On Monday morning, Allie and Dora June began to gear things up for the ranch party the next Saturday night. The whole town was either talking about the party or the fact that Truman was going to be Santa Claus. Everyone had thought that the Lucky Penny would fail for sure and yet here they were throwing a huge ranch party at the end of their first year. No one would have believed that Truman, of all the men in Dry Creek, could ever have been coerced into doing anything for Christmas, but yet he was bragging about the pillow that Dora June was making for him to wear around his midsection.
The end of the world had to be on the way. Any second the clouds would part, a bright white light would shoot down, and a booming voice would come out of the heavens, calling all the saints and sinners to Judgment Day.
On Tuesday night, Fiona met Jud on the landing. He opened his arms and she walked into them, holding him tightly as she inhaled the sexy scent of soap, shampoo, and what belonged solely to Jud.
“I’ll be glad when this party is over,” she said.
“Me too. Let’s celebrate on Sunday by going to an afternoon movie in Wichita Falls. We’ll sit in the dark, hold hands like teenagers, and relax,” he whispered into her hair.
“Yes, but only if you promise you won’t laugh at me if I snore. I’ll be so tired by then, I won’t be able to stay awake. And can we stop in and see Granny either before or after the movie?”
“Yes, we can. Truman bought an RV today. The fanciest thing you’ve ever seen. He’s going to have it parked outside the house on Christmas morning and as soon as the leftover potluck is finished at the church that night, he and Dora June will head south for the winter,” Jud said.
“Oh. My. God! He was serious. Dora June is going to faint.”
“I hope not,” Jud chuckled, and then he tipped her chin up for a quick kiss. “He’s like a little kid about all this. Tomorrow he and Blake are going to Throckmorton to buy a small car that’s listed in the newspaper down there. He’s going to sell his truck to Toby but this is all a big hush, hush secret. Not even your sisters know it’s a done deal.”
“Oh, they know. Blake and Toby don’t keep secrets any better than you do,” Fiona laughed. “We are planning to buy stuff for their new trailer for their Christmas presents.”
On Thursday, things really moved fast. The rental company with all the tables arrived that evening right after Fiona got off work. In an hour the living room was changed into a lovely party area with small round tables scattered with the flow pattern to the bar and the dining room planned out beautifully. Centerpieces were chunks of mesquite with the Lucky Penny brand burned into the sides. Across the tops of the logs holes had been drilled to hold short tapers that would be lit just before the party started. Silk poinsettias and greenery had been used to give the pieces a Christmas flare and the ribbons matched the sashes on the backs of the chairs.
“Oh my!” Fiona gasped.
“Pretty damn impressive, isn’t it?” Lizzy asked from the Christmas tree area, where a big red chair waited for Santa Claus. “Did you see the bar? They decided to set it up in the foyer. The guys had to move out the hall tree and the credenza but it looks like it’s going to work very well. I wish Mama were here for the party but to have her come home early would be selfish.”
Fiona peeked out into the foyer. “It’s all decorated, too.”
“Oh, yes. This is the party to attend this year from what everyone says. The Dawson guys did not fall on their faces their first year in business and Truman is Santa Claus. What else could we ask for?”
“That Granny could be here and having a good day.” Allie carried Audrey into the room. “Who’d have thought a year ago right now that we’d all be where we are?”
“If you’d have told me I’d be married to anyone other than Mitch, I’d have thought you were crazy,” Lizzy said.
“We didn’t even know the Dawsons and only heard rumors that a bunch of fool cowboys were interested in the Lucky Penny.” Allie handed Audrey off to Fiona and straightened several ornaments on the tree.
“Fool cowboys, huh?” Jud asked.
“Yep.” Fiona nodded. “That’s exactly what they called you three. Like that old commercial said, ‘You’ve come a long way, baby.’ You weren’t supposed to last past that hard winter or the hot summer and yet, here you still are.”
“And we’ll be here next year and the one after that, won’t we?” Jud asked, but his eyes were on Fiona.
“Hopefully,” she said.
“It looks good. The caterers arrive at eight in the morning and take over the kitchen. I’m shutting the store an hour early to have time to get ready. Why don’t y’all girls come over here at four and we’ll have the whole upstairs to ourselves.” Fiona swayed back and forth with the baby in her arms.
Jud cleared his throat loudly.
“Minus Jud’s room. We can do mani/pedis,” Fiona said.
“Then we can all make an entrance down the staircase.” Lizzy nodded.
“Audrey and I will be here at four on the button,” Allie agreed.
Jud waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs with his two cousins on Friday night. The pungent smell of barbecue floated out from the kitchen. Waiters wearing white shirts and black slacks stood ready behind the dining room table to help guests.
Two pretty blond bartenders were in their place to make whatever drinks anyone ordered. A month ago, Jud would have already had two phone numbers and would have been trying to make up his mind which one to call first. But tonight he wasn’t interested in either of their sly glances his way. He was waiting on his girlfriend.
Allie was the first Logan sister to appear at the top of the staircase. Blake sucked air so hard that Jud turned to make sure he wasn’t choking to death.
“She’s wearing the red velvet dress that she wore when we married,” Blake said hoarsely. “She took my breath away in it on Valentine’s Day and even more so tonight. I’ve got the prettiest wife in the whole damn state.”
They made quite the pair, with Allie wearing red velvet and Audrey all dolled up in a Christmas plaid taffeta dress. Jud wanted what Blake had at that moment even more than he wanted the Lucky Penny to have oil down beneath the surface. His cousin’s eyes never left his wife and daughter. It was as if no one else in the world existed but them and when they reached the foyer, he took Audrey from her, cradled the baby in one arm and slung the other around Allie’s shoulders.
“You are stunning,” Blake said.
“You look pretty damn good yourself. Shall we go on in to the party? It sounds like we’ve got some guests already and we’ll need to greet each and every one,” she said.
Lizzy made her way down the steps, but Toby didn’t wait for her to get to the bottom. He bounded up to meet her, kissed her passionately right there in front of the bartenders and Lucy and Herman as they came through the front door, and then hooked her arm into his.
“You are beautiful tonight, Miz Lizzy,” Jud said when they were beside him.
“Lucy, darlin’, I’m so glad you and Herman are here.” Lizzy hugged both Lucy and Herman. “Y’all come on into the party room with us. It sounds like folks are already arriving.”
“That green satin looks beautiful on you, Lizzy. You should wear that color more often,” Lucy said.
“And you look stunning,” Lizzy said. “How’d you ever get Herman out of his overalls and into a suit?”
“I threatened to sit on Truman’s lap and tell him what I want for Christmas,” Lucy whispered.
“Women!” Herman grumbled as he clamped a hand on Jud’s shoulder. “If you don’t want to be bossed around, take my advice and run when a woman even looks at the rings in a store window.”
“Is that what got you in trouble?”
Herman sighed. “Damn straight and now fifty years later I got to wear this uncomfortable suit to come to your party.”
“Looks real good on you,” Jud said.
“Ain’t wore it since my son got married years ago but it still fits so that’s a good thing, I guess. I knew y’all boys would make a go of that ranch. Truman was against you from the beginning but he’s comin’ around. I can’t believe he’s goin’ to be Santa Claus. All the dirt in Texas wouldn’t make me put on that suit,” Herman said.
“Herman Hudson, quit hangin’ out at the bar and come on in here.” Lucy crooked a finger toward him.
“The boss speaks.” He grinned.
“Sounds like it,” Jud chuckled.
“Does that one belong to you?” one of the bartenders asked, and pointed up the wide staircase.
If Jud would have had to utter a word or die before a firing squad, he would have reached for the blindfold and put it on himself. Fiona wore a black cocktail dress that hugged her body like a glove. A choker of bloodred rubies was wrapped around her long, slender neck and her curly red hair was swept to one side, leaving the other bare for his kisses. Between the short skirt and the high heels, her legs looked a mile long.
“Well?” the bartender asked again.
“Yes, she does,” he said when he’d found his voice.
“Well, now, don’t you clean up well,” Fiona said from the second step.
“This old cowboy suit? Why, I’ve worn it for years.” He picked up her arm and tucked it safely into his. “I should have worn my revolver on my hip. As gorgeous as you are, it’s going to be a chore just knocking the cowboys away from you. Please, let me tell everyone we are dating. I can live in a trailer for a week until Dora June and Truman leave.”
“Shhh.” She put a finger on his lips. “This is all about the ranch tonight. Not about us. We can wait one more week. Smile when we walk through the door. Lizzy is going to snap our picture to send straight to Mama.”
He closed his free hand around her finger and kissed it. “You rendered me speechless when I looked up and saw you.”
“That may be the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me. Now, let’s go make everyone welcome and show them that the Lucky Penny is a ranch to reckon with.”