Cadence took it all in. She wasn’t used to being around so many people, especially those who clearly cared for and about each other. The few gatherings she had attended with Bill’s large extended family were more like opportunities to one-up each other.
Later, while Viv and Denni helped with the dishes, Cadence asked how Cass was able to come for dinner.
“She pounded on the door of the house bright and early this morning, so excited she couldn’t stand still,” Viv said. “She had a note in her hand from her mother that basically said she didn’t care what we did with Cass today as long as she stayed out of her hair. I bought that dress and the shoes for her the last time I was in The Dalles and hoped to figure out a way to give them to her for Christmas. Today seemed like a good day to let her have a present. The child stunk to high-heaven, so I gave her a bath, washed her hair. Thank goodness she doesn’t have lice. I gave her new undies and everything to wear today. I had her wear one of my sweaters instead of that ratty old coat. I threw all her stuff in the washer this morning, so it will at least be clean when she changes this evening. I just hope I can talk her into leaving her dress and shoes at my house. I don’t think Micki would take kindly to seeing the new outfit.”
“It’s just a crying shame,” Denni said, watching Cass sleeping on Trey’s lap. She’d climbed up there after dinner and fell asleep. No one had the heart to move her, so they just let her be. Trey didn’t seem to mind, which really surprised his mother. “She is such a sweet little thing, and bright, too. Shouldn’t she be in school?”
“I found out she’s five,” Viv said. “So technically, she should be in kindergarten, but Micki won’t send her. Next year, I don’t see how she can refuse. You’d think as much as she hates having Cass around, she’d want her at school part of the day.”
“Won’t she be behind the other kids when she does go to school?” Cadence asked, drying the last dish and putting it away.
“She’s a sharp cookie. I’m sure she’ll catch on fast,” Viv said. “I’ve been teaching her the alphabet and her numbers when she comes in for her afternoon food run. Even though it’s just a few minutes a day, she’s making progress.”
Denni leaned against the counter. “It breaks my heart to see her suffer because of her mother’s stubbornness.” Amazed at how quickly Trey took to the little girl, Denni knew he’d never been a person who went out of his way to be around kids. The attention he gave little Cass left her surprised. Maybe he was finally getting ready to settle down. Hope for future grandchildren sprang up anew in her heart.
As though he sensed her watching him, Trey looked into the kitchen and smiled, first at his mother, then at Cadence. After shrugging his shoulders, he raised an eyebrow and turned his attention back to the ballgame.
Cadence felt her knees start to wobble and sank down onto a barstool at the counter. If she wasn’t already half in love with Trey before, her silly heart did back flips watching the tender way he cared for Cass.
A look passed between Denni and Viv, but both women were smart enough to keep their comments to themselves.
When Cass awoke from her nap, she slowly opened her eyes, studied the room, and took a moment to remember where she was before looking up into the face of the cowboy who held her.
“Hi,” she said, rubbing a little hand across her eyes.
“Hi, Cass,” Trey said, helping her sit up and gently rubbing her back. “Did you have a good nap?”
“Yep. I had a happy dream.”
Trey grinned. “A happy dream, huh? What was your happy dream about?”
“I dreamed I got to stay here forever with you and Cady and never be hungry anymore.”
Trey felt like a large spoon of mashed potatoes had lodged itself in his throat. He couldn’t think of a response to Cass’ statement. While he tried to swallow down his emotion, Cadence came to the rescue.
As she approached the recliner where Trey sat with Cass, she held out her arms and picked up the little girl, snuggling her close.
“Did you have a good nap, sweetie-pie?”
“Yep. I did,” Cass said, patting her hands on Cadence’s cheeks.
“I’m glad,” Cadence said, rocking from side to side, holding Cass close. She absolutely loved the feel of Cass in her arms, even if the little girl was frightfully small for her age. “Would you like a snack?”
“Yes, please.” Cass’ eyes lit up as they walked into the kitchen where an array of desserts lined the counter.
After selecting a cookie and a piece of cake, Cadence set Cass on a bar stool with her treats and a big glass of milk.
The men wandered in and decided they could all go for a second round of dessert. Not long after that, everyone went home except for Denni, Nana, Joe, Viv and Cass.
Cadence didn’t know who suggested it, but it was quickly decided they needed to send Cass home with a paper chain to count down the days until Christmas. A search through the house revealed nothing except white printer paper and a roll of plain brown paper, neither of which would make a festive chain for the little girl.
Quickly thinking of a solution, Cadence asked Trey if she could use his computer, since it was hooked to the printer. He logged in and stood behind her while she Googled websites for Christmas paper and soon they had a pile of printed paper with everything from Santa to jolly snowmen.
Cadence brought glue and a few pairs of scissors to the table where everyone helped Cass make her very first paper chain. They put on enough rings she could take one off every day, starting the following morning. There were arguments if they should have a ring for Christmas Day or if the final one should be Christmas Eve. It was agreed to add the extra one to give Cass one more to unfold.
They had so much fun making one, a second one soon hung along the curtain rod above the kitchen sink.
When Viv and Joe were ready to leave, Cass pulled on her borrowed sweater and threw both arms around Trey’s legs. He picked her up, kissed her cheek, and thanked her for coming.
When Cadence grew teary-eyed, he passed the little girl over for her to kiss and hug before Trent took a turn and carried her out to the car.
In an effort to lighten the mood, Denni started talking about all the sales she wanted to hit in Portland early the next morning for the Black Friday specials. She studied Cadence and tipped her head with an inviting smile. “Would you want to come with me, Cadence? It’s a lot of fun and for some reason, I can’t find anyone willing to get up that early and go with me.”
“Oh, I don’t think so Denni. By the time I get breakfast ready and drive to The Dalles, you’ll have missed half the sales,” Cadence said, loading the last of the dessert dishes in the dishwasher. “I appreciate the invitation, though.”
“Well, maybe we can sweet talk your slave-driving boss into letting you have a day off. You could spend the night at my house and we could leave early in the morning,” Denni said, lifting a raised eyebrow at Trey.
Trey nodded his head at his mother. He didn’t know exactly what she was up to, but he was sure he wasn’t going to like it.
“I reckon we can rustle up our own breakfast. I think we’ve got a few options for things to eat.” Trey waved his arm toward the counter, still full of desserts.
“Yeah, we can manage tomorrow, Cady,” Trent said. “Go with Mom and have fun. You haven’t taken a full day off since you came.”
“Are you sure?” Cadence asked, trying not to get too excited about the prospect of going shopping in the big city. Her mother hated to shop and most of her girlfriends didn’t like to get up that early or deal with the crowds, so Cadence rarely indulged in the Black Friday experience.
“Absolutely.” Trey took the dishrag out of her hand and tossed it in the sink. “Go pack your bag and hit the road, darlin’.”
Cadence didn’t waste any time in gathering an overnight bag and clothes for shopping. She dropped her things by the back door and helped Nana put on her coat while Trey held Denni’s.
Trent ran out and started their
cars while Trey packed out the dishes his mom and grandma had brought. Cadence filled several containers with leftovers for them to take home and enjoy.
As he walked the women out to their cars, Trey let his grandmother take his arm, while Denni hooked her arm through Trent’s. Cadence followed along behind carrying her bag. Trent had pulled her car up behind his mom’s, so she tossed her bag in the backseat and started to open the driver’s door when Trey stepped beside her.
With him standing so close, she could see his eyes go from calm blue to a stormy sea.
He held the door open for her and waited until she was buckled in, then leaned down and pecked her check.
“Have fun, Cady,” Trey said, intently watching her face. “After that fine meal today, you deserve a little time off.”
“Thanks, Trey.” She placed a gloved hand on his cheek and gave it a pat. “Be a good boy while I’m gone and don’t eat cake for breakfast.”
Trey laughed and shut her door. He hurried to his mom’s car, kissed Nana’s cheek and told them to drive carefully.
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Cadence didn’t know when she’d had so much fun shopping, laughed so hard, or had such a pleasant day.
She and Denni got up at an hour so early Cadence wasn’t convinced it was technically Friday. They hurried to get ready and were on the road by three-thirty that morning. Denni pulled into the parking lot at a huge shopping mall a few minutes before five and they hustled to get in line at one of Denni’s favorite stores.
Pushed along in the rush of the crowd, Denni grabbed Cadence’s hand and tugged her in the direction of the bargains she was hunting. Denni had a long list of things she was shopping for while Cadence had just a few things on her list.
She was unprepared for all the great sales and found herself buying more than she had planned.
When she happened across the children’s section in a huge department store, Cadence couldn’t stop from buying a few things for Cass. Denni found her there and got caught up in the fun. By the time they were done, they had an entire wardrobe, right down to a frilly green Christmas dress picked out for Cass.
“How are we going to convince Micki to let her keep all this?” Cadence asked as they loaded the trunk of Denni’s car.
“I don’t know, but we’ll worry about that later,” Denni said, stuffing another bag into the already full trunk. “We couldn’t just walk by those sales, though. Who ever heard of coats marked down to ten dollars?”
Shopping their way through several more stores, Denni talked Cadence into buying a few things for herself including a teal satin dress.
“I know it doesn’t seem practical, Cady, but that is the whole point.” Denni studied her as she walked out of the dressing room. “You have to buy it. It was made just for you. I bet if you read the tag, it will say, ‘please hold for Cadence Greer.’ Just get it, honey.”
“If you say so.” Cadence grinned as she returned to the dressing room.
Between Trey and Cass calling her Cady in front of everyone multiple times yesterday, it seemed the name had stuck. When she mentioned it to Aunt Viv, the woman patted her back. “You need a new name for the new life you are carving out here. Cady is perfect.”
Cadence felt different, too. She felt more like a Cady - someone ready for fun and adventure instead of being so aloof and uptight.
That explain why she found such pleasure in the shopping excursion that morning. She was just enjoying her time with Denni, unconcerned about maintaining a professional demeanor.
Although they had met a few times and spoke on the phone every week, Cadence was surprised how well the two of them got along. Denni was funny, kind, and engaging. She made Cadence feel like a friend or a daughter, and for that she was most grateful.
Denni had a few more gifts she wanted to buy. When Cadence was sure they couldn’t fit one more thing in the car, they stopped for lunch at a quaint little teashop where they had slices of quiche and spicy tea.
Denni smiled at Cadence as they walked back to the car. “Ready for round two?”
Cadence’s head shot up and she looked over the top of the car at Denni, not sure if she was teasing or serious. Denni laughed and motioned for Cadence to get in the car.
Two hours later, Cadence sighed in pleasure at Denni’s idea of round two.
Denni drove to a spa where she insisted on treating for a full experience of pedicures with foot massages and relaxing facials. The woman talked Cadence into getting her hair cut at the salon next door. Since it had been months since she’d had anything done with her hair, Cadence was glad to have it trimmed into beautiful wavy layers around her face and down her back.
As they drove home mid-afternoon, Denni reached over and squeezed Cadence’s hand. “Thanks for spending the day with me, Cady. I had a grand time.”
“Thank you for inviting me and allowing me to spend the night,” Cadence said, sincerely. “I have never had so much fun shopping before and the spa was beyond wonderful. I had no idea what round two meant, but thank you for the opportunity to find out.”
Denni smiled and sent Cadence a wink.
“It was my pleasure. I enjoyed having someone to shop with who could keep up with me. Nana never enjoyed it all that much and now the experience just wears her out thinking about it. With no daughters of my own, my boys would rather be forced to run through town naked than dragged to a mall the day after Thanksgiving. It was so much fun to get to know you better. I’m really glad Trey and Trent hired you.”
“I’m glad they did, too,” Cadence said with a grin. “Otherwise I’d have missed out on this fabulous shopping experience.”
“Speaking of Trey…” Denni tossed out some bait she hoped Cadence would catch. “What do you think of him? Do you like working for him?”
“You raised fine men.” Cadence wondered where Denni was headed with her questions. “He and Trent are both very polite and kind, and surprisingly neat. There isn’t a lot of work to being their housekeeper.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that.” Denni nodded in approval. “Lois and I tried to train those boys to behave like gentleman. Most of the time, they make their mama proud. I noticed Trey seems to be quite taken with you.”
“Oh?” Cadence tried to stay noncommittal as she caught on to where the Denni directed the conversation. Perhaps she could veer Denni off track. “I noticed he was very taken with Cass. How do you suppose she can be such a sweet little thing considering her home life?”
“I don’t know, but she is something special,” Denni agreed. “I was surprised to see how easily Trey handled her yesterday. He’s never spent much time around kids or showed any interest in them. Something has definitely changed in that son of mine. What do you suppose brought that all about?”
“I couldn’t say.” Cadence stared out the window, thinking the car suddenly felt stifling. She leaned her cheek against the window’s cool glass and watched the scenery fly by as they headed toward The Dalles.
“Couldn’t say or won’t say?” Denni teased, watching Cadence’s cheeks turn pink. Patting her leg, Denni grinned. “I’ll quit my digging expedition for today. Now, you’ve got to tell me how you made that wonderful caramel sauce for the pie yesterday.”
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On her way through Grass Valley, Cadence decided to make a quick stop at Viv’s Café before driving back to the Triple T. Quickly pulling into a parking space, she walked inside the restaurant. She’d just tugged off her gloves when Cass tore across the street and in the door, right into Cadence.
Tears streamed down her little face and she held the shredded remnants of her Christmas paper chain in her cold fingers.
Kneeling down, Cadence pulled her close and let her sob.
“What is it, sweetie-pie? What’s wrong?” Cadence picked her up and carried her to a booth. Sitting down, she held the little girl on her lap and grabbed some paper napkins to wipe off the tears and swipe at her nose.
“Mommy found my paper chain and said it was stupid,” Cass sai
d between sobs. “Then she tore it up and threw it at me. Why is she so mean, Cady? Why’s my mommy so mean to me?”
Cadence had all she could do not to cry right along with Cass. Instead, she held the child close and rocked her back and forth in the booth. She caught Aunt Viv’s eye as she came out with a mug of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies for Cass.
Swiftly blotting the child’s tears, Cadence pulled off Cass’s coat and stood her up before she stood and removed her own coat, then sat back in the booth, pulling Cass down next to her.
“Here, honey, you eat these cookies and drink this hot chocolate. It will make you feel better,” Viv said, bringing Cadence a cup of tea and pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Let’s see that paper chain of yours.”
Cass placed a wadded up mess on the table and Viv carefully tried to find some way to salvage it. It was beyond repair.
At the sight of tears ready to spill over in Cass’s eyes again, Cadence put her arm around the little girl and kissed the top of her head.
“Tell you what, sweetie-pie. Why don’t we share my paper chain? I’ll bring it in here to the café and you can take the links off for me because I won’t be able to come every day to do it. How would that be?”
“Really? You’d share yours with me?” Cass looked up at her with a disbelieving stare.
“Absolutely.” Cadence nodded her head with mock seriousness. “You’d be doing me a big favor. With all those big men at my house, I get so busy cooking and cleaning for them I might forget to take off a link and Christmas will sneak up on me. This way you can help me stay on track.”
“Okay.” Cass sipped her chocolate and relaxed. Viv and Cadence could see the appreciation in the little girl’s eyes as she savored the treat.
“I can’t bring it in today, but if I have it here tomorrow, will that be okay?”
“Yep. I’ll take off a link when I come to get scraps. Right, Miss Viv?”
The Cowboy's Christmas Plan Page 11
