“Eight seconds! Bring out the rodeo clowns to get her off this critter,” Haley yelled.
Hank danced and twirled around, acting like the bull was biting at his rear end and trying to gore him. He finally grabbed Ruby Jane and ran back to the gaggle of giggling girls to set her beside Larissa.
“Your turn,” Ruby Jane said to Garnet.
“If I don’t win one of them pink hats, can I wear yours sometimes?” Garnet asked.
“Yes, you can. But I bet you get one when you ride the sheep. I’m afraid of them,” Ruby Jane said.
Garnet made it seven seconds before she bit the straw. Natalie barely got five and Brenda tied Garnet. They were content to have stayed on long enough to match the boys. The remaining four boys had their ride and the kids all yelled encouragement but none of them made it the full eight seconds.
Next up was the barrel racing contest. Henry set up galvanized milk buckets upside down in a long line down the middle of the area. Then he set a plastic glass full of water on each bucket.
“I’m going to show you how it’s done,” Henry said. “You got to weave in among these barrels without knocking over a single glass of water. Miz Haley is going to keep score. Water spilling is a minus one. I got a prize for any of the kids who make it all the way to the end without spilling a drop.” Henry picked up a hoe with a sock attached to the business end. “This here is old Buster. I’ve ridden him a good many years at this rodeo and he’s a right fine barrel racing horse. I know you kiddos have got smaller horses and you ain’t rode them before. But I’m a stick horse whisperer and we had us a conversation before I took them out of their stick horse stalls today, so they ain’t going to act up. Okay, can I get some yelling out there so old Buster will do his best barrel racing ever?”
The kids yelled loud enough to noise pollute the whole northern side of Palo Pinto County.
Henry slung a leg over the hoe and nodded at Haley, who clicked the stopwatch. He slapped the back of the hoe and took off like lightning, weaving between the buckets. When he reached the end he patted his horse and looked back at Haley who gave him a thumbs-up and wrote down his time.
“Okay, kids, go choose your ponies,” Hank said.
There were ten brown ponies with stuffed toy horse heads on brown sticks. Two purple ones and four pink ones. The boys grabbed the brown ones. Natalie, Brenda, and Garnet laid claim to pink ones and Ruby Jane slipped a purple one out of the cardboard box with “horse stall” written on the front in lopsided letters.
“Who’s first?” Henry asked.
“Girls,” the boys grumbled.
“That’s right gentlemanly of you guys,” Henry said.
“Okay, Garnet, let’s see what you’ve got.”
She whispered in her pony’s ear, slapped his skinny back, and off they went. Her mount slapped a bucket with his hind leg once and a little water spilled out on top of the bucket but she made it to the end without another mistake. Haley gave her a thumbs-up sign and wrote down the time.
When the rides were finished Garnet had a pink bandana tied around her neck and Bobby Dean had a red one.
Next up on the agenda was roping. Henry amazed them with a few tricks before he told them the rules of the game. He rolled a stick horse set into an old rusted milk bucket filled with concrete out into the middle of the arena. “This is one ornery bronc. He’s been runnin’ wild out in the mesquite. His momma never did bring him up to the house so he don’t know anything about bridles or reins. So we’ve got to lasso him and bring him to the corral so I can teach him to be a good horse. I’ll make a loop in the rope and you’ve got to ride your horse all around him. Get him kind of dizzy so he don’t know what’s comin’, like this.” Henry dashed around and moved in close enough to drop the loop around the stick horse.
“Who’s going first?” Haley asked.
Ruby Jane raised her hand and mounted her stick horse.
“Can I ride the mutton first?” Austin asked.
“I’m giving points for good behavior. Remember, I’ve got eyes in the back of my head. So whoever has the best behavior gets to go first at the mutton busting,” Haley told them.
“Ready,” Ruby Jane said and galloped around the bronc four times before she slung her rope and lassoed him.
“Good job,” Larissa yelled and clapped.
When they’d all had a turn Henry opened up a bag and pulled out a silver star to pin on their shirts. “I think everyone got that pony lassoed to bring into the corral for me to tame so everyone gets a star. And now it’s time for a bunch of rodeo stars to get on up to the cookhouse and eat hot dogs. I got any kids that might be hungry after a hard mornin’s work?”
Twelve hands went up with shouts. Ruby Jane kept hold of Larissa’s hand while the rest of the class took off toward the house in a dead run. Haley hung back with Hank and Henry fell into place beside Larissa.
“You look mighty fine in that pink cowboy hat,” Henry told Ruby Jane.
“It’s a cowgirl hat,” she giggled.
He grinned. “Yes, ma’am, it surely is.”
***
Hank would have much rather been next to Larissa. He put a little more speed into his step but Haley kept pace.
“So are you and your sister just visiting the ranch or do you live here permanently? I’m new at the Palo Pinto School and this is my first time out here. The principal said this is a yearly event and to tell the truth I wasn’t looking forward to it. But your dad has been so good with the kids. Bobby Dean and Ruby Jane might come out of their shells because of today. How did he know?”
“He’s good that way but…” Hank had it on the tip of his tongue to tell her that Larissa was not his sister.
Natalie ran up and grabbed the teacher’s leg. “Miz Haley, I got to go to the bathroom and I don’t know where it is.”
“I’ll take her,” Larissa said.
“Thank you, Miz Wells. I never did get your first name.”
“Larissa,” she said as Natalie drug her off toward the front door. “And I’m not Miz Wells.”
“Oh, okay.” Haley blushed and turned to Hank as they walked up on the porch together. “I’m not usually this forward but I’m a very good cook and I’d like to invite you to dinner at my house one day next week. Call it a thank you for what all you are doing today.”
Kids surrounded them and Henry slung open the door. “Do you hear that?”
Every sound stopped and they looked up at him.
“I think that might be, why yes, it is,” he said.
The dinner bell clanked loudly.
They all shouted and high-fived one another.
Larissa and Natalie came out of the bathroom while everyone was lining up for Miss Haley to hand them a wet-wipe to clean their hands before they ate. Oma had set up two card tables at either end of the long dining room table so they could all sit together. She went around the table asking each child their name and visiting with them. Then she grabbed Hank’s arm and pulled him into the kitchen to help her.
“You are about to ruin everything,” she hissed as she put chili and cheese on top of a hot dog in a bun.
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Flirtin’ with that schoolteacher right under Miss Larissa’s nose. She ain’t blind or stupid. She can see what’s goin’ on. You want her to trust you? Well, you better do different than you been doin’ today. Not that it’s a bit of my business but I see what I see and I ain’t one to keep my mouth shut. You ain’t goin’ to win her over by making her jealous. You got to win her by showing her that she’s the only one.”
Hank’s temper flared. “I wasn’t doing anything but being a good host. Larissa will understand.”
“If you think that, you got brain fever. Take this plate out to that little boy with the big thick glasses. He needs some help on his ego building so he gets first plate and he already told me what he wants on his hot dog,” she said.
“That’s Bobby Dean and Dad saw the same thing. But Oma, I
wasn’t flirting.”
“Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?” she asked.
“Hello, you need some help? I’m just standing in there with nothing to do. Mr. Wells is entertaining the kids with a story about the old chuckwagon days. He’s sure got a way with children. Are you his only child then?” Haley asked.
“Yes, I am his only child.” He picked up a plate and hurried past Haley.
“You can carry these chips out there.” Oma handed her a basket filled with individual bags of chips.
“I can do that, ma’am,” Haley said. “So what does Larissa…”
Larissa came around the corner. “Did someone mention my name?”
“Yes, I’m sorry I thought you were Henry’s daughter. What is your job on the ranch?”
Larissa smiled. “Oma, do I have a job title?”
“Lord no!” Oma exclaimed.
Haley took the chips to the table and passed out a bag to each student.
“Got anymore ready?” Hank joined them.
“Two. Start on the left of Bobby Dean. Deliver these two and get two more orders.” Oma handed him two paper plates.
“Here, I’ll fix Ruby Jane’s and Garnet’s and take theirs out to them. I heard their orders. Nothing but ketchup and wieners,” Larissa said.
Haley returned to the kitchen area and asked, “So is she just a friend of the family?”
“Larissa is a lot more than that,” Oma said.
“I keep hearing my name. I need two with mustard only,” Larissa said.
“I want to know where you fit in here. I asked Hank to dinner at my house one day next week to thank him for today,” Haley said.
“And what did he say?” Larissa asked.
Hank returned for two more plates. “I didn’t say anything because of the circus going on around us. Miss Haley, I thank you for the invitation but I’m involved with someone right now that I’m pretty serious about.”
“Fair enough, but if you are ever uninvolved please give me a call. The invitation stands. Now what else can I do, Oma?”
Oma pointed. “Juice packs all lined up on that tray. Several different flavors for them to choose from. After they finish eating all the hot dogs they can hold we’ve got chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake.”
Haley picked up the tray and said, “You never did answer me about what it is you do on the ranch?”
“She’s that person I’m involved with,” Hank said.
“Oops! Well, this is awkward.” Haley giggled and darted to the dining room table.
“Why’d you do that?” Larissa asked.
“I’d like to stand up on the roof and shout it,” Hank said.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Why? You got someone else you are having dinner with this week?”
“Maybe!”
Hank stood perfectly still. His heart stopped and then only beat at half speed. His stomach tied itself into a pretzel. It had never entered his mind that she might have fallen for someone else between the town meeting and the time they met again in Dallas.
“Who?” he growled.
“Jealous?” she asked.
“As hell.”
“Good. Now you know how I felt when I had to sit across the rodeo arena and watch you two flirt.”
“Who are you having dinner with? And I wasn’t flirting.”
“But you weren’t making her stop when she was,” Larissa said.
“I didn’t know she was flirting. I thought she was just being nice because we are hosting the play day,” he whispered.
“Being nice doesn’t involve batting eyelashes,” Larissa said.
“See. I told you,” Oma said.
“Who are you having dinner with?” he asked.
“Probably Stallone or Luther,” she said.
He swallowed hard. “That’s not funny.”
“Neither was this morning.”
“Are we fighting?” he asked.
“Hell yeah.”
Oma giggled behind them. “Fight all you want but keep your voices down. Them kids don’t need to hear anything but a good time today. When you get finished fightin’ go somewhere and make up.”
“You are right, Oma. We’ve got jobs to do. We’ll finish this later.” Larissa went back to the table to see if her girls needed anything.
After dinner the children had thirty minutes of free time to climb fences and pet the sheep or a horse that Henry brought from the barn.
“Can we ride her?” Garnet asked.
“Sure you can.” Henry set her up in the saddle and led the horse around the yard. When he brought her back a line had formed with Ruby Jane at the front. Everyone had a turn around the yard and then he took them all back to the area where he’d set up for the mutton ride. He’d chosen two big woolly sheep from his stock and put them in the arena. Then he turned two kids at a time into the pen. Their job was to work together to catch one of the animals and stay on it eight seconds. Each team had five minutes and the bull was tame compared to the sheep.
Larissa held her sides and laughed until tears messed up her makeup watching the first two little boys try to ride the sheep. If they were all as funny as the first two she wouldn’t be able to work that night for aching ribs.
She felt Hank’s presence behind her before she even looked over her shoulder to find him close enough she could see individual eyelashes.
“How many of them do you want?” he asked.
“Stallone would get really mad if I brought a sheep into the house.”
Hank touched her arm. “I’m talking about little boys.”
“Well, I’ll take Bobby Dean and Ross. The rest can go on home with the teacher.”
Hank slipped an arm around her waist and buried his face in her hair. “How many of your own do you want?”
“One at a time.” She got tickled all over again when it was Ross and Joe’s turn in the sheep pen. They chased. They mounted. They fell on their hind ends. They fell on their faces. They yelled when the sheep went for a corner and refused to move.
“How many times?” Hank asked.
“On days like this, a dozen. When they have colic and all those gawd awful things that babies have, none,” she said.
“Okay, two ladies now,” Henry said.
Garnet grabbed her twin sister’s hand and two dark ponytails bobbed out into the middle of the pen.
“We’ll double team that sorry ass critter,” Garnet said.
“I’m afraid and Miss Haley is going to be mad if she hears you,” Ruby Jane whispered.
“Don’t tell. I’ll help you ride this dumb ass sheep if you don’t tell on me.”
Ruby nodded.
Garnet grabbed a sheep by the neck and motioned for Ruby Jane to get on its back. Ruby Jane did and Garnet let go. The sheep took off in a run around the arena. It didn’t buck like the bull or kick or squirm. It just ran and bahhhhed. Ruby Jane leaned forward and held on to the rope tied around the sheep’s middle. While she rode, Garnet chased down her animal and mounted. No amount of yelling did a bit of good. It refused to move.
“You sorry piece of shh… sugar,” Garnet said.
The sheep put its head down and Garnet landed on her bottom. She hopped up and remounted. “Either you move or Mr. Henry is going to butcher you and we’re going to eat you for supper,” she yelled above the noise.
The sheep took off like a shot and overtook the one Ruby Jane was still hanging on to as if her life depended on it.
“I might name the first one Garnet,” Larissa said.
Hank grinned. “So there might be a first one? I thought Ruby Jane had you wrapped up tight around her little finger.”
“I should name a little girl Ruby. Maybe I’ll have a boy first and I’ll name him Ruby.”
“Good God, you will not!”
“God isn’t just good. God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy. If you don’t believe me, ask Billy Currington. He sings that song,” she said. Anything to get her mind off having
children. She and Hank had a long way to go to see if they were compatible. She’d never bring a child into the world unless she was one hundred percent sure that it would have both a mother and a father. She’d been down the single parent, no parent road. It was a very bumpy ride.
Garnet and Forrest won the prizes for the mutton busting. Henry gave them each a certificate to the western wear store in Mineral Wells for a new pair of boots.
“And now, for the rodeo finale,” he said above the din.
The children gathered around him and got quiet. “There’s a party set up in the backyard where we’ll have our rodeo dance. A good rodeo ain’t worth much if the folks who rode and the folks who watched can’t finish off with a dance. Miss Garnet, will you do me the honor of the first dance when we get there?”
She stretched her neck so she could see all the way to his face. “You know how to line dance?”
“I can try,” Henry said seriously.
“Then you can have the first dance. Come on, girls. Let’s go to the bathroom and fix our hair. We’re goin’ to a dance.” All four of them disappeared across the yard in a flurry of giggles and into the house.
“Ah shucks!” Mitchell kicked at the straw.
Henry stooped down and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “What’s the matter, son?”
“I got whupped on the bull and the barrel racing and I wanted a new pair of boots. And now I got to dance with a dumb old girl?” he said.
“How about you?” Larissa whispered to Hank. “You got to dance with a dumb old girl?”
“I was hoping that I might get to dance with the prettiest one here.” His warm breath caressed her earlobe and sent shivers up her spine.
Henry chuckled. “Mitch, my boy, do you know how to dance?”
“Daddy’s been teachin’ me.”
“Well, I bet any one of them girls will be honored to dance with you,” Henry said.
“Garnet’s the only one I like.” Mitch blushed.
“Then I’ll give you the first dance with her and I’ll see to it that it’s a two-step. Is that what your daddy’s been teachin’ you?” Henry remembered when Hank was about that size and he’d taken him to a sale barn dance.
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