After a night of tossing and turning, Levi found Justin in the kitchen the next morning before daylight. He’d already started the coffee and was leaning against the cabinet waiting for it to finish brewing. Levi pulled out a kitchen chair and sank into it.
“You look like you got something on your mind,” Justin said.
“So do you,” Levi fired back.
Justin poured two cups of coffee and carried them to the table. “It’s been weeks since we’ve been out. Let’s go to the Rusty Spur and see if we can’t dance about a year’s worth of leather off our boots on Friday night. Lettin’ off a little steam might be good for both of us.”
“You go on and have a good time. I’ll hold down the fort.” Levi sipped the strong, hot brew. He’d rather stay home and watch Claire sew up quilt squares than go out to a bar.
“It’s Claire, ain’t it?” Justin toyed with the handle of his mug.
Levi nodded. “I asked her to be my date at the Christmas party.”
“Good for you, but that don’t mean you can’t go be my wingman on Friday. You don’t have to bring a woman home or come draggin’ in here at daylight either one. You can be my designated driver,” Justin said.
Levi chuckled. “And ruin your best pickup line.” He lowered his voice to a deep Texas drawl. “‘Darlin’, I’m way too wasted to get home on my own. I’ll cook breakfast for you if you’ll drive me.’”
A wide grin spread over Justin’s face. “You know me way too well.”
“Yep,” Levi said again.
“I smell coffee.” Zaylie twirled into the room like a ballet dancer. “Someday when I’m a big girl I’m going to drink coffee.”
Before she could shed her coat, Levi was there to hang it up for her. “What else are you goin’ to do when you are a big girl?”
“Be the boss,” Zaylie answered. “Aunt Claire, can we have waffles for breakfast?”
“Sure if that’s what you want. Mavis called, and she isn’t going to come in until after she gets Benjy off to school each morning. Skip burned the bacon yesterday.” Claire’s shoulder brushed against Levi’s when she passed him in the kitchen. He locked his little finger with hers for a second and squeezed it gently.
“Good mornin’, ladies,” Justin said from the table.
Levi got out the cast iron skillet and put it on the stove. “Want me to start fryin’ some sausage to go with those waffles?”
“We got it.” Claire smiled up at him. “Go on and finish your coffee before it gets cold.”
His phone rang and he fished it out of his hip pocket. “Good mornin’, Mavis. What’s goin’ on?” He took the conversation to the living room where he sank down on the sofa.
“Just checkin’ in to see if any of y’all need anything from here before I come that way this mornin’?”
“You got a blackberry cobbler in the freezer?” he said.
“I’m sure I do,” she answered. “Where’s Claire?”
“Right here,” he answered.
“Then go to the living room,” Mavis said.
“I’m already here. What’s on your mind, Mavis?”
“I heard that you told Buddy you might be interested in Claire.”
“Gossip don’t take long, does it?” He didn’t want to have this conversation, but there didn’t seem to be a way around it, so he blurted out, “I asked her to be my date to the Christmas party. She was invited to go to it anyway, but I want her to be there with me.”
“You better dig in and get ready for a battle,” Mavis told him.
“Does that mean you’re goin’ to fight me on this?” Levi asked.
“No, son, not me. I like Claire a lot.”
“Then who?”
“I heard that Buddy says that even though he said he’d back down, he’s going to make a play for her if she’s as pretty as everyone is saying,” Mavis said. “If you need me to run a little interference, you just let me know.”
“Thanks, Mavis, but I can handle Buddy,” he said.
“I hope so. See you in an hour or so, and I’ll bring a cobbler with me. Bye now.” The phone went dead before he could even say good-bye.
“Can you eat a gazillion waffles?” Zaylie hopped onto the sofa beside him.
Levi laid the phone on the end table. “Oh yeah, maybe two gazillion.”
She giggled. “That’s funny. Nobody, not even my daddy, can eat that many.”
An ache hit him in the heart as usual when he thought of his biological father. The kid who’d gotten Levi’s mother pregnant had only been seventeen. The night she told him about the baby, he took a curve too fast on the way home from her place. He’d died instantly when his car hit a big scrub oak tree, not totally unlike the one that Claire had plowed into.
Levi hoped that Grant did come home to stay at Christmas because all kids needed a father. “Well, princess, if your daddy can’t eat that many, I’m sure I couldn’t either.” He picked her up and carried her back to the kitchen. “Look what I found in the living room. Does anyone know this kid, or should I throw her out the back door?”
“No, no, no!” Zaylie giggled. “Aunt Claire, tell him who I am.”
“Let me look at her,” Claire said in mock seriousness. “Are her eyes blue and does she have blond hair?”
Levi held her out toward Claire. “Why, I believe that might be Zaylie Mason.”
“You think we should keep her?” Levi teased.
“Maybe so since I made all these waffles and she ordered a gazillion,” Claire said.
Zaylie wiggled free and ran to her chair at the table.
Just to get to touch her, Levi tucked a strand of hair behind Claire’s ear. “Don’t want one of those to fall out and get in the waffle batter.”
“Thanks.” She smiled.
Justin and Levi had both eaten breakfast and headed to the barn. Mavis wasn’t there yet, and Zaylie was in the living room talking to Teresa. Claire stopped loading the dishwasher and watched a couple of bunnies hopping across the backyard. Had they been out to the barn to visit with Hopalong about boy bunny stuff, or were they girl bunnies out looking for a good time?
She caught bits and pieces of Zaylie’s conversation with Teresa in the living room. But most of her focus was centered on the bunnies as they hopped out of sight. The ranch was so peaceful and quiet, even when it was bustling with activity like it had been the night they’d decorated the tree. She’d never found such tranquility anywhere she’d lived before. No wonder Zaylie loved it so much.
Levi startled her when he dashed in the back door and grabbed his gloves. “Forgot a couple of things.”
“Gloves and what else?” she asked.
“This.” He wrapped her up in his arms in a fierce embrace.
She could sure get used to a boyfriend like Levi who wasn’t only just the sexiest cowboy in Texas but the most thoughtful one too.
With his rough knuckles he tipped up her chin, and his mouth moved toward hers. She didn’t want to close her eyes, but the passion in his eyes drew her into the kiss. His lips touched hers, and she tiptoed as her hands found their way under his open jacket to splay out on his chest. His heart thumped against her palm, but it wasn’t beating nearly as fast as hers. The tip of his tongue grazed her mouth, and a shiver of desire danced down her spine when she opened slightly. The taste of sweet maple syrup mixed with strong black coffee teased her senses, and she pressed her body closer to his.
And then, just like that, it was over and he took a step back, leaving her weak kneed and wanting more. “I’ve wanted to do that all morning. See you at noon.” He was gone before she could say a word.
With weak knees, she quickly turned around to look out the kitchen window. He turned around and waved just before he got into his truck and drove off toward the barn. She held up a hand and was startled again when Zaylie tugged on the tail of her T-shirt.
“Aunt Claire, Franny wants to talk to you.” Zaylie held up the phone.
“I thought you were talking to Teresa,” Claire said.
“I was but we hanged up and Franny called.”
“Hello,” Claire said.
“You are out of breath. Were you busy?” Franny asked.
Define busy, Claire thought for a split second before she answered.
“I was but I’m finished. How’re things in Randlett?” Claire glanced out the window, but Levi’s truck was completely out of sight.
“Boring as usual. I miss having you and Zaylie next door.”
“Well,” Claire drew out the word as she checked to see where Zaylie was. She was sitting on the sofa watching cartoons on television. “I’ve got news but it’s a big secret until Christmas. You may have more than one little girl living next door to you.” She went on to tell Franny about Angela and Grant.
“Well, that house ain’t big enough for you and them both. My renter is moving out next week. That’ll give me time to get it repainted and the carpets cleaned, and then you can move in. It’s just a little two-bedroom, one-bath house, but it’ll be perfect for you,” Franny said.
“I didn’t know you had rental property,” Claire said.
“Just the one place. It belonged to my aunt, and I inherited it when she died forty years ago. Now what’s goin’ on with you and the cowboy?”
“Thank you for the offer, but there’s more news.” Claire went on to tell Franny about moving to Sunset and opening a quilting shop.
“Follow your dreams, or you’ll regret it,” Franny said. “I’m going to miss you, but you’ve got to do what your heart tells you. Now tell me, did you sleep with the cowboy?”
“No,” Claire gasped. “But I’ve got a problem. I feel like I should have a Christmas present ready for each one of them for being so good to us and…” She hesitated again.
Franny giggled. “You must like that cowboy for him to rattle you so much that you can’t think. What do you do for a living?”
“Make quilts,” Claire answered.
“What do you bet that those tall cowboys don’t have a single throw that can reach to their toes on a cold night when they’re watchin’ television?”
“Franny, you are a genius,” Claire squealed.
“And make one for Retta and the new baby while you’re at it.”
“Great idea. That takes a load off my mind.” Claire felt a hundred percent better now that she had a plan.
“Good. I’ve got to go down to the church to help plan for our Christmas potluck. We always have it right after services on the second Sunday in December, and I’ll expect you and Zaylie to be there.” Her tone didn’t leave a bit of wiggle room.
“We’ll plan on it. Tell everyone hello for me.”
“I’ll do that. Bye now,” Franny said, and the call ended.
She was about to text Levi, when he called. “Would you and Zaylie like to get out a little while this mornin’? I need some supplies in Bowie.”
“Hey.” Mavis came through the kitchen door.
Claire waved. “Levi is going to Bowie. Do you need anything from there?”
“I’ll make a list. Why don’t you and Zaylie go with him? You’ll do a better job of filling my list than he will. Men can take all day to find a can of baking powder.”
“Are you sure you don’t need my help?” Claire asked her.
Mavis made a motion of shooing her away.
“How about I pick you up in ten minutes?” Levi said. “There’s a really good Tex-Mex place in Bowie. We could get some lunch there.”
“Love to.” She hoped that her breath didn’t sound as breathy in Levi’s ears as it did in hers.