Wyoming Winter

Wyoming Winter - Chapter Eighteen

"But, Sam," Gloria looked up with big tear-filled brown eyes, "I thought that was our house. Where are we going to live now?" 

Sam fought to control her own tears as she searched for the words to explain. She stood with the five girls, cradling David in her arms, on the other side of the fence a backhoe was leveling the house to the ground, "Uncle Erick is going to build us a new house." She managed, "And look..." Behind them, two semi trucks were entering the yard hauling a brand new manufactured home, "that's our temporary home." 

"How come they're taking our house apart?" Sandra asked as she leaned against the wooden fence that had been erected to keep her and her sisters out of the work area. 

"Cause there was a hole in the roof." Jennifer told her. 

"And it rained inside." Belinda added. 

"And all the house got rotten." Jennifer finished. 

Sam figured the explanation was adequate enough, and didn't respond. Erick had explained everything to her that morning after the inspector had left, but it was still a shock to see the house being destroyed. It was now late in the afternoon, and soon, only the massive fire place, that had been built by Erick's great great grandfather as part of the original house, would be left. 

"Sam, I don't like it here." Gloria said, "I want to go home. I want it to be like it was before." 

"I know, sweetie." Sam reached out to stroke the eight-year-olds hair, "I do too." Leaning down, she pulled Heather off the fence as the child tried to crawl through, "No, Heather, you have to stay out of there." 

"Dada..." Heather yelled, pointing to Erick who was standing beside the backhoe which had finished its first assault on the house. 

As soon as she released the one-year-old, Heather tried to crawl through the fence again screaming for her daddy. 

"I got her." Erick was jogging across the yard, scooping the toddler up before climbing over the waist high fence, "All right, kiddo." 

"Uncle Erick," Gloria tugged on his shirt sleeve, "I don't like it here. I wanna go home." 

The sounds of the splintering wood split the air as the backhoe continued its destruction, "How about we go see Moonglow?" 

At the mention of her horse, Gloria perked up, "Really?" 

"Yeah," Erick nodded towards his big silver pickup parked next to the red SUV, "climb in the back. We'll ride over." 

"I wanna walk." Jennifer said taking a few steps towards the tree lined driveway. 

"Nope." Erick grabbed her shoulder and steered her towards the truck, "there are going to be more big trucks coming through here, I don't want any of you around here until they're done." He turned to Sam, and pointed towards the far side of the yard. Beyond the yard, between the wreckage of the house, and the lake, the semi's were unloading the double wide manufactured home, "That's far enough away you won't be too bothered by the noise." 

"We'll have to drive past it to get to the road." Sam commented. "Why not put it over by the bunkhouse?"

"There's a gate over on that side of the trees. I've already told Marshall to open it, and make sure the road is clearly marked. You can use that in and out of the ranch. There's too much going on around the bunkhouse. I want the girls to be able to play without getting run over." 

"Our own private entrance." 

"When the snow comes, I have the boys plow the driveway every day. I'll have them plow that one too." He opened the passenger door to the truck for Sam, and sat Heather beside her in the middle seat before helping the older girls into the bed. "It's going to be bumpy. You gotta hold on." When the girls agreed, he jumped into drivers seat, and started the engine.