Peppermint Proposal

by Kirsten Osbourne

  He nodded. “I’d love to, if you don’t mind .”

  “I never mind. Benjamin and Melissa will be here as well to work on their wedding plans .”

  “Wait—Ben’s already engaged to Melissa? I guess when one of your boys falls in love, the others all have to follow suit ?”

  Lillian laughed. “I don’t think they have to, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did .”

  Max looked baffled for a moment. “Well, I’m going to leave Joni in your capable hands. I’ll be back at six for supper.” He leaned down and kissed Joni’s cheek, and Lillian’s eyes widened in understanding. “See you soon .”

  Joni watched him go, feeling nervous about being alone with this woman who was so important to Max. “Thanks for letting me stay here, Mrs. McClain. I really appreciate it .”

  “It’s Lillian. We don’t use last names around here, because there are just too many McClains.” She studied Joni for a moment, then turned toward the stairs. “Follow me, and I’ll show you the room that will be yours for the night. I’m giving you Adam’s old room, because it’s the only one with a private bath. I think you’ll feel more comfortable there .”

  “Thank you.” Joni followed along behind the older woman, fighting an internal battle. “May I ask you a very private question ?”

  Lillian frowned at her. “I suppose you can. What is it ?”

  “Do you have any idea about where Max’s grandparents are? When he told me his story, it made me wonder if they wouldn’t want to see him. I think he feels like he’s missing his roots, if that makes any sense .”

  Lillian nodded. “It does make sense. His grandparents got in touch with us here at the ranch shortly after he was sent here, but at that point, we weren’t allowed to let him have contact with them .”

  “Did you ever tell him that?” Joni wasn’t sure what the repercussions would be for something like that, but she felt Max needed to make friends with his past to be able to have a future .”

  “I haven’t. I will, I promise. Thank you for reminding me of it. It hadn’t seemed important to me, but I can see that it would be to Max.” Lillian turned and showed Joni the room, opening the different doors to show her where everything was. “If you need anything at all, you be sure to let me know .”

  “I will. And thank you for listening to me. I know I’m just a stranger to you .”

  “No, you’re Max’s girl. I don’t need to know anything else to welcome you with open arms. Thanks for coming to the ranch, Joni.” With that, Lillian was gone, closing the door behind her .

  Joni pulled her interview clothes out of her suitcase and hung them in the closet, hoping the wrinkles would come out after a couple of hours. She’d shower with her skirt and blouse in the bathroom if it came to it, but she really didn’t want to have to iron. She hated ironing more than she hated wrinkles .

  * * *

  M ax puttered around his house for a few minutes before heading to the stable. His favorite thing about the ranch had always been the horses, and he needed a good long ride to clear his head. He knew he should probably ask Joni to go with him, but when she was with him, his head was anything but clear. No, he needed time alone with just his gelding for company .

  As he rode, he looked out over the cabins that the boys lived in. He thought about what his life had been like when he’d lived there. He shook his head. He was no longer the confused teenage boy who had been sent away. He was a man, and he was very quickly falling in love .

  * * *

  W hen Max arrived at the main house for supper that night, he found Joni and Lillian working side-by-side in the kitchen as if they’d known one another forever. Melissa was sitting on the counter talking to them. Her hair was pulled back in the same dark ponytail she always wore .

  Benjamin was in the dining room, talking to Peter in low tones. As soon as Max caught the word “wedding,” his ears perked up a bit .

  “When are you two tying the knot?” he asked .

  “Soon. Very soon,” Benjamin told him .

  Max settled down at the table with the two McClain men. “Kevin says hi .”

  “What’s his wife like?” Benjamin asked .

  Max shook his head, chuckling a bit. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. She’s not who any of us thought Kevin would marry, I promise you that .”

  “Really? Why do you say that?” Peter asked with a frown .

  “Well, she’s this tiny little thing. Small enough you just kind of want to scoop her up and put her in your back pocket, and then she opens her mouth. She’s the most opinionated little thing I’ve ever met. And she has this thing where she starts fights with everyone she meets, demanding to know who their favorite Disney princess is. Very odd girl, but she loves Kevin, and Kevin loves her .”

  Benjamin grinned. “Sounds like he definitely met his match with that one. She’s going to keep him hopping .”

  Peter shrugged. “Any woman who’s worth having will keep you hopping. If you’re willing to overlook their flaws, then you love them. It’s that simple .”

  Joni came into the room then with Lillian and Melissa. Melissa kept grinning at Benjamin, and when she walked behind him, she trailed her fingers along his shoulder as if she couldn’t bear not to touch him .

  Joni set a huge platter with chicken fried steak on the table, and Max started drooling. As a native Texan, he considered himself a connoisseur of chicken fried steak, and he knew that Lillian made the best, hands down .

  “Lillian, you spoil me !”

  Lillian laughed. “I know it’s your favorite .”

  “It is, and I’m thrilled you made it. Joni, you’re going to love this stuff .”

  Joni smiled, taking the seat beside him while Melissa sat beside Benjamin. Lillian and Peter were on either end of the table .

  “Will you say the prayer, Max?” Peter asked .

  Max nodded, bowing his head. He said a short simple prayer before they all started in on the food .

  “Lillian makes the best chicken fried steak in all of Texas .”

  “Texas?” Benjamin asked. “In all the world !”

  Joni watched Benjamin with his new fiancé, who hadn’t said a great deal while they were in the kitchen. Lillian had talked about how excited she was to finally be getting daughters in her life after so many sons. Melissa seemed to look at him and smile a lot, obviously thrilled to be marrying him .

  “So how did you two meet?” Peter asked Joni .

  Joni swallowed the bite of food in her mouth. “I work as a waitress at the café on River’s End Ranch. Max came in there on Friday, and I served him. We hit it off, and I showed him the ranch. He told me about a job opening here for a social worker, and I just got my masters in social work in May, so I decided to apply for the job .”

  Lillian smiled, blotting her mouth with her napkin. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. You’re the first girl Max has ever brought home for us to meet .”

  Max was a bit flustered by that comment. “I didn’t exactly bring her here for you to meet …”

  “Yes, you did! You could have easily dumped her at the airport, and you know one of us would have picked her up there. It would have been no problem. The fact that you felt the need to fly with her is telling .”

  Joni stole a glance at Max, wondering what he was thinking about all this. She was nervous, because she’d never felt for anyone the way she felt for Max. But what if it was a short holiday romance, destined to be over when he returned to Texas ?

  “She’d never been to Texas before. There’s nothing wrong with me flying back to show it to her.” Max was definitely on the defensive, which surprised Joni .

  “When are you two heading back to Idaho?” Benjamin asked, and Max sent him a grateful look. Being on the spot with Lillian and Peter was never easy .

  “Tomorrow evening. Joni is working Thursday morning bright and early.” Max reached over and squeezed Joni’s hand under the table. “I’m going to take her for a walk after supper. I’ve see
n her ranch. It’s time she saw mine .”

  Lillian frowned. “It’s freezing out there. It’s in the low fifties !”

  Max laughed. “Joni made me get real winter gear. I’m sure I can dress warm enough for a walk around the ranch .”

  As soon as Joni had helped clear the table, Lillian shooed her out. “Go on your walk with Max .”

  “Are you sure? I’m happy to help.” Joni didn’t feel right just running away with all the dishes that would need to be washed .

  “Don’t worry about that. Go have fun. You only have one night in Texas. Make the most of it .”

  Joni hugged the older woman impulsively. “Thank you!” She rushed upstairs to get her coat. When she got back down, Max was waiting for her .

  “Are you ready ?”

  She nodded, her eyes bright. “Show me your ranch .”

  “Well, it’s hard to see after dark, but I’ll show you what I can.” He immediately started walking toward the boys’ cabins, pointing out the picnic area where the boys and employees ate with the family every Friday night. “What I really want to show you is the cabin where I lived when I was first brought here. I don’t know why, but it feels like the first real home I ever had .”

  She frowned, again thinking of his grandparents. “I’m glad you’ve been happy here .”

  “I have.” He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her. “I want you to read that for me .”

  “What do you mean ?”

  “Lillian said that my grandparents contacted the ranch shortly after I arrived, but she wasn’t allowed to let them have any contact with me. She gave me this envelope with a letter they wrote me years ago. I’m not sure if I’m ready to read it, so you have to read it first .”

  Joni nodded. “I’ll read it and let you know if you want to read it. I can’t see well enough to read it here, but I’d be happy to let you know tomorrow .”

  “I’d like that a lot .”

  10

  A s soon as Joni got back to her room, she tore open the envelope to read the letter from Max’s grandparents. As she’d suspected, they had never blamed him for what had happened. The letter was touching, and she said a quick prayer that his grandparents were both still in good health. The letter had been written in 2003, so she was a bit concerned, but she decided that he should read the letter either way. He needed to know that no matter how much his mother had messed up, his grandparents loved him .

  He’d told her he wanted to meet her for her morning run, so she waited in front of the house at half past four, ready to run. It was in the high forties, but that was the summer temperature early in the morning in the part of Idaho she lived in .

  He jogged to her, a wary look on his face. “Did you read it ?”

  She nodded, handing it to him. “They never blamed you, Max. They wanted to see you all those years ago. I’d bet they still want to see you .”

  His eyes looked haunted, and for a moment, she thought he’d leave right then. Instead he said, “Let’s run .”

  She nodded, sensing that he wanted to run his troubles away, as she’d done more times than she could count over the years. Together, they ran. They ran across fields and around buildings. They ran across the ranchland .

  When they finally returned an hour had passed, and she was gasping for air. “I’ll see you later ?”

  He nodded, running back in the direction of his cabin. As she watched him go, she couldn’t help but worry. He’d been so distant. Surely he’d be all right .

  Shaking her head, she decided to let him deal with it himself. There was nothing she could do to make things easier, so she needed to go about her business. And her business was the job interview she had coming up in a few hours .

  * * *

  I t was just after two that afternoon when Lillian went upstairs to talk to Joni. “Max is in Dallas. He’s going to spend some time with his grandparents. He asked that I have someone take you to the airport .”

  Joni nodded, understanding but wishing things were different. She’d started Max down this road, and if he needed time with his grandparents before he could spend some with her, then it was her fault. “All right. Thank you .”

  “He said to give you these.” Lillian handed Joni his truck keys .

  “No, I can’t take them. I’ll have someone pick me up and take me back to the ranch. It’s really not a problem .”

  “I thought you’d say that, but he said he doesn’t want his truck staying at the airport for an indefinite period of time .”

  “Oh.” Joni could understand where he was coming from. “All right .”

  “Well, let’s go. I don’t want you to be late for your flight .”

  “You’re driving me to the airport?” Joni asked, surprised .

  “Of course, I am. You love one of my boys, and that means you’re mine.” Lillian headed for the minivan she still insisted on driving, even though her sons were all grown. “He’s going to be all right .”

  “I know. It’s just hard that I can’t be with him .”

  “I’m just thrilled you want to be .”

  * * *

  M ax stood in front of the huge house where he’d spent the first five years of his life. He raised his hand to knock, thought better of it, and turned to walk away. He was halfway back to his rental when he realized that he’d been waiting for this day for a long time. He couldn’t back out now .

  Raising his hand, he knocked on the door, holding his breath as he waited for someone to come. The woman who opened the door wasn’t familiar to him, but she was about the right age to be his grandmother. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I’m Max Logan .”

  The woman stared at him for a moment, tears filling her eyes. “We never thought we’d get to see you again .”

  Max wanted to run. “I didn’t know you wanted to see me until this morning .”

  She shook her head. “What am I doing keeping you outside on a cold day like this? Come in!” She opened the door wide, and Max walked in, half afraid he’d break something. “To your left is the living room. Have a seat while I call your grandfather. He’s at work .”

  “Oh, don’t bother him at work!” Max realized he had no idea what his grandfather even did for a living, but he was sure he was too busy to come home in the middle of the day .

  His grandmother stared at him for a moment. “Of course, I’ll call him at work. We’ve prayed every day that you would find your way home to us.” She left the room, and he could hear her moving around in another .

  He looked around him, surprised at the opulence that surrounded him. He couldn’t imagine why his mother had not left him here when she’d left, but he knew if she had, his life would have been much different. Would he have gone to college and worked in the family business? Would he have gone to football camp instead of juvie? There was no way of knowing. All he could do now was keep following the path he was plummeting down and get to know these people .

  His grandmother came back into the room. “He’ll be here in fifteen minutes. Are you hungry? I could have Annie whip up some lunch ?”

  He shook his head, certain that if he tried to eat, he’d vomit. “I don’t think I can eat at the moment. What should I call you ?”

  She blinked a couple of times before walking over to sit down beside him. “When you were little you called me Grandma .”

  He nodded. “Is that what you want me to call you now ?”

  “I would like nothing more. I’m so glad you’re here! I know you were sent to a boys’ ranch years ago. How were you treated there?” Her eyes were still moist as she asked. “I hope they weren’t cruel .”

  He shook his head. “That boys’ ranch is the best thing that ever happened to me. They treated me with love and respect from the first day onward. I’ve thought of Lillian and Peter McClain as my parents for more than half my life .”

  She reached out and grasped his hand, and it felt odd to Max. She didn’t seem like someone who had a connection with him. “I’m so
glad to hear that. Do you know about your mother ?”

  “Know what ?”

  “She died a year ago. Overdose .”

  Max found he had no emotions over her pronouncement. He was sure that made him a terrible person, but he couldn’t feel grief for the woman who had made his life miserable for many years. “I’m sorry for your loss.” The words were automatic .

  “Yours, too. She was your mother .”

  He shrugged. “She wrote me off many years ago. I have a mother who loves me very much.” Abruptly he got to his feet. “This was a mistake .”

  “Please don’t go, Max. At least let my husband come home and meet you. Then you can go if you want to .”

  Max frowned, but he sat back down. “I can wait a few more minutes .”

  “Tell me about you, Max. What do you do for a living? Where do you live? Are you married ?”

  “I work as a cowboy at the boys’ ranch where I went after my mother disowned me. I’ve found my place in the world there, and I’m happy. I’m not married, but there’s a girl…I’m not sure how she feels about me at the moment, but I do know I want to pursue a relationship with her. I took her to meet Peter and Lillian .”

  “And did they like her ?”

  He nodded. “Lillian said she felt like she was already her daughter. She lives in Idaho, but I think she’s going to move to Texas to work on the ranch .”

  “How’d you meet a girl in Idaho? It’s not one of those online relationships, is it ?”

  “No. I had some time off, so I drove up there to spend some time with one of my foster brothers. She was the first person I met on the ranch. We haven’t known one another very long, but my feelings are strong .”

  “Let me tell you a little secret about your grandfather and me. We met, and got married less than a week later. We’ve been married for almost fifty years .”

  He wasn’t sure what to say to that. She seemed to be encouraging him to pursue his relationship with Joni, which pleased him. “That’s great.” He frowned. “Was my mother an only child ?”

  “Yes, she was. And we spoiled her beyond belief. It’s our fault that she turned out as she did. We should have been stricter.” He heard the door open behind him. “Oh, that must be Stanley !”