How many more miles? Are we nearly there?” Zaylie asked from the backseat as they went through Wichita Falls.
“Not much longer,” Claire answered. “Why don’t you read two more books?”
“I’m tired of reading. How many more songs is it?”
“Six or maybe five if there’s advertising,” Claire answered.
“I might can make it that far.” Zaylie sighed.
“Songs?” Levi raised a dark eyebrow.
Claire pointed toward the radio. “We measure distance by songs, and it teaches her to count.”
“Smart.” Levi nodded.
At the same time the radio DJ announced that he would be playing five in a row, Claire noticed that Levi had reset the cruise to add a few more miles an hour.
“I can’t wait to see Franny. I haven’t seen her in forever,” Zaylie said after the fifth song. “Just one more and oh, oh, there’s the church.”
“Forever is last summer when she came to stay with me for a week,” Claire explained to Levi. “Turn left at the next stop sign.”
Zaylie pointed at both. “I can see Nanny’s house. We are here. And there’s Franny’s.”
“Just pull up under the carport,” Claire said. “We’ll bring my stuff out the back door.”
She’d barely slid out of the seat when her cell phone rang. It startled her so badly that she dropped her purse on the driveway, and then when she and Levi both bent at the same time to get it, they bumped heads.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” he joked.
“Answer it!” Zaylie dropped to her knees and fished it out of the purse. “It might be Daddy.”
Claire recognized her brother’s picture and was glad that she’d recharged the phone before leaving the ranch. “Why don’t you answer it?”
“Hello,” Zaylie said, and then squealed when she heard her dad’s voice and saw his face. “Daddy, it’s you. It’s been forever.”
“Yes, it has,” Grant said. “So are y’all home now?”
Claire unlocked the kitchen door of her grandmother’s house. Oddly, she didn’t think of it as “home.”
Zaylie ran in first and headed back to her room. “We just now got here, Daddy, and guess what? Levi brought us up here to get some quilt stuff and we get to stay longer at the ranch, and I don’t have to leave my kittens.”
“Guess I just lost my place,” Levi said.
“So do I when Grant calls. And you can bet she’s going to want some FaceTime with Teresa before we leave,” Claire told him. “Follow me and we’ll load up the boxes while she’s talking.”
His cell phone pinged in his pocket before they made it across the kitchen floor and to the living room. He fished it out and then hit a button.
“Hey Retta, what’s up?” he asked. “She wants to talk to you.” He handed the phone to Claire.
“I have an enormous favor to ask,” Retta said.
“Tell me.” Claire sat down on the sofa.
“Cade’s mother, Gloria, has given me and Cade a honeymoon trip to Florida as an early Christmas present. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but…”
“But what? That’s an amazing present,” Claire said.
“We’ve got the ranch party and— Just a minute. Cade is right here and holding out his hand. He wants to talk to Levi,” Retta said.
“Putting this on speaker,” Levi said as he took the phone. “Just me and Claire here. What’s going on? Is everyone all right?”
“We’re fine,” Cade said. “Mama has given Retta and me a little vacation in Florida, but we have to go this next week. That’s the only time she could book a condo. I want to go, but Retta is worried about leaving the ranch right now.”
“Go on. We can take care of it, and I bet Mavis would come help out,” Levi said.
“She’s got Benjy to take care of,” Retta said.
“I’ll help,” Claire said. “This would be great for you. Might even take care of that morning sickness if you’re less stressed. I’ll be glad to stay on another week and help.”
“You know Mavis won’t be able to keep her nose out of the party planning, so she’ll be there part of the day to help out too,” Levi said. “Pack your bags and get going.”
“When are you leaving?” Claire asked.
“Today. Are you sure about this, Claire?” Retta’s voice sounded both excited and apprehensive.
“Of course I am,” Claire said. “Go on and have a fabulous late honeymoon. Don’t forget your tea and crackers,” Claire said.
“Okay,” Retta said.
“Hallelujah! And thank you both,” Cade said.
“Hey, you’re not foolin’ me one bit, Cade,” Levi chuckled. “You hate putting up outside decorations, and this way you get out of it.”
“And in addition to that, I get to spend a week with my lovely wife all alone. We’re on our way to get out the suitcases right now. See y’all later.” The phone went dark.
“Well, welcome to Longhorn Canyon for another week,” Levi said.
“Thank you,” Claire said. “We need to take my sewing machine back with us too since I’m staying a little longer.”
“Just show me what you want loaded, and I’ll get after it.” Levi grinned.
“But we have to come back here in only two more days,” Zaylie was saying when they passed by her bedroom door. “And Daddy, I just can’t leave my kittens.”
“It’s okay, baby girl. Maybe Santa will bring you some kittens,” Grant said.
“You tell Aunt Claire that.” Zaylie came out of the room and handed the phone to Claire.
“Take me off speaker,” Grant said.
“Okay. But before you start, I want you to know I’ve agreed to stay on for another week to help out at the ranch,” Claire said.
“We’re stayin’ longer!” Zaylie danced around the bedroom. “Did you hear that, Daddy? I don’t have to leave my babies.”
“I’m so glad,” Grant said. “It sounds like Zaylie is so happy there. Do you know when you’ll be getting cell service back?”
She turned to Levi. “Got any idea when we get service back at home?”
“Justin said he called them and they said by tomorrow morning it should be up and going,” Levi answered.
Claire relayed the info to Grant.
“Good. I need to talk to you when you’re alone.”
A chill ran down her spine. “You’re scaring me, brother.”
“I’m fine. I’m healthy, and it’s not bad news. I just want to run something by you,” he said, and chuckled.
“Well, I need to run something by you too but not right now,” she said.
“Then we’ll talk tomorrow night?”
She nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.”
They ended the call while Zaylie continued to dance. “Can we tell Franny that we get to stay at the ranch?”
The back door hinges squeaked, and Franny’s voice drifted down the hallway. “Hey, is my precious little girl here? I brought cookies.”
Franny was a tall, lanky woman with an angular face, a sharp nose, and gray hair that she pulled up on top of her head in a tight little bun. She set the plate of cookies on the coffee table and opened up her arms.
Zaylie ran into them. “Guess what, Franny. We get to stay at the ranch more days and I got kittens there and there’s a dog and a donkey and I love it and do you want to come with us?” She finally stopped for a breath and grabbed a cookie.
“I can’t leave Randlett, darlin’.” Franny laughed. “This town would just plumb blow away if I wasn’t here to hold it down.”
Zaylie backed away from the hug and sighed, but she didn’t cry. “Okay, but I wanted you to see my kitties.”
“Show them to me on the phone when you get service back in that area,” Franny said, and then shifted her gaze to Levi. “You were just a little boy last time I saw you. Don’t reckon you’d even remember me, but I’m Franny.”
He shook hands with her and gave her a brilliant smile. “Of course I remember you. Your husband taught me how to whittle when we were at a cattle sale one summer.”
“Nice that you remembered that. He liked kids,” Franny said. “Now, let’s have some cookies, and y’all can tell me about this adventure you’re having.”
Levi waited until the ladies sat down on the sofa before he took a seat in a rocking chair and reached for a cookie. His phone rang before he took the first bite.
“Hello, Retta,” he said, and then handed it off to Claire. “It’s for you again.”
“Are you okay? Is something wrong?” Claire asked.
“No, I’m already packing and Cade is making the flight arrangements. Oh, and we have cell service back on now. But,” Retta’s voice cracked. “Dammit! I’m all emotional. I feel like I’m putting a burden on you.”
“Too late to back out now…Zaylie knows.” Claire laughed.
“Well, then thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything,” Retta said. “God sure knew what he was doing when he dropped you into our laps.”
“You sure it was God?” Claire giggled.
“Yes, ma’am. Bye now,” Retta said.
“I’m glad you’re stayin’ a little longer. Fresh air and sunshine and animals is good for Zaylie,” Franny said.
“And cats and a bunny rabbit.” Zaylie nodded seriously. “Can we take the rest of the cookies home with us?”
“Of course you can,” Franny told her. “And now I’ve got to be going. Got a meeting at the church to discuss the Christmas dinner. Y’all drive real safe on the way home. And don’t worry about a thing. I’ll keep a good watch on the house for you.”
“Thanks for everything,” Claire said.
“No thanks necessary. You’d do the same for me.” Franny bent to hug her and whispered softly, “He’s one sexy cowboy, and I like the way he looks at you.”
She was gone before Claire could respond, but that didn’t stop the blush making her cheeks fiery red. To cover her embarrassment, she pointed down the hall. “Zaylie, go see if there’s anything in your room that you want to take to the ranch. Levi, there’s six boxes in that room that need to be loaded. They’ve got a blue sticky note on them with tomorrow’s date. I’ll get my sewing machine in the case and ready to go.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Zaylie sing-songed as she danced down the hall. “We’re going home to the ranch to see my kitties and Little Bit and Hopalong.”
Home to the ranch—the words echoed in Claire’s head.
Levi draped an arm around her shoulders. “She said home.”
“I heard.” Claire sighed. “It’s goin’ to be chaotic when we leave.”
“What about you, Claire? Will it be hard for you?” he asked.
“Don’t know until the time gets here,” she said, knowing fully well that she’d probably be crying every bit as hard as Zaylie all the way from the ranch to Randlett. But until then, she planned on enjoying every day that she spent in the wide-open spaces of the Longhorn Canyon Ranch.
“Right now I’d like to see if Nanny’s car will start. If it will, I’ll drive it back to the ranch, and then we’ll have a way to get home after the party is done.”
She headed toward the door leading out into the garage with him right behind her. Together they removed the canvas tarp covering an old boat of a car, and Levi whistled through his teeth. “Do you even know what this is?”
“It’s the last brand-new car that my grandpa bought for my Nanny. A 1978 Lincoln, and it drinks gas like a thirsty camel suckin’ down water after a two-week trek through the desert. That’s what Nanny said when gas got so expensive, but she wouldn’t trade it in,” Claire answered.
“Buddy would drool over this.” He brushed a layer of dust from the top of the shiny white vehicle.
“Who’s Buddy?” she asked as she got inside the driver’s seat.
“The guy who is going to tow your van to his repair shop. Remember I told you about him fixin’ up old cars.” He opened the passenger door and slid into the soft leather passenger seat. “This is in mint condition. You could get a fortune for it if you want to sell it.”
“No, thank you. I’ll just drive it until I find something more economical.” She turned the key and nothing happened; tried three times and still nothing.
“Probably a dead battery. We can come back next Sunday and bring one with us if you want to take this to the ranch, but honestly, Claire, I wouldn’t advise it. We don’t have a garage to park it in, and it would be a shame to leave this beauty out in the weather even for a few weeks,” he said.
“All right.” She didn’t put up an argument because what he said made sense, and besides she kind of liked driving the old pickup truck.