Instead of calling Mavis right away, Levi went out to the barn to check on Little Bit, the crippled miniature donkey he’d taken in over the summer. He slipped his hand between the rails and scratched the animal’s ears.
“Be glad you ain’t a human, Little Bit. Mamas always want to meddle in your life when it comes to women.” He sighed. “Guess I’d better face the music.”
He used the phone in the tack room, and Mavis answered on the first ring. “I’ve been worried sick about you gettin’ stuck in that cabin with a woman and a child. What’s her name and where’s she from? What do you know about her?”
“Well, hello to you too. And I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
Mavis chuckled. “Sarcasm does not fit you, my son.”
“Prying fits you real good,” he shot back. “But to answer your question, her name is Claire Mason, and her four-year-old niece is Zaylie. She’s from Randlett and…”
Mavis butted in before he could say another word. “I’ll call you back in a few minutes. You stay right there beside whatever phone you are talkin’ from, and don’t leave.”
He heard the click when she hung up and laid the old corded receiver back on the base. While he waited, he hefted the saddles over to the sawhorses lined up against the wall and did some general straightening. Even though he was expecting it, the phone startled him when it rang.
“Hello,” he said.
“Okay, I called Frances Crocker up in Randlett. She’s an old friend who used to raise Angus cattle and went to a few sales with us back when the old folks were runnin’ the Longhorn Canyon. And she says that Claire is Pauline Mason’s granddaughter. There weren’t no finer woman than Pauline, so I’m sure Claire is a decent woman.”
“Yep,” Levi said, and changed the subject. “How’s Benjy doin’? I miss that boy.”
“He loves the snow. He and Skip have made three snowmen, and now he’s sitting beside the window with his sketch pad drawin’ them.” Mavis went into a long-winded description of each snowman.
“Man, since I’ve got that younger brother, I don’t matter no more,” Levi teased.
“Honey, no one could ever replace you. We had you from the time you were a little thing, but Benjy is sure filling a void in our lives. I won’t keep you from your work any longer, but I’ll expect a call every day until I can get out there and meet this woman.”
“She’ll be gone before then, I’m sure,” Levi told her.
“Well, if she’s still here Sunday and the roads are clear, I’ll expect to see her in church with all y’all. Bye now.”
Justin stuck his head in the door and said, “Hey, if you’re done in here, you could take a four-wheeler and a little trailer out to the old cabin and get Claire’s van unloaded. And on the way, you can make sure there’s not a stray cow standing out there udder deep in a snow drift.”
“Are we missin’ a cow?” Levi asked.
“Haven’t actually called roll, but Cade thinks maybe we’re still half a dozen short, so keep your eyes open. Mavis give you a talkin’ to?”
Levi pulled his gloves from his coat pocket. “Oh yeah, what about your mama? Did you get a call from her?”
Justin nodded. “She called and said that I was to be careful until we got to know this woman better. I told her Claire just ain’t my type, but she was definitely yours.”
Levi frowned. “Thanks for that. Now she’ll talk to Mavis and they’ll nag me to death over the whole thing.”
Justin chuckled. “I was savin’ my own butt. What else did Mavis say?”
“Mavis called a friend of hers in Randlett. There’s not a detective in Texas who can do the job of a couple of mamas who are worried about a strange woman living close to their boys, even if we’re looking thirty in the eye.”
“Hey now!” Justin threw up his hands. “Speak for yourself. I’m not going to think about that thirtieth birthday for two more years.”
“By then your mama might be payin’ women to get stranded on the ranch just so you’ll settle down.” Levi grinned.
“By then maybe Retta and Cade will have a kid or two, and that will take her attention away from me.” Justin followed him out into the barn where the four-wheelers were located.
“Don’t bet on it.” Levi pulled a trailer over and hooked it up.
“Why?” Justin asked.
“Benjy’s not keeping Mavis and Skip from nosin’ around in my business.” He settled into the seat and started up the engine.
“Guess we’re doomed.” In a few long strides, Justin crossed the floor and opened the barn door for him.
“If women start dropping out of the sky with parachutes, I make a motion that we run like the devil is chasin’ us.” Levi chuckled and waved over his shoulder.
Claire was folding laundry when Levi poked his head inside and whispered, “Ready for me to unload your things?”
“Of course.” Claire blushed as she quickly covered her folded underpants with a shirt. “I’ll get my coat and shoes on and help you.”
He stepped inside the house with an armload of fabric bolts. “I’ve got all the stuff from your van out here, but I can take care of it.”
She put on the coat Retta had loaned her and slipped her feet into her shoes.
“Where do you want this?” he asked.
“In any of the bedrooms except the one right there. Zaylie is in it.” She headed outside and brought in a suitcase.
“I said I could do this,” he said.
“I’m not used to people waiting on me. I’ll help,” she said.
He shrugged and picked up another four bolts of fabric. “Sorry to say it looks like the vehicle’s totaled.”
She bit back a groan. She could afford to get another good used vehicle, but it would cut into the money she had saved to put in a quilting store.
Levi laid the rest of the bolts on the bed.
“Looks to me like you’ve got enough stuff to start a store here. Did you buy out Walmart or something?” he asked.
“No, I did not buy out Walmart,” she answered honestly. He didn’t need to know that she had gotten it on a clearance sale that a fabric store was having. Or that she’d gotten the complete twenty-yard bolts at seventy-five percent off, and had hopes that they would be the first inventory in her new store.
“Well, you must make a helluva lot of quilts. Where’s Zaylie?”
“Resting her eyes,” Claire answered. “She’ll be disappointed that she missed you.”
“I can stay a few minutes.” He removed his cowboy hat and laid it on the small table. “I told her that I’d come see her before noon. Got to keep my word.”
“Then take off your coat, and have a seat. You want something to drink?” she asked. “Coffee is already made, but I’ll be glad to fix you a cup of hot chocolate.”
“Coffee is fine.”
“Want some cookies?”
He hung his denim work coat on the back of a kitchen chair and kicked back in a recliner. “Just coffee. First to warm my freezing hands and then to heat up my insides.”
Not that he needed it so much for his insides. Every time that he looked into Claire’s gorgeous eyes and heard her sexy voice, warmth spread through his whole body.
Claire handed him a mug of steaming coffee and carried hers to the sofa. Her long hair was still slightly damp, and she didn’t have a bit of makeup on, but she was still beautiful. She’d changed into a pair of gray sweatpants with a matching shirt, and she looked fabulous even in that. Gussie hopped up on the sofa and curled up beside her.
“Looks like Gussie is making herself right at home.”
“Yes, she is, and Zaylie loves having her and the kittens to fuss over. Thank you again for bringing all my stuff from the van and for taking us in like this,” Claire said.
“You’re not used to folks helpin’ you, are you?”
“Why would you ask that?” Claire asked.
“I could have brought everything inside,” he said.
“I’m perfectly able of doing that myself. Been doin’ a pretty good job of it for the past twenty-eight years with nothin’ more than a temper and a pistol.” She paused long enough to take a drink of her coffee. “Does your girlfriend lean on you for every little thing?”
“Never have been married, and most of my relationships lasted a weekend at the longest,” he answered.
“Not a very honorable cowboy then, are you?” she asked.
“Hey,” he argued. “I never lie, never promise what I’m not willin’ to deliver, and never, ever give my word unless I mean to keep it. I live by the cowboy honor code.”
“And that is?” she asked.
“There’s ten of them. You want me to say them all right now?”
“Got somewhere you need to be?” She kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet up on the sofa.
“Okay then.” He raised one finger. “Live each day with courage. Take pride in your work. Finish what you start.” He set the coffee on the end table so he could use the other hand, raising a finger for each statement. “Be tough but fair. Do what has to be done. When you make a promise keep it. Ride for the brand. Talk less, say more. Remember some things aren’t for sale, and last, know where to draw the line.” He finished and picked up the mug again.
“I saw that on a plaque one time at Cracker Barrel. Is that where you got them?”
“Nope.” Levi shook his head. “My dad made me memorize them when I was a kid. He said that he lived by them and that if I wanted to be a good cowboy, then I would do the same.”
“He sounds like a good father,” she said.
“The best.” Levi finished off his coffee and went to the kitchen for a refill. “You want more?”
She nodded and handed him her cup.
“Did you call your folks and let them know that you are okay?”
She shrugged. “My mother is in Italy, and my father is in Hawaii. I wouldn’t call them for anything less than a death in the family. And I can’t get in touch with my brother. He calls me when he can.”
Good grief! No wonder she was so independent. She had to be.
She went on, “But I did call my neighbor, Franny. She and my grandmother were good friends, and we kind of watch out for each other. She said that she knew Cade and Justin’s grandparents and Mavis and Skip back in the day,” she said.
“Mavis said that she called someone named Frances to check up on you. Would that be Franny?” he asked.
“It would.” She nodded. “I expect that she’ll call me later to tell me that she talked to your…” She paused.
“Mother does fine even if I call her Mavis.”
“Small world when your mother knows my neighbor,” she said.
They were silent for so long that he thought about pouring the rest of the coffee down the drain and making an excuse to leave. That he needed to get back to work wouldn’t be a lie. Then Zaylie came out of one of the bedrooms rubbing sleep from her eyes. When she saw him, she squealed and ran across the room to stand at the end of the recliner and put her hand on his shoulder.
“You came.” She sighed. “You said you would and you did.”
“I always keep my word,” he told her with a sideways look at Claire. “Do you like this bunkhouse all right? Will it do until you can get back home?”
“I like it better than Aunt Claire’s house,” she answered.
“Why’s that?”
She pointed to the basket in the corner. “I’ve got kittens and Gussie, but I miss Franny because she brings me chocolate chip cookies,” Zaylie said.
“Zaylie!” Claire scolded. “You shouldn’t just miss Franny because of her cookies. She’s a sweet lady who loves you.”
Zaylie shrugged. “Can I have a snack now?”
“Yes, you may. What do you want? An apple? Cookies and milk?”
“Cookies and milk and then an apple,” she said.
Levi stood up. “I’d be glad to pour some milk and get you some cookies. I’m sure they won’t be as good as Franny’s, but they might do.”
“Chocolate milk, please, and three cookies.” Zaylie held up the right number of fingers. “And it’s okay if they ain’t as good as Franny’s because you smell better.” She clapped her hands on her cheeks and ran across the room. “I forgot to see if my kitties are still resting their eyes.”
Levi raised an eyebrow at Claire as he headed toward the kitchen.
“Arthritis cream with lots of menthol in it,” she whispered.
He shot a sly wink across the room. Someday he wanted a daughter just like Zaylie, but first he’d have to find a wife.
All that sass about how independent she was melted like ice cubes in July when one of his eyelids closed in a slow wink. Then as if nothing had happened, he put three cookies on a plate and squirted chocolate syrup into a glass of milk. Worn work jeans hugged his thighs and butt, and ripped abs showed through a snug-fitting knit shirt. His boots were scuffed, and his belt buckle testified that he either rode bulls now or had in the past.
Her chest tightened and her pulse raced. She could almost feel the sparks dancing around her, and it was pure insanity. She’d never been attracted to cowboys—not even with their sexy swagger, big belt buckles, and all that self-confidence. She’d always leaned toward the preppy type, like Mark, who’d been a lawyer in Wichita Falls. Italian loafers, nice suits, and an expensive haircut—that was her type.
And look what that got you, the aggravating voice in her head said loudly. Nothing but heartache and bad memories.
She wanted to argue with the voice, but it was useless to do battle with the truth. Mark had been a mistake from the beginning with his desire to be in control. Telling her that she should get a “real” job, even if it was going back to being a schoolteacher, or that she should get a better car. Or worse yet, getting angry at her for keeping Zaylie when Grant had to be away. That was the straw that broke the old proverbial camel’s back.
Levi brought the milk and cookies to the coffee table that took up space between the sofa and the two recliners. “Here you go, Miz Zaylie.”
“Thank you.” She tiptoed across the room with a sleeping kitten draped over her arm. “Shhh. We have to be quiet so she don’t wake up.” She picked up the milk and drank enough to leave a chocolate mustache on her upper lip.
“I understand. If she wakes up she’ll whine,” he whispered. “I’ve got to get back to work, but I’ll close the door real easy. And Claire, I’m leaving the old ranch work truck out in front of the bunkhouse. Keys are in it so you can go back and forth to the house.”
“It’s not that far. We can walk,” she argued.
“That’s your choice, but if you don’t drive, then you’ll be wading in snow up to your butt and to Zaylie’s waist.” Levi put on his coat and hat and waved over his shoulder as he left.
Zaylie finished her milk and two cookies, leaving one on the plate. No need in letting it sit there alone and it was still two hours before lunch, so Claire ate it. While she was swallowing the last bite the phone rang. She grabbed it on the fourth ring.
“Hello,” she said.
“Claire,” came Grant’s voice through the static. “I’ve been worried. I tried to call your cell phone and finally called Franny, who told me what happened and gave me this number. Thank God y’all are all right.”
She quickly put it on speaker mode and called Zaylie. She came from the bedroom carrying one of the kittens and started talking the moment she heard her father’s voice. “Guess what, Daddy? I’ve got a mama cat and three kittens, and we got a bunkhouse, and there’s snow everywhere.”
“That’s wonderful, princess, but don’t you give away all my hugs to your new friends,” Grant said.
“I save a gazillion just for you all the time,” she said, and giggled.
“Zaylie, tell him about Retta and Levi,” Claire said.
“Levi is a hero,” she said as the kitten wiggled free and made a mad dash under the sofa. “He made a fire, and he cooked. And Retta is real nice and guess what? We got a big bathtub, and we got our own washin’ ’chine, and guess what else? There’s a pet donkey that I get to go see when the snow melts. Can I have cowboy boots for Christmas?”
Grant’s laughter sounded relieved as much as amused. “Why would you want cowboy boots?”
“Levi has them and ’cause my feet got cold.”
“Then you definitely have to ask Santa for them. It looks like we’ll have this mission wrapped up by Christmas, so I should be home,” Grant said. “But right now I’ve got to go. Be good, buttercup.”
“I will, Daddy. I love you.” She made kissing noises toward the phone.
Claire took it off speaker and put it to her ear. “We’re fine, Grant. Don’t worry about us. These are good people.”
“I hope so. Franny vouched for them, so that makes me feel a lot better,” he said. “I’ll call again when I get the chance.”
“Be careful, and know we love you,” she said.
“Rightbackatcha,” he replied. “And if they’re givin’ away kittens, I might consider letting Zaylie have two.”
“You’re kiddin’ me,” Claire gasped.
“Don’t tell her just yet. Kittens and boots might be a pretty good Christmas present.”
The phone went dead, and Claire stared at it for a long time before she set it back on the stand. Was her brother getting out of the service? Was he taking a different job—one that wouldn’t involve leaving home again? Those were the only two things that would make pets a possibility.
Either of those two decisions would definitely change Claire’s life. She’d been a caregiver for years, staying with Haley through the morning sickness while Grant was on a mission that lasted several weeks of the first trimester. Then right after that Grant was deployed for six months. He’d asked Claire to stay so Haley wouldn’t be alone through the pregnancy, and he hadn’t arrived back on base until one day before Zaylie was born on Christmas morning. By New Year’s Claire was in Randlett to help with her grandmother, and now she kept Zaylie for Grant. If her brother was making a life change, then it would impact her world as well, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
She went to the bedroom and opened the suitcase that contained her quilt cutting tools and was on her way to the kitchen table when the phone rang again.
“Hey, Zaylie, can you answer that?” she asked.
“Hello,” she said. “Guess what. I named the kittens. They are Grumpy, Happy, and Sleepy. Here’s Aunt Claire.”
Claire laid her supplies down and took the phone, expecting it to be Franny. “Hello. Evidently she’s seen Snow White too often.”
“Claire, could you possibly come up here to the house and help me get dinner ready for the guys and maybe do the baking for Thanksgiving dinner? I feel awful asking for your help, but I can’t stand the smell of food,” Retta said.
“Be there in five minutes.” Claire carried the phone back to the base and turned to Zaylie. “Gussie is going to have to take care of the babies for a while. Retta needs us. You ready to do some baking?”
“Yes!” Zaylie squealed. “I like to cook. Are we going to walk in the snow?”
“No, darlin’ girl. Levi left a truck for us.” Claire pulled on her shoes and tied them before she helped Zaylie.
Remembering that a path had been cleared from the backyard fence to the house, Claire drove around to that spot and parked the truck. Before she could even open the door, Zaylie had bailed out and was sliding down the path. Claire had a hand up to knock on the door, when it flew open, and Retta motioned them inside.
“Thank you so much for doing this,” she said.
Claire hung up her jacket and then Zaylie’s. “You are so welcome. I’m glad to help, especially with all you’re doing for us. How far along are you?”
“How did you know?” Retta asked.
“Zaylie’s mama, Haley, had a terrible time with it the first trimester, so I went to stay with her while my brother was on a mission. Then when it was about over, Grant got deployed, so I stayed on with her the next six months. I’m pretty familiar with all the symptoms,” she answered.
“I’m six weeks, and we’d planned to tell the guys on Thanksgiving. But we told them an hour ago because I can’t stand the smell of food, and I’m hoping you can cook.” Retta threw a hand over her mouth and headed toward the bathroom.
“Zaylie, pick out an apron.” Claire pointed toward the hooks and then followed Retta. She held Retta’s hair back and then washed her face with a cold rag. “Saltine crackers and sweet tea will help. And yes, I can cook. What did you plan for the noon meal today? I see you’ve got a chicken in the slow cooker.”
“Dumplings.” Retta gagged on the answer.
“I can do that, but first let’s get you some crackers and tea and let you lie on the sofa with this cool rag on your head,” Claire told her.
“You are a lifesaver,” Retta said.
Claire followed her into the living room. “How long are you suffering from it each day?”
Retta stretched out on the sofa. “From the time I get up until about two o’clock in the afternoon. After that I’m not throwing up, but I still feel slightly queasy.”
Claire covered her with a throw and then laid the cool rag on her forehead. “You’ll need to stay hydrated, and before you get out of bed in the morning, you should eat crackers and have a glass or cup of tea. Zaylie and I will come up here and make breakfast and dinner for the guys, and we can help with supper. Don’t worry about Thanksgiving dinner. I can take care of that.”
She went to the kitchen and filled a glass with sweet tea from the gallon jug in the refrigerator, put half a dozen crackers on a plate, and carried them to the living room. Zaylie was right behind her, carrying a colorful bibbed apron.
“Is Retta going to die?” Zaylie asked. “I don’t want her to die and have to be put into the ground like Nanny.”
“No, she’s just got a tummy ache. So you and I are going to do the cookin’. Do you think you are big enough to help me with that job like you do at home?” Claire asked.
“Aunt Claire!” Zaylie rolled her blue eyes. “I’m almost five years old. I’m a big girl.”
Claire set the plate and glass on the end table and hugged her niece. “I knew I could count on you.” Then she turned to Retta. “Eat one cracker slowly and sip the tea; don’t gulp it. Let that settle and then repeat the process. You might even feel like eating a little dinner once you get that down. You might want to call your mom to come stay with you until this is over.”
“My mother passed away years ago, and my dad’s been gone for nearly a year. They would have made wonderful grandparents, and it makes me sad that my baby will never know them. They were good people.” Retta cautiously nibbled on a cracker.
“A sister then?” Claire asked. “You’ll need help for a few weeks.”
“I’m an only child, and before you ask, I’m not comfortable enough around Cade’s mama to ever ask for her help. I can call Mavis, I guess.” Retta took a sip of tea.
“Well, you definitely need someone,” Claire said. “Now tell me what you were going to do this afternoon.”
“I was going to make a banana nut cake today. It’s better if it ages a couple of days, and it’s Cade’s favorite.” Retta lay back on the sofa.
“I’m glad to help out while I’m here. It makes me feel like I’m less of a bother.” Claire laid the cold cloth over Retta’s eyes. “Right now I’d better get busy. If these guys are like my brother, they get real cranky when they are hungry.”
“Are we going to live here?” Zaylie asked on the way back to the kitchen.
“We have to until the snow melts.” Claire slipped the bibbed apron over Zaylie’s head.
“If Santa knows where this house is, I hope the snow don’t never melt. I like it here, Aunt Claire. But I wouldn’t want Santa to leave my boots in the wrong place.” She dragged a chair over to the bar that separated the kitchen and the small nook where the family ate.
Claire turned off the cooker and removed the chicken. “Santa knows where every little boy or girl is at Christmas.”
Dammit! I shouldn’t have said that. Claire frowned. That could have been my ace in the hole if she fusses when we have to leave, and now I’ve thrown it away.
Zaylie crawled up on the chair. “Good! I don’t want somebody else to get my boots. When’s Levi comin’ home?”
“In a little while,” Claire muttered.
“Hey, hey, did I hear my name?” Levi sniffed the air as he entered the kitchen. “Do I smell dumplin’s? That’s one of my favorite meals. Do you like them, Zaylie?”
“I love ’em. I’m glad you came home,” Zaylie said. “Do you like my apron?”
“Yes, I do. I bet you’re a wonderful cook.” He grinned.
“Yes, I am. Aunt Claire teached me to cook, and she’s the best.”
“I can believe that,” he said.
He talked to Zaylie, but his gaze had locked with Claire’s. There was something about his mossy green eyes that seemed to be looking right into her soul. Was he flirting? She finally blinked, but that shiver dancing down her spine said that she’d felt something brand-new and more than a little bit exciting.
Later that night back at the bunkhouse, she wondered whether Levi had felt the same little tingle of chemistry. But before she could analyze what it even meant, Zaylie skipped over and piled all three kittens in her lap. Then she cuddled her tiny body up against Claire’s side.
“Can we live here forever? Or at least until Daddy comes home?” she asked.
“No, we have to go home when we can. Franny misses us.” Claire brushed Zaylie’s wispy hair out of her eyes.
Zaylie’s chin quivered. “But Aunt Claire, the babies need me.”
Lord, let the snow melt fast, Claire sent up a silent prayer. Every day that we stay will just make it harder for her to leave.