But Aunt Claire, they got to go to church. What if they die and they ain’t even heard preachin’? Will they go to heaven so Nanny can see them?” Zaylie whined.
Claire twisted Zaylie’s thin hair up into a ponytail and clipped on an oversized bow that matched her cute little navy blue dress and leggings. “Cats do not go to church.”
“They ain’t cats. They are kittens, and they can go to children’s church with me,” she argued.
“And what if they got hungry. Gussie won’t be there to feed them.” Claire was glad to hear the hard rap on the door and see Levi stick his head inside the bunkhouse.
Zaylie crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him with begging eyes. “Levi, my kitties want to go to church with me.”
“Sorry, princess, Gussie would cry if we took the babies away right now. In a couple of weeks, she’ll tell me that she wants me to find good homes for them, but today she wants them to stay with her. Besides they might get hungry,” Levi said.
“Big people make me so mad!” She stomped her foot.
“Well, little lady, you can get glad in the same boots,” Claire said. “Now, let’s get your jacket on. We don’t want to be late for church.”
Claire buttoned Zaylie’s jacket and reached for her own only to find that Levi was holding it out for her.
“You ladies both look lovely today,” he said.
“Thank you.” Claire slipped her arms into the jacket and was only mildly surprised at the sparks dancing around the room at his touch on her neck as he straightened the collar.
Zaylie skipped over to the basket where Gussie and the kittens were sleeping. She picked each one up and kissed it on the nose. “I’ll pray for you.”
“Why would you do that?” Levi asked.
“If you don’t go to church, you go to hell,” she answered seriously.
“Who told you that?” Claire gasped.
“Teresa did,” she said with a shrug.
“Teresa?” Levi whispered.
“Her best friend,” Claire said out the side of her mouth.
Teresa’s mother, Angela, was a single mom who was in the Air Force with Grant. They were on the same team that got sent out on missions they weren’t allowed to talk about, and at least twice they’d been deployed together. When Angela was gone, then her mother stepped in and took care of Teresa. With her dark hair, light coffee-colored skin, Teresa was Zaylie’s exact opposite. But they were like two little peas in a pod when they were together, and it had always been that way.
Zaylie kissed Gussie one more time and then held up her arms for Levi to pick her up. “I’m ready now. Can I sit with you, Levi?” Zaylie laid her head on his shoulder.
“Of course you can, if it’s all right with Claire,” Levi answered.
“Yes, you can sit by Levi,” Claire agreed. “But you have to be quiet.”
“I promise.” Zaylie flashed her sweetest little grin.
Claire stole sideways looks at Levi the whole way from the ranch to the little white church where the parking lot was full. His jeans and shirt had been ironed, and his black boots were shined to a gloss. His cowboy hat lay on the console between them.
Levi parked beside a van, waved at the folks inside, and settled his hat on his head. He was a fine-looking cowboy in that hat and denim jacket. He got out and rounded the front of the truck to open the doors for Claire and Zaylie. By the time she was out of the vehicle, there were two adults and a red-haired boy in front of her.
“Good mornin’. This is Claire and Zaylie,” Levi made introductions. “Claire, this is Mavis, Skip, and Benjy.”
The lady who was no taller than Claire stuck out her hand. She wore a bright red coat that reached her ankles. Kinky gray hair peeked out from the hood. Her red lipstick had run a little into the wrinkles around her mouth, but her smile was genuine and warm. “I’m pleased to meet you. Our little quilting circle is so excited that you might be putting in a shop. And there’s at least two churches in Bowie that have quilting bees and one in Montague, so we’ll keep you busy.”
Claire shook hands with the lady. “I’m so glad to meet all y’all. I’ve heard so many good things about you that I feel that I already know you.”
As tall as Levi, Skip looked like he needed to stuff his coat pockets with rocks to keep the brisk wind from blowing him away. His angular face was lined with wrinkles, but his eyes twinkled when he squatted down so he was on Zaylie’s level. “I understand that you are takin’ care of Gussie and the new batch of kittens.”
“Yes, I am, but they couldn’t come to church. If they go to hell, it’s Aunt Claire and Levi’s fault.” She looked up at Benjy. “I like your pictures. Will you teach me to draw like that?”
“Yes, I will. You have blue eyes. Only eight percent of the people in the world have blue eyes. Cade has blue eyes, but they’re different than yours,” Benjy said.
Levi held out a hand toward Skip to help him up and then drew him close for a man hug. “I missed seein’ y’all this week.”
“She’s cute,” Skip whispered.
“Which one?”
“Both,” he answered.
“Don’t I get a hug?” Mavis opened her arms.
“Of course you do.” Levi wrapped her up in his arms and squeezed until she squealed before he let go. “I expect we’d better go inside or else we’ll be sittin’ on the front row. Looks like the parking lot is already pretty full.”
“Don’t Benjy get a hug?” Zaylie asked.
Levi laid a hand on Benjy’s shoulder, but he shrugged it away.
“I’ll give him a hug.” Zaylie wrapped her arms around the boy.
To everyone’s surprise, he hugged her back. Then she took him by the hand and pulled him toward the church. “Come on, Benjy. You can sit with me.”
“You have to be quiet,” Benjy said. “The preacher talks for thirty minutes, but if you aren’t quiet, he thinks you aren’t listening so he just keeps on goin’. Mavis’s roast beef will burn if church lasts too long. I have a little sketch pad in my backpack. I’ll draw pictures for you.”
“Well, that’s a surprise,” Skip whispered as he fell in beside Levi.
“What? Benjy takin’ up with Zaylie, or Mavis and Claire talkin’ a mile a minute about quiltin’?” Levi nodded toward Claire and Mavis walking ahead of them. They were the same height, so it was easy for them to put their heads together and whisper.
“Both,” Skip answered as he rushed ahead to open the door for the women.
The minute they were inside, Levi saw Cade motioning to them to join him, Retta, and Justin on a pew up near the front of the church. Skip nodded, but Zaylie and Benjy had already headed that way. When they were all squeezed together in the old oak pew, Levi was on the end with Claire beside him. Zaylie was wedged in between her aunt and Benjy.
“I want to sit by Levi,” Zaylie whispered loudly.
He leaned around Claire and said, “How about next week?”
She nodded and put a finger to her lips. “Benjy says we have to be very quiet or the roast beast at his house will burn up.”
Thank you, Claire mouthed toward Levi.
You’re welcome. Levi removed his denim coat and draped it over the back of the pew. He never remembered the church being so warm before. Claire unbuttoned her jacket, and he helped her out of it.
Then they both settled back in their space, shoulders and thighs both pressed firmly together. The song leader took her place behind the podium and called out a number for congregational singing. Claire picked up a hymnal and opened to the page and then realized that she’d gotten the last one, so she shared it with Levi.
When their hands brushed against each other the sanctuary got even hotter. Folks who saw them sharing a hymnbook would think they were a couple, and rumors would spread like wild fire that week.
Levi and Claire harmonized through all four verses of the hymn, but he didn’t pay much attention to the words. He couldn’t stop thinking about that dang hymnal and the repercussions that it would bring about—especially with Mavis. Then the preacher took the podium and read a few verses in Psalm 37 about not fretting.
“Are you a worrier?” Levi whispered softly into Claire’s ear.
She nodded. “Can’t lie in church, so sometimes. You?”
“Shhh…roast beast will burn,” Zaylie scolded them.
Levi winked at Claire and tried to pay attention to the sermon, but his mind kept wandering back to what Claire had told him about her parents. One with a new wife in Hawaii. The other in Italy with friends. Both he and Claire were kind of like orphans, only he’d had roots and Mavis and Skip. Suddenly, he didn’t feel abandoned but blessed.
He was sure glad that the preacher asked Justin to deliver the benediction because if he’d been called upon, he would have stuttered and stammered through it that morning. As soon as the last amen was said and the people began to move toward the doors, he picked up Claire’s jacket and helped her into it.
Zaylie tucked her hand back into Benjy’s and looked up at him adoringly. “Can you come see us at the ranch next week?”
“If it doesn’t snow anymore. I like the snow, but I miss the ranch. Snow is precipitation in the form of ice crystals, and no two snow flakes are alike,” Benjy answered.
“You are very smart,” Zaylie said.
“Yes, I am.” Benjy nodded. “But now I have to go home and eat, and then I have to do my homework for school. I’ll see you when I come to the ranch.”
Zaylie let go of his hand. “And I will show you the new kittens.”
“It’s amazing,” Levi whispered to Claire as they made their way out to the center aisle.
“I agree. I didn’t think she’d be that good especially after that pouting fit over the cats,” she said.
“No, I mean that Benjy lets her hold his hand. He usually doesn’t like anyone to touch him,” Levi explained.
Mavis turned around and said, “I doubt he’s ever been around someone as little as she is. He probably sees her like he would a baby kitten. Why don’t y’all come home with us for Sunday dinner? I’d like to show Claire a new quilt pattern I got last week. If the committee approves, we’ll probably make it for the next quilting bee.”
“We’re going to drive up to Randlett to get some stuff that Claire needs to mail, and”—he lowered his voice—“Zaylie is going to have a hard time leaving the ranch, so we’re trying to smooth the pathway. Maybe next Sunday?”
“I’ll probably be gone by then, but I understand you’re coming to the ranch tomorrow to help Retta. Maybe you could bring it then?” Claire asked.
“I sure will,” Mavis said. “I’ll get Skip to bring Benjy out to the ranch after school. I’d like to see him spend some more time with Zaylie.”
“That would be great. She misses her little friend Teresa, especially since we haven’t had cell service. When their parents are out on a mission, they usually have some FaceTime every day,” Claire said.
“Sounds great.” Mavis drew her coat tightly around her body and stepped out into the weather.
“So you and Mavis hit it off pretty good, huh?” Levi asked as he and Claire each held one of Zaylie’s hands and bent against the north wind.
“Sure,” Claire said. “She’s a sweetheart, and we speak the language of quilts.”
“Bye, Benjy!” Zaylie yelled when they were outside and in the truck.
He waved at her through the van window.
“He uses them big words I don’t know. Am I ever going to be that smart?” Zaylie asked.
“Of course you are,” Levi said as he lifted Zaylie into the backseat of his truck. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes, and I want a hamburger with pickies and no onions,” she said.
“Pickles, right?” Levi asked Claire.
“You’re beginning to understand her.” She smiled.
“Retta told me that she invited you to stay longer. I might not even need a translator if you stick around the ranch until after the party,” he whispered.
“And tator tots and chocolate milk,” Zaylie said from the backseat. “And then an ice cream cone.”
“You’re makin’ me hungry just talking about all that food.” Levi chuckled.
“Me too,” Claire said. “But save some room for a snack because Franny says she’s made cookies and we have to visit her before we leave town.” It was her turn to whisper. “It makes sense if I buy the house to be closer, but I’ve imposed on y’all’s hospitality too long.”
“No, you haven’t,” Levi said. “We love having you both.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said. “But right now, we’re on our own mission, aren’t we? I’m hoping that seeing Franny will make Zaylie remember how much she loves staying in Nanny’s house.”
Suddenly, it got as warm in the truck as it had been in the church. From what Claire had said, Franny was pretty much a surrogate grandmother, and meeting her made him more than a little bit nervous.