with awe, “It is not as fun for me as it is for you, but it was a re-memorable experience. And it is good to hear you talk to me Cyrus.”

“Ho there!” A voice called out from the west.

“Sounds like Bobby is back.” Cyrus said as he walked through the frozen mists with Mindy at his side to the back of the house, down to the lip of the dale to where the barn sat below.

“That is Bobby. And a bit further back, who are all those people?”

“Huh, looks like Ma and Pa and some more of the family are walking with the soldiers.”

“That is your family coming here?”

“Yes.”

“We have not put anything away in the house. It is a total mess. I can’t meet your family in a house that is a disaster.” Mindy stated as she ran around to the front of the house and left Cyrus on watch Bobby followed back by the others approach. Cyrus wore his new pistol.

He pulled it out and pointed the revolver up. He squeezed the trigger once. “Now that is a kick I did not expect.” He said to himself. He saw everyone wave at him in response. They continued to move toward the ranch.

Bobby rode to the barn and Cyrus met him there on foot. “Let me help you put that horse up.”

“Sure enough.” Bobby said as he dismounted. Cyrus took the reins and led the horse into the barn followed by Bobby.

Cyrus unsaddled “Brick,” Bobby’s horse and Bobby pulled the bridle off. He took the blanket and set it under the saddle on the rack. Cyrus had racks for five sets of tack. He knew he would have to double up. Bobby hung the bridle behind the saddle on a peg.

“Looks like Cutter expected to go out last night with us.” Bobby observed.

“He could use the rest; it was a lot of riding, searching for Mindy all those days.”

“I reckon.” Bobby said. “So, we found the two pilots with Ma and Pa. That is why they are all walking.”

“Litters between two horses?” Cyrus asked.

“Yeah. Seemed the best way, Pa wanted a travois but Ma said no, not for their injuries.”

“Why argue with the nurse?” Cyrus and Bobby laughed. Their Ma had worked the hospitals while Colonel Mereweather and Cyrus’s real father sent the casualties to her. They had heard all the stories.

“Well the soldiers will want to leave, as soon as they get to their car, so I will head up to it and you put away the other horses?”

“Done.” Bobby answered as he and Cyrus walked out to meet the group. They were still a ways to the north. Bobby waited, and then decided to rub down Brick while he waited for the family to show and Cyrus walked up toward the house.

“Need some help,” Cyrus asked Mindy as he entered the door.

“No, I’ll have it all in place shortly. You could carry cases of cans to the bedroom for me.” Mindy suggested.

Cyrus set to moving the canned goods into the bedroom. There were 26 cases in all. All were vegetables and fruit. There was a case of pickles. He liked pickles and so did Mindy. Cyrus laughed to himself about just how much Mindy liked a good pickle. It was good to be married again. Oh was it so good.

He heard Mindy mixing something up in a bowl.

“What you doing?” Cyrus asked as he walked into the parlor.

“I am making biscuits. They will be hungry.” Mindy placed dollops from the bowl into the pan with a spoon.

“Perhaps I should go get some steaks before they get here?”

“That is an excellent idea Cyrus. Do they like fruit?”

“Why yes they do.” Cyrus said as he left.

Mindy walked into the bedroom and pulled a quart can each of peaches and pears from their boxes. They had bought can openers at the grocery store. Now all she needed to do was find the can opener. She thought to herself, funny how cold she was when the door was open without the long underwear on and thick jeans. She wore a wool sweater over a flannel shirt and even though it was ten below outside, she was warm here in the small house.

Mindy readied the big frying pan and soon, Cyrus came in with some steaks, enough to feed everybody.

“Set them in the pan dear.” Mindy said as she searched for spices. They had bought some of the spices at the store Mindy missed in big plastic jars. One of the spices was garlic. “Do you like garlic?”

“I don’t think I have ever had it but I will try it. No one else does, though you can ask.”

Mindy cut up onions into the steak pan and spiced everything up heavily. “I am about to meet my mother-in-law for the first time, a woman whom I have never met and I am nervous about it.”

“Don’t be. Ma will love you. Just, be prepared she might cry a bit. You will remind her of Claire, Mindy.”

“I really do look that much like Claire?” Mindy asked.

“Older, your hair is longer, a little more full, but yes Mindy, you do.” Cyrus answered.

“Thanks for warning me. It is good to know that in advance.” Mindy said as she chopped potatoes into another pan while it sat on the stove. “Cyrus, if I pull these two pans off will you put in some more wood?”
“Mindy, the family is almost here, do we have time?”

“Ha...Ha…Cyrus, you wish we did.”

“Probably need to empty the pan as well. I wanted to show you the eagles. They are always over this part of the valley in the dawn.” Cyrus looked in the stove and added a couple of pieces of wood. “There you go.”

Mindy set the pans back on the stove and Cyrus pulled out the ash pan. It was full.

“Yoo-hoo, Cyrus,” A woman’s voice called from outside.

“That’s Ma, Mindy…Hi Ma.” Cyrus said as he turned to head out the door. Mindy saw that everything could set untended for a few minutes on the stove and followed Cyrus outside. Cyrus hugged his Ma and said, “I am married Ma.” And then he shook hands with his Pa. Unnaturally, Pa grabbed Cyrus in a hug,

“Congratulations son,” Pa praised as he hugged Cyrus. As they pulled apart, “Is that your new bride?” He asked happily.

“Yes, Ma, Pa, this is Mindy Woczlewski from Chicago.” Cyrus introduced Mindy, “We were married yesterday at the courthouse.”

“Welcome to the family.” Ma said as she hugged Mindy. Ma did start to cry and Mindy joined her.

“I am going to help those soldiers get those men in their car.” Cyrus said.

“Me too,” Pa said as he wiped his eyes, and then stepped after Cyrus toward the car. “What are these things Cyrus?” Pa asked.

“Pa, that is one long story, How about when we have them on their way out?” Cyrus answered.

“Care to the wounded first, agreed.” Back to the Colonel, Pa changed immediately and his step marched forward in military cadence from the next footfall. “These are the enemy, you know that son.”

“I know Pa but the war has been over to them for two hundred years.”

“What?” The Colonel halted in exclamation.

“I’ll explain after they leave.” Cyrus said, “If I am able to.”

“Right then, wounded first,” Pa regained self control and continued his march to the car.

Quickly and with great care, the two pilots were moved from the horse litters to the back of the humvee and made comfortable. They were semi conscious but would recover soon once they had modern medical treatment.

“Thanks for the help of all of you, and to your wife, Colonel.” The Sergeant said and then shook the two men’s hands. “We need to report back, immediately.”

“Right. Carry on Sergeant.” The Colonel ordered.

“Yes sir.” The Sergeant slipped into the passenger seat, “Move out,” Was heard as the humvee drove away slow.

Once they had pulled away, the horses were gathered. And as they walked Pa asked, “Noisy things, what was that?”

“Guard your heart Pa for what I am about to tell you.” Cyrus warned.

“I can take it, go ahead son.”

“Pa, at this moment, we are standing in the year 2012. That is a car from that year. Once we get to the end of these tracks here on the ground, we will be back in 1856.”

“You don’t say?”

“It is the truth Pa; you would not believe how the county seat has changed in all that time.”

“For the better, I hope?”

“Seems so, but Mindy seems to like it here with me.”

“We’ll you are a handsome lad, Cyrus, just like your Dad. It is natural a pretty girl like that would take a shine to you.”

“Aww Pa.”

“Now I know Ma will be curious but let me explain it all to her and let’s not let this interfere with the reception.”

Bobby came walking up with Sis from below the barn as Cyrus and Pa reached the house.

“I thought you were going to marry me?” Sis stamped her foot.

“Now, now Sissy, you are much too young to get married. Congratulate your brother and be happy you’ve got your sister back, I mean gained a sister.” Pa said.

“I want to marry Cyrus.” Sissy said.

“Wait until you meet his bride Sissy; you are going to love her.” Bobby said. Mindy came to the door as Sissy turned,

“Claire?”

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