by Grace Warren
Lucy followed the steps it had taken to get here as if it were a well rehearsed mantra, which in fact it was. She had lost her teaching job a year ago due to educational cut backs. Three months after that, her father had passed away, leaving her as the sole surviving member of her small family. When she had finally managed to pay all the bills involved with his passing, her saving had been devastated, she had to work three jobs, a waitress, a dog walker and the occasional babysitter, to make ends meet and that wasn’t enough to give her any financial cushion. She had been so busy trying to stay afloat that there had been no time for anything else, let alone anybody else. So, she had turned to the internet for socialization. That is how she found the website, a site that had guaranteed her a social life and financial security. Lucy recalled how skeptical she had been at first, but the more she delved into the site the more it made sense to her. When the day came that she could no longer afford the loft she felt that she had no more options available to her. That is how she ended up with the printed photograph of Nash McCain.
The taxi parked in front of a large stone building. Tall white pillars loomed before her as she made her way up the marble steps and into the foyer of the county building. She double checked the office number and conferred with a laminated map of the building before proceeding through security and up another flight of stairs to the second floor. Sitting outside the office, on a bench that looked less than accommodating, was a man. Lucy stood still for a moment and took in his form. His feet were clad in weathered cowboy boots, dark jeans that looked brand new covered his long legs, finishing off with a light blue button up shirt and a black Stetson that was tilted so far down on his head she was not able to see his face. Lucy had to bite her lip to stifle a giggle. She knew she was in Texas, but she didn’t expect the stereotypical cowboy look so soon. It threw her off guard and his image, mixed with her travel weary emotions, and brought laughter that she could not hold back.
Hearing her twitter of amusement the man looked up, a look of recognition washed over his shadowed features and his sea foam green eyes shown bright when he removed his hat, holding it against his chest. “Are you Lucy Carson?”
Lucy covered her mouth to stop the giggles from coming out and appearing rude. She nodded, unable to speak. The man took a few steps forward and offered his hand.
“Nash McCain.” His large hand engulfed hers, but his touch was gentle. “It’s a pleasure to meet you face to face, Ma’am.”
The couple walked into the office together, Nash carrying her single piece of luggage. The clerk welcomed them and asked how she could help.
Nash cleared his throat. “We’d like to get a marriage license.”
TWO
“Well that didn’t take long.” Lucy commented as she sat in the passenger seat of Nash’s Ford pick-up truck starring at the marriage affidavit in her fingertips. “I don’t know why, but I assumed it would be a long drawn out process, not a quick ten minutes.” She looked up at him. Nash was concentrating on the road. “Was your first marriage that quick?”
His face flinched then went stoic. Lucy bit her bottom lip.
“I’m sorry, that was a bad choice of words. Never mind, I was just rambling.” Lucy wanted to take all the words back. She wished she could still be on the train, or maybe even back in New York. Her eyes darted back over the affidavit. How could she have been so inconsiderate? The previous marriage section under the groom’s side stated that Nash had been married before and that marriage had ended in the death of his wife. Lucy knew this already, but as she figured the dates in her head she realized that they had only been married for six years before his wife’s untimely passing. “Quick” was the word that earmarked his first marriage. Lucy felt ill.
The truck pulled up a long dirt driveway several minutes later. Lucy took in the large two storied country home that sat in the middle of a wide open, well manicured lawn. There was a front porch that traveled along the full width of the front of the house and disappeared around the far side. It boasted a few rocking chairs and a wooden swing. Small tables with gorgeous potted plants dotted the spaces in between. A beautiful golden retriever sprinted out from a large barn that was easily visible behind the house. The imagery before Lucy’s eyes was everything she had imagined. She could not help but smile and feel that regardless of her misgivings in the taxi earlier, she had been right to choose this path for her future.
As they walked the stone pathway to the front porch steps, Lucy envisioned herself sitting on that wooden swing gazing off into the clear midnight sky. A curtain in an upstairs window fluttered. Lucy squinted against the morning sun to see beyond the green shutters and through the pane of glass. The sun was too bright and before she could ask anything a small boy burst from the front door and flung himself into Nash’s arms.
“Daddy, you’re home! I missed you. Livia made me eat bananas and Rufus spilled the milk.” Nash held his son and nodded at each of his statements. “The cat licked it all up and then Aunt Van found a dead mouse.”
“Well, it sounds like you have had one heck of a morning there, son.” Nash smiled and walked over to Lucy. “Galen, this is Miss Lucy Carson. How do we greet guests in our home?”
Galen beamed and held out his small hand, “Pleasure to meet you, Ma’am.”
Lucy took his fingers in hers and shook his hand. “The pleasure is all mine, Galen.”
The small child wiggled in his father’s arms, his face scrunched up as he considered her statement. “Aunt Van says we have to share.”
Lucy laughed and Galen finagled his way back down to the ground and took off running, hollering for Rufus.
“Rufus is our dog.” Nash informed her. “That boy adores him, nothing better than a boy and his dog.”
Lucy agreed just as a tall, thin woman with sharp angular features walked out to the front step. An apron had been swathed about her waist and her golden hair had been tied back in place with a bandana. She traversed the steps with an air of authority, wiping her hands on the hem of the apron.
“Lucy,” Nash said. “This is my sister in law Vanessa Wellerman. Van, this is Lucy Carson.”
Vanessa smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. She did not offer her hand, nor did she offer a greeting as Galen had. Instead, she turned to Nash and her smiled faded as quick as it had appeared.
“You are out of milk.” She stated.
“Alright, I am certain we can mange until one of us can get to the market.” He assured her.
“I can’t make anything for lunch without milk, Nash.”
He reached over and took her hand, patting it. “Van, why don’t we worry about that later. We can go out for lunch if necessary. Where is Olivia?”
It was obvious to Lucy that Vanessa was not use to having her demands dismissed. She huffed and threw her hands in the air. “Where do you think, Nash?” Vanessa turned and stomped up the stairs and back into the house.
Nash turned to Lucy with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Van runs a tight ship. She has been my right hand crew for the last few years, well…” he paused and Lucy saw that sorrowful cloud darken his eyes, “since Lilly passed.”
He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “You must be tired. Let’s get you situated and we can finish up introductions after you have rested a spell.” Nash picked her bag up and guided her into the house and up the staircase. She didn’t have time to look around before he had led her to a room at the end of the hallway. He remained outside the door, standing off to the side to allow her to walk by him and into the bedroom.
“Van set it all up for you. There is a separate washroom that has plenty of towels and toiletries.” He pointed to a large box at the foot of the canopied twin bed. Lucy recognized it as her shipment from New York. “That arrived for you yesterday. I hope nothing was damaged.”
Lucy didn’t know what to think or what to say. “Thank you”
He nodded and closed the door between them with a soft click of the knob. Lucy sat on the edge of the bed; her
thoughts were a jumbled mess. She was anxious to meet everyone, yet her body was exhausted. As she washed her face and changed into more casual clothes, she wondered why Vanessa had been so cold, was it the thought that Lucy was replacing her after all these years of running the McCain household? She had no intentions of displacing anyone and she was in no position to make enemies. As she lay down, starring up at the lace canopy, she promised herself that she would speak to Vanessa that afternoon and assure her she had no plans to uproot her from a place she was very much a part of. She turned and took the document from the county office out of the side pocket of her bag. The clerk had said they had sixty days before it expired. Sixty days to learn this new family, plan a wedding and start a new life. She sighed and put the paper in the drawer of the bedside table before closing her eyes and letting sleep steal her away from it all.
THREE
A soft murmur of musical tone drew Lucy from her slumbering state. It was a familiar child’s tune that filled her room with sweetness. She turned to her side and viewed the back of a small girl. Her golden kissed locks fell in loose, glossy strands that curled into spirals at the ends. Lucy lay still, not wanting to startle the child. She assumed it must be Olivia, though with the hair color that matched Vanessa’s it was possible this could be her daughter, if she had one. The girl took her time looking through Lucy’s suitcase that now lay open on the floor. She had pulled out shoes and laid them neatly on the multi-colored, braided rug. Beside the shoes were a pair of jeans and next to those were a multitude of colored camisoles.
The girl was turning over various makeup paraphernalia as she looked through a quilted bag. She pulled off tops of lipsticks, testing them on her pouty mouth and dabbed her cheeks with a blush brush while she continued to hum. A compact mirror opened in her gentle fingertips and she looked at her reflection with a weighty frown. Lucy’s heart splintered. She turned away trying to make as little noise as possible but still bring awareness to the child that she was there. The compact shut with an audible snap and the shuffling of items being hastily placed back in the suitcase was evident.
Lucy turned back and smiled before the girl could exit the room. “Hello, you must be Olivia?” Lucy had expected her to turn and run, but that was not the case.
Olivia crossed to the bed and scrambled up on the foot of the ruffled bed covers, her smile a mixture of pinks and red hues “Are you my new mother?”
Lucy was caught off guard for the third time that day. “Umm, I’m Lucy.”
Olivia reached out and stroked Lucy’s cheek and lifted a length of her hair twirling it in her fingertips. “You are pretty and you have the same color hair as Jasper.”
“Do I? Is Jasper one of your friends at school?”
Olivia fell back on the bed giggling. Her laughter was contagious and Lucy laughed with her. It felt natural to be there with this little girl enjoying the moment. Olivia sat up, still giggling, “No silly, Jasper is my pony.”
Lucy made a surprised expression. “You have a pony?”
The young girl nodded, her green eyes dancing with pride.
“I would love to meet him.”
Olivia jumped from the bed and grabbed Lucy’s hand yanking her towards the edge of the bed. “Come on, I’ll show you.” Her voice was filled with excitement. Lucy picked up her shoes on her way out of the room, and let Olivia lead her down the front staircase and out the door into the afternoon sun.
The joyful duo made their way to the barn with Lucy wobbling on her wedges over the uneven ground. With strength beyond her eight years, Olivia pushed open the heavy barn door leaving it wide open so that Lucy could see the full layout of the first floor of the barn.
“This is where Jasper lives. Daddy says he can be in this barn because he is a pet and not for working.” She pulled out a small red apple from a bucket and handed it to Lucy. “Here, these are his favorite.”
Lucy stood outside the split door of a stall that was labeled with Japer’s name on an ornate wooden plaque, each letter and swirling design had been painstaking carved and sanded, the craftsmanship was outstanding. Lucy traced each letter wondering who had made it. She held the apple out and waited for the chestnut colored pony to turn around and acknowledge her presence. “Here Jasper, come here boy” she cajoled.
Olivia laughed. “Not like that. Watch me?” she directed. She took the apple in her hand and climbed up on the door balancing on the edge as she sat and clicked her tongue. Jasper turned and walked over to Olivia. He whinnied and took the apple with a gentle bite of his teeth. Lucy watched in amazement as the pony ate the juicy fruit and Olivia stroked the length of his nose. How could a girl so young be so confident with an animal that was triple her size? At eight years of age Lucy had been playing with dolls and coloring books.
Olivia was humming the same tune again. Lucy listened, running the song through her head until all the words came back to her. She began to sing at a muted volume. Come follow, follow, follow, follow, follow, follow me.”
It was Olivia’s turn to look surprised. She started to sing with Lucy. “To the greenwood, to the greenwood, to the greenwood follow me.”
They fed the pony another apple and continued their song out of the barn and back to the house. By the time they entered the kitchen they were singing in a round and at the top of their lungs. Each one’s face lit up with delight.
“Olivia Ashley McCain!” a stern voice shot out from a back room off the kitchen. “How many times have I told you not to sing that?” Vanessa emerged from the pantry, her features so tense she looked hard as stone. Her hands were filled with canned goods and her eyes shot daggers when she saw Lucy standing behind Olivia with a protective hand on her shoulder. “Oh, I didn’t realize…” Vanessa trailed off.
“I’m sorry Vanessa; we didn’t mean to disturb you.” Lucy apologized, although she was confused as to why Olivia was being admonished.
“Olivia, run down to the stables and tell your father and brother lunch is served and wipe that stuff off your mouth” Vanessa directed.
“Yes Ma’am.” The girl ran off without another word.
Vanessa stirred a pot of soup that was simmering on the stove top. “That one there has a stubborn streak a mile long. Mind you, give her an inch and she’ll take a mile.”
“Oh she was sweet as can be. I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm.” Lucy tried to help by arranging the stack of bowls and silverware that sat on the kitchen table.
“You’re sure are you? You come in here less than a day, let a child make her face up like a harlot and you want to tell me about raising children you have just met?” Vanessa restacked the bowls and carried them out of the kitchen to a separate dining room. “We eat as a family in the dining room here, or would you like to change that as well?”
Lucy stood there speechless, her jaw slack and her eyes wide with wonderment. How could she feel so guilty for something she hadn’t done?
FOUR
After a week had passed, Lucy had met the ranch hands, the dog Rufus, Orange Kitty and the local Post Master. She had spent every afternoon with Olivia and Galen, playing games, reading and singing outside or in the barn, anywhere but near Vanessa. Nash had kept his distance. He was up before the sun rose and went to his own bedroom early every evening leaving Lucy to her own devices. Lucy had used her time to unpack, text her few friends back east and learn the layout of the house and ranch.
Vanessa still arrived early every morning, made breakfast, lunch and dinner. She continued to do laundry and care for the children by making certain they bathed, cleaned up after themselves and went to bed at a “proper” time. She had a knack for making Lucy feel less than adequate and took every opportunity to condemn her just for being in her presence. Nash never witnessed this, he was either out in the fields or conveniently unavailable.
If Lucy were being honest, she had enjoyed her time on the McCain ranch so far, but she was beginning to feel antsy and a little bit like a “moocher”. She wanted to feel useful, and more th
an anything she wanted Nash to see that she wanted to be a part of his family. In the seven days she had spent here she had fallen head over heels in love with his children, they were polite, funny and pure joy to be around, even when they were arguing about who’s turn it was to sit next to her at meal times. Her only negative emotion, beyond Vanessa’s unexplained loathing of her, was that she had not spent any real time getting to know Nash. She understood their set up was one of convenience. She had agreed to take care of the house and the children and he had agreed to support her, but in the back of her mind Lucy had hoped for more.
When Nash came in for breakfast, Lucy decided to loosen her tongue and take the bull by the horns. “I think it’s about time I started doing more around here. I’m not on a vacation, nor am I guest by our arrangement.”
Vanessa’s spoon of oatmeal clattered into her bowl, splattering warmed oats over the tablecloth. Nash set his coffee cup down, rested his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers under his chin. He looked from Lucy to an annoyed Vanessa. “I think that is a mighty fine idea. Don’t you Van?”
Vanessa grumbled and stood up, collecting up empty dishes to bring back to the kitchen.
“What do you think you’d like to start with?” he asked, ignoring the rudeness of his sister in law.
“Well,” Lucy started off slow; she wanted to choose the right words. “Perhaps I could go out with you this morning and learn some of the ranch chores and then this afternoon,” she paused and swallowed back the anxiety as she spoke her next statement. “This afternoon I could consult with Vanessa and begin taking on some of the housework or the evening meal.”
There was a huge shattering noise that resounded from within the confines of the kitchen. And the party of four froze for a brief moment at the dining room table.
“I’d better attend to that.” Nash excused himself without making comment to her suggestion.
