A Brother's Promise

by Mindy Obenhaus

  She hadn’t always been that way, though. Once upon a time, she’d envisioned being married and having a couple of kids. Then she went off to college and those thoughts faded into oblivion as she became increasingly focused on her career. The next thing she knew, she was hopping from one start-up tech company to another, constantly challenging herself to do bigger and better things. Innovation, creation and growth were her forte.

  Then she met Brody, and he was every bit as driven as she was. They worked on projects together, shared ideas and even talked about starting their own company. No one had ever understood her drive the way Brody had and, before long, those dreams of a family sparked to life once again. She’d trusted Brody with her heart, her dreams and so much more.

  When he surprised her with dinner at one of Austin’s finest restaurants, she just knew he was going to propose. Instead, he told her he’d taken a job in Atlanta. Said he’d been looking for months. The worst part was when she asked where that left them and he informed her there was no them. That he’d enjoyed their time together, but she wasn’t relationship material.

  She’d been duped. Used. Heartbroken.

  Shoving the morose thoughts aside, she unplugged her phone from the charger and turned off the ignition. It was time to return to reality. Just as soon as the power came back on.

  Mick met her at the door as she made her way onto the porch. “Good news.”

  “Oh?”

  “Power’s back on.”

  Her insides tangled as sorrow somehow squelched her happiness. Was he eager to get rid of her? Not that she should care. She was ready to get back to her place and for life to return to normal. Lonely and normal. At least she had Dixie to keep her company.

  “That’s great.” Moving past him, she savored the comforting aroma of burning wood that told her he’d probably just stoked the fire. “I guess I’ll gather my things and head back home.”

  “Now, hold on.” He followed her, closing the door behind him. “Don’t go gettin’ ahead of yourself. I think we should all drive up there first to make sure everything is in order.”

  She supposed that was a good idea. She’d hate to gather up everything only to discover that her power was still out.

  “Well, my car is all warmed up, so we may as well take it.”

  Fifteen minutes later, she eased her SUV to a stop just short of her own carport and simply stared. She’d never seen her two-story farmhouse look this way before—as though it belonged in a Christmas movie. The white house with dark green shutters smack-dab in the middle of a sea of white. The only thing missing was a mass of twinkling lights.

  “I’ve got to get a picture of this.” She snatched her phone from the console. “Y’all stay put. I’ll be right back.” She followed her tire tracks back to the drive, not wanting to mar the pristine scene with any footprints, then continued to the road.

  White coated the roof and icicles graced the edges of both the main roof as well as the one over the porch. Only then did she realize she’d failed to remove the faux evergreen wreath from her front door.

  “Perfect.”

  A few shots later, she returned to Mick and Sadie. “We can go inside now.”

  In the pasture behind the house, cows huddled around the massive bale of hay Mick had put out earlier. And as she moved onto the back porch, the sun peeked through the clouds, turning the rest of the field into a glittering mass of white.

  She couldn’t help taking a few more pictures.

  “Christa?”

  Turning, she saw Mick pointing to the door. “Sorry.” She quickly tucked the phone away, retrieved her keys and unlocked the door.

  Dixie bounded into the house as though she was happy to be there, with Sadie right behind, followed by Christa and Mick.

  It was only a few degrees warmer inside the house than it had been outside. However, the furnace was blowing, so her power had indeed been restored.

  “I guess it’ll take a while for things to warm up.” While Mick closed the door, she moved past the kitchen table to check the thermostat in the living room. Thirty-nine degrees? At this rate, the furnace would be running nonstop for hours. “I should be fine, though.” Shoving her gloved hands into the pockets of her coat, she returned to the kitchen to see Mick at the sink.

  He turned on the water, but nothing happened. “I was afraid of that.”

  “What’s wrong?” She stood beside him. “Is the pump still off?”

  Lines creased his brow. “Pump’s on. But your pipes are frozen.” He let go a sigh. “I can’t believe I didn’t have you turn on all the faucets to drain the lines.” Shaking his head, he pressed down on the lever that would normally turn off the water. “My brain must have frozen right along with my body.”

  “Why are you being so hard on yourself? So they’re frozen. Won’t they thaw out as the house warms up?”

  “Yes, and that’s when the trouble begins.”

  “Trouble?”

  Wearing an exasperated look, he scowled down at her. “For someone who owns a hardware store, you don’t know much about home repair.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she said, “Well, it would be nice if someone would just tell me what they’re thinking instead of playing games.”

  “When water freezes it expands. There’s likely frozen water in your pipes. That means those pipes have probably burst. Once the ice thaws—”

  “Water will go everywhere.” A sick feeling knotted her gut, while Mick’s nod sent her heart plummeting. “If that’s the case, then there’s no way I can leave. I need to call a plumber.” She reached for her phone.

  “No plumber in his right mind is going to get out on these roads.” Why did he have to be so sensible?

  “Okay, can we just turn the water off then?”

  His expression softened, though she could tell he was thinking. “I s’pose. You’d still have some water leaking out as it thawed, but only what’s in there now.”

  “Which means I might be able to avoid an all-out catastrophe.”

  “I reckon that might work. I’ve got a stash of pipe and fittings down at my place. Enough to do some crude repairs that’ll tide you over until the plumber can get out here. Because I’m sure you won’t be the only one with busted pipes.”

  “How do we figure out where the leaks are?”

  “Tag-team it. Once things thaw, one of us turns on the water while the other watches for leaks. Then, once we spot one, we locate the break and cut the water back off. It’ll still be a guessing game. And I’ll have to put some holes in your walls. Maybe the ceiling.”

  “What?” Panic flitted through her veins.

  “Don’t shoot the messenger. A plumber would have to do the same thing.”

  She rubbed her forehead. “Please tell me insurance will cover this.”

  “It will.”

  At the moment, that was little comfort, but at least it was something.

  “Look—” he placed his gloved hands on her shoulders, sending a jolt of electricity ricocheting through her “—let’s just turn the pump off and go back down to my place where it’s warm. Temps are supposed to inch above freezing overnight, so maybe things will have started to melt by morning, then we can address the breaks.”

  Staring into his green eyes, she felt plenty warm right here. “You’re sure? I mean, I just finished renovating. I’d hate for things to get damaged. And these floors.” She forced herself to step away and focus on the original wooden planks. “I couldn’t bear it if they warped.”

  “Yeah, that’s hundred-and-fifty-year-old long-leaf pine.” Lifting his gaze, he seemed to take in the entire space. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in here. With the lights on, that is.” He sent her a quick smile.

  Moving toward the living room, he continued to study things. “This is nice. Real nice. Hardly looks like the same place.�
�

  She recalled the mauve floral-striped wallpaper and dusty blue carpet that had been here the first time she saw the house, trying to ignore the spark of feelings his praise stirred inside her. Something warm and giddy. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. And promised herself she’d never feel again.

  Yet Mick was suggesting she go back to the camp house with him and Sadie. How was she supposed to do that?

  Get a grip, Christa.

  She drew in a deep breath. Lord, what is wrong with me? It must be the stress of these last couple of days.

  “Miss Christa?”

  She looked down to see Sadie peering up at her, holding a box. “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “I finded this puzzle on the shelf over there.” She pointed toward the living room.

  Christa took hold of the box bearing a picture of several golden retriever puppies and laughed. “My friend Paisley gave that to me for Christmas. I had just gotten Dixie, so she said she had to get it for me. I haven’t had time to put it together yet, though.”

  “We could take it back to Uncle Mickey’s and do it together.” Her smile widened. “I love puzzles.”

  “I do, too,” said Christa. “And you know what else Paisley gave me?”

  “What?” Sadie’s green eyes sparkled.

  Christa crossed to the television. “This.” She held up a DVD case.

  “Frozen!” The child’s entire face beamed. “I love that movie.”

  “Me, too.” She glanced toward Mick, who was still standing in the opening between the kitchen and living room, looking rather confused. “Maybe we could watch it while we’re working on the puzzle.”

  “Yes, please.” Sadie jumped up and down.

  With her wayward feelings now in check, Christa approached the suddenly chagrined cowboy. “I’m ready when you are.”

  “You’re trying to torture me, aren’t you?”

  “Have you ever even seen Frozen?”

  “No, and I was hoping I’d never have to.”

  “Well, Uncle Mickey, looks like neither of us are getting our way today. I’m coming back to your place and you’re going to watch Frozen.”

  * * *

  “That should do it.” Mick gathered his tools late the next morning, grateful that the only leaks they’d discovered at Christa’s were in the kitchen, behind the washer and in the downstairs bathroom. That was, unless there was a holdout somewhere. He glanced Christa’s way. “Why don’t you go ahead and turn the water back on before I move this washer and dryer back into place.”

  “I’m on it.”

  As Christa disappeared out the door, Sadie’s voice echoed from the living room. She’d asked to watch that Frozen movie again while he and Christa worked and was singing along at the top of her lungs.

  Chuckling to himself, he turned his attention to the window and watched Christa pick her way through the slush and mud in her backyard. Temperatures had climbed into the upper thirties overnight then shot into the forties once the sun came up, turning their winter wonderland into a sloppy mess. By midweek, the storm would be nothing but a memory. He hoped it’d be a happy one for Sadie, just as it was for him.

  To his surprise, he’d rather enjoyed these last couple of days. For a guy who’d been single forever, he would’ve thought that having someone—a woman, no less—invade his space would have him climbing the walls. Now he almost hated to see Christa go. Though he was certain that was only because of Sadie. Christa never seemed to be at a loss for ideas to keep his niece busy. If it had been just him, the poor kid probably would have been bored the entire time.

  He let go a sigh as Christa started back toward the house. Now that she was home, he and Sadie would have to restart their journey to finding a new norm. For him, that meant a life that encompassed both parenthood and ranching. Not to mention a lot of prayer. Because while he knew ranching, being responsible for another human being, a little girl at that, was uncharted territory for him. And knowing that the Sandersons were just waiting for him to fail so they could swoop in and take Sadie only increased the pressure.

  Christa burst through the door. “How does it look?”

  He eyed the hole he’d had to cut in the wall to access the pipes. “I think we’re good to go.”

  “You’re sure? I mean, what if another leak crops up?”

  “Then just holler and I’ll come back and fix it.”

  “But I was planning to head to the hardware store.”

  “Well, I reckon you could turn the water off until you get home.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed them. “I guess that would work.”

  He’d never seen her look so nervous. Then again, she’d done lot of work on this house, making it look like a real farmhouse should. Not the 1980s country cottage look his mom had tried to achieve or the pristine white so-called farmhouse even city dwellers yearned for these days.

  No, Christa had done right by this house. Yet other than the kitchen, where she’d replaced the worn plywood cabinets with a rustic quarter sawn oak version, she hadn’t added much at all. Instead, she’d removed things, such as the carpet and dark wood paneling that had lined the walls of the living and dining rooms and the kitchen. Then she’d simply enhanced the old shiplap walls with a pale gray-green paint and returned the original wooden floors to their former glory.

  A far cry from what he’d expected when she bought the place. He figured she’d make it all sleek and modern. But this? This was the way the house was meant to be.

  A cozy place he wouldn’t mind lingering in for a while. If he didn’t have work to do.

  But he did. It was time for things to get back to normal. Something that hadn’t existed since the day he learned of Jen’s death. In the blink of an eye, everything had changed. Life was no longer just about him. He had Sadie to consider. Yet ranching was his livelihood. He still had no idea how to mesh the two.

  “Just let me get these appliances pushed back into place and Sadie and I will get out of your hair.” He shimmied the dryer into position first, then the washer. “Come on, Sadie, it’s time to go.”

  She bounded into the kitchen, all smiles. “Go where?”

  “We need to check on the cattle and put out some more hay.”

  Her bottom lip pooched out then, her arms crossing defiantly over her chest. “I don’t want to do that. I want to stay with Miss Christa.”

  Christa smoothed a hand over Sadie’s hair. “Sorry, sweetie, I have to go to work, too. I have a store to run.”

  Tears welled in Sadie’s eyes. Her lip trembled. “What about Dixie?”

  “She’s used to staying by herself,” said Christa.

  The dam broke loose then, and Sadie began to wail. “But I don’t want to leave.”

  Mick’s entire being cringed. He’d never been able to stand up to tears, even when Jen was little and would cry because she wanted to go with him and his dad, and Mom wouldn’t let her. He knew he couldn’t let Sadie get her own way, but he had no clue what to do.

  He knelt in front of his niece. “Aw, come on, Sadie. Don’t do this to me. Tell you what, once we’re finished, I’ll let you watch whatever you want.”

  She shook her head, grunting her displeasure.

  Mick pushed to his feet. Lord, I could use a little help here. How on earth was he ever going to pull off ranching and raising Sadie? Sure, things were fine when she was in school, but what about weekends and breaks? And he didn’t even want to think about summer.

  “I sure wish I didn’t have to go to work.” Christa raised her voice enough to be heard over the tumult. “Mick, you’ve got some really cute baby calves out there.” She sent him a look that told him to play along.

  “Uh, yeah. Another one was born during the storm, too.”

  “Aw, poor baby. I hope it’s all right.”

  “I do, too.�
� He decided to play it up then. “But I don’t know. It was mighty cold, and the weather’s kept me from being able to check on it as often as I should.”

  “It’s probably hungry.” Christa cast a sideways glance as Sadie’s cries grew quiet.

  “Maybe starvin’,” Mick added for good measure.

  “And who knows—” Christa grabbed her jacket “—there could be another baby out there by now.”

  “Could be.”

  Sadie sniffed. Swiped the backs of her hands across her eyes. “I want to see the baby cow.”

  “You’ll have to go with Uncle Mickey, then.”

  Why did he get the feeling Christa got a kick out of calling him Uncle Mickey? Still, she’d come to his rescue once again. And for that, he was grateful.

  He looked down at his niece. “Maybe when we’re finished we can run into town and buy some more ice cream.”

  Sadie’s green eyes widened. “Chocolate?”

  “And sprinkles, too.”

  She smiled wide then. “I like sprinkles.”

  “I know you do.” He helped her into her coat. “All right, Christa, looks like we’re out of here.” Glancing over his shoulder, he mouthed the words Thank you.

  “You two have fun.”

  Fun would be awesome, but at this point, he was just happy the tears were gone.

  Chapter Six

  Christa crossed the parking lot of Bliss Community Church after service Sunday morning, taking pleasure in the birdsong that rang through the large oak trees surrounding the steepled brick building. A brilliant blue sky and temps in the fifties had erased virtually all signs of the ice storm. Yes, things were almost back to normal. And though the plumber would still need to make the permanent repairs to her pipes, and the holes she and Mick had to make in the walls to get to the pipes would have to be fixed, for the most part, her life could go on just the way it had before the storm.