by Janice Sims
Cady Sutton came to stand beside her. “Worried about him?” she asked, showing dimples in both cheeks. She, like the rest of the women, was dressed casually in slacks, a shirt and comfortable shoes. Traditionally they dressed for Christmas dinner but not for the meal the night before. After the meal, they would pile into cars and go to their church for the Christmas Eve service. The dress there was also casual because a lot of the families who attended were of modest means, and the clergy preferred a good turnout rather than a fashionable congregation.
At their church, the Christmas Eve service was all about the children. The congregation’s children put on a play, and mothers and fathers inevitably tried to capture it on film. It was Patrice’s favorite part of the holidays. She remembered portraying Mary when she was seven. She considered it her first starring role.
“No, I’m not worried about him,” she answered softly. “He’s a good rider. I just hope they don’t try to test him or something.”
“You know your father,” said her mother with a short laugh.
Yes, Patrice knew her father. He was a shameless practical joker, and he was probably pulling a prank on her unsuspecting sweetie right now. Her brothers would be happy to join in the fun.
T.K. could have sworn that Mr. Sutton was taking them in circles, and they had passed this way before. But he rode beside Patrice’s father without protesting. They were supposed to meet up with the other four men and head back to the ranch. He and Mr. Sutton had herded the cattle from the south end while the other four men had taken the north end, and now the cattle was grazing on the sparse grass that grew in the south field. He had been amazed at the size of the herd, more than seven hundred head. He’d never seen that many cows in one place before.
He supposed it was obvious to these Southwestern men that he was a city boy. He didn’t let that bother him, though. Like most new skills, he was excited about learning how to herd cattle the right way.
Suddenly Patrick Sutton pulled on his horse’s reins and stopped the animal. He listened intently. “What’s that?” He nervously peered behind them.
It was dusk, and although T.K. had twenty-twenty vision, it was difficult to clearly see anything in the distance because of snow flurries.
Then he heard something moving in the brush not twenty feet away from them. His mount whinnied and took a few steps backward as if it were afraid of whatever was in the brush. “Be perfectly still,” Patrick Sutton warned him. “I believe we’ve got a mountain lion on our trail.”
Instead of being afraid, T.K. was thrilled. He got to see a mountain lion in its natural habitat! He wished he had brought his digital camera with him. Wait, he had his phone on him, and it had a built-in camera. He was reaching inside his coat to retrieve his cell phone from his shirt pocket when Luke leaped from the cover of the brush with a growl that could have been that of a mountain lion.
“What the hell!” T.K. cried and almost fell off his horse.
Mr. Sutton laughed so hard he nearly fell off his horse. For a moment, T.K. looked from father to son, confused. Then he burst out laughing, too.
“What were you digging in your pocket for?” Mr. Sutton asked. “Were you going to call the police?”
“No,” T.K. admitted, “I thought I could get a photo of the mountain lion.”
Patrick Sutton really laughed then. “Son, that may not be the brightest idea.” He nudged his horse closer so he could fondly pound T.K. on the back. “You’re okay!”
Laughing, Luke, Patrick and the ranch hands, Jim and Charlie, came out of hiding then, and they rode companionably back to the ranch. T.K. had enjoyed his time with them.
Once they were back at the ranch, they took their horses to the stable, removed their saddles, rubbed the horses down, gave them fresh grain and water and then went into the ranch house through the kitchen door.
The women welcomed the six men back, wives going to their husbands to help them out of their coats and hanging them up. Patrice helped T.K. out of his coat. She watched him closely, trying to discern if his afternoon with the men had been a positive experience for him. He was looking at her just as intently, with longing. She could feel the sexual tension between them, like the air was charged with electricity. They had not made love since they’d been here. She didn’t feel comfortable being intimate in her parents’ house. He respected her wishes. But right now, he looked like he could kiss her until she passed out. Her temperature rose just thinking about it.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
T.K. bent and inhaled her scent. It turned him on more than he already had been. “God, I miss holding you,” he whispered.
Patrice blushed and said, “Yeah, I know how you feel.” She hung the coat on the rack near the door and walked back to him. “What happened out there?” she asked, concerned.
“I don’t know what you mean,” T.K. said. “We moved the cattle to the south pasture.”
“I know you moved the cattle to the south pasture,” whispered Patrice urgently. “I mean, what did my dad and my brothers do to you? I know them. They did something to test your mettle, as my daddy puts it.”
T.K. laughed shortly. “Darlin’, they were on their best behavior.” He wasn’t going to tell her about the mountain lion prank. He was in the men’s club now, and the best way to get out of it was by shooting off at the mouth about activities done in private. He would take his cue from her father and brothers. If they remained silent, so would he.
Soon they sat down to eat. Keira’s husband, Dr. Jorge Lopez, who was a general practitioner at a local hospital, had arrived and was sitting next to his wife at the table. Cady had seated all of the couples side by side except for herself and Patrick. He was at one end of the table, a ranch hand sitting near him and she was at the other end with a ranch hand next to her.
Everyone bowed their heads as Patrick Sr. said the prayer. “Father, we come to you on the eve of what many believe is your son’s day of birth. Now, it may be and it may not be, but you have to admit, Lord, our hearts are in the right place. Thanks for your blessings year-round. We try to always remember that material possessions come and go, but love for your family remains constant, as it should. So thank you for increasing our fold, two babies on the way. That’s the best news in a long time. Amen!”
“Amen,” everyone said, and conversation commenced as dishes were passed from person to person until everyone had filled their plates.
Patrice heard pieces of conversation at the large table, Keira asking Jorge if he was still on call or could spend the rest of the evening with her. He unfortunately had to return to the hospital after dinner. “Someone’s covering for me until I get back.”
Patrice’s heart had gone out to her sister when she saw the disappointment written on her pretty face. Being a doctor’s wife wasn’t easy.
Beside her Luke was asking T.K. how much of the stunt work he did in his movies. T.K. had laughed. “As few as I can. Generally, though, if you can see my face, it’s me.
“If you can’t, it’s probably a stuntman.”
Luke found this fascinating. “That was really you swinging from one building to another using a piece of the building’s awning?”
“Yeah, but I was only about fifteen feet off the ground,” T.K. told him. “There wasn’t much danger involved.”
“It looked like you were much higher than that,” Luke said, sounding disappointed.
“That’s the magic of movies,” T.K. said. “They make you believe you’re seeing what they want you to see.” T.K. began asking him questions. “Patty tells me you’re in college. What’re you majoring in?”
“Business administration,” Luke told him. “I’ll use what I learn to run the ranch more efficiently.” Luke looked sheepishly at his father who was sitting at the end of the table. “Pops won’t admit it, but he’s old school and things could run smoother around here.”
His father, who had sharp ears, couldn’t let that slide. “This ranch has run efficiently for over a hundr
ed years. There is nothing new under the sun about ranching. It’s hard work. You can’t calculate hard work on some computer. You have to get out there in the wind and the rain and the snow and do it!”
“Now, Patrick, that isn’t what Luke means,” Cady spoke up. Everyone’s attention was now on the argument between father and son. “He just thinks that with some financial planning you could get more of a return for all that hard work you do. I don’t see anything radical about his thinking. You hate doing the books anyway—always have. I end up doing them, and I’ll be happy when someone takes over the job!”
Patrick stared down the table at his wife, sitting at the opposite end. “I didn’t know that’s how you felt.”
“Well, now you do,” said Cady, sitting up straighter on her chair and giving him a defiant look. “So stop getting on Luke’s case every time he mentions running the ranch more efficiently.”
“Yes, Mrs. Sutton,” said Patrick Sr. obediently with a soft look in his eyes.
Patrice noticed everyone had gone back to their individual conversations now that the altercation between her parents had been amicably resolved. Or had it? Patrick Sr. got up out of his chair and strode to the end of the table, pulled Cady to her feet and hugged her. “You’re a spirited filly. That’s why I love you.” Then he kissed her.
Laughter and applause erupted from those around the table.
And kissed her…
“That’s right, Daddy Sutton, lay one on her!” Nina cried.
And kissed her…
“Um, Pops, your food’s getting cold,” Luke said nervously.
And kissed her…
“We’d just as well finish dinner,” Patrice said. “This might take a while.”
Finally, Patrick Sr. let his wife up for air. Cady was smiling and starry eyed. “You’re a damn good kisser. That’s why I married you.” She sighed and walked back to her chair at the table. “What is everybody looking at? Yes, mature people still have a passion for one another. Now eat!”
T.K. laughed softly at Patrice’s side. “I like your parents.”
“Apparently they still like each other pretty well, too,” Patrice said, smiling. She had been warmed by her parents’ display of long-held passion. She reached for T.K.’s hand and he gave it to her. “I’m glad you came.”
He smiled at her. “So am I.” He felt inspired at that moment, inspired by the love in this room and inspired by the woman at his side.
Still holding her hand, he rose, bringing her to a standing position with him. He cleared his throat. “I have something to say,” he announced.
He felt Patrice squeeze his hand. He pulled her close to his side, his arm wrapped around her, and he felt her relax against him. “I know my showing up with Patrice was a surprise. She didn’t call ahead to say she was bringing me, and I know some of you have been wondering why she brought me.” He looked at Nina specifically because he had overheard her speculating with Patrick about why Patrice had brought him home for Christmas. She’d said they were probably in love. “You were right, Nina,” he told her now.
Nina grinned and danced excitedly on her chair. “I knew it!”
“You knew what, sweetie?” asked Cady.
Looking into Patrice’s upturned face, T.K. said, “She knew that I’m in love with your daughter.”
“Son, anybody looking at you looking at her coulda told you that,” said Patrick Sr.
“I love him, too,” Patrice said softly.
This brought awed silence from her family. They knew Patrice didn’t take the love word lightly. This was a momentous occasion.
Cady’s eyes filled with tears. She picked up her cloth napkin and dabbed at them. Looking at T.K., she said, “Go on, son.”
Smiling, T.K.’s gaze went from Cady to Patrick Sr. “Mr. and Mrs. Sutton, I asked Patrice to bring me to meet you because I want to ask her to be my wife. This doesn’t come as a surprise to Patty because we’ve already discussed it. What she doesn’t know is that I’m going to ask her now, in front of her family.” He reached inside his shirt pocket and produced a beautiful diamond solitaire ring set in platinum.
“When did you…?” Patrice began, wondering when he’d had time to go ring shopping.
Then she remembered that man in the black suit who had shown up at his parents’ house with his lawyer. Patrice had thought they were in his dad’s study discussing the situation with Aisha, who had been temporarily appeased by a shopping trip for new clothes to fit her postpregnancy body. She had promised to think about her next step until after the New Year. Then they would sit down and figure out what was best for Mira. “Your lawyer brought the jeweler with him,” she said to T.K.
“Sharp mind,” T.K. said. He got down on one knee and the other women in the room let out a collective sigh. “Patrice Catherine Sutton, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He looked up at her with a hopeful, almost painful expression.
T.K. had to remember to breathe. What if she was too surprised by the gesture and wasn’t ready to say yes?
“Yes!” Patrice shouted.
“I think they heard that in Santa Fe,” Patrice’s dad joked amid good-natured laughter.
T.K. rose and put the ring on Patrice’s finger. It fit perfectly—another surprise. How had he known her ring size? She had noticed the gentleman in the black suit observing her a bit closely. At the time, she had thought he was kind of creepy. Now she supposed he was simply good at guessing a woman’s ring size.
Patrice kissed her fiancé. She never imagined she could be this happy. Everyone got up and congratulated them with hugs and kisses. Cady hugged her daughter so tightly that Patrice feared for her ribs. Looking into her eyes, Cady said, “This is the one who owns your heart, then?”
“Yes, Momma,” Patrice said, tears in her eyes.
“I’m happy for you,” said Cady. “He’s a good boy. Real strapping, too. You’ll have strong children.” She eyed Patrice. “You’re not…?”
Patrice laughed shortly. “No, Momma.”
Cady smiled. “I was hoping for three, but I shouldn’t be greedy.” She threw her arms around her daughter’s neck and hugged her again. “You can work on it on the honeymoon.”
Patrice continued to laugh as she received hugs from everyone else.
Finally, after things had settled down, the meal was eaten and a sense of calm descended on the diners. There was plenty to be grateful for that day.
Outside, snow fell, and the luminarias, although in some of the paper bags the candles had gone out, continued to illuminate the cold night.
Chapter 12
On Christmas morning, everyone gathered around the kitchen table for breakfast. Patrick and Nina had stayed over, as had Keira, who saw no point in going home since her husband wouldn’t be there. Patrice had gotten up early to help her mother prepare a big breakfast of homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs, sausages, fresh fruit and coffee.
T.K. strode into the room looking well-rested and handsome in his Western wear. He smiled at those assembled there. He was the last to arrive. The ranch hands, Jim and Charlie, who both appeared to him to be Native American, were at the table. He supposed they didn’t have family in the area with which to spend Christmas. The Suttons treated them like family.
“Good morning,” he said heartily. Everyone returned his greeting.
Patrice kissed him on the cheek. “Good morning,” she said softly. “Sleep well?”
“Not without you,” he whispered and took great delight in seeing her blush.
After everyone was seated, Cady said the blessing. “Dear Lord, thank you for another beautiful day, and yesterday wasn’t bad, either. Amen.”
“She’s more succinct than your dad,” said T.K. to Patrice.
Patrice smiled. She was glad he liked her parents. “She’s a woman of few words but plenty of action, like her eldest daughter.”
She blushed again when she realized what she had sounded like. Or perhaps her mind was hearing sexual innuendos where the
re were none because she wanted T.K. so badly. Now that she had made love to him, she knew exactly what he felt like, and she missed that closeness. After three days without him, the deprivation was beginning to affect her.
T.K. didn’t appear to associate the word action with anything sexual, though. She smiled at him again and began eating. His gaze went to her naked ring finger. “Where’s your ring?”
“In my room,” she said. “You don’t think I’m going to wear it while kneading biscuit dough?”
“I bought it for you to wear during everyday activities,” T.K. said casually. “It’s just a ring, babe. If it breaks I’ll get you another one.”
Patrice gave him a steely-eyed glare. “It’s not just a ring. It’s the one you picked out for me, and I’m going to take care of it. Tell your alter ego that I want Trevor back.”
They were trying to keep their voices down, but it was apparent to the others at the table that an argument was brewing.
“Have you two thought about a wedding date yet?” Nina interrupted them, hoping to dispel the bad vibes. “I’ve always thought spring was the perfect time for a wedding.”
“Oh, yes, it’ll be beautiful here in Albuquerque in the spring,” Cady said. “You are going to have it in our church, aren’t you?”
T.K. was grateful for the interruption. He didn’t know why Patrice had gotten testy with him when he had mentioned buying another ring if something happened to the five-carat solitaire. He thought he was being magnanimous. He knew she had admitted she was frugal, but he was one of the richest men in the country. What did the cost of an engagement ring matter to him?
Patrice ignored the overtures to ease the tension between her and T.K. She had to make him understand once and for all that material possessions weren’t to be tossed about like confetti. Yeah, he was stinking rich, but that didn’t mean he could be so nonchalant about a ring that he’d given her out of love. If something like that was interchangeable to him, what about her? Was she interchangeable as well?
