Cowboy Brave

by Carolyn Brown

  She shook her head slowly. She’d rather go inside the ranch house for sure and avoid the ladies a while longer. “I should get on back to be sure no one drowned or fell getting in and out of the tub, and it sounds like you’re supposed to be doing something else, anyway.”

  Justin stopped at the edge of the bunkhouse porch. “Tell me again why these spry folks are in a home anyway?”

  “Loneliness,” she said. “Pure and simple. They don’t have family. Each of them have their own little apartment, and since Otis still has a driver’s license, he has a car, so they can leave pretty often for a movie or to go out to eat. They have some problems but not too many for folks who’ve passed the seventy milestone.”

  “Poor old darlin’s. I’d hate to come to the end of my life and not have family around me. I want kids and grandkids and hopefully even great-grands.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Good night, Emily.”

  “Night,” she muttered.

  She didn’t go inside right away but stood in the deep shadows of the porch and watched him until he reached the house. With a long sigh, she finally opened the door to find the three ladies lined up on the sofa. They were wearing chenille robes of various colors, and their wet hair gave testimony that at one time or another, they’d all been in the tub or shower.

  “Where you been? Out kissin’ on Justin?” Patsy giggled.

  Bess poked a bony finger on Patsy’s shoulder. “Ladies don’t kiss and tell.”

  Emily took a deep breath. “I want you to promise me that there’ll be no shenanigans tomorrow.”

  “We was talkin’ about that before you caught us skinny-dippin’,” Patsy said.

  “Just so you don’t put all the blame on the short folks.” Sarah ran a comb through her chin length hair and tucked it behind her ears. “Me and Larry had our turn when the water went cold and they got out. Had to run another tub full. It was so freeing that I thought I was a teenager again. My boobs even floated! First time they’ve been lifted up without support in years.”

  “We’ve had so much fun this week, it’s been like we were stars in that movie Cocoon,” Bess said. “Did you notice that me and Patsy didn’t even argue as much as usual?”

  No matter how hard she tried, Emily couldn’t keep the grin at bay, not even by biting her lip. Nor the guilt from her heart for being judgmental about what they were doing. They were, as one of them said early on, over twenty-one, and no one forced them to do anything. So what if they’d done some pretty risqué and crazy things. It had made them happy.

  “And if I die tomorrow, I’ll go out with this big smile on my face that the undertaker won’t be able to undo.” Sarah sighed. “This was better than going to Disneyland as a kid.”

  “Hell, honey, this was better than a chocolate brownie with chocolate chip ice cream and pecans on the top,” Patsy said. “And now I’m going to bed to dream of all the fun we’ve had. Thank you, Emily, for giving us old folks some precious memories. And—” She lowered her voice. “If I die before Sarah, promise me you’ll put all the pictures you took in my casket with me. Even in eternity, I don’t want to take a chance on my memory going bad and forgetting what this has meant to us.”

  Now Emily was getting all misty eyed. “Y’all are…”

  “Family,” Bess said. “And you’re our precious baby girl.”

  “Thank you.” Emily blinked back tears. “Now you’d best get some beauty rest. I hear we’re meeting Skip and Mavis and Benjy tomorrow evening. We’ll spend the day getting ready for the party. I’m volunteering to do nails and hair.”

  “Thank God!” Bess said. “Patsy’s hair looks like an old mop that’s been hung upside down on the clothesline to dry.”

  “Well, yours looks like a pot full of spaghetti,” Patsy shot back.

  “Oh, both of you stop your bitchin’,” Sarah said. “Emily will you do my makeup? I always look like a clown when I do it.”

  “Of course I will. And I’ll French braid you hair.”

  “Mine too?” Bess asked.

  “Sure thing,” Emily agreed. “And we’ll use a curling iron on Patsy’s to make her beautiful. Now I’m going to bed. Sweet dreams to the bunch of you.”

  “Come on, girls. We’ve got to go get our snorin’ done so we can par—tee.” Sarah dragged out the last word like a teenager.

  After a quick shower, Emily stretched out on the twin bed and laced her hands behind her back. She’d experienced more emotions this week than she had in years—from aggravation, to embarrassment, to tears, to downright steamy hot desire. And now after that make-out session in the barn, she had mixed feelings about what she would say to Justin when and if he ever did call and ask her out.

  Chapter Eight

  Just as Emily and the three ladies were about to leave the bunkhouse and go to the ranch house for breakfast on Saturday morning, her phone rang. Seeing that it was her grandmother, she answered it as she stepped out onto the porch. “Hold on, Granny. I need to get something done right fast and then we’ll talk.” Emily turned to the ladies. “Y’all go on. I’ll catch up.”

  “Honey, you talk to her as long as you need to,” Sarah said. “I’ll keep these two in line.”

  “Hmmph!” Patsy snorted. “As if you could ever make me behave.”

  “I may not be the hussy you are, girlfriend, but I’m bigger than you, and if all else fails, I’ll just knock the shit out of you,” Sarah told her and then smiled. “We’ll all be sweet little old ladies, Emily. Talk to your granny.”

  “Okay, Granny, I’m here,” Emily said.

  “Who was that talkin’?” Opal asked.

  “Sarah and Patsy. Bess is with them. Remember I told you last week that I was bringing them to the ranch for a field trip,” Emily answered.

  “I’d forgotten. So you’re still there?”

  “Yes, ma’am. What’s goin’ on at the Big Sky Ranch?”

  “We’re busier than ever. We could use your help. I wish you’d get over this fancy notion of yours and come home,” Opal said. “Lost a calf last night. If you’d been here, it would’ve lived. I just know it.”

  “Granny, we’ve been over this a hundred times.” Emily sighed.

  “We’ll go over it some more before it’s all said and done,” Opal said. “Maybe you’ll get so tired of hearing it that you will get your fanny back here.”

  “Granny, I love you, but I’ve got a job to do here. Can we talk later, like tomorrow or some evening next week?” Emily asked.

  “Of course, but I hate that I got to make an appointment to talk to you.” Opal sighed. “But you go on and spend your time with the other old ladies that you take care of every day. I’ll just take a number and wait.”

  Your guilt trip won’t work on me. I’m happy where I am and with what I’m doing.

  “I love you, Granny. Sending hugs and kisses,” Emily said.

  A long, noisy sigh. “I guess I’ll take what I can get. Have a good day, honey.”

  Emily tossed the phone on the sofa, grabbed her coat, and jogged all the way to the house. She took a moment to catch her breath before she followed the conversation to the kitchen. She peeked around the corner to find all of her five folks plus the rest of the family ready to sit down to breakfast.

  “Hey, come on in here and meet Mavis.” Sarah motioned toward her.

  She took a couple of steps inside the room. “I’m so sorry, Retta. I had a phone call from my granny and…”

  “No problem. Talk to your grandparents every chance you get. I wish mine were still living so I could visit with them. I’ve had plenty of help this morning. Everyone needs to grab a chair. Emily, this is Mavis. That tall feller is Skip, and the boy over there by him is Benjy. Now let’s eat before the gravy gets cold.” Retta lowered her voice. “Don’t know if anyone has told you but Benjy is autistic.”

  He was a cute kid, kind of big for his age. Emily had dealt with similar kids in her previous job so she knew that they didn’t like to be hugged or pressured into conversation.
Benjy’s issue had to be minor because he was sitting beside Otis and talking a mile a minute about ranching.

  “You were a rancher? Why did you quit? That’s the best job in the whole world,” Benjy asked.

  “Yes, sir, I sure was.” Otis nodded. “I quit because I got too old to do the work by myself, and it was lonely on the ranch after my wife died. I agree with you, son. It is the best job in the world, and I’m mighty proud that we got to spend this week on the ranch. It was like goin’ home to us. Are you goin’ to be a rancher when you grow up?” Otis asked.

  “I’m one now. I have a goat and a sheep that I’ll show in the Montague County Livestock Show in a couple of weeks. Did you know that goat meat is lower in fat and cholesterol compared to beef, pork, mutton, and poultry? Goats’ milk is easily digestible and less allergenic than cow’s milk. Goat milk is higher in calcium, vitamin A, and niacin than cows’ milk.”

  “I did not know all that. I’ve never eaten goat. Have you?” Otis asked with a perfectly straight face.

  Benjy shook his head. “And I’m not going to eat Dolly, either. She will be a breeder after the show. But I will try the milk if she ever gives any. Goats were domesticated by man in 10,000 BC and were the first animals to be used for milk by humans. And since it is high in all those vitamins, it will be good for me. You and I can be friends, Otis. We can talk about goats and sheep, and you can go with me to the barn to work when we get done eating. I like you.”

  Justin almost dropped his fork, and Cade stared at the boy like he had horns sprouting out of his red hair.

  “I like you too, and I’d love to be your friend. You are very smart. Maybe you can teach me a few things.” Otis passed the biscuits to him.

  “And maybe you can teach me too.” Benjy put two on his plate. “I have to muck out the stables and brush Little Bit, the donkey. He looks forward to his grooming once a week. Miniature donkeys have intelligence that is superior to all other farm animals. They’re easily trained.”

  “I would love to go with you,” Otis said. “Would you mind if we invite Larry to go with us?”

  Benjy studied Larry for a while before he spoke. “Skip says that you draw things.”

  “Yes, I do, but I’m not the artist that you are. I draw plans for houses and barns and buildings.” Larry waved to take in all the pictures on the dining room walls. “You have a very good eye. These pictures are amazing.”

  “Thank you.” Benjy stared at his plate. “You can go with us, Larry. Maybe you can help me draw plans for my new sheep building. It should be big enough for Dolly and her friend, Emmy Lou. Sheep are like family. They need more than one to be happy.”

  “I’d be glad to help you with plans.” Larry nodded.

  Emily laid a hand on Justin’s leg under the table. He jumped like he’d been shot and raised an eyebrow.

  “What’s happening here? I thought Benjy didn’t make friends,” she said.

  “Be damned if I know. Must be the age thing. Only one he ever made friends with that fast was Skip,” Justin said out of the side of his mouth. “It’s a good thing. He’ll keep Otis and Larry occupied all day, and they won’t get into trouble.”

  “Thank God,” Emily whispered.

  “Okay, let’s talk about what all we’ve got to do today,” Gloria said from the other end of the table. “Justin and I will be spending the day in the office, getting the taxes all ready to go to the CPA.”

  “I’ve already done that,” Retta said. “Took all the paperwork in the week before you arrived.”

  “Well, then Justin and I have some errands to run,” she said.

  “We need him on the ranch, Mama,” Cade said. “You know how busy we are right now.”

  “Then he shouldn’t have taken the whole day off yesterday,” Gloria snapped.

  “I didn’t,” Justin said. “I was gone all of two hours, and I picked up supplies while I was in town.”

  It didn’t take a genius to know that Gloria didn’t want Justin spending so much time around the Fab Five. Especially when she pushed back her chair and said in a tone so cold that it could have turned the devil’s pitchfork from red to blue, “Then I’ll go to Wichita Falls by myself.” She laid a hand on Justin’s shoulder and sighed as she left the room. In a couple of minutes, Emily heard the noise of a truck engine.

  Mavis took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “She’s not happy, and you know what that means.”

  Vernon chuckled. “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”

  “You got it.” Mavis had the same kinky hairdo and the same twinkle in her eyes as Patsy.

  “Shopping always makes her feel better,” Justin said.

  “Makes all of us happy,” Mavis agreed and then leaned around Skip and asked Retta, “Hey, where’s Claire and Levi? I got so involved with meetin’ all these new folks that I just realized we’re missin’ two.”

  “Levi is on his way. They had breakfast at home,” Retta said. “But she’ll be here for the pizza party tonight.”

  “Good,” Sarah said. “I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to her about coming to the center and giving us a quilting lesson. I used to do a lot of that so it’d be fun if she can work it in.”

  Mavis sent a platter of bacon and eggs around. “Why don’t y’all just go down to the shop on the fourth Thursday of every month? She’s lined up free quilting lessons for everyone. I’m going for sure.”

  Patsy turned to Emily. “Can we do that?”

  “Of course you can. I’ll drive you and me, and Larry will wait outside for you or else drive on out here to see what’s goin’ on,” Otis said.

  “You’ll have to check with the supervisor. Rules state you can have a car but you have to stay in the county, and if you go another mile or two south of Sunset, you’ll be out of the county, so you’ll have to be careful,” Emily said. “If our supervisor says it’s all right for Otis to take y’all, then I’ll get out the two sewing machines in the activity center and you can work on your quilt tops from one lesson to the next.”

  “And if the supervisor says no, just call me,” Mavis offered. “I’ll be glad to drive over and get the ladies for the afternoon. We can have the lesson and then maybe have some coffee or ice cream before I have to take you back.”

  “That’s sweet and we’ll sure take you up on it,” Bess said. “It’d be fun to get out for a day.”

  Mavis buttered a biscuit and reached for the strawberry jam. “I’ll be sure you have my number before you leave. Are y’all stayin’ for church tomorrow? We’re having our Valentine’s Day potluck after services. You’d all be welcome to join us.”

  “We need to go to church to atone for our sins for this week.” Patsy sighed. “The reason we got into so much trouble was because we ain’t been to church in a long time. The services they have at the center ain’t the real deal. We need to have singin’ and testifyin’ and some real preachin’ to get us back in line.”

  “Well, I can certainly agree with that, so yes, we can go to church as a group tomorrow.” Emily nodded. “We’ll need to be back by mid-afternoon at the latest. If y’all would have everything packed and in the van before we leave we could go from the church to the center, and you could spend a little more time at the potluck.”

  Otis saluted smartly. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Were you in the military?” Benjy asked. “A salute is the sign of respect. But if a sniper is suspected, it is forbidden, because the enemy could use that to recognize officers as targets.”

  “No, son, I wasn’t in the military,” Otis answered. “But I do respect Miz Emily very much. Larry was in the army during the Vietnam era. He did two tours over there.”

  “Vietnam was the second longest war in our history. Thank you for your service, Larry,” Benjy said, seriously.

  Larry’s eyes misted over, but he sat up a little straighter and taller in his chair. “Thank you, son. I appreciate that.”

  “How does he know so much?” Emily whispered to Justin.

/>   “He reads all the time, and he has an eidetic memory. The doctors say that some autistic kids have it, but it’s very rare. Guess he’s one of the few,” Justin answered.

  She shot a look across the table at the boy, big for his age—if she were just a few years older, he could be her son. Her grandmother was constantly telling her that her biological clock was ticking loudly, but even looking at that precious child didn’t make her regret not getting married right out of high school and starting a family. She glanced around the table. Why did she even need to think about children? She hadn’t gotten the Fab Five raised yet.

  Justin picked up the tablecloth on one end, and Emily gathered up the other one. They carefully folded it so that the crumbs all fell to the inside, and then carried it out to the back porch to shake it.

  “What’s on your agenda today?” he asked.

  “Got to get ready for the party tonight. The ladies want me to do hair and makeup,” she answered.

  He dropped the cloth on the porch and tipped her chin up with his knuckles. “I’ve wanted to kiss you all morning.”

  Her lips were so soft, and every single time he kissed her, he felt a deep stirring. Call it sparks, chemistry, electricity, or whatever other word folks used when two people were drawn to each other, but Justin could feel it all.

  “Since we’ve already done this several times,” he whispered softly in her ear, “are you going to leave me at the door on our first date without even a good night kiss?”

  “Never know until we have that date,” she teased.

  “Remember that I’m irresistible.” He grinned.

  “Yep, you are.” She picked up the tablecloth and carried it inside to the utility room.

  “Are you serious?” he asked right behind her.

  “You said it. I believe you.”

  “Now you’re joking.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” She brushed a sweet kiss across his cheek. “Now, I’ve got to get down to the bunkhouse. I don’t have to tell you what happens when the Five are left alone, and this is their last day. What if they’re saving the worst thing of all until now?”