Justin raised his hand. “I’m grateful for the Longhorn Canyon Ranch and all the sacrifices that went on even before our time that has kept it running.”
Retta wiped one lonesome tear from her cheek. “I’m thankful that Cade hired me to supervise a cabin full of little girls back in the summer. I’m not sure I ever believed in fate, but I do now because it’s brought me love and happiness.”
“My cats and that Aunt Claire can’t drive too good on ice,” Zaylie piped up when the adults looked at her.
All eyes went to Levi.
“Family, friends, and tastes of heaven,” he said.
Then everyone shifted their gaze to Claire.
Two dots of color flushed her cheeks. “That Levi rescued us.”
“We’ve got a lot to be thankful for.” Cade pushed back his chair and picked up the carving knife. “And we want to thank you, Claire, for all you’ve done today to make this a great Thanksgiving.”
“Amen!” voices said, blending together in agreement.
Zaylie held up her plate. “I want one of them legs.”
“And I’ll share it with her,” Claire said.
After dinner, everyone helped with cleanup and then went right back to the living room to watch another ball game. Retta curled up next to Cade on the sofa and fell asleep. Zaylie stretched out on the floor with her arm around Beau, and they had a kid and dog snoring contest. Justin leaned his head back in a recliner during a commercial, and before it ended he was napping.
Claire had kicked off her shoes and had drawn her feet up under her on the love seat. She looked downright cute in those tight jeans and an orange T-shirt with HAPPY FALL Y’ALL embroidered across the front.
“Looks like we’re the only ones awake. You’ve traveled a lot, different countries as well as states. Of all the places you’ve ever lived, which was your favorite?” Levi asked.
“The little house in Randlett with Nanny,” she answered without a second’s pause.
“Why?” He was shocked at her answer.
“It was more like a home instead of a house,” she answered.
“What’s the difference in the two?”
“I like to think of home as a feeling, not a place. It’s where a person feels loved and, well, words don’t actually describe what it’s like to feel like you are home,” she answered.
“I felt all that at Mavis and Skip’s place. I was born in Bowie and my mama brought me home to their house. Other than this ranch, that’s the only place I ever lived,” he said.
“Your mama must have loved you very much,” Claire said.
Levi felt his jaw drop. “Why would you say that? She abandoned me.”
“No, she saw that you had a home and chose to leave you in it.” Claire’s dark brows knit together. “I lived with a mother and father both, at least most of the time. This is hard to explain, but feeling like you’re a nuisance…” She paused as if searching for the right word and then went on. “Did you ever think that maybe she loved the new husband, but she wasn’t sure how you’d feel about being uprooted from the only home you’d ever known? She had to have known that Mavis and Skip loved you and were willing to raise you in a wonderful home. From what little y’all have told me about them this week, I’d say they are amazing people,” Claire answered.
Home—she’d said home, not house. And Levi had surely had that his whole life. First in his growing-up years. And then when he’d graduated from high school and the Maguires gave him a job and a room in their home—there was that word again—as part of his benefit package to help Justin on the ranch until Cade could finish his degree. Then they’d given the ranch to the boys, and he’d been made foreman. So yes, he’d always had a stable home.
“I never looked at it like that,” Levi said. “If Randlett is the place you liked best, then why are you leaving?”
“I want to expand my business, and there’s no opportunity there.” She went on to tell him that the house had been left for her and Grant together.
“Have you always thought about everyone but yourself?” Levi asked.
“I’d say that moving to a new place and starting up a business is thinking about myself,” she told him.
“Not really,” Levi argued. “It’s thinking about your brother needing a place to live when he needs it.”
“Then why do I feel guilty about it?” she asked.
“Why should you feel like that? Sounds to me like you’ve pretty much taken care of folks your whole life. It’s time for you to do something that you want to do,” Levi answered.
“Who’s winnin’?” Cade yawned and pointed toward the television.
Levi quickly glanced that way and rattled off the scores. “Looks like you might owe Retta another five bucks if your team don’t get their heads together and start playin’ some offensive ball.”
“Did I hear my name?” Retta asked. “And is there any more of that pecan pie?”
“Yes you did, and yes there was one more slice when I checked last time,” Levi said. “Want me to get you a slice? I’m on my way to the kitchen for a beer.”
“Love it,” Retta said.
Justin awoke, stood up, and rolled the kinks from his neck. “I’ll go with you. I’m thinkin’ about a piece of that banana nut cake.”
“You could bring me a cold beer,” Cade yelled as Justin and Levi made their way toward the kitchen.
“I was awake for part of that conversation,” Justin confessed. “Claire is a smart woman, and I can tell that you are definitely interested in her.”
“And you aren’t even a little bit interested?” Levi asked.
Justin had far more to offer a woman than he did—place, prestige, all of it. He was half owner of the Longhorn Canyon Ranch. He was a good-lookin’ cowboy with maybe even more swagger than Levi.
“No sparks. She’s cute, but…” Justin’s shoulders raised slightly in half a shrug.
“But?” Levi asked.
“Just that. Cute, smart, and funny, but no sparks. If I can’t have the whole package I’ll be the bachelor uncle to Cade and Retta’s kids. I want what they’ve got, and I’m not going to settle for anything else.”
Levi nodded. “Don’t we all?”
Chapter Seven
Claire knew from past experience with Zaylie’s mother that one good day in the first trimester did not mean that morning sickness was completely over. So it wasn’t a surprise when she found Retta in the bathroom on Friday morning. Or that she could hear Cade in there with her. Claire hadn’t even gotten her coat hung on the hall tree in the foyer when Cade carried Retta out of the bathroom and laid her on the sofa.
“I know it will be worth it in the end,” Retta said. “But I hate being sick.”
“I know, darlin’. I’m so sorry that you have to go through this.” Cade washed her face with a wet cloth.
Claire slipped away into the kitchen where Zaylie was already on a chair on the other side of the bar with a biscuit cutter in her hand. “Is today Christmas tree day?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. If we were home in Randlett it would be, but this isn’t our house. I’m not sure when Retta and Cade start decorating, but we can ask them,” Claire answered. “Well, would you look at that?”
“What?” Zaylie’s eyes darted around the room.
“The roof is dripping. The snow and ice is starting to thaw. We might be able to go home day after tomorrow,” Claire said.
“I’ll be glad to drive you.” Levi entered the kitchen.
He was dressed in faded jeans and a long-sleeved knit shirt, but his hair still looked like he’d combed it with a hay rake. When he caught her staring at it, he ran his fingers through it.
“Yes!” Zaylie pumped her little fist in the air. “I want Levi to drive us. Oh no!” Her hands went to her cheeks, and her eyes got huge. “That’s tomorrow and then the next day, and we’ll leave. What about my kittens?” Tears welled up in her eyes and began to run down her cheeks and drip on her shirt. “And Beau?” Sh
e sobbed and moved her little hands up to cover her eyes. “And Little Bit?” She sat down on the floor and got the hiccups. “Oh, we can’t leave, Aunt Claire. We just can’t.”
Levi sat down beside the little girl and pulled her onto his lap. “Well, you could stay a few more days.” He patted her back and looked up at Claire. “I just talked to Mavis, and she’s called the Harris family. They can’t get up here until Wednesday for you to see the house, and they would rather be the ones to show you around. If you just stay on a bit longer, it would save you a trip back down here.”
No matter when they left, there would be a scene, so Claire figured she might as well get it over with in a couple of days rather than prolonging the issue. But when Zaylie’s blue eyes begged her to say yes, she simply couldn’t say no.
“Okay, but only until Wednesday, and then we’re leaving,” Claire said.
“Yay!” She jumped up out of Levi’s lap and wrapped her arms around Claire. “I love you to the moon and back. Can we put up a Christmas tree here?”
“Yes, you can, princess.” Levi got to his feet. “We put up the tree and decorate the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is tomorrow.”
“And we’d love to have your help, Zaylie.” Justin yawned as he crossed the floor and poured a cup of coffee.
“Princess Zaylie. Levi said so.” She grinned.
“Pardon me.” Justin bent at the waist and kissed her hand. “My mistake. It won’t happen again.”
Zaylie giggled. “Will you marry me when I get old, Justin? You can be the prince like in Cinderella.”
“Oh, honey, when you get to the age that you’re thinkin’ about boys, I’ll be old and gray haired. Besides, I figured you’d want to marry Levi since he rescued you,” Justin teased.
“That’s in Snow White and I’m Cinderella,” she said. “I can’t marry Levi because Aunt Claire is going to do that.”
Instantly, heat flushed into Claire’s cheeks, and she looked up to see Levi staring right at her.
“Zaylie Noelle Mason! Why would you say that?” she gasped.
“Because you are Snow White and I’m Cinderella. Remember?” Zaylie put up her palms in frustration.
“You are so right.” Claire quickly explained, “On Halloween, I dressed up like Snow White and she was Cinderella.”
“So you think I’m the prince that wakes Snow White with a kiss?” Levi asked.
“Yep, and then you’ll live happy ever after.” Zaylie nodded. “Come on, Justin, let’s go see if Retta is feelin’ better.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the living room. “I sure wish she’d have that baby today so I could hold it.”
Claire whipped around to stir up the biscuit dough and hoped that her beet-red face didn’t cook the dough right there in the bowl. She felt Levi’s presence before he spoke, his warm breath warming her neck. “You think that the princess is clairvoyant?”
“No, sir, I do not!” Her tone was so squeaky that she didn’t even recognize it as her own voice. “And if a witch shows up at the back door with a pretty apple, I’ll be sure to shoot her sorry ass.”
“Well, in case you are hungry and eat the apple, I’ll do my best to wake you with a kiss,” he whispered, and was gone before she could smart off an answer.
The rest of the day Levi was in and out of the house for meals, but there were no more little moments when Claire was alone with him. Mavis called right after breakfast to tell her that the Harrises would be ready to show her the house at four o’clock on Wednesday afternoon. She fretted all day about whether to take Zaylie with her or to ask Retta if she would babysit for a couple of hours. If she took her, then Zaylie would tell Grant, and she’d like to have everything set in stone before she said a word to her brother.
Maybe it was so that he couldn’t talk her out of her decision to leave Randlett. To him, it would be downright crazy to sink the majority of her savings account into a house when she already had one for free. He’d try to talk her out of it, and down deep in her heart, she felt like she was doing the right thing.
That night she tossed and turned, had trouble getting to sleep and then woke up every two hours. She’d settled into a pretty routine life years ago, and now everything was changing; it was exciting and scary at the same time.
The next morning the roads had cleared enough that the hired hands could get to the ranch, so Justin and Cade took a lunch with them, and Levi was sent to Wichita Falls for a big load of some kind of special feed.
She’d gotten the kitchen put back to rights and was thinking about what to have for lunch since the guys wouldn’t be there, when the phone rang.
“Can you get that?” Retta called from the living room. “I don’t want to move an inch.”
“Longhorn Canyon,” Claire answered.
“Hey, it’s Levi. I’m passing the old Harris place right now and thought I’d give you a call and tell you what I see, now that you’re interested in this place. The roof looks solid, but the house could use a coat of paint come spring. I’d be glad to help. Bet between the two of us we could get it done in a weekend,” he said.
Immediately her I-can-do-it-myself attitude rose up, and she opened her mouth to tell him as much, but then she remembered the strawberries. “I haven’t even bought the place yet, but thank you for the offer.”
“Sure thing. You want me to watch Zaylie while you go look at the place? We should be able to let Little Bit out into the corral by then, and she can play with him,” Levi said. “It’d be hard to talk business with her running from room to room and asking a million questions.”
Claire swallowed a ton of pride. “She’d love that, and I appreciate you thinking of it.” She took a deep breath. Asking for a favor wasn’t easy, but there was no way around it. “Would it be all right if I drive the work truck that day?”
“Not a problem, or you can borrow my truck, either one. Your choice,” Levi said. “Is Zaylie getting excited about putting up the tree?”
“Oh yes! She’s boring Retta to tears talking about it,” Claire answered. “I should go in there and give Retta some relief, but thanks again for the help.”
“I’m here for you. See you later,” he said.
“Bye.” She put the house phone back on the base.
By evening Retta was feeling well enough to help put up the Christmas tree. As they waited for the guys to come back with the tree and all the trimmings, she told Claire, “I just want you to know that I like having you and Zaylie here, and you two are welcome to stay as long as you like. You should definitely come for our big ranch party here before Christmas.”
“When is this party?” Claire asked.
“It’s always the first Saturday in December,” she said. “If you want to stay until then, you’d be right here close to Sunset. That’s sayin’ that you like the Harris place and decide to put in a business there.”
Zaylie whipped around from the window where she’d been watching for the guys to bring in the tree and decorations. “A party! Right here! Can I go to it?”
Retta pulled her close for a hug. “You are sure enough invited. There will be lots of little kids there. According to the guys, it’s a family affair, and we get to dress up.”
Zaylie’s eyes almost popped right out of her head. “For real. Like Cinderella.”
“Maybe not that dressed up but in a pretty Sunday school dress,” Retta answered.
“And you, Miz Zaylie”—Levi entered the living room with a long box on his shoulder—“would look like a princess even if you just wore your jeans. Reckon you could hold the door open for Justin and Cade? They’re right behind me with all the boxes of decorations.”
“Yep, I can.” Zaylie ran that way.
Children usually adapted better than adults, but Claire was still amazed that Zaylie had fit right into the ranch so quickly.
So did you, the pesky little voice in her head said. Other than that little bout of fear in the cabin, it’s like you’re visiting your closest friends or family.
“So do y’all have a big tree at your house or just a little one?” Levi glanced at Claire as he put the box on the floor.
“We have a four-foot one. The house is small, so that pretty much fills up the living room,” Claire answered.
“When will you put yours up?” Retta asked.
Claire wasn’t sure how to answer that. With this new idea thrown out concerning her staying two more weeks—well, she’d have to think long and hard about that. “Probably when we get back to Randlett. It looks like Grant will be finished in time for the holidays, and I want to have things ready.”
Zaylie hopped around on one foot. “I get two trees this year!”
“Sounds like it.” Levi followed Justin and Cade inside. Each of them had a box or two on his shoulders. “That’s all of the tree stuff. Y’all ready to get this show on the road?”
Cade opened the big box with a Christmas tree on the front and got busy putting the tree branches on the tall center section. “I keep tellin’ the guys that we need one of those things that you just pop out of the box and it already has the lights on it.”
“But what’s the fun in that?” Justin chuckled. “Dad always fussed about havin’ to get all the branches perfect so that Mama would be happy. And Mama griped because he thought his work was done when he got the tree positioned according to Mama’s instruction. This brings back memories.”
“What are your memories?” Levi bumped a shoulder against Claire’s.
“The lady who cleaned our house usually put up the tree about a week before the holiday,” Claire answered. “When we were growing up, holidays meant work-related parties. But Grant and I have tried to make our Christmas a lot more personal.” Claire turned to Retta. “How about your traditions before you came to the ranch?”
“My folks loved Christmas. We had a party every year for the neighbors and their church family and went to several just like it. Mama loved a real tree, so we’d go to the woods and Daddy would cut it down, and then we’d decorate it.” She opened a box and began to lay the ornaments out on the coffee table. “It’s my first Christmas on the ranch, and my holiday season as Mrs. Cade Maguire, and I’m looking forward to some new traditions too—like hanging the ornament Benjy gave us for our wedding gift.”
Cowboy Honor--Includes a bonus novella Page 10
