“Martha, get in here and help me shuck this corn,” June Weston moved, letting the screen door slam behind her as she wiped her hands on her apron and surveyed the dinner she was preparing for the threshing crew: platters of stewed beef and sliced ham, bowls of still steaming, fried potatoes, sweet carrots, green beans and fatback, and two baskets filled to the brim with butter topped biscuits and corn muffins. She’d been up since before the sun trying to get it all done, and she was at the tail end of her patience, “Martha, now!” she hollered.

“Mama, I was playing with the puppies.” Martha said, as she came in. Her dress was covered in dirt, and her blond pigtails were wispy and would need to be brushed and braided again before the other farm ladies arrived, or heaven knew what they’d make of her parenting skills, June lamented.

“Go wash up and change into that blue dress with the flowers, Martha, and make sure you wash behind your ears and dampen your hair too.”

“Yes, Mama.”

June sighed heavily. She hated this time of year. Both of her boys were out in the field with their father and the threshing crew. The threshers came every year to all the farms in their district, and it was her turn to feed them. Of course, the other farm wives would bring things as well, pies, or cake, maybe a plate of sliced cucumbers and onions, or a jar of pickles, but the main course was on her. June couldn’t wait until her daughter was old enough to help instead of hinder.

The sounds of women chattering made June’s hands fly up to her hair. She patted her bun reassuringly, and brushed her hands down the front of her apron.

“Yoohoo, June, your help has arrived!” Clara Lindgren called from the door. She was surrounded by five other ladies, all of them laden down with their offerings.

June rushed over to open the screen door, “Oh my, it looks like you ladies outdid yourselves.” she crowed.

“As did you.” Bertha Donahue said, gesturing at the groaning table of food.

As the tiny kitchen burst into activity, Martha peeked out from behind the door, watching the women scurry around taking stacks of plates from the cabinet, and filling tall pitchers with water freshly drawn from the well just that morning. They began ferrying them outside to the picnic tables that her daddy had placed out in the yard and her mama had covered with her best tablecloths. She eyed the pineapple upside down cake that was just sitting there on the table. There was only one. After the men got to it, there wouldn’t be even a crumb left over for her. Martha stepped out of her hiding spot and stuck her finger into the sticky cake. She pinched off as much as she could with her little fingers and popped it into her mouth just as Mary Patterson turned around and caught her.

“Martha Weston, are you stealing cake?” she exclaimed, but the big old grin that was spreading across her face made Martha feel a little less guilty.

“Such a pretty girl you’ve got there, June.” Clara came over and pinched Martha’s cheek.

“Thank you, Clara,” June said, as she gave Martha a stern look and gestured for her to go outside, “Didn’t you say that your Lois is engaged to Sven Johansson?”

As the women continued their conversation, Martha scurried outside. Across the dirt road, she could see a crowd of men walking through the wheat field, heading for the farmhouse. She didn’t want to sit at the table with them, didn’t want to hear them talk about rain, or soil, or farm equipment. She wanted to play with Petunia’s puppies again. Maybe no one would notice if she went into the barn.

The interior of the barn was dim, shaded from the hot Nebraska sun, and quiet, but as Martha neared the back she could hear the soft yips and growls of the puppies as they tussled with each other.

Suddenly, a head popped up from behind a stack of hay and Martha squeaked in alarm.

“Oh, it’s just you.” Jack Patterson quipped. He climbed over the hay bales and made for the puppies.

Martha ran past him and held her arms wide to shield them. The puppies were hers, and she wasn’t about to let Jack try to act bossy with them like her brothers did.

Jack’s face fell, “Can’t I even hold one?” he asked.

“No. They’re too young. Ronnie says I’ll kill them if I hold them too much.”

“Your brother doesn’t know everything, Martha,” Jack argued, “Besides, I held Sonja’s kittens all the time and they didn’t die.”

Loud voices were penetrating the stillness of the barn, and Martha knew that the men must have arrived. If she were lucky, her parents would be too busy to notice that she had disappeared. She looked up into Jack’s cornflower blue eyes. He was mostly nice, she supposed. Maybe he wouldn’t hurt Petunia’s puppies. She sat down in the straw and reached her hand around the warm, fat tummy of a puppy, pulling him from the dog pile. She held his squirmy body up, “Here. You can hold this one. I’ve named him Bambi.”

“Bambi is a deer.” Jack said, as he held the puppy close to his chest.

“So.”

Jack shrugged. He sat down beside her and cooed softly to the pup, and Martha sighed softly, happy that she had decided to allow him to join her. Her brothers’, Ronnie, aged thirteen, and Robert, aged fifteen, always bossed her around, but maybe all boys weren’t bossy.

************************************************************************

Martha took the last pin out of her hair and coaxed the resulting curl into submission. She wiped a thin film of dust off of the mirror and spun side to side, admiring herself. Her new dress was going to make all of her friends jealous and she couldn’t wait for them to see it.

“Martha, you’re guests are starting to arrive.” her brother, Ronnie called up the stairs.

“Coming.” Martha sat down on the edge of her bed and made sure her ankle straps were tight enough, and then she hurried down the stairs.

Her best friend, Gertie, was just coming through the door, carrying not one, but two, wrapped presents.

“Two?” Martha gushed, as she took the presents and went to add them to the small pile on the coffee table.

“Of course. It’s not every day that a girl turns fifteen, is it?” Gertie reached over and hugged Martha, whispering, “Has Jack arrived yet?”

Martha shook her head, “I’m not sure he’s even coming. He’s been having to help out on his dad’s farm a lot, lately.”

“That’s too bad, but I bet Eddie is coming. He’s going to be all over you tonight, for sure.”

“Come on, let’s go out to the barn. My mom helped me put up streamers and even Ronnie and Robert helped. It looks amazing.”

They stepped outside. The wind was kicking up, blowing the fine soil from the fields through the air, and making the girls rush for cover in the barn.

An hour later, Martha looked around the crowded space, her eyes seeking one person, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, doll, when are you going to dance with me?” Eddie Murdoch spun her into his arms.

“Eddie!” Martha gasped. Eddie was handsy and kind of full of himself, but, because he was easily the wealthiest person in their area, he could get away with it.

“Come on, toots, this is my favorite tune,” Eddie declared, as he smoothly took control and led her out onto the dance floor, adding, “I bet you’ve dreamt of this moment all day long, huh?”

“Hardly.” Martha said, though she already knew that Eddie wouldn’t take her seriously. He never had. In fact, the less interested she acted in him, the more he insisted that she was in love with him. It irked her to no ends, honestly.

As the song ended, Martha looked out past the crowd and her eyes caught sight of Jack. He was turning away with a sad look on his face. Martha stepped away from Eddie and shoved her way through the revelers, “Jack! Jack!” she called.

As he reached the doors, he finally heard her and turned around. He was still wearing his work overalls. Dust covered him from his hair down to his boots, and there were dark smudges beneath his eyes, but he was still the best thing she’d seen all day. It was him that she’d been dreaming of, not Eddie.

“You came.”

Jack tried to shake off some of the dirt, but only succeeded in sending up a cloud of dust. He looked at her sheepishly, “Sorry. I’ve been out in the fields trying to save what crops we can. You, uh, you look beautiful, Martha. Is that a new dress?”

Embarrassed, but delighted, Martha looked down at her shoes, “Yes. Do you like it?”

“I do.”

She peeked up at him through her lashes, wishing she were bold enough to step outside with him, but she knew that her brothers were watching like hawks. She sighed. Why was it that when she was lying in her bed, imagining moments like this one, she had all these amazing things to say, but when it was real, she was tongue tied?

“I see that you have a band. Is that Ricky Smelton playing the trombone?”

Martha nodded, “And Lou Mitchell is playing his dad’s trumpet,” she looked up at him, begging him with her eyes to ask her to dance, “I bet they would play some Benny Goodman if I ask.”

“That would be aces …”

Martha watched Jack’s expression darken just before she felt Eddie’s hand fall on her shoulder, “There you are, doll,” he said, as he looked Jack up and down, disdainfully, “I should have known you’d be over here seeing what the cat dragged in.”

Martha jerked away from him, angrily, but Jack suddenly said, “I can’t stay. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Martha, and, uh,” he reached into the front pocket of his overalls and pulled out a flat packet. He handed it to her, “It’s not much.” he glanced at Eddie as he spoke, and Martha knew that he felt embarrassed by his gift.

“Thank you so much, Jack. I’m sure that I’ll love it, but I think I’ll open it later, if you don’t mind.”

Jack smiled gratefully and turned to leave.

“Is it true that your old man’s farm is about to fail, Jack?” Eddie suddenly called after him.

Martha saw Jack’s back stiffen, but he didn’t reply and she was glad. Furious, she whirled around to confront Eddie, but Gertie stepped in front of her, “Hey, Martha, don’t you think it’s time to cut that cake?”

**********************************************************************

Later that night, alone in her bed, Martha opened the paper packet. Inside was a necklace. The charm was a delicate rose carved out of wood, with a cord made of thin leather. Martha held it up to the moonlight streaming through her window and marveled at the gift. She knew that he had made it himself, and she also knew that she would cherish it forever.

***********************************************************************

“That’s it. That’s all there is,” Martha dropped the basket of potatoes, rutabagas, and carrots on the table, sending dust flying. Everything was covered in dust now.

Robert picked up a scrawny potato and looked at his mom defeatedly, “Even if we make it stretch, this won’t last the week.” he said.

“I’ll go check the root cellar again. Maybe she missed something.” Ronnie said, as he hitched up his overalls. He’d lost weight recently. They all had.

“I didn’t.” Martha said.

“We’ll get by,” Martha’s dad, Jim, said, “I’ve still got a line of credit at the store, and, with any luck it’ll rain soon.”

“Even if it does rain, Dad, I don’t think the wheat will make it. It’s been too long.”

“No, no it can still turn around. I’ve seen it happen. A good soaking will set everything right. In the meantime, we’ll just have to make do with what we have.”

Martha watched as her mom rested a soothing hand on her father’s forearm. Their lives had changed so much during the past year, as they had watched their farm die. The death had been coming for some time, though, as one year after another had passed with no rainfall. The fertile soil that had once produced such fruitful harvests was now nothing more than fine dust that blew across the flat landscape, coating everything that it came into contact with.

Martha’s stomach grumbled and she picked up the basket and took it to the kitchen. She decided on a stew, but she would save half of the vegetables for another day.

************************************************************************

“I’m going,” Robert said, as he leaned against the door frame, “Johnny says there’s plenty of work out west …”

June started crying inconsolably, and Martha got up and went to her mother’s side. She glared at her brother, letting him know in no uncertain terms just what she thought of his ridiculous idea.

“Robert, don’t be irrational here, son,” Jim said, “Your mother is right. The family needs to stick together.”

“Dad, you’re the one that’s being irrational,” Robert slammed his hand against the wall, “I can help. Let me help.”

“How long did Johnny say it would take to get out west?” Ronnie asked.

“A few days, maybe more, but then I could find work and have money sent back in a few weeks.”

Ronnie turned anxious eyes on his father, before blurting, “I want to go too,” and before his dad could open his mouth to argue, he added, “It’s two less mouths to feed, Dad. And two of us working means even more money that we can send back to help you keep the farm going.”

June wailed anew, and Martha stood up, “Stop,” she cried, “Just stop. Look what you’re doing to her. She doesn’t need this stress. We need to stay together. That’s what matters.”

“Yeah, stay together and starve.” Ronnie whispered.

“That’s enough,” Jim snapped. He started pacing back and forth across the floor, kicking up the dust that had settled there since Martha had swept the night before, “I’ll go to town again, see if I can take a loan out on the tractor. That’d buy us some more time for the rains to come.”

************************************************************************

Martha slowly meandered down the aisle of the five and dime, looking at all the things that she couldn’t buy. Judging from the dust that had settled on all of the items surfaces, it didn’t look like anyone else could afford any of it either.

It had been a month since her father had taken out a paltry loan on the tractor. They’d ran through the money much quicker than any of them had planned though, because the prices on everything had soared to more than double what they’d been paying before.

The door to the five and dime swooshed open. Martha reached out and took a small bottle of perfume off the shelf and blew the dust off.

“I can buy that for you.”

Martha glanced up. Eddie smiled and winked at her. She sat the bottle back with a firmness that belied her aggravation.

“I don’t need it.” She said.

“That’s the point,” Eddie said, “I can give you what you need, and, what you want.”

An idea bloomed in Martha’s mind suddenly. It was one that made her feel sick to her stomach, but she no longer had the luxury of making decisions based on what she felt comfortable with. She allowed a smile to play at her lips as she picked up the perfume bottle again, “It does smell beautiful, Eddie. Would you really buy it for me?” She batted her lashes as she looked up at him.

“Tell you what, doll face, I’ll buy that perfume for you if you agree to have dinner with me.”

“Is there a restaurant even open right now?”

“Of course,” Eddie shrugged, “So what do you say I pick you up at 6:00 p.m.?”

“That would be just fine.” Martha handed him the small glass bottle and wrapped her hand around his arm as they walked towards the register.

Eddie paid for the perfume and handed her the bag, “I expect you to be wearing that later,” he winked, leading her out the door and out onto the sidewalk, “You know, I didn’t ask, what brings you to town?”

Martha looked down at her feet, “Oh, my father had to attend to some business.” she said, dismissively.

“How are your parents’ holding up?”

“Fine.”

“Really?” Eddie seemed taken aback, “I’m surprised to hear that.”

“We’re holding up.” she insisted.

Eddie nodded. He leaned back against the building, hiding from the sun under the awning, “I heard that the Patterson’s are about to lose their farm. What a shame.”

The corners of Eddie’s mouth had turned up in the slightest smile, but Martha caught it and it infuriated her.

“Hey, isn’t that your father coming out of the bank?”

“It is. I’ll see you later,” Martha hurried off, frazzled and not wanting Eddie to have a chance to question her father. She caught up to her dad and could tell from his scowl that things hadn’t gone well in the bank, “Dad?” she queried.

“It’s fine,” Jim growled as he grabbed her arm and led her down the street, “Is that Eddie Murdoch you were talking to?”

“Yes,” Martha suddenly remembered the velvet bag that she held clutched in her hand and she tried to hide it, “We were just saying hello.” she had no idea how she was going to tell him that she had a date with Eddie, let alone that she’d allowed him to buy her perfume.

Her subterfuge didn’t work, “What’s that in your hand?” he asked her.

“Oh, this?” Martha could feel her face growing hot, “It’s just some perfume. It – it was on sale and, uh, Eddie wanted me to have it, so …” she could feel her father’s eyes on her, but she kept staring straight ahead as they neared their old jalopy.

Jim stopped walking, “You let him buy you perfume, Martha? Why? Is he courting you?”

Martha shook her head vehemently, “It’s just that I agreed to have dinner with him, that’s all.”

“I thought you liked Jack Patterson. You don’t?”

“No, no, I do,” Martha gushed, “I do like him, Daddy, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t go to dinner with Eddie.”

“Martha, I want you to take that perfume back to that boy right now.”

She’d never stood up to her dad before, but now she straightened her spine and looked him in the eyes, “No. Daddy, I’m seventeen years old and I can make my own decisions, and I’m keeping the perfume and I’m going to dinner with Eddie, and you’ll just have to accept that.”

************************************************************************

“So tell me, did you enjoy your dinner?” Eddie leaned back in his seat as he lifted a glass to his lips.

“I did.” Martha didn’t add that what she’d just ate for one meal was more than she’d ate for days, or that she felt supremely guilty eating like that when she knew that her family was surviving on beans, dandelions, and, if they were fortunate, rabbit.

Eddie suddenly leaned forward, “So, funny thing happened. I was talking to Mr. Lombard. Do you know him?”

Martha shook her head.

“He works over at the bank, Mr. Lombard does, and you know what he told me …”

Martha’s stomach dropped as, again, she shook her head.

“He tells me that your father came in and offered up your mother’s wedding rings as collateral for a loan, Martha.”

At least he had the decency to appear saddened by the news, Martha thought. Her mind was reeling; she’d known things were bad, but if her parents’ were willing to part with those rings, it was far worse than she knew.

The waitress put steaming cups of hot coffee down in front of them, along with plates of apple pie.

“Thank you, Sarah, that will be all.” Eddie said with a tight smile.

Martha pushed the pie away. She felt sick to her stomach. How long would what little money her father had probably gotten buy them, she wondered. And then what?

“I know that it must be difficult for you, Martha, but you shouldn’t feel bad,” Eddie stirred sugar into his coffee, “The whole country is suffering. Well, not my family, but plenty of people.”

“I want to go home now, Eddie,” Martha stood up, “Please.”

************************************************************************

Martha stoked the fire in the old stove and went back to stirring the batter for the corn cakes she was making for the meal. They were down to eating only once per day now, unless the boys or her father came back from hunting with something to augment their rations.

There was a tap on the screen door. Martha put down the spoon and went to the door.

“Jack, I’m surprised to see you,” Martha’s hand automatically went to the wooden charm around her neck. She wore it always. She let it drop back down beneath her shirt, “I thought you were in Higginsville picking crops.”

Jack shrugged and kicked at the dirt, “There aren’t any crops to pick, as it turns out,” he looked up at her with anguished eyes, making Martha’s stomach flip-flop, “I, uh, that’s why I came, to tell you that the bank’s about to take the farm.”

Martha gasped in outrage. She couldn’t let this happen. She had to find a way to stop it. He was supposed to be away at college, training to be a vet, not desperately trying to save his family’s farm.

“I’m heading to Garrison tomorrow. Folks were saying there’s a hog farm that might need help, but, honestly, I don’t know how much longer we can hold out, Martha.”

A quiet desperation was growing in her. She knew that it was a long shot, but there might be a way to save him, she just needed more time. She looked up at the early evening sky and back at him, “Jack, look, there’s dark clouds in the sky. It might rain.”

He looked up, watching the carbon colored clouds floating by, “Sure would be nice,” he sighed then, and rested his knee on the stoop, “My, uh, my mom mentioned that Eddie Murdoch’s car came down our road the other night.”

Martha could see the hurt in his eyes, and shame snuck up her neck and colored her face pink as she averted her gaze, unable to look at his pain, “He, uh, he came to pick me up, Jack. We had dinner in town.” She wasn’t going to lie to him. Not him. He deserved the truth. Always.

The expression on his face made her breath catch in her throat. She had hurt him terribly, it was plain to see. Still, he nodded as he looked at the ground once again, “I understand. He’s, uh, he’s probably doing a whole lot better than us, I suppose.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Martha knew that Jack wanted her to tell him that she would never go out with Eddie again, but she couldn’t.

“I should go, ” Jack stepped back away from her, “It was good seeing you, Martha. Good night.”

***********************************************************************

“You see that land down there, Martha?” Eddie swept his arms wide as they looked down at the acres of farmland below where they stood on the bluff, “That’s all ours now. And soon, my dad will own even more. We’re buying it for pennies now, and we’re going to turn it into the largest farm you’ve ever seen.”

Martha crossed her arms and stomped back to his car, angrily. How dare he.

“What’s wrong with you?” Eddie quickly caught up to her. He reached for her shoulder and stopped her, “I was just trying to show you what I can offer you.”

“Eddie, those farms belonged to people. Real people. People whose families didn’t want to sell to your father!”

“It’s not our fault that they mismanaged the land, Martha. Look, my dad’s talking to all the best minds in the country right now, and we’re going to do it right. A real corporation, with the best of everything …”

“Everything that money can buy, Eddie!”

He scowled, uncertainly, as he tried to figure out what she meant.

“My family, Jack’s family, we don’t have your money, Eddie. We don’t have access to all the best minds in the country right now. We farmed. That’s what we knew how to do. And, if we did it wrong, than I guess it’s on us, but that still doesn’t mean you get to act like we’re stupid, Eddie.”

“Martha, don’t be silly, sweetheart,” Eddie reached for her, “Of course I’m not talking bad about your family. I would never do that,” he started leading her back to the edge of the bluff, “I’m showing off a little bit, it’s true, but only because I want you to see what I can offer you when you agree to be my wife.”

Stunned, Martha whirled around to face him. This was what she’d been praying for, but now that it was upon her, she wanted to run. She didn’t. Instead, she plastered a smile on her face as she beamed up at him, “Eddie, does this mean that you’re asking me to marry you?” she asked him.

“I guess I am, Martha. I mean, I don’t have a ring yet, but will you? Will you marry me, doll?”

“Of course.”

Eddie picked her up and swung her around as he whooped joyfully. He sat her back down, “We’re going to have the fanciest wedding around, Martha. Only the best. You can go with my mom to pick out a dress in New York if you want to, and we’ll hire the best swing band in all of Nebraska.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Martha hid her despair as she rested her face against his chest.

************************************************************************

“I haven’t seen you smile in days, Martha.”

Martha patted the peeling wooden slats of the porch swing, “Join me,” she said, “I was just about to watch the sun set.”

Her father groaned as he settled in beside her, his hand automatically reaching for hers, “You sure you’re making the right decision?”

She frowned, “I’m sure.”

He shrugged, “Sure seems like you would be smiling a whole lot more if you were in love with that boy.”

“Dad, stop. I’m marrying Eddie and that’s that.”

“All right,” his face settled into a scowl, “But I mean to say my piece, so hear me out.”

Martha nodded her assent as the sky burned a brilliant scarlet.

“There’s talk. You know I’m not one for gossip, Martha. Never have been. But I feel a need to warn you that people say he’s a skirt chaser and a mean man to work for. His father, as well …”

“Dad,” Martha pulled her hand away. She didn’t want to hear him. Her path was clear and she was determined to see it through, “Dad, I know what I’m doing, so just let me do this. Please.”

************************************************************************

The dress hanging from the wardrobe taunted Martha as she lay in her bed in the dim room. It’s white silk gleamed like the finest pearl, but she took no pleasure in it. Tomorrow, she would marry Eddie.

Martha yawned and stood up. She headed down the stairs and out the door, desperate for some fresh air to clear her mind. Her favorite tree beckoned in the twilight and she crossed the yard and perched on the tire swing.

Across the way, a figure was moving quickly through the field. Martha’s heart leapt as she realized who it was. She wanted to jump off the swing and run to meet him, but remembered that she was betrothed to another man now.

He reached her. He was breathless, but his anguish and anger was easy to read, even in the growing darkness, “Martha, tell me it’s not true. Tell me you aren’t marrying Eddie tomorrow.”

Martha looked away, “I thought you were still in Garrison.” she said, instead.

He stood in front of her, forcing the swing to a stop as he reached for her, “Tell me that you’re not marrying him, Martha.”

She finally looked up at him. She blinked back the tears, “I can’t tell you that, Jack.”

He released her and backed away.

Martha wanted to run to him. She wanted to, desperately, but she didn’t.

“You don’t love him, Martha. I know you don’t love him,” Jack scowled. His head started shaking back and forth, as if denying his own thoughts, “I know you. I know that you wouldn’t marry him just for his money.”

“You don’t know me that well then, Jack,” she whispered, hating the way she was hurting him, “He can provide a very generous lifestyle, and I do like the finer things.”

“No. That’s not you, Martha. I know it’s not you.”

“It is me, Jack. I’m sorry if you thought otherwise,” Martha could barely speak as she watched his pain twist his features into a mask of sorrow, “Goodbye, Jack.” She turned away from him and ran for the house as the tears came, coursing down her hot cheeks. She knew that she was breaking Jack’s heart and her own, as well, but it had to be done. His future would be secured, she’d seen to it. Eddie had promised that he would pay off the loan on the Patterson farm and her parents’ farm, too, and would hand her the deeds before she married him. He had not been happy when she had asked him to take care of the Patterson farm because he knew that she’d always carried a torch for Jack. He’d agreed on one condition, that after they married, she would never see Jack again. It would haunt her the rest of her days, but she’d readily agreed. There was no going back.

************************************************************************

A trickle of sweat slid down between her shoulder blades as Martha stood before the alter. Behind her, the church pews were filled with Eddie’s family and friends, as well as her mother, father, and brothers. The farm deeds were safely tucked away in the purse that she’d given to her mother to hold for her until after the ceremony. She hadn’t told them yet. She knew that they would have talked her out of it.

Martha glanced over at Eddie as the preacher droned on and on. She closed her eyes and thought of Jack. She smiled softly as his beloved face appeared in her mind. Her fate was just about sealed, but he would be free, and that was all that mattered to her.

Suddenly, a murmur broke out behind her. Martha whirled around. Jack was moving up the center aisle. The bouquet of white roses fell from her hands.

“Martha,” Jack was striding quickly towards her. He looked nervous, but determined to see it through, “Martha you have to know that I love you. I have always loved you, and I’m begging you not to marry him …”

“Jack, don’t,” Martha looked at Eddie. He looked outraged. She stepped down from the raised platform and hurriedly grabbed her purse from her mother’s lap. She took the deeds out and held them out to Jack, “He’s paid off the farms, Jack. Eddie has paid them off because I’m marrying him.”

Jack snatched the papers from her fingers. He looked through them and handed one of them to her father and then he turned back to her and held the sheet up in front of her and tore it into pieces.

“I don’t care about the farm, Martha. I care about you.”

“He’s right, sweetheart,” Martha’s dad stood up. He glanced down at Martha’s mom and she nodded her approval. He ripped the deed in two, letting the pieces fall to the floor, “Keeping the farm isn’t what’s important to us.”

“Bu-but what will we do?” Martha looked between them, stunned.

“We’re going to California. We’ve got the truck already packed,” Jack looked at Jim, “We were hoping you guys would come along with us. We’ll start fresh. Build new lives out west.”

“California, huh?” Jim looked at his wife and sons. They were smiling and nodding, “I heard it’s fertile country out there. I think we could build something good. We’re in.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Eddie stomped down the stairs and reached for Martha, “They’ll do nothing but lead you into ruin. You’ll stay and marry me. We’ll own half of Nebraska in a few years, and they’ll have a shack in the middle of nowhere.”

Martha jerked out of his grip. Jack was grinning at her as he held out his hand. She reached for it, “I’m sorry, Eddie, but I’d rather have a shack with them, than all the riches in the world with you.”

***********************************************************************

Two hours later, with all of their worldly goods piled into the jalopy, Martha stood beside Jack waving her parents and brothers off as they headed down the dirt road behind Jack’s parents’ vehicle.

“You ready, Martha?” Jack asked, as they walked towards his vehicle, which was stuffed to the brim with furniture and farm equipment. He opened the door and stood aside for her.

Martha slid into the seat, “I am,” she smiled, feeling happiness bubble up inside of her as she looked into his beautiful, cornflower blue eyes, “I am so ready.”

He ran around the car and jumped into the driver’s seat. He paused and glanced over at her, “We’ll have to start all over. It’s going to be tough.”

“I know. But we’ll do it. We’ll do it together.”