Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas

by Carolyn Brown

  “What did you and Mama do while the kids napped?” Kasey said, avoiding the question.

  “We talked about the future. Think a dozen apples will do?”

  “Maybe you should add a couple more. Jace really loves them.”

  Hope eyed her. “And now, what did you do all afternoon?”

  “I took a walk to the springs and sat under the willow tree.”

  “Did that make you feel better?” Hope asked.

  She put a pot of water on the stove to boil for macaroni. “Than what? I haven’t felt bad or haven’t been sick.”

  “You’ve acted strange since the wedding reception last night. I’m worried that it stressed you out with memories about Adam.”

  Kasey nodded. “I did have a few moments, but I wouldn’t ever want Brody or Lila to know. It was their day and it should have been perfect, just like mine and Adam’s wedding was. I only hope that…”

  Hope patted her on the arm. “I know, baby girl. Both of us want their marriage to last until they’re old and gray and that neither of them will be jerked away in the prime of their youth. But, Kasey, it’s past time for you to move on and get a life outside of ranchin’ and your kids. You need to start dating again.”

  “Have you moved on? Grandpa’s been gone twelve years. I don’t see you dating.”

  “I’m past seventy and there’s a lot less future than past in my life. Not so with you. I know that it’s something that you have to do on your own, but if there’s anything I can do to help at any time, I’m here.”

  “Nash Lamont was at the springs,” Kasey blurted out.

  “And?”

  “He’s a man of few words.”

  Hope chuckled. “Like his uncle Henry. That man couldn’t hide a single emotion, but he didn’t talk a lot.”

  “What?” Kasey frowned.

  “His expressions were written all over his face. If he’d have been a poker player, he’d have lost Texas Star for sure,” Hope answered.

  Kasey’s head bobbed as she remembered the frown on Nash’s face and then that very slight grin. He might not have a lot to say, but his face was a whole storybook of emotions, chapter after chapter. She wondered if she spent more time with him just how it might read.

  Emma pulled on her apron tail. “I want to cook with you. Rustin is mean and Silas is a baby.”

  Kasey pulled a chair up to the counter and gave Emma a handful of elbow macaroni. “You can look at these real careful and make sure there’s not a single black mark on any of them. You know how Silas hates it when he sees a dark spot and it will help me so much. Why is Rustin mean?”

  “He wants to play cowboys.”

  “And you want to play dolls, right?” Hope asked.

  Emma pushed her little red curls behind her ears and set about the job. “I want to do a puzzle.”

  Hope finished peeling the apples and tossed them into butter melting in a cast-iron skillet. “I’m glad that you and Adam had more than one child.”

  “Me, too.” Kasey smiled.

  Emma eyed every single piece of macaroni before she put it into the bowl.

  Silas pushed a big yellow truck into the kitchen, around the table, and out of the kitchen, making engine sounds the whole time.

  Rustin argued with imaginary bank robbers in the living room.

  Had Adam lived, they’d planned on at least four and maybe six children. He’d been an only child and they both wanted a big family.

  Is Nash an only child?

  Now, where had that thought come from? She shouldn’t be thinking of him and Adam in the same moment. She felt as if someone had suddenly dribbled ice down her back, like Adam used to do to tease her.

  Hope poked her on the arm with the handle of a wooden spoon. “Water is boiling, and, honey, you don’t hide things so well either.”

  Chapter Four

  Monday started out just fine. Nash put in two new fence posts out near the road and stretched new barbed wire between them. Then he drove into town where he bought enough feed to last a month for his sheep, brought it home, and unloaded it into one of the empty stalls in the barn.

  He hummed along with the country music song in his head as he headed toward the house at noon. His stomach let him know that it had been awhile since breakfast and that the bowl of oatmeal he’d had was long since gone.

  He was almost to the porch when something orange and moving like lightning brushed past his leg and right behind it a blur of black did the same thing.

  “Dammit! Hero!” he yelled. “You aren’t supposed to chase the kittens.”

  The dog plopped down on his butt at the base of the huge oak tree at the edge of the back porch and looked up, daring the poor little orange kitten to come back down.

  “Am I going to have to put up ‘no trespassing’ signs?” he asked the dog as he headed back to the barn for a ladder.

  Hero yipped but stayed in his place. The kitten had set up a heart-wrenching wail, so Nash jogged all the way out there and back.

  He propped the old wooden ladder on the tree and was on the top rung, reaching out toward the kitten, when it scooted another foot away. He leaned toward it and stretched his long arm out and snatched the furry kitten by the scruff of the neck. It went limp and he held it close to his chest as he started down the ladder, slowly, one rung at a time.

  Everything was under control until Hero threw back his big black head and howled. The kitten flipped around, dug its claws into Nash’s chest, and wiggled free of his hands. It jumped away from him and hugged the tree like a long-lost brother. When Nash grabbed for it, it scampered down the bark to land on the ground and made a mad dash for the barn, with Hero right behind it. That’s when Nash took another step and the rung of the old wooden ladder split. He reached out for anything to break his fall, but all he got was a handful of air. His whole life didn’t flash before his eyes in that split second before he hit the ground, but a picture of Kasey did.

  Red hair tickled his nose when he awoke.

  “Nash, are you alive? Wake up and talk to me.” Her voice sounded as if it came from the bottom of his grandmother’s old well, but he was imagining things or else Kasey was really bending over him. He slid one eyelid open enough to see the glint of the sun flashing off her gold wedding band. Thank God she was there. She’d know what to do; she always did.

  “I’m not dead, darlin’. Don’t fuss at Rustin because Hero chased the cat. It wasn’t his fault.” His eyelids fluttered and he slipped back into the darkness.

  The next time he awoke, he was moving but it was okay because Kasey was right there beside him, holding his hand. With his thumb, he checked to be sure her wedding band was still there. He couldn’t remember their wedding day but that was okay. The explosion had caused some memory loss, but it would all return as long as Kasey was beside him. His brow furrowed into deep lines as he tried to figure out exactly how she’d gotten there but as long as she was there beside him she’d fix everything.

  “Open your eyes, Nash. I’m so sorry about all this. I’m going to have Jace build a dog pen so Hero won’t run away anymore,” Kasey said.

  “I’ll build our dog pens. Jace don’t have to do that. Just get me stitched up and home and I’ll take care of our family,” Nash muttered.

  A bright white light greeted him a few minutes later when he awoke. He’d died and was on his way into eternity. He couldn’t be dead. God would have to send him back to earth. His life was not finished. He had to build dog pens because he’d promised Kasey that he would, and a man was only as good as his word.

  “Mr. Lamont, you need to lie still,” said a man in white beside him.

  Angels didn’t look like that. They had red hair and green eyes and sexy bodies. The only difference between them and Kasey was that they had wings and a visible halo. He tried to sit up, but strong hands held him still.

  “Kasey!” he yelled so loud that it echoed off the walls.

  She leaned over him and he reached up to touch her face. He hadn’t died
. He was in the base hospital. “Tell me I didn’t lose a leg or an arm.”

  “No bones are broken, and there’s no blood,” she answered.

  “Tell them to turn me loose then. I’ve got to save the boy and my team and then we’re going home to build dog pens.”

  “It’s a concussion,” the doctor said. “We’ll keep him overnight for observation.”

  Panic set in. He couldn’t stay. If he did Kasey would disappear and he couldn’t bear to tell her good-bye, not even for one night. He’d been on this mission so long that sometimes he had trouble remembering her face.

  “No, I can’t! Send me home. I can’t stay here.” His heart raced as he brought her hand to his lips to kiss the knuckles. “Take me home, Kasey. I need to be home. We’ve got to build Hero a dog pen. The kids need me.”

  “I need to talk to the doctor first to see what we have to do if we take you home.” Kasey pulled her hand free. “I’ll only be right outside that door.”

  His eyes followed her finger. “Promise you won’t leave without me.”

  “I promise. If they make you stay here, I will stay with you.”

  “I want to go home. My sheep and my team need me.”

  The doctor wasn’t much taller than Kasey, had a baby face that guaranteed he’d be carded in any bar in the whole world, and blond hair. He carried a tablet with him and checked all the information before he even spoke.

  “I can release him, but only if he has someone with him. PTSD, right? I’ve treated lots of veterans with these symptoms, especially after a head injury.”

  Kasey nodded. “I’m his neighbor and I’ll be glad to stay with him tonight.”

  “It could stretch into more than tonight. He’ll need someone there until he gets his rightful mind back. Might be in twenty-four hours and it will all come back in a rush. Could be in a few days or even a couple of weeks and return in tiny bits and pieces. Right now he’s grabbing at bits and pieces of memories. Some from his past and some that could be totally imaginary. He thinks that you’re his wife,” the doctor said.

  Kasey inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. “How am I going to handle that?”

  “How well do you know him?”

  “He lives on the ranch next door to mine, but…” She hesitated. “It was my son’s dog that caused the accident, and my grandmother was good friends with his great-uncle. But what am I going to do about this wife thing? I don’t mind helping him out until he gets his memory back, but…” She threw up her palms.

  “Small towns.” The doctor chuckled. “He shouldn’t climb ladders. And you can tell him that I said no sex until I check him in at least three weeks.” He touched the screen on his tablet a few times. “I’ll see you on December fifteenth at ten thirty. My clinic is a block down from this hospital. The nurse will give you his paperwork with the appointment card. If you need anything or have any questions, my phone number is on the card. Good luck.”

  “Thank you.” Kasey’s phone rang and she quickly answered it.

  “How is he?” Hope asked. “Are they going to admit him?”

  “They want to keep him, but he’s refused. He’s definitely disoriented and Granny…” She inhaled so deeply that she shivered. “He thinks I’m his wife. The doctor says that he can leave but only if someone is around to watch over him. If I stay with him tonight, can you and Jace manage the kids until tomorrow morning?”

  “I’ve sent Emma and Silas to your mother’s place. She’s tickled to get them, and Paul and Gracie are picking Rustin up at school and taking him to their place for tonight and tomorrow. I figured you’d want to stay with Nash in the hospital, since it was Hero that caused the problem. But…” Hope stopped talking.

  “But what, Granny?” Kasey asked.

  “His wife?” Hope groaned. “How are you going to deal with that?”

  “It’ll be fine, Granny. I’m sure he’ll come back to himself soon.” Kasey was glad that her grandmother couldn’t see the blush burning her cheeks.

  “I’ll call Adelaide, his grandmother, for him and tell her what’s going on.”

  “Granny, what am I going to do if it lasts more than a day?” Kasey asked.

  “You’ll have to stay with him. We’ll bring the kids over there after tonight if we need to. Jace and Paul are coming to town for vet supplies, so I sent your van with Jace. He should be there any minute with the keys. He can ride back home with Paul.”

  “Why couldn’t Rustin have wanted a cat or a fish?” She sighed.

  Hope chuckled. “All things happen for the best, my child. In ten years you’ll look back at this and see the purpose of it in your life.”

  “I know but…” Kasey sighed. It seemed like every sentence she’d said in the last fifteen minutes had been left hanging.

  Just like your life right now, huh? That pesky voice in her head said.

  “Exactly,” she whispered.

  “Are you talking to the doctor?” Hope asked.

  “No, myself. Granny, this is going to be such a disruption.”

  “Sometimes a little disruption in the schedule ain’t so bad. If he feels like it tomorrow night, bring him over here to decorate our tree. Maybe that will help jar his memories. Sometimes little things do,” Hope said. “Now I have to go call Adelaide.”

  “Okay,” Kasey said. “And thanks, Granny. I see Jace coming down the hallway now.”

  “Bye,” Hope said.

  Jace handed off the keys and raised an eyebrow. “So are you spending the night here?” His grin kept growing until he started to laugh out loud as she explained the situation.

  She popped her hands on her hips and glared at him. “It’s not funny.”

  “No, it’s not—but it is.” He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

  She doubled up her fist and hit him on the shoulder. “Hopefully, he’ll be normal and I’ll be home by morning.”

  He blew out a puff of air toward the place she’d smacked him. “Mosquitoes cause more damage than that. You’d best practice your swing for your first fight with your new husband.”

  “Karma is a bitch, and I will get even,” she said.

  “Take out your anger on Hero, not me. I’m not even the messenger. I’m just the bringer of the keys so you can start your new life at Texas Star,” Jace shot over his shoulder as he headed out of the hospital.

  “No! No! No! He can’t be dead!” Nash’s frantic voice came through the doors leading back into the emergency room.

  Kasey rushed into the room and went straight to the bed. “No one died. Hero is back at Hope Springs and the kitten is with its mama.” She took his hand in hers and gently rubbed the knuckle with her fingertips.

  He gripped it hard. “Okay, I believe you. The boy is alive and my team members getting killed? It was all a nightmare, right?”

  “Just calm down and breathe. The doctor says we can go home, but you have to follow his rules.”

  “He told me.” Nash sighed. “We can be good for a little while, right?”

  “I believe we can.”

  “Okay, then, let’s go home, darlin’. Where are the kids?”

  “They’re going to stay with my mom tonight.”

  “Dammit! A night alone and we can’t…” he whispered. “Kasey, I remember going up the tree to get the kitten, but everything else except you and Rustin is a blur. Will you help me?”

  “Of course.” She managed a smile.

  * * *

  It was almost supper time when they got back to the ranch that evening. She pulled up in front of the house and Nash got out, cocked his head to one side, and frowned. “Is this where we live? Did you move after I deployed the last time? I don’t remember this place.”

  “It’s the Texas Star Ranch here in Happy. Your great-grandmother lived here until about twelve years ago. So did your uncle Henry, but he left after she died. It’s been leased out until this last month when you decided to come back here and do some ranchin’.”

  “Hmmm,” he mumbled. “I like r
anchin’, right?”

  “I hope so. You’ve got sheep in the corral behind the barn. You ready to go inside?”

  “We have to build a dog pen and take care of the sheep, right?”

  “You have to rest until tomorrow. Doctor’s orders. Jace will do the chores tonight and we’ll figure it all out a day at a time,” she said.

  “This place doesn’t look familiar at all, Kasey,” he said. “Are you sure that we live here?”

  “I’m very sure.” She hoped that the front door wasn’t locked because she didn’t have a key. If this was really her house, she’d march right up on the porch. Without a second thought, she’d go inside, shed her coat and boots, and head to the kitchen to make supper.

  Like in a play or a movie, I’m a character, she thought. I’m Kasey Lamont and Nash is my husband. I can do this—maybe I’ll even win an Oscar for my performance.

  She got out of the truck and made her way across the lawn with Nash right behind her. Except for that silver dollar-size mark on his forehead that resembled a carpet burn, he looked fine. His coat still had a couple of dry leaves clinging to it, and his T-shirt had a few blood spots where the cat had most likely scratched him, but he hadn’t lost a bit of his swagger.

  The last time she’d been in the house was when she was fourteen. Minnie Thomas had died, and she had come over with Hope to bring a pot roast. The door opened into a wide foyer with a living room, dining room, and kitchen to the left. On the right there was a master bedroom, bathroom, and a small office. She remembered three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs.

  “Hungry?” she asked as she removed her coat and hung it on the hall tree.

  She hardly recognized the place. Minnie had loved knickknacks and they’d been everywhere. Ceramic angels of all kinds and descriptions and animals like bunnies and squirrels with little beady eyes that followed her around the room. Now everything looked practically sterile.

  His fingers closed around her arm and he pulled her toward him. “The doctor said no sex,” he whispered hoarsely. “He didn’t say no kissing.”

  He ran a fingertip from her ear to her chin. “You’re so beautiful. My breath caught in my chest the first time I saw you. I’m the luckiest man in the world that you married me.”