irrigation needed.
I've pretty much concluded it's one of the few plants that can
thrive out here without irrigation."
She'd moved to the stove and busied herself by making a
fresh pot of coffee. "What other seeds are you experimenting
with?"
He chuckled. "Everything from trees to flowers. I'm hoping
the irrigation system I created has kept everything growing
while I'm laid up."
The land surrounding the farm yard came to mind. It had
astonished her to see such a variety of trees and plants when
she'd first arrived. Most of this part of the state was covered
with little more than sage brush and soap weeds.
100
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Several years ago," he said, drawing her attention back to
him. "I went to Garden City with Kid. It's only about twenty
miles south of here."
She nodded, familiar the area.
"A few men who used to hunt buffalo out here had decided
to settle down there." He paused as if just remembering
something. "That's why my father chose this area to settle.
He scouted for wagon trains, and then buffalo hunters. Even
Royalties from England came out here to hunt in those days.
After the hunting died out, he tried his hand at farming.
Guess that's where I get it from."
He sat for a moment in silence, staring at the cup sitting
on the table in front of him. When he lifted his head, he
continued, "Anyway, I went to Garden, well at that time it
was called Fulton, with Kid and some other men because the
cattlemen didn't like the idea of a settlement sprouting up in
the middle of the route they used to get the cows to Dodge.
Kid and the others wanted to talk the folks into moving east a
bit. The folks at the settlement didn't want to move. A
rancher closer to Dodge told them they couldn't grow so
much as weeds in the dry ground. The settlers disagreed, and
thinking he'd prove them wrong, the rancher offered fifty
bucks for every bushel of corn grown. I left town with the
challenge in my head. A few weeks later, I went back to the
settlement and told Mr. Fulton I could help him grow enough
corn that the rancher would go broke paying him off."
Intrigued, she moved to the table and sat down. "What
happened?"
101
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
His smile went from ear to ear. "A year later they renamed
the settlement Garden City because of Fulton's bountiful
garden."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"What had you done to make everything grow?"
"Irrigation."
She waited for him to continue.
"One windmill with a large enough reservoir can irrigate
ten to twenty acres."
"How?"
"The windmill pumps the water out of the ground and into
the reservoir which flows into ditches that carry the water to
the fields from one end of the crops to the other. I put in
gates to slow or increase the water as needed." He glanced
up. "The water under the ground in this region is
inexhaustible, and it's not far below the surface. I've also
discovered several natural springs on my land and use those
to irrigate some fields."
A frown formed between his brows. Summer held her
breath, wondering what he thought about now. Was it the
kiss? It wasn't far away in her mind. The coffee boiled over
behind her, and she leaped to remove it from the heat. Once
the frothing slowed, she filled his cup.
His fingers wrapped around her wrist when she attempted
to move from his side. "You know." His gaze locked onto hers.
"I haven't even told my brothers about how I helped Fulton."
"Why not?"
102
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
He shrugged. "We all have our interests. Kid has his cattle,
one of the largest ranches in the state, and Skeeter has his
dinosaurs." He winked. "That's a long story. Hog was always
in the kitchen, so opening a restaurant seemed fitting, and
Bug can sniff out rock tar from a mile away. He claims the oil
seeps will transform America. They know about my
gardening, but I never told them about Fulton."
She set the pot down and sat in the chair next to
I've pretty much concluded it's one of the few plants that can
thrive out here without irrigation."
She'd moved to the stove and busied herself by making a
fresh pot of coffee. "What other seeds are you experimenting
with?"
He chuckled. "Everything from trees to flowers. I'm hoping
the irrigation system I created has kept everything growing
while I'm laid up."
The land surrounding the farm yard came to mind. It had
astonished her to see such a variety of trees and plants when
she'd first arrived. Most of this part of the state was covered
with little more than sage brush and soap weeds.
100
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
"Several years ago," he said, drawing her attention back to
him. "I went to Garden City with Kid. It's only about twenty
miles south of here."
She nodded, familiar the area.
"A few men who used to hunt buffalo out here had decided
to settle down there." He paused as if just remembering
something. "That's why my father chose this area to settle.
He scouted for wagon trains, and then buffalo hunters. Even
Royalties from England came out here to hunt in those days.
After the hunting died out, he tried his hand at farming.
Guess that's where I get it from."
He sat for a moment in silence, staring at the cup sitting
on the table in front of him. When he lifted his head, he
continued, "Anyway, I went to Garden, well at that time it
was called Fulton, with Kid and some other men because the
cattlemen didn't like the idea of a settlement sprouting up in
the middle of the route they used to get the cows to Dodge.
Kid and the others wanted to talk the folks into moving east a
bit. The folks at the settlement didn't want to move. A
rancher closer to Dodge told them they couldn't grow so
much as weeds in the dry ground. The settlers disagreed, and
thinking he'd prove them wrong, the rancher offered fifty
bucks for every bushel of corn grown. I left town with the
challenge in my head. A few weeks later, I went back to the
settlement and told Mr. Fulton I could help him grow enough
corn that the rancher would go broke paying him off."
Intrigued, she moved to the table and sat down. "What
happened?"
101
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
His smile went from ear to ear. "A year later they renamed
the settlement Garden City because of Fulton's bountiful
garden."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"What had you done to make everything grow?"
"Irrigation."
She waited for him to continue.
"One windmill with a large enough reservoir can irrigate
ten to twenty acres."
"How?"
"The windmill pumps the water out of the ground and into
the reservoir which flows into ditches that carry the water to
the fields from one end of the crops to the other. I put in
gates to slow or increase the water as needed." He glanced
up. "The water under the ground in this region is
inexhaustible, and it's not far below the surface. I've also
discovered several natural springs on my land and use those
to irrigate some fields."
A frown formed between his brows. Summer held her
breath, wondering what he thought about now. Was it the
kiss? It wasn't far away in her mind. The coffee boiled over
behind her, and she leaped to remove it from the heat. Once
the frothing slowed, she filled his cup.
His fingers wrapped around her wrist when she attempted
to move from his side. "You know." His gaze locked onto hers.
"I haven't even told my brothers about how I helped Fulton."
"Why not?"
102
Guardian Bride
by Lauri Robinson
He shrugged. "We all have our interests. Kid has his cattle,
one of the largest ranches in the state, and Skeeter has his
dinosaurs." He winked. "That's a long story. Hog was always
in the kitchen, so opening a restaurant seemed fitting, and
Bug can sniff out rock tar from a mile away. He claims the oil
seeps will transform America. They know about my
gardening, but I never told them about Fulton."
She set the pot down and sat in the chair next to
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