A flush crept into Carrie’s face, as her soon to be husband winked at her over the table. Wes was not shy about their lifestyle. All the ranch hands knew what was going on behind closed doors, she had seen their empathetic gazes whenever Wes guided Carrie by her upper arm into the barn. And they all had a special place in their hearts for the funny, lively, little curly blonde woman with the chocolate eyes and feisty personality. She was, truly, the baby of the ranch.
“All the same, I’d like a new saddle, not a paddle.” She flashed her eyes at Wes, and he raised an eyebrow at her, chuckling. Carrie turned to Jessica. “What are you asking for, Jessica?”
A beautiful, serene look crossed Jessica’s face. “I’m just hoping for a safe birth and a healthy baby,” she said. “Baby is due early January, so I figure that’s close enough to Christmas to wish for.”
Carrie was feeling almost forgiving towards the couple when Garrett chimed in, “Well, I, for one, am treating myself to a new car this Christmas.”
Carrie caught Wes rolling his eyes at his younger brother. “My brother, the high roller of Wall Street.”
Laughing good-naturedly, Garrett said, “Hey, somebody’s got to make some money around here. The Lonestar Cattle Company, alone, isn’t going to pay for Mama’s retirement.” He turned over his shoulder and called, “Right, Mama?”
At the table behind them, Mama, Wes and Garrett’s mother, sat playing bridge with her friends, a demure smile on her sweet face. “Oh, we’re getting on just fine here at The Lonestar.” She shot a wink over Garrett’s shoulder to Wes and Wes tried to hide a smile. “Just where do you think you got your banking skills from, honey?” The combination of Mama’s shrewd investment skills and Wes working dawn till well past dusk, had paid off. They suspected the income of the ranch had secretly surpassed that of the young finance whiz.
“Well, what did you ask for from Santa, Wes? My brother, the penny pincher.” Garrett flashed his Hollywood smile. The brothers loved to tease one another and the holidays made the brotherly banter come out even more.
Wes sat quietly for a moment. His eyes looked wistfully at the oval shaped Aventurine stone that sat in the silver band around Carrie’s left-hand ring finger. Locking eyes with Carrie, he said, “I wanted to have my wife for Christmas.” Then looking over Carrie’s shoulder, calling loudly to Mama, he said, “But Santa said no, didn’t he, Mama?”
Carrie could not help but laugh out loud as Mama quipped back, “You both know very well that springtime is the appropriate time for a ranch wedding.” The women surrounding her nodded their heads and threw in their murmurs of agreement.
Mama’s best friend, Faye, added, “And you could never have pulled off a big wedding that fast.”
“I think that was the point. Wes and Carrie wanted a small wedding,” Jessica said, her eyes twinkling at Carrie.
“And to be married as soon as possible,” Garrett chimed in. “These two can’t wait for the honeymoon,” he added boisterously.
Wes had proposed to Carrie on Thanksgiving. They wanted a simple affair as soon as possible and had planned to be married by Christmas. When they shared their timeline with Mama, the joyous smile had fallen from her face. In her gentle way, Mama had asked them if they might consider having their wedding at the ranch come springtime. Wes nor Carrie could say no to Mama, and so the date was set for early April.
“Just think, if you’d have gotten married we’d be done with parties. Now, we get to have this great Christmas together, and we have the wedding to look forward to.” Jessica’s hand never left her belly, and she rubbed it gently as she spoke, “And this little one will get to see Aunt Carrie and Uncle Wes on their special day.”
Wes asked, “What do you all think, is Jessica carrying our ring bearer or our flower girl?”
Feeling generous, Carrie chimed in, “My vote is for a flower girl. What about you, Jessica?”
“I don’t care either way. I’m just so excited to meet the little one.” A strange look crossed Jessica’s face as she softly asked Garrett, “What do you think it’s going to be, Gare?”
Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Garrett said, “Oh, doesn’t matter to me.”
“I have a feeling there is a little cowboy in there,” Wes said, smiling at Jess. “My next ranch hand.”
Garrett suddenly stood from his seat. “This has been great, you guys.” He stretched his arms above his head, yawning loudly. “A whole lot of fun. But I want to hit Ray’s one more time before he closes for the holidays.” Shrugging into his black leather jacket, he muttered, “Only one bar in the town of Poke and it’s closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.”
Looking to Jessica, Carrie said, “Garrett, you can’t go off to a bar and leave your pregnant fiancée behind.”
“She can come with,” Garrett said. “We all know that would make Ray’s Christmas wish come true,” he laughed. Everyone in town knew that the bachelor bartender held a flame for Jessica ever since she had stepped into his bar on her twenty-first birthday, demanded Ray help her push all the tables to the side and proceeded to encourage every single patron to celebrate her big day by line dancing.
Jessica laughed, waving her hand in the air, “He’s harmless. I can’t help that there are so few single women to pick from.” Jessica stood from her chair, Wes offering his arm to help her up. “You go on, Gare. I get so tired at the end of the day, going to bed is way more enticing than going to a bar.”
Garrett turned to Wes. “Brother, you up for a drink?”
“No thanks, Gare. I’m going to hold down the fort.” Wes walked over to Carrie and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, tightly. “I think we are going to spend some time with Carrie’s folks.”
Carrie smiled up at Wes. “They were so sweet to come for Christmas. After everyone leaves, I’ll pull out Mama’s leftover pies for them. After all that food, I’m still hungry.”
“No one can say ‘no’ to Mama’s pie. If we feed your parents enough of it, they will be sure to come back and visit soon,” Wes added.
Eye’s lighting up at the idea of dessert, Jessica laughed, “If that’s your plan, Carrie, I might not go to bed yet.”
Garrett said his goodbyes hurriedly, brushing Jessica’s cheek with a quick kiss, then he was out the door. Carrie listened to the sound of the engine of his fancy rental car, as he revved up and headed down the drive, all the while, thinking to herself that as much as she despised Garrett’s presence, for Jessica’s sake Carrie wished that he would have stayed.
Wes wrapped his other arm around Jessica’s shoulders. “Ladies, I believe we have a date with the kitchen.” As he led them, there was a smile on his face, but Carrie knew that Wes, too, wished Garrett hadn’t traded in a night on the ranch, for a night at the bar.
Comfort food awaited them in the tidy kitchen. Baking was Mama’s specialty, and with the added visitors, she had outdone herself this Christmas. The deep freezer in the laundry room was full of cookies, cakes, and homemade bread, while the refrigerator brimmed with pies.
Mama had beat Carrie to it, and already pulled out the apple, cherry and pumpkin pie, as well as whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. She made each slice to order, and without even having to ask, had heated up Carrie’s apple pie in a bowl, till it was steaming so the ice cream would melt into a puddle around the hot pie, just the way Carrie liked it. As Mama handed Carrie the bowl, her favorite baby blue one with the elephant on it, Carrie smiled and said, “Thank you, Mama,” happily knowing just how spoiled she was.
Wes, Carrie, Mama, Carrie’s parents; Jim and Pam, and Jessica sat around the kitchen table, enjoying seconds on dessert and chatting.
As their snack was winding up, Mama turned to their visitors and said, “I’m just so glad you could come for the holiday,” with a sweet smile on her face. “I was hoping for all of us to get to know each other better.” It went unsaid by everyone at the table, that the past was best left there. Everyone had swept the crazy events of the last few months under the rug and p
referred to live in the present.
“New York City has been exciting, but you know I wouldn’t miss a Christmas on the ranch,” Jessica said, patting Mama’s hand. The gesture brought a hint of jealousy to Carrie’s heart, but she knew Jessica and Mama had grown close over the years in the small town before Carrie had even come into the picture.
“This place must be night and day from the city,” Jim said. Then looking pointedly at Wes, he added, “Things run a little more old-fashioned here, don’t they?” His firm tone making clear his point.
Jessica’s eyes went wide, and her fork stopped mid-air. She looked from Carrie to Wes. A small smile played at Wes’ lips, and Carrie felt a blush creeping into hers.
“Yes.” Pam quickly began to chatter, “Carrie has told us so much about your ranch, and we were just delighted to come and stay. It’s really a wonderful operation you have going here. And the history tour Wes gave us was so interesting. Sam Poke sounds like quite the character.”
“It’s mostly tall tales,” Wes replied. “But from the stories, it sounds like he was a handful. Carrie and I are glad you could come. I’m sure you must miss her on the farm, I know life on the ranch has been perfected by her presence.” He looked to Carrie and gave her his dashing smile, the one that he reserved just for his girl.
“We do miss her,” Jim said, wistfully. “I’m hoping you all can make the trip to visit the farm next Thanksgiving,” her dad continued. “And this pumpkin pie is putting mine to shame. Mama, you’ll have to be in charge of dessert, if you come.”
“Oh no, yours was delicious,” Mama protested. “I just add a little extra ginger to mine.”
“So, that’s the secret, is it? I’ll have to try it. Everything is a little spicier on the ranch, I take it,” Jim directed at Wes. Carrie’s father took the last bite of his food. “Thank you for the delicious dessert, and hospitality,” he said. Standing and taking his plate to the sink, he called over his shoulder, “Carrie, Wes, could I have a word with you?”
Wes, looking amused, winked at Carrie.
She gave a small shrug. “Of course, Dad.” Wes and Carrie stood, following Jim out of the screen door and into the starry night.
Jim discreetly pulled the door closed behind them. Once they were all settled in rocking chairs on the front porch, he got right to the point.
“Son, I noticed during the games tonight that you took my daughter away for a while and it seemed your little trip was, shall I say, disciplinary in nature.”
Carrie sat quietly, inwardly groaning. This was not a conversation that she had ever pictured having with her father. And she was not sure how she felt. Now, even her parents knew she was a spanked fiancée and soon to be wife. But hiding who she really was and what she needed for years, had taken a toll on her. There was a certain ambivalence she felt when faced with the idea of fully coming out with their lifestyle.
Leaning forward in his chair, Wes rested his forearms on his thighs. He looked straight at his soon to be father-in-law and said, confidently, “Yes. It was a disciplinary measure, sir.”
The night grew quiet. Carrie held her breath. Stars sparkled in the inky sky, and the air seemed suddenly colder. Wes continued, “Carrie lost her temper. Though it was a difficult situation, it was Carrie’s idea, and she knew the consequences of acting out. I gave her several warnings, but she got a little out of control and I reined her back in.” He turned to Carrie. “It may seem unusual, but it’s how we work. I won’t speak for my bride, but this is the way I was wired and I believe the same goes for your daughter.”
Wes’ confident, honest response made Carrie feel a glowing pride for her man. Carrie looked at her father and awaited his response.
Silently, Jim stared down at his hands, twisting the silver wedding band on his finger. “I see,” he murmured. After what felt like an agonizing amount of time, Jim looked at his daughter.
His warm gaze assured her that she had not lost his love, or respect with this revelation. Carrie sighed with relief.
“And Carrie, this is the type of marriage you want?” There was a hint of a smile on her father’s face as he questioned her.
No longer able to meet her father’s eyes, Carrie looked down at her own ring. The silver specks hiding in the sea green stone sparkled in the moonlight. The memory of the moment Wes placed the beautiful ring on her finger gave her the courage to answer truthfully. “Want and need,” she said quietly.
Carrie felt her father looking her over. “It’s not the relationship that your mother and I would choose, but I can imagine that for the right couple…” his words trailed off as he stared at the starry night sky. “Well, that’s not quite true.” There was a twinkle in his eye as he continued. “I could see how this arrangement would work for any couple, at some point. And you’re happy, Carrie?”
This was a question she had no problem locking eyes with her father and answering. “Happier than I’ve ever been.”
A mischievous glint came to her father’s eyes as he laughed. “Well, this is one way to finally get ahold of your temper, I guess.”
Wes jokingly interjected, “Sir, the truth is, if you had done this years ago, I wouldn’t be doing it now, so you only have yourself to blame.” To Carrie’s relief, her father laughed out loud as Wes continued, his hand gently rubbing her back, “Though I must say, I am perfectly content with how everything worked out.”
“You try having only one child, a daughter as beautiful and sweet as Carrie, and see if you don’t end up spoiling her a touch.” Jim good naturedly slapped Wes on the back.
“Oh, I fully understand. This lady is spoiled rotten by everyone on the ranch,” Wes replied, laughing as Carrie elbowed him in the side.
After a quiet moment of star gazing and letting the dust settle from the difficult conversation, Jim said quietly, “Well, I guess this is what they mean by the father ‘giving his daughter away.’ Come spring, I’ll be letting go and giving you my little girl.”
Carrie was already Wes’ little girl from the first time they were alone in the barn, but she thought better than to say it out loud. That was the day she had threatened to ride the then untamed horse, Mabel. Wes had grabbed her by the arm and said, “You make no mistake, you ride that horse and I will spank your bottom until you aren’t sitting comfortably for a week. Garrett’s girl, or not. My ranch, my rules, little girl.” The memory still made electricity run through her veins.
“Oh, Dad, you aren’t giving me away. You are just gaining the son you never had.” She stood from her rocking chair, and her father did the same. They hugged one another tightly, knowing that things between them were different now that Wes had Carrie's whole heart.
Reluctantly letting go of his daughter, Jim held his hand out to Wes and shook it firmly with tears in his eyes. “Good night, Wes. I know you’ll take good care of Carrie, and Pam and I are very grateful for you.”
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.” Carrie could feel Wes’ loving gaze on her as he said, “It’s my most important job.”
“Goodnight, Dad.” Carrie reached up and hugged her father once more. With one wistful look over his shoulder, Jim saw himself back into the house.
When he had gone, the couple sat back down, rocking quietly and watching for shooting stars, something they did most nights. Carrie broke the silence, “Other than being incredibly awkward, that went well,” she said.
“It must be hard to pass the torch after raising a child all those years.” Wes moved his chair over until it was almost touching hers, then wrapped his arm tightly around Carrie. “But the time has come and now, I’ll be raising my wife.” He leaned down and kissed her under the starry sky.
Shivers of desire tickled down her spine at the sound of Wes’ words and feel of his touch. She wanted desperately to stay on the porch, as they were, all night.
“It’s time to tuck you in.” Wes’ stern tone ended the sweet moment too soon.
“I’m not ready. I was just thinking about how I could stay out here a
ll night.”
Wes stood, offering his hand to help her from her chair. “Could, but won’t,” he said firmly.
Carrie placed her hand in his and let him lift her from her seat. He gave her a playful swat on her bottom as he followed her to the door. “Off you go, little one.”
After their nighttime routine, Wes sat by Carrie’s side on the bed and tucked the quilt tightly around her. “Two days till Christmas, little girl. I wonder how you’ll like your paddle,” he said with a wink.
Rolling her eyes and groaning, Carrie replied, “You heard wrong. A saddle, not a paddle, Daddy.”
“Well with eye rolls like that, I don’t think it’s a saddle that you are in need of, young lady. There will be lots of presents under the tree for my woman.” He leaned down and his husky voice whispered into her ear, “And there will be a paddle for my little girl, too. You can be sure of that.” Wes’ promise to Carrie brought an involuntary shiver, as well as a warm liquid feeling.
Smiling at her reaction, Wes said, “Sweet dreams, baby.” With a chaste kiss on her cheek, Wes left Carrie to ponder what Christmas would bring and whether she was looking forward to or dreading her daddy’s special gift.
Christmas Eve morning, Carrie awoke, a smile on her face, stretching out in the guest bed under the warm quilt. She couldn’t help but feel a childlike excitement for the holiday. It would be her and Wes’ first Christmas Eve together, and she wanted it to be perfect.
Hurriedly, Carrie got out of bed. The dress she had bought for the day was flouncy and short, but not short enough to be immodest, as she knew exactly where that would lead her. Right over Wes’ knee. It was made of the softest red velvet and she stroked it admiringly with her fingers. Pulling it on over her head, she twirled in front of the mirror, loving the way the fabric swished, then fell into place. Smoothing down the dress Carrie looked at the time then quickly twisted her hair into two, long braids, just how Wes liked it best. She loved how he would tug on the end of her braids before he walked out the door, and tell her to be his good girl while he was working. Feeling like the luckiest girl in the world, Carrie hurriedly pulled on her tan leather cowgirl boots, then flounced off to the kitchen to greet Mama.
Forever Daddy Page 2
