Justin didn’t even have to shorten his stride so that she could keep up with him. “Just about done. The contractor is coming the first of next week, so we need to have everything decided for sure by then.”
He found himself wondering how it would be to hold her hand. As if his brain sent the message to his hand, his fingers brushed against hers. She quickly tucked her thumbs in her hip pockets. He couldn’t tell if she felt that little jolt of heat or not—perhaps she didn’t even realize that he had touched her.
“You should have Larry take a peek at the house plans,” Emily said. “He was a contractor. It’d sure make him feel important to be asked for advice.”
A sudden north wind whipped her ponytail around in her face and sent his hat blowing toward the porch. Hopalong, the cotton-tailed rabbit that came around every spring, hurried from under a dormant rosebush and sat down on the brim.
“Looks like our resident bunny made it through the winter.” Justin chuckled.
“Is that a pet or something?” Emily asked.
Justin bent down and rubbed the rabbit’s ears. “He’s one of Levi’s strays. He came up here a few years ago with a broken foot. Levi nursed him back to health and then turned him loose. He usually brings spring with him when he comes back each year. You can pet him if you want. He don’t bite.”
Emily sat down on the porch step, and Hopalong made his way up to sit beside her. She rubbed the spot between his ears, and the rabbit laid his head over on her leg. “He’s so tame.”
Justin sat down beside her. “Levi has a way with animals. Beau, Gussie, Hopalong, all came to us broken, and he made them whole again. Right along with Little Bit, the donkey, and Hard Times, the turtle.”
“Is Levi another brother?”
“Not by blood, but as you girls say, by the heart. He’s the foreman of the ranch. He and his wife, Claire, are the couple that I’m designing the house for,” Justin explained.
The bunny hopped under the rosebush, and Emily rose to her feet. “It takes me a while to get names straight. I’m better after I meet the folks.”
“Well, it won’t be hard to keep Retta and my mama straight. Retta is tall and Mama is a little short woman.” Justin ushered her into the house, through the foyer and back to the kitchen. “This place sure smells good. I brought Emily to meet y’all. Emily, this is Retta Maguire and this is my mother, Gloria.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Retta smiled.
“Yes, it is,” Gloria said. “Son, we really should be goin’. The Cattlemen’s Association meeting is at ten o’clock.”
“Yes, ma’am. See y’all at dinner.” He smiled at Emily as he and his mother disappeared out the back door, leaving her alone with Retta.
“When is the baby due?” Emily asked when they were gone.
“End of May or first of June, but the doctor says that she’s going to be a big girl. Cade is six four, and I’m sure no petite, fragile little rose,” Retta answered.
As tall as Emily but not nearly as curvy, Retta had pretty brown eyes and hair that probably had a lot of chestnut in it when she was in the sun.
“I hear you on that note,” Emily said. “I never was a tiny girl either. If you’ll tell me what to do, I’ll be glad to lend a hand.”
“Can you make a good batch of hot rolls?”
“I can make them. I’ll let y’all decide if they’re good or not,” Emily said.
“Do any of our new guests have diet restrictions?”
“Their motto is that they’ll eat what they want and die when they’re supposed to. They’ve all got some issues, but hey, they’re all past seventy. Bess is borderline diabetic, but she takes a pill a day and is careful about her sugar. She wouldn’t want anyone to go to special trouble, though,” Emily answered.
“So why are they in a nursing home if they’re in that good of health?” Retta asked.
“They aren’t actually in the nursing home,” Emily explained. “They call the wing they live in independent living. If and when they get to where they need more help they’ll move into the assisted living and then later into the nursing home or hospice wing.”
“Why aren’t they living in homes of their own?” Retta asked.
“Because they don’t have family, and they were lonely. Show me where the pantry is, and I’ll get that bread started.”
“I can relate to that business of not having a lot of family.” Retta opened a door into a huge room lined with shelves and food. “But I sure got adopted into a big, loving bunch when I married Cade, and I love it. How about you? Got siblings?”
“Twin brothers who are a year younger than me, and an older brother who is four years older. Then I have enough cousins to fill a third world country.” Emily picked up the flour bin and a container that was marked YEAST. “When they all come in for Thanksgiving it’s a zoo. My grandmother still has it at her place, and there’s usually over a hundred people there.”
“For real?” Retta gasped. “How do you seat them all?”
“Out in the barn. It’s still set up for the winter cattle sale party so there’s plenty of tables and chairs. Granny does the hams and turkeys and everyone brings the sides and desserts.” Emily opened two cabinet doors before she found a big mixing bowl.
“That sounds amazing.” Retta put the teakettle on a burner. “I’m craving hot chocolate. Want me to make one for you?”
“That’d be wonderful, thank you.”
If Retta had ever had that much family all gathered around her, trying to fix her up with the nearest bachelor or tell her what to pursue in college, or that she should buy a truck instead of a car, she would have changed her comment from amazing to smothering in an instant.
Chapter Three
Well, what did you think of Emily?” Gloria asked that evening when she and Justin were alone in the living room.
“What did you think of her, Mama?” Justin fired right back.
“She’s good with those old folks,” Gloria said.
“Do I hear a but?”
“Of course not.” Gloria’s answer didn’t convince him. “Walk with me out to the trailer. I’ll make us a cup of coffee.”
“I’m way too full from that supper to drink a cup of coffee. I need to go visit with Larry about these house plans for Levi and Claire. I’ll walk you out there, but I’m not going inside.”
“Get my coat for me. I’m going to wrap up two pieces of the leftover pie for your dad’s bedtime snack,” Gloria said.
“Yes, ma’am.” Justin followed her to the kitchen and went on through to the utility room for both their coats. His mother had always been independent as hell and spoke her mind without a second thought about how it might sound. She’d never been clingy, so why had she had a personality change that day? Did the older folks being underfoot during meals make her realize that she wasn’t far from their age?
“You never did answer me about Emily,” Gloria said on the way across the backyard to where the RV was parked.
“She reminds me a little of you,” Justin answered.
“Oh?” Gloria turned around at the door.
“Outspoken and funny. The way the old folks banter with her is downright entertaining.” He chuckled.
“And her looks?” Gloria asked.
“Beautiful woman,” Justin said. “See you at breakfast. North wind is pickin’ up. You and Dad stay warm.”
“Good night, son,” Gloria said as she slipped in the RV.
Justin tucked the house plans into his coat and buttoned it. With his mind on the last details of the house, he started toward the guys’ bunkhouse. Getting Larry’s opinion wasn’t just to make him feel good. Justin really wanted to talk to him about a few of the finer points.
“Well, good evening.” Emily’s voice startled him.
He whipped around to find her sitting back in the shadows on the porch of the ladies’ bunkhouse. Light flowing from the window lit up half her face, leaving the other part in darkness. Had he been an artist instead of a draftsman, he wou
ld have asked her to pose for him, just like that. The picture would be one of those immortals that lived on for decades.
“Evenin’ to you. It’s pretty cold to be sittin’ outside,” he said.
“Probably, but I like the sounds and the smell of the night,” she answered. “It’s different on a ranch than it is in the city, even a small one like Bowie. What are you doin’ out this evening?”
“I was just going down to talk to Larry about those house plans. Sounds pretty quiet around here. Are the ladies already asleep?”
“They’re all down at the boys’ place. Said they were going to play cards and didn’t invite me, so I’m trying to give them their space. Want something to drink? They keep a pot of coffee going. Patsy is addicted to it.”
Justin shook his head. “Naw, I don’t usually drink it after supper. Can’t sleep if I do. See you at breakfast.”
“Reckon Retta could use some help? Or how about you? Need someone to do more chores with y’all? I’m an early riser,” she said.
“I don’t imagine that she or Mama would turn down help, but if they do, we sure don’t. Things start hoppin’ around six o’clock,” he answered. “You always been one to get up and around early?”
If Retta and his mother didn’t want her in the kitchen, he’d sure take her with him to help feed. After the way she’d handled those suitcases that morning, he didn’t have a doubt that she could take care of fifty-pound bags of feed with no trouble.
“Oh, yeah. My older brother is an old bear until he gets at least two cups of coffee, but my younger ones and I are bright eyed and bushy tailed, as the old saying goes. I’ll be up at the kitchen at six and y’all can put me wherever you want. The Fab Five will show up for breakfast at seven, right?”
He sat down on the porch step. “Seven is breakfast time, but it’s always on the bar, but if they’re a little late it’s no problem. So do your brothers live in Bowie?”
“No, they’re still out in West Texas,” she answered.
“How long have you lived in Bowie?”
“Five years. Have you always lived on the ranch?”
Five years within twenty minutes of the ranch—and he’d never seen her before. Surely he would’ve noticed someone that pretty if he’d run into her in the Rusty Spur on Saturday night, or even at the ice cream shop some evening.
He rose to his feet. “Born and raised right here.”
“Except when you went to college?”
“Didn’t go to college.” For the first time, it made him uncomfortable to admit that. “Levi and I graduated one Friday night and the next Monday we went on a full-time payroll right here on the ranch. It’s all either of us ever wanted to do.”
“But you’re a draftsman,” she said.
He shrugged. “I had a couple of classes in high school. It’s more like a hobby. I’ve designed a couple of barns, but this is my first house. They’d have to fit me with a straitjacket if I had to sit in an office all day long.”
Emily shivered and pushed up out of the rocking chair. “Me too. I like to be out or at least doing something. I’m not a paperwork person. The night wind is getting colder. Want to come inside?”
“Better go on and talk to Larry. Want to go with me?”
“I probably should check on them. They’ve been gone a couple of hours now.” She made her way down the three porch steps and started that way.
He walked along beside her. “So do you live at the retirement center?”
“No, it’s an eight-to-five job,” she answered.
“But you do live in Bowie, right?”
She nodded. “Yep. Got a little garage apartment that’s real private. It works well for one person.”
“Pets?” he asked when Beau greeted them from the other bunkhouse porch.
“Nope. I like cats and dogs but…” It was her turn to shrug.
He knocked on the door. “Pets need room, right?”
“And lots of care,” she answered.
“Come on in and join us,” Otis yelled out.
Justin opened the door and let Emily go in before him. His focus was on the way her waist cinched in from those well-rounded hips, and he didn’t realize that she’d stopped walking until he ran into her backside.
“Sweet Jesus!” She gasped.
Sarah giggled. “I don’t think Jesus would want to play strip poker with us, but y’all are welcome.”
Justin peeked over Emily’s shoulder. Like watching a car wreck, he couldn’t take his eyes off the sight before him. Patsy was down to white cotton panties and a bra; Sarah still wore a shirt and her underwear; Otis was wearing red satin boxers, and Larry had on tighty-whities. Evidently Bess was winning because other than being barefoot, she was fully dressed.
“What in the hell…” Emily blurted out.
“Don’t be a prissy butt,” Bess said.
“We play all the time. We got rules, and they say that we don’t take off our underwear,” Patsy said. “If we was younger we might, but it’s just downright depressin’ how everything hangs when you get to be our age.”
“It don’t raise our blood pressure, and it don’t hurt my hip or Otis’s knee,” Larry put in his opinion.
Emily turned around so quick that she had to throw up her hands to keep from falling. They flattened out right on Justin’s chest and he put his arms around her to maintain his own balance.
“We’re all over twenty-one,” Otis said. “And, Justin, if you’ll pick up a bottle of tequila next time you are in town, I’ll pay you double for it. We want to play with shots instead of money while we’re here.”
“I’m going to win that game. I can hold my liquor better than any of you,” Sarah said.
“In your dreams,” Patsy told her.
Emily was so embarrassed that an ice water bath wouldn’t take the crimson out of her cheeks. She dropped her hands and raced outside with Justin right behind her. She expected him to tell her that if she couldn’t control her residents better than this, then they’d better just go on back to the center.
Justin chuckled. “Lord, I hope I’m that ornery when I’m their age. They’re a hoot.”
“I had no…” she started.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. Like Larry said, all of them are of age, so it’s their business what they do. I thought all they’d want to do is sleep and eat and maybe pet the dog. Boy was I wrong.”
“I need a drink,” she muttered.
“What kind and how much? Come up to the house with me, and I’ll pour us both up a shot of something strong. We deserve it after that, and don’t go all bossy mama on them. They’re adults, and they do this all the time at the center,” Justin said.
“See you at breakfast.” She went inside the bunkhouse and slid down the back of the door. She blinked several times, but she couldn’t unsee what her eyes had taken in. She shouldn’t have been so rude to Justin and left him standing on the porch after he’d been so sweet to offer her a drink, but she couldn’t look at him without blushing.
A soft giggle escaped and quickly turned into full-fledged laughter. Justin was right—she wanted to be that full of life when she was in her seventies. She looked down at her double-D’s and laughed even harder. “When gravity gets you, girls, I certainly won’t be losin’ my bra in a game of poker with the boys, either.”
She finally rose to her feet, removed her jacket on the way across the floor, and tossed it on her bed. She’d barely gotten turned around when she heard a soft knock on the door.
“Come on in,” she called out, expecting to see one of the ladies returning for another piece of clothing from their stash. She just hoped whoever it was had the good sense to put on a coat and wasn’t out wearing nothing but her underwear in the cold night air.
“Everyone decent?” Justin’s deep drawl preceded him into the room.
“Yes,” Emily said. “Did you reconsider and decide to send us all packin’ tonight?”
“Not one bit. You said you needed a drink. I didn’t
know if you were a wine or whiskey girl, so I brought both.” He kicked the door shut with the heel of his boot and held up two bottles.
“Wine, please. I don’t even care what kind it is.” She answered at the same time a big yellow cat jumped into her lap. “I owe you an apology. I didn’t mean to be rude, but I was blushing, and I didn’t want you to see my red face.”
“Apology accepted, but I have a confession. It took several splashes of cold water to cool down my face. I can’t remember the last time I blushed.” He chuckled.
“Me, either.” Gussie sniffed at the wine bottle.
“Does she drink?” Emily asked.
“No, but she’s never met a stranger.” Justin fished two stemmed glasses from his pockets and set them on the coffee table before removing his coat and tossing it over the back of a recliner.
He poured two glasses and handed her one.
“Cowboys don’t drink wine,” she said.
He took a sip and sat down in the soft leather recliner facing the sofa. “This cowboy happens to like blackberry wine.”
Emily had never had that flavor, so she barely tasted it on the first sip, and then took a bigger gulp. “This is some good stuff. I could get used to this in a hurry.”
She sat down in the other recliner and glanced at the full bottle of Jack Daniel’s sitting beside the wine. “That could be a disaster if the ladies found it.”
“Yep, that’s why we’ll either hide it or I’ll take it back with me when I leave,” he told her. “Do they get to drink at the center?”
“No, sir! They all take meds that liquor would interfere with, but now I’m wondering just what they buy when they go to the mall or out shopping for food,” she said.
He finished off his wine and poured more.
Emily tossed back what was left of hers and held her glass out to him. “Just half as much as last time.”
“Can’t hold your liquor?” Justin teased.
“Honey, in case you didn’t notice, I’m a big girl, and I come from good Irish stock. I could drink a cowboy like you under the table,” she said.
“You’ll have to prove that sometime.” He shared the remainder of the bottle between the two of them.
Cowboy Brave Page 4