“It’s possible,” Isabella said, raising an eyebrow, “but no peeking.”
After the gifts were unloaded, Russ, with Rich’s help, brought in their belongings for spending the night. “Mom?” he called. “Where are we sleeping?” He’d already realized there would be a problem. He was waiting for it to hit Isabella.
“This way, son. I’ll show you. You’re one of the lucky ones. You get a bedroom. Of course, most of your cousins are going to the bachelor pad.”
“The what?” Isabella asked. She thought she’d already learned everything about the Randalls.
B.J. leaned over and said, “It’s a bunkhouse we built for all the boys. They still take their meals with us, but it clears up a lot of bathroom lines and yelling and screaming.”
“I can imagine. That was a good idea.”
Her mind continued to think about the housing problem when everyone came home for Christmas. Then it hit her.
Bedroom. They would only get one bedroom. For the three of them.
One bedroom. One bed. Janie had opened a closed door and Isabella’s eyes immediately confirmed her surmise.
“Sorry we’re so crowded, Izzy. But it’s just for one night. Is that all right?”
Isabella read the concern on Janie’s face. She was afraid her new daughter-in-law was going to make a fuss. And Russ stared at her, too, his gaze calm and reassuring.
“It will be fine, Mom. Thanks for giving us a bedroom to ourselves.”
Janie kissed her on the cheek. “There’s a crib for Angel, too, so big old Russ won’t roll over her.”
“Mom! I wouldn’t.”
“In your sleep you might. Settle in and then come downstairs. Have you had lunch?”
“We have. My wife keeps me well fed.”
“Good. You could use a few more pounds.”
Isabella laughed at the outrage on Russ’s face.
“This family is so much fun,” she said when Russ turned to protest. “Thank you so much for bringing me into it.”
Janie kissed her cheek again. “We’re the lucky ones, Izzy.” Then she dashed out the door and down the stairs.
Quietly Russ said, “Thanks for not making a fuss about the one bed. Mom was worried about it.”
“I know. I could tell. I can sleep on the floor or—”
“We’ll both sleep in the bed, Izzy. I’m not a monster who can’t control himself. It’s a king-size bed, after all. There’s plenty of room.”
After looking at him for several seconds, she smiled and said, “Okay.”
He relaxed and asked, “How’s Angel? Think she’ll sleep much longer?”
“Yes, I fed her right before we left. I think she’ll sleep for hours.”
“Want to go down and see how big a tree they got this year?”
“I didn’t see a tree,” she said as she opened her suitcase. She took out two baby monitors.
“It’s hidden in the barn.”
She stiffened. “With the horses?”
“Have I marked you for life with my tactics? I promise I won’t put you on a horse, okay?”
“Thanks.” She put one of the monitors in the baby bed beside the sleeping infant. She put the other one in her pocket. “There, we’ll know if Angel wakes up early. I’m ready.”
“You want to wear your mink coat? I put your ski jacket in the closet downstairs after our last visit.”
“Oh. That was thoughtful of you. I forgot all about it. But it would be better for going to the barn.”
He gave her a quick hug, then stepped away. “I just wanted to say thank you for trusting me again.”
She smiled and offered her hand. He took it in his and they headed for the barn.
“Where are you going?” someone asked as they went through the kitchen.
“To see the tree.” Russ’s announcement got the attention of the college crowd and the little ones. Elizabeth and Toby’s oldest, three-year-old Davy, immediately began shouting, “The tree, the tree!”
His little sister didn’t understand, but she knew she wanted to go if Davy did. Elizabeth’s brother Jim took Davy, and Russ’s brother Casey took one-year-old Steffie. The twins, Gabe and Jennifer’s pair, were too young, two weeks younger than Angel, in fact.
“You know, in a couple of years we’re going to have a herd of little ones,” Red mused. “I can’t wait.”
Rich said, “Ours is down for his nap, or he’d want to go now. And Jon and Tori aren’t here yet with Jonny.”
“Then let’s hurry before they get here,” Russ said with a big grin. Everyone rushed out the door.
Isabella had put on her ski jacket. She followed them out. Instead of leading the charge, Russ waited for her. “Warm enough?”
“Yes, this is a lovely jacket. I think I forgot to thank you. And the boots are nice, too, but I forgot to bring them.”
“Your hat, too. But I don’t think you’ll need it for a walk to the barn, since it’s not snowing.”
“Does it snow often here?”
Russ laughed.
“What’s funny?” Rich asked.
“My wife wanted to know if it snows often here.”
“Oh, yeah,” Jim said. “But school seldom closes. Just during the blizzards.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. In New York, while the snow is coming down hard, we stay home, but they get things opened up quickly with all the snowplows.”
While they’d been talking, they’d reached the barn where the tree was stored. The adults threw open the barn door and everyone stood silent, staring at a majestic green tree leaning against the back wall.
“Will it fit?” Isabella whispered.
“I don’t know. But the dads are pretty good at picking out the perfect tree. The living room has a raised ceiling,” Russ added.
“It is beautiful. I’ve never seen such a big tree for a house. The one in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza is huge, of course, but it’s outside.”
“We’ve seen that one on television. But I’ve always thought ours was more beautiful,” Russ told her.
Isabella took a deep breath. “It smells lovely.”
“It will smell even better inside. And after Christmas we hang oranges stuck with cloves and slices of apple smeared with peanut butter on the tree and put it outside so the birds can feed on it.”
“Oh! How perfect.”
He hugged her to his side and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “That’s us! The perfect Randalls!”
Rich leaned over. “You won’t think so at six in the morning.”
“What happens then?” Isabella asked, puzzled.
“That’s the earliest the kids can wake anyone up for Christmas.”
“S-six in the morning?” She stared at Rich, and seeing the laughter in his eyes, she said, “You’re teasing me.”
Samantha shook her head. “He’s not. Santa brings each child one big present and they’re not allowed to go downstairs until then. At seven, Red serves breakfast. Then about eight, we all go in and open gifts. That takes several hours, because we try to open one at a time, so everyone can see what everyone else got. It helps the parents, but it doesn’t always work.”
Isabella was picturing the chaos Samantha was describing. “I can’t wait.”
Samantha grinned. “Me, too. I’m as bad as the kids. I didn’t know Christmas could be like this.”
“Me, neither,” Isabella said softly.
She didn’t feel quite so different from everyone else after that. Samantha had felt the same way she did. And Russ understood.
“Russ, can we go see the baby horses again? I bet the little ones would like to see them, too,” she said, watching him.
“You sure you want to?”
“Yes. I’ll get more used to them if I visit them. Samantha, were you afraid of the horses when you first came here?”
“No, Izzy. I started cleaning out stalls when I was five. I was used to horses.”
“She rides as good as me,” Rich bragged, “which comes in handy a
t roundup when I need everyone I can get.”
“You’ll have me this year, bro,” Russ said, his words a solemn promise. “I won’t leave all the work to you.” Russ smiled at his brother.
Rich gave him a hug. “Good.”
Isabella had never seen so much hugging between men. She liked it. “I don’t think I’ll volunteer just yet. I have a lot to learn before I’ll be of any use.”
“Make cannolis and I won’t have any trouble getting volunteers. There’s plenty for everyone to do.”
She smiled at Rich. “You’ve got a deal. And thanks for making me feel welcome.”
After they visited the foaling barn, oohing and aahing over the gangly babies, they headed back to the house, only to meet the dads coming for the tree.
“Go clear a path through all those presents so we can get the tree in its place,” Jake ordered. “Your moms are organizing the decorations.”
Soon the entire family, except for the sleeping babies, were gathered in the living room. Everyone was given a decoration to hang on the tree. As soon as each person hung a decoration, he or she came back to the box and got a new one.
Isabella was surprised at how beautiful the tree looked in the end with so many people involved in decorating it. Then they moved the gifts to encircle the tree. The lights were plugged in and everyone fell silent. Then they began singing “Silent Night.”
Tears formed in Isabella’s eyes as she joined the singing. This life was what she wanted for Angel. What she wished she’d had. But now it was being given to her and her little girl. Thanks to Russ. She silently gave thanks for the blessings she’d received.
IT HAD BEEN a good day, Russ thought as he and Izzy climbed the stairs. After the tree was decorated and they’d done their traditional singing, they’d all made sandwiches. Red had made tomato soup to go with them. Then last-minute chores for the next day were tackled. Isabella suggested they make popcorn strings to go on the tree when they put it out for the birds, so everyone who didn’t have something else to occupy their time worked on popcorn strings, and munched a few, too.
When the children were finally sent to bed, the parents started bringing out Santa gifts. Russ had watched Izzy as she’d talked to the other mothers and helped where she could. She fit in perfectly. He thought of Abby, remembering her enjoyment of Christmas. He’d been blessed twice.
Now it was almost midnight. Isabella was barely awake.
“I didn’t know it would take so much energy for Christmas. Maybe you can take a few days off,” she murmured.
“Maybe. I’ll feed Angel tonight. You try to keep sleeping.”
“I’ll take you up on that, Russ. Thanks.”
“We’re sharing the bath with some of the others. But if you hurry, you can be first in line. I’ll go down and make Angel’s bottle.”
When he got back to their room, Isabella was already in bed, sound asleep, her hair was loose and curling around her shoulders. He was glad he hadn’t ruined things.
He decided he wouldn’t go to sleep yet. The baby would be awake in another hour. Since Izzy had left the light on, he guessed it wouldn’t bother her. He found a book left on the shelf and he started reading, sitting in the only chair in the room.
Angel slept longer than he expected. It was almost two o’clock when he heard her stirring. He greeted her with a whisper and offered the bottle he’d gotten ready. It didn’t take her long to guzzle the contents. He figured she’d sleep until almost eight in the morning. Should he wake her mother to see the Santa presents? He wasn’t sure he’d even get up.
He tucked the baby back into bed and was starting to undress when he heard a knock on the bedroom door.
Hurrying over to keep whoever it was from waking Isabella, he discovered his father waiting.
“Dad, what is it?”
“Come out here, son,” Pete whispered.
He did as his father asked, fear building in his gut “Is something wrong?”
“The sheriff just called to be sure you and Izzy were here. Someone set your house on fire.”
Russ’s mouth fell open. Finally he asked, “Was it completely destroyed?”
“No. About half of it burned. We’re going to drive to Buffalo because that’s where the nearest hotel is and see if we can find whoever started it.”
“You’re sure it was arson?”
“Yeah. The sheriff is sure.”
“Let me grab my boots.” While he pulled them on, his anger grew. Isabella didn’t deserve this. Who but her father would be responsible? Russ was ready to let him know how he felt about him.
He quietly left Isabella sleeping and went to join the men of his family.
Time to protect his loved ones.
Chapter Thirteen
Isabella came slowly awake the next morning. With Angel as an alarm clock, it had been a while since she’d awoken on her own. It was a real luxury. She finally raised her head to look for her baby and discovered the baby bed empty. Russ wasn’t there, either.
He must be a quiet sleeper because she hadn’t noticed him all night. She stretched and got out of bed. She’d brought a full skirt and a short sweater, one of her favorite outfits, to wear on Christmas day. When she thought to check the time, she realized it was almost eight-thirty. She’d missed breakfast and they must have already started opening the gifts.
She brushed her hair, leaving it loose, and hurried down the stairs. To her surprise, no one was in the living room and the gifts were all still in place. She headed to the kitchen, worry beginning to fill her.
“Morning, Izzy,” Janie called. She sat at the table feeding Angel. “Did you hear her cry? I tried to get her bottle ready as soon as I could.”
“No, Mom, I didn’t hear her. I’m sorry I…” As she started her apology, her gaze swept the kitchen and she realized Jake was the only man in sight. “Where is everyone?”
The women all looked at Jake, so Isabella looked at him, too.
“Izzy, someone set your house on fire last night.”
“What? Why would anyone— My father? My father set my house on fire? Oh, no,” she moaned. “No, surely he wouldn’t—he must’ve known we weren’t there.” She struggled to deal with what Jake had said. Then she put the missing men into the picture.
“Where is Russ? And the others?”
Jake shrugged. “They went with the sheriff.”
“Where? Where did they go with the sheriff?”
“To Buffalo. There are no motels in Rawhide, so any strangers would’ve had to stay in Buffalo,” Jake explained.
“But…but it’s Christmas. We’ve ruined Christmas for all of you!”
Janie held out a hand. “Come sit here with me, dear. We’re all safe. That’s the most important thing anytime, especially at Christmas. We’ll open the presents when they return.”
Isabella felt as if she was sleepwalking. She wanted to shake her head and wake up to the happy world she’d shared last night. As soon as she sat down, Red put a mug of hot coffee in front of her.
“Drink it, girl. It’ll help.”
Still frowning, she managed to thank Red. “But what if they find…whoever did it?”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Jake said. “And you’re safe here. I let the dogs out last night so we’d know if anyone came here.”
“You mean I’ve put all of you in danger?” Isabella asked, horrified. She jumped up from the table. “Then I have to leave at once!”
“Nonsense,” Jake said calmly.
“But you shouldn’t have to suffer for me. I’ll go pack,” she insisted, starting for the door.
“Izzy!” Janie called out. “This is the safest place around. You’re not going to put Angel in danger, are you?”
“Where would you go?” B.J. asked. “You don’t have a home. And Russ will expect you to be here.”
“But…but…”
“Honey, you’re family—and we protect our own.” Jake’s voice was firm, sure.
Red slid a plate of waff
les and bacon in front of her. “Whatever you do, you’ll do better with food inside you.”
She couldn’t argue with Red’s advice. She fell back into her seat and began eating. After a moment she asked, “You don’t think the men are in danger, do you?”
“Nope. Besides, there’s a lot of them.”
They all stayed around the table in the kitchen, discussing past Christmases, telling funny stories to keep Isabella’s spirits up. About noon, they received a phone call from Pete, telling them they’d be home in an hour and letting them know that everyone was all right.
“Thank goodness,” Isabella breathed. Everyone was agreeing with her when Red called, “Car coming.”
“Recognize it?” Jake asked, coming alert.
“Nope.”
“Places,” Jake snapped. “The rest of you stay here in the kitchen.”
Isabella stared as Janie and B.J. grabbed rifles she hadn’t even noticed standing in a corner. They slipped out the back door, grabbing coats as they went. Megan and Red headed for the stairs.
“What are they doing?” Isabella asked.
Jake had already headed for the front door, putting a pistol in the back of his jeans where it couldn’t be seen.
“It’s a better-safe-than-sorry plan,” Samantha said. “Jake planned it earlier this morning.”
“But we won’t even know what’s going on,” Isabella protested.
“Jake said to stay here,” Sarah said, “but if we’re careful, I think a couple of us could go to the living room where we could hear what’s going on. I’ll go with you, Isabella, but we’ve got to stay out of sight, okay?”
Some of the women protested, but Mildred said she thought it would be all right. But they were to come back and let the rest of them know what was happening every now and then. “And keep your noses out of sight!”
Isabella kissed her baby goodbye. Then she and Sarah slipped down the shadowy hall into the living room. The two women got on their hands and knees and crawled to the front window.
Sarah whispered, “We’ll have to just listen.” She sat down on the floor and Isabella joined her.
Randall Wedding Page 12
