Justin called Cade to let him know what was going on before he got into Levi’s truck, fastened his seat belt, and threw the seat back to a reclining position. The last thing he remembered was Levi whistling as he drove away from the ranch. When he awoke, the radio was playing something by Conway Twitty and Levi was singing right along.
“Well, good mornin’, sleepin’ beauty,” Levi teased. “I haven’t heard this song since we were kids. Grandpa Callahan used to play it on an old vinyl record for Granny.”
“What’s the title?” Justin asked.
Levi thought for a minute before he answered. “I think it’s ‘Your Love Had Taken Me That High.’ That’s right. It’s right there in the lyrics.”
Justin brought the seat up, took out his phone and found the song, and then he captured the link and sent it to Emily. He was about to go back to sleep when his phone rang. Hoping that it was Emily, he answered on the first ring.
“This is Anne again. How close are you? Tag says to tell you that you can stay here at the ranch.”
“Thank you.” Justin had just figured he’d have dinner and ride back to the Longhorn Canyon with Levi. “I caught a ride with Levi and we’re halfway there. He can pick me up on his way back from Happy. Does Emily know I’m coming?”
“No, it can be a surprise. I need to see her face when you arrive.”
“Why?” Justin asked.
“Trust me, son. When you are a parent someday, you’ll know why,” Anne said. “Y’all drive safe and bring Levi with you. Tag and Hudson have talked so much about all of you that we feel like we know your family. Especially after y’all talked them into staying for church and invited them to Sunday dinner before they left. We’ll be glad to have him.”
“Thank you,” Justin said.
“I heard most of that,” Levi said, “but I’m going to drop you and then get right on up to Happy to load those cows. I’d like to be home before dark.”
Emily would have just as soon slept late on Saturday morning rather than go to the beauty shop with her mother and grandmother. But there she was, yawning, in the backseat of her granny’s car on her way into Tulia when she remembered that she’d turned off her phone the night before.
Nikki had sent two messages, both telling her to call Patsy, who was freaking out because she wanted to talk to Emily and couldn’t get a hold of her. The second was a link from Justin. She hit it and immediately the car was filled with an old Conway song.
“Where’d you find that old goodie?” Opal looked up in the rear view mirror. “I’ve still got a vinyl with that on it. Your grandpa would play it for me when we had an argument.”
“Justin sent it to me,” Emily answered, honestly.
“Now, I’ve never been one to meddle,” Opal started.
“Hmmph,” Anne snorted.
Opal shot a dirty look across the console. “I was about to say, except when I thought you were making a mistake. But, honey, you can kick any mesquite bush in the whole state of Texas and a cowboy will come ridin’ out. Why do you have to pick one so far away when there’s enough here in your part of the state to choose from? We’d have to put one of them take-a-number machines on the porch post if you let out the news you were ready to come home and settle down.”
“Did you talk to your brother?” Anne asked.
“Yep, and he’s not budging, but I think y’all are forgetting something. This ranch legally belongs to you and Daddy. Check with a lawyer, but the way I’m thinkin’ the only thing she could get if she divorced him was half of his assets,” Emily said.
“Hummph.” Opal snorted. “That would be a lot. He’s probably got a fortune in savings.”
“That’s his choice, Granny, but I’m pretty sure Big Sky is secure. I also talked to Tag and Hudson. They’re looking at a little starter ranch right next door to the Longhorn Canyon. Is that going to create a family problem?”
“They’ve talked to their father, and his opinion is that it might settle them down to be totally responsible for their own little place. They’ll always have a home if they fall flat on their faces. Besides you’ll be close by to keep an eye on them,” Anne said.
“Oh, no!” Emily’s voice went all high and squeaky as she parked the vehicle in front of the beauty shop. “I’m not going to babysit them or settle their arguments.”
Opal opened the passenger door. “Maybe if they move out there, you’ll come home and find a local cowboy just to get away from them.”
“I love you, Granny, but ninety-nine percent of those cowboys who’d take a number would only be interested in getting their hands on Big Sky, and you know it. Y’all go on in. I’m going to call Patsy and see what’s going on at the center. I’ll join you in a few minutes.” Emily found Patsy’s number in her contacts and hit the CALL button.
“Hello, is this Emily?” Patsy answered on the first ring.
“Yes, it’s me. Nikki said you’ve been trying to call me. Is everything all right?” Emily asked.
“We’re all fine. No more panic attacks and we’re sorry we scared you so bad, but it’s like this, we’re old and we’d like to see a grandchild or two before we kick the bucket,” she said. “So we kinda took things in our own hands and we’re sorry.”
“Grandchild?” Emily gasped.
“Honey, we done prayed and asked God to make you and Justin wake up and smell the wedding cake. Y’all are the nearest thing we’ve ever had to kids, so we’ve decided that we’re going to be grandparents, but we ain’t got many years left, and we’d like to at least be a part of the first child’s life,” Patsy said. “I’m putting this on speaker now because we got some big, big news to tell you.”
“Hi, Emily,” the rest of the Five singsonged.
“Okay, just so none of us get to tell it all, we got it worked out five ways, but I get to go first,” Otis said. “You remember seeing that big old two-story house right across the street from the church over in Sunset?”
“Just barely. It had a wraparound porch, right? With a little white picket fence?” Emily answered with a question. Surely they weren’t planning on buying that place for her and Justin. He’d never go for a place in town, not even a place as small as Sunset. Larry knew he was designing his own house, so why would they even consider such a thing.
“Well, we made some calls, and it’s for sale,” Larry said. “We almost broke the rules because it’s just barely inside the Montague County line. We went and looked at it on Wednesday. It’s an old house but it’s been well maintained and it’s even got a lift chair to go up and down the stairs.”
Why would she and Justin need a lift chair? It’d be years before either of them was too old to climb to the second floor.
“My turn,” Bess said. “There’s five bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor and the downstairs is real nice with an office space and a bathroom off the foyer. And it’s got the cutest yellow daisy wallpaper in the kitchen. I’m going to get Claire to make us some eyelet lace curtains for that room.”
“Now me,” Sarah butted in. “The price was a little higher than Larry thought, but we decided not to haggle about it, since we all loved it so much. We each chipped in one-fifth, and we’ll do the same for groceries and utility bills.”
Emily finally understood what they were saying. “Are y’all pulling another prank on me?”
“This is me, Patsy. I knew you’d say that so I saved my part until last. We’re not kiddin’. When we came here, it was because we were lonely. Bess wasn’t fit to live with on a twenty-four-seven basis, and I needed some people around me if I was to put up with her smart mouth.”
“That’s a crock. It was my idea so I didn’t have to watch you grow old and make a fool out of yourself with all the men in our town,” Bess argued.
“Hush, it’s my turn,” Patsy said. “We’ve formed us a family of our own with you bein’ the child we never had. Now that we’ve had a taste of that little church and the ranch, we want to bust out of this place and just the five of us live in our own house. Us ladies will do the cookin’ until we get too old, then we’ll hire it done. Between the lot of us we’ve got more money than we’ll spend between now and the day we die.”
Tears welled up in Emily’s eyes. The five were leaving and Nikki was going. Life would never be the same at the center.
“We’re even seein’ a lawyer about that after we get settled in our new house,” Otis said. “We’ve decided to be cremated, and all our ashes mixed up together and buried somewhere on the Longhorn Canyon Ranch.”
Big teardrops made their way down Emily’s cheeks and dripped onto her shirt. “When are you doing all this?” she managed to get out without sobbing.
“We done bought the place. Since we’re payin’ cash, we get to move in anytime we want. But we got to get us some furniture, so we told the supervisor here that we’d vacate the center on the fifteenth,” Patsy said.
“And we’re havin’ a party soon as we get settled. You and Justin are goin’ to be the guests of honor,” Sarah said.
“But—” Emily started.
“No buts. It’s a done deal.”
“But what if things don’t work out between us. We’re just now starting to figure out how we feel,” Emily spit out.
“Listen to your heart,” Larry said. “Signin’ off now. Can’t wait to see you Monday. We’ll take you to see the house.”
“And one more thing. I bought an SUV, too, so we could all be more comfortable, since I’ll be the chauffer for all these old folks.” Otis laughed.
“Bye now,” they all said, and the call was over before Emily could say another word.
“I’m not bein’ nosy,” Opal said. “Don’t look at me like that, Anne. She’s cryin’, so it had to be bad news. Was that Justin? There’s tissues on the seat beside you. We can’t go into the beauty shop with you cryin’ like that. The biggest gossips in the panhandle come here so they can find out the latest news. By mornin’ you’ll have come home because you’ve been jilted, and you are pregnant with twins.”
“You’ve been reading too many romance books, Mama,” Anne said.
Emily removed a makeup mirror from her purse and fixed her face as best she could. Her grandmother might have been reading too many steamy romance books, but she was telling the truth about Tresa and the beauty shop. It was the best place in the area to hear all the latest rumors.
“That’s much better. Now tell us what’s goin’ on.” Opal parked in the last available spot in front of Tresa’s Hair and Nails.
“It’s not about Justin. I’ve told you about my favorites at the center. Well, they’ve decided to buy a place of their own and move out. And my best friend, Nikki, has given her notice, and she’s going to work at the hospital. I hate change,” Emily said.
“Don’t we all.”
Emily checked her reflection one more time and then sent a text to Justin: I wish you’d come out here with me. I need you.
Justin got the text from Emily while he was changing into clean clothes in the bathroom of a service station. Half an hour later Levi was driving onto the Big Sky Ranch. Justin called Anne, and she talked him through the rest of the way to the sale barn where, judging by all the noise, the party had already started. He could hear a country music band in the background, the buzz of dozens of conversations going on, and babies crying in the background.
“Call me in the next hour and let me know whether to swing back by and get you,” Levi said.
“Let’s hope I get to wave you on.”
Anne met him at the door. “I’m glad to see you.”
Justin took a deep breath. “Lead the way, please, ma’am.”
Locating Emily among all the people wasn’t difficult. She was that gorgeous, curvy woman on the dance floor with her brother Matthew. Most folks were wearing jeans, but not his Emily. She wore cowboy boots and a form-fitting blue dress the color of her eyes. And she was listening intently to whatever her partner had to say.
Justin didn’t feel brave as he crossed the dance floor to tap the guy on the shoulder, but dammit, he was in love with her and it was high time that she knew. Emily turned to see Justin weaving his way around the folks on the floor. She took a step back from Matthew.
Her gaze met his as he got closer and closer. The band kept playing and people kept dancing and talking, but the whole world disappeared and everything was stone cold quiet. The only thing Justin heard was the sound of her boots on the wooden dance floor as she came toward him.
“Hello, cowboy,” she said.
“May I have this dance?” he asked.
She looped her arms around his neck. He removed his hat and held it at the small of her back. He didn’t even hear what the band was playing but knew deep in his heart that he was in love with this woman.
He drew back just far enough to look deeply into her eyes. “You said you wanted to talk.”
“I love you, Justin, and I’m in love with you too. I fought it. I ran from it, but I’m admitting it right now.”
“I love you and I’m in love with you too. Anything else we need to talk about?” He twirled her around and then brought her back to his arms.
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “The Fab Five are leaving the center. So is Nikki. It’ll be awfully lonely without them. What if I wanted to quit working there and help out on the ranch—maybe help with the kids this summer? And if the senior citizens’ week became an annual thing, I could help with that. I can drive a tractor or string barbed wire, deliver calves or whatever needs to be done, but please don’t make me spend time doing book work…” she said.
He stopped dancing and tipped up her chin. “You can work away from the ranch like Claire or work on the ranch with me. Whatever you want, darlin’, is fine with me, but I’d be one happy cowboy to have you beside me every single day.”
She didn’t care if the entire family was watching, or what they would say. She met his lips halfway. The kiss was so full of promise that it almost brought tears to her eyes. When it ended, he ran his knuckles down her jawbone.
“I’m in love with you, Emily. I want to come home at night to find you there, to wake up each morning with you in my arms. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but you can call the shots on the speed that we go,” he whispered.
“This song is dedicated to Justin Maguire and Emily Baker from her two brothers Hudson and Taggart,” the lead singer said.
She expected some sappy song about falling in love, but the female singer took the microphone and nodded toward the band, and started singing Shania Twain’s “Any Man of Mine.”
Justin threw back his head and laughed. Instead of dancing with her, he crossed his arms over his chest and stood still. If that’s the way he wanted to play it, then she’d give the whole damn family a show. She sang with the lyrics as she touched his cheek with a finger, and when it talked about shimmy and shakin’, she did just that.
The whole crowd applauded when the song ended.
“And this next one is for the couple from Emily’s brother Matthew.” The male singer took the microphone.
Justin recognized the song immediately when the music lead-in to “Your Man” by Josh Turner started. He grabbed Emily’s hand, spun her out, and brought her back to his chest. “Darlin’, I mean every word of this song, especially that part about us not getting in a hurry.”
“Thank you,” she said as he swung her out again, keeping her hand in his as the two of them did some fancy dance steps. The rest of the dancers backed up and gave them the whole floor.
The next time he brought her to his chest, he said, “You’re a helluva good dancer.”
“So are you, and I can see all my girl cousins salivating.”
He gave her a quick, sweet kiss, and said, “I don’t see another woman in this whole place.”
“And now one more,” the female singer said, moving back up to the microphone. “This is from Miz Opal and Miz Anne to Justin and Emily.”
Emily blushed when the steel guitar player hit the first few chords to “Rockin’ Years,” but she wouldn’t let either her mother or grandmother get ahead of her. She led Justin up on the bandstand and took the microphone from the singer, picking up on cue and in perfect pitch. When it was time for Ricky Van Shelton’s part she handed it off to Justin, who didn’t miss a bit when he harmonized with her.
When the song ended, she took a bow, and said, “I want to introduce y’all to my boyfriend, Justin Maguire.”
Justin settled his hat on his head, picked up her hand, and brought it to his lips, before he turned to the crowd. “Please to meet y’all. Now I want to dance some more with this stunning girlfriend of mine.”