Chapter 9

It was just hours later that I got a call from Jonas. "Noah," he said. "I've been on the phone with the prosecutor's office. They are confident that the men arrested for attacking the seven of you will not only be convicted and go away for life without parole, but they are already giving up the people who hired them, which just happens to be the phosphate company.

"The real surprise is from the FBI. They tell me that several highly placed executives at the phosphate conglomerate have quietly left the country in a company jet. They appear to be attempting to put themselves beyond the reach of our law enforcement agencies. The entire things has become a bit of a celebrity case, because the press is eating the FBI alive, demanding information, updates, and when the people responsible will be arrested and extradited.

"On top of that, the state prosecutors are salivating waiting for their turn at them. The chances that they get away with trying to kill all of you look very slim. I will stay on top of this and let you know what develops as I know it."

He hesitated, and I suddenly knew there was more, and it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Noah, one of those men who tried to kill you, claimed that the company hired others to kill your father and make it look like an accident."

I was stunned by the news, but not because I ever met Noah's father. It was the idea that they would try to wipe out an entire family line to grab some farm land that did it.

"Jonas, I want you to file a blizzard of lawsuits against the conglomerate. Sue to freeze their bank accounts, their accounts receivable, and everything that moves, stands still, or could move. Push the prosecutors to go for the death penalty for the ones who ordered the killings and the attacks. Make sure you include foreign assets and future income in separate motions to keep them off balance. When they come begging to settle, go for three-quarters of a billion dollars, plus your fee."

He laughed at the magnitude of my demands and then suddenly sobered up. "You know what, Noah? You might just get it. They have to balance the damage to their reputation and the inability to conduct business with frozen assets, against paying you whatever it takes to get rid of this.

"I'll get right on it."

Jeff and Buck got us to my jet, and we high-tailed it out of Minot. Florida looked so inviting because it was warm and sunny, but also because it was far away from the conglomerate. I was right back where I always seemed to end up. People wanted to kill me for stupid reasons, and I had people to protect from them. My girls were not going to live in fear. If I had to hire Roy's Boys and kill every one of them, they were not going to torment me and my brides.

I was only a little right.

The FBI, and Justice Department took sadistic glee in how they went after those responsible for the murder of Noah's father and the subsequent attack on us. It took very little time for the attorneys for the conglomerate to pay over one-billion dollars in damages and Jonas' fee. Several co-conspirators were eventually arrested and convicted.

Nobody got the death penalty.

We stayed in Florida for the cold months, letting my farm workers take care of the house, ranch, and animals. We were all home for planting, and we worked together to get our garden in.

No matter how often we tried, no one got pregnant, and Mary left me in the Spring to marry a local boy in hopes of someday having children. She sent Ruth to break the news to me.

It was late. I was sitting in my favorite chair on the porch, watching the moon caress the fields. Ruth sauntered out and took her usual place, cuddled up at my side. She was clearly worrying about what she had to say, but I knew what was coming.

"It's Ok. Tell Mary that I will miss her, and that I will buy a farm with a nice home on it for her and her boy. Please let her know that I don't want her coming back here until we've had time to get over this, but she can send word when they find a suitable farm."

Ruth stared at me like I was a ghost, so I continued. "She needs to feel like a whole woman, more than she needs me. If I can't give her a child, she is compelled to find a man that can. The best thing to do is let her go..."

Unfortunately that was not all the bad news. "Marian is going to leave with her, Noah..." she said as my heart fell into my shoes. "I've tried every possible way to reason with them both, but they are leaving us in the morning. Those two tramps are upstairs packing right now, and Mary's boyfriend is picking them up before breakfast.

"I'd like to beat their bottoms until they bleed, but that would make me like the others, wouldn't it?" I suddenly understood that she was hurting for herself, as much as for me. When did I get so self-centered, that I missed something so obvious about my loved ones?

"Ruth, I know this hurts you very much. I am so sorry, sweetheart. Go tell them what I said, and let her calm down. You can also tell them I'll buy the farm in the name of the two girls. That will protect them if that boy is no good."

Ruth went and did as I asked, and then came into my arms and cried. From upstairs I could hear the activity. Mary and Marian were scared of how I reacted, and trying to get their things together, so they could make their get-a-way in the morning, before I changed my mind.

That I could put a stop to.

"MARY!" I shouted to her. "Does your new man have a phone?"

Silence...

Then, a little timid... "Yes."

"Then call him and tell him to come for you right now." I could hear them talking among themselves and then on the phone. He'd come, and I needed to not be there when he did.

I took Ruth's hand and we walked up the hill in the moonlight. I let the moonlight minister to me with the gentle breeze and starlight. That calmed us, even though we both hurt. Ruth held onto me like she was afraid I'd disappear and leave her stranded alone and afraid.

"How is Martha taking all this? She was the one I thought would pick up and leave, not the other two."

Ruth almost laughed at me. "Noah, you aren't paying attention. Martha is totally devoted to you. After what she put you through with Caleb and the pregnancy scare, your loving, gentle, spirit has her drooling for you all day, every day. It wouldn't surprise me if she doesn't go back to the hamlet and try to find you two new wives to replace Mary and Marian.

"You have to face the truth, Noah. The two of us love you to pieces, and if you don't give us babies, we will still love you to the day we die..."

Mary and Marian were gone when we walked back down the valley. Martha was waiting for us in the big bed, crying. I held her until she cried herself off to sleep, and in the morning we called the hangar and took off for Lake Powell.

I had our staff drive the motor coach to Page, Arizona, where we spent a few days house-boating on Lake Powell. Once we were moved in and all provisioned, we took an extended road trip, visiting the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and the national parks throughout Utah. Then we drove up to Vancouver, Canada where we went sightseeing until we had two drivers meet us to pick up the coach, while we took the train through the Canadian Rockies to Banff. There we met back up with the coach and turned south to go to Denver.

Martha and Ruth were very determined to keep me happy in the bedroom, and our antics caused us to oversleep several times and extend our trip to make up for lost time. One night, in a lovely hotel suite in Western Canada, I petted Martha until she climaxed, then sat her on the side of the tub used my razor to finally shave her forest.

She was unsure at first, but let me have my way with her. When she felt and saw the finished product, she couldn't keep her hands off of herself, petting and stroking until she brought on her own climax. That turned her on so much, she called out for Ruth to come see what I'd done to her, and she told her in excruciating detail all about making herself orgasm.