A Cowboy Christmas Miracle (Burnt Boot, Texas Book 4)

by Carolyn Brown

  Kyle chuckled. “We’ll see. That’s going to be the rules to even have a program and I think they’ll do what I ask. I want you two to be here tonight and on Wednesday night for sure, and of course, I need the key to that storage unit to get the stuff brought in here tomorrow morning bright and early.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Declan said. “But you might want to have the National Guard on standby. There could be a riot right there in the church.”

  Kyle’s deep laughter filled the cab of the truck. “Might not be a bad idea but I’m hoping for a miracle. So if either of you have one up your sleeve you might bring it with you.”

  “We’ll get to church a little early and give you the key and the address,” Declan said.

  “You sure that we’ll need two trailers? That sounds like a bit much for one program,” Kyle asked.

  “There’s a surprise or two in the place. We’ll see you later,” Betsy said.

  “Well, thank you in advance for all of it. Weatherman says that the sun is supposed to come out bright enough tomorrow to melt some of this, and we’ll have fairly decent weather until Christmas Eve, when they’re calling for nothing short of a blizzard. That’s another reason I’d like to have this on Friday. I could sneak away before the storm hits to be with my fiancée both Christmas Eve and Christmas, and John will be glad to have the evening service for me—when Christmas is on Sunday, we don’t have a morning service, just the evening one and then a potluck afterward. I’ll look to see you later this afternoon then.”

  The phone went quiet, and Betsy picked it up. “I guess this means you win the contest. I owe you a thousand dollars, right?”

  He started to say something and she held up a hand.

  “Not yet. I’ve got a phone call to make before we talk about money.”

  She poked a button and immediately Tanner answered, “I’m so sorry, Betsy. I can say it a million times and it wouldn’t begin to cover how sorry I really am. Please forgive me?”

  “I might forgive you, but only if the conditions are right.”

  Tanner groaned. “Name the price. I miss you.”

  “Your pride meant more to you than I did, so here’s what it’s going to take for you to get out of hot water. You have to give me the money that you won from Declan on the bet. It’s only fair since you messed around with my life,” she said.

  “Come on, Betsy. That’s pretty steep.”

  “It’s the price. Can I expect it this afternoon? I’m going to the church probably about four o’clock to drop something off. You can bring it to me there,” she said.

  “Well, dammit!”

  “Yes or no?” Betsy asked.

  “Yes. Will a check do? I don’t have that much cash on hand,” he asked.

  “A check will do fine but leave the recipient line blank.”

  “Why?”

  “You aren’t in any position to ask why after what you did.”

  “Then I’m forgiven?”

  One side of Betsy’s mouth turned up in a crooked smile. “Of course, darlin’. You are my favorite cousin, after all.”

  She ended the call, put the phone in her shirt pocket, and felt Declan’s gaze. “What?” she asked as her green eyes locked with his blue ones.

  “You are incredible.”

  “Thank you. You will have your money from Tanner when we get to the church. Both of you had best remember to watch that gambling problem you have from now on.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

  * * *

  Betsy figured she might have time for a nap, but the trip back to Burnt Boot took longer than she expected, and they got back just in time for services that evening. She was surprised to see Tanner already sitting in a back pew.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked Declan.

  “We’re here to see Kyle,” Betsy answered.

  Tanner’s face turned ashen. “What for?”

  “Personal business,” Declan said.

  “Betsy, we need to talk before you do this,” Tanner drawled.

  “Do what? I’m just giving him a key. I’ve been bringing in the programs for him. You know that. What’d you think we were going to see him about?” Betsy asked.

  Tanner wiped his brow. “Nothing, just thank God I was wrong! Here is your check. And if you decide to see Kyle for…well, you know… Don’t. Just don’t.”

  He made a hasty retreat out the door, leaving Betsy holding a thousand-dollar check and Declan with a smile on his face.

  Kyle poked his head down the hall and yelled, “I’m in my office. Y’all got time to visit?”

  “Not really,” Declan answered. “We’re supposed to go home right after services tonight. Lottie says we both have to be there for popcorn and a movie.”

  He motioned them on back to his office. “Well, I sure wouldn’t want to disappoint Lottie.”

  Declan stood to the side and let Betsy enter before him, then he took the key to the storage unit from his pocket plus the business card of the establishment. “Here you go. I’ve told the man at the unit you’ll drop the key by on your way out. That will save us a trip back down there, and we only had it rented for a month.”

  “Thank you both for this. I appreciate it, but more so, the church is grateful. Without you two working together, this would have never happened. I understand it was a contest. May I ask who won?”

  “Declan did for sure after his last delivery, and I’m handing him this check right now in front of you and God.” Betsy laid the check on the preacher’s desk.

  Declan slid the check across the desk. “And I’m donating it to you, Kyle. Not to the church but to your honeymoon fund. Just fill in your name and do something special on your trip.”

  “That is very generous, but I see this is a check from Wild Horse.”

  Betsy eased down into a chair and visualized the office in a couple of weeks with decent furniture. “It’s like this,” she said and told him the whole story.

  “I see, and how are you two with everything now?”

  “I’m still a Brennan,” Declan said.

  Betsy sighed. “And I’m still a Gallagher.”

  “Just as I thought,” Kyle said. “Well, thanks again for all of your help, and I’ll look to see you later this evening. Don’t expect that many will be out for Sunday night services tonight, with this weather being what it is, but that’s okay. The ones who I want to hear about my Wednesday night message will be those who’ll spread the news for me.”

  “And we’d better get going if we’re going to make it to Lottie’s by four thirty,” Betsy said.

  * * *

  “So what is the big news that he’s going to deliver on Wednesday?” Lottie asked that evening on the way home.

  “You know everything else, so we might as well tell you, but this is something no one can know about before Wednesday, so you can’t tell Polly or Gladys or Verdie,” Declan said.

  “I’m a good secret keeper.” Lottie grinned.

  Declan looked across the console and nodded at Betsy. “You tell her what’s going on here.”

  Betsy gave the shortest version that she could, and Lottie clapped her hands and squealed. “I knew it. This is perfect. Just perfect. I won’t tell a soul, living or dead. I won’t even tell Leland until Wednesday and keeping secrets from him is real hard.”

  “You can tell Leland.” Declan smiled.

  She clapped her hands again. “He’s going to be so happy.”

  When they reached the house, she bustled around getting her coat off and then went straight for the kitchen. “Movie is in the player, and popcorn just needs to be microwaved. Declan, you can have Leland’s recliner, and I’ll get one end of the sofa. Betsy you can have the other one. Y’all get comfortable. While the popcorn cooks, I’m going to make the hot chocolate and bring it in, then we’ll get it starte
d. Hang your coats on the kitchen chairs and kick off your boots. I been waitin’ all day to watch this with y’all. Ain’t seen it since Leland died, and it was one of our favorites.”

  “If you snore, you’ll lose points,” Betsy whispered.

  “So will you,” Declan shot back.

  “What are we watching?”

  In a few minutes, Lottie set the mugs of steaming chocolate on the coffee table and handed one to Declan. “Leland liked my hot chocolate. I use real cream and make it with cocoa. None of that artificial stuff. We’re watching McClintock! with John Wayne. Y’all ever seen it?”

  They both shook their heads.

  “It’s an old-days western about a couple who are finally getting a second chance. I got to admit, I don’t take kindly to him spanking her, but it is kind of funny.” Lottie giggled.

  She hit a button on the remote and neither Betsy nor Declan snored one time. They laughed with Lottie at the humor and sighed at the end when there was a happily ever after.

  Then the day came to an anticlimactic end when Declan folded the throw he’d had over his legs and feet, stretched, and announced that he was going to the bunkhouse for the rest of the evening.

  “See you in the morning,” he said and was gone.

  Just like that, without even a hand on Betsy’s shoulder, even though it had been possible several times while he was putting on his boots and she was helping Lottie clean up.

  “I think I’ll call Verdie and visit for a while. Missed her in church this morning. She wouldn’t let Callie get out in the weather, since she’s supposed to be on bed rest and all,” Lottie said.

  “I’m going to read. Thanks for the movie and popcorn, but most of all for the hot chocolate, which is the best I’ve ever had. Probably has a million calories and fat grams, but it was delicious,” Betsy said.

  Lottie shook her finger in Betsy’s direction. “You don’t have to worry none about that, girl. You are built just right and a ranchin’ woman don’t have to watch what she eats because she’ll work it all off. Pretty nice first date wasn’t it?”

  “Date?”

  “Sure. Movie. Popcorn. Y’all can’t go out to the real movies without a load of bad stuff fallin’ down on your heads, but you had a date tonight and guess what, he can kiss you on the second date.” Lottie beamed.

  “I’ll sure look forward to that,” Betsy said on her way to her bedroom.

  She turned on the light and sat down in the rocking chair. It was past ten o’clock, which was a late night for Lottie. She could read a couple of chapters of The Traitor before bedtime even if she couldn’t finish the book.

  With book in hand, she noticed a gray thing in the middle of her bed. It had her name on it in Declan’s handwriting.

  It wasn’t heavy or sealed, but she held it for several seconds, staring at it the whole time. He must have put it in there when he ran in for the box of Christmas things that Lottie donated to the church. Her hands shook as she opened it and found a length of green ribbon. She held it between her fingers wondering what it had to do with anything as she unfolded the note.

  Seventh grade for me. Fifth for you. You dropped this in church one Sunday morning and I’ve kept it ever since. It was Christmas, and you were wearing a green sweater and a red-and-green-plaid skirt. Your red hair was pulled away from your face and had this ribbon in it. I wanted to touch your hair so badly that I did on the way out of church that morning. You never knew. Through the years, I pretended the silk ribbon was your red hair when I touched it.

  It was signed with another heart and his name.

  She sat down in the rocker with a thud. Declan Brennan had had a crush on her as big as the one she’d had on him. But like she’d told the preacher, she was still a Gallagher.

  Not if you changed your name, her conscience said bluntly.

  “That would require more than silk ribbons and Twinkies,” she said aloud.

  Chapter 25

  On Monday morning at breakfast, Lottie announced that Declan would fire up the tractor with the blade on front and plow the snow away from the lane and the road from her place to the church, so they wouldn’t miss the big announcement on Wednesday night.

  “And me?” Betsy asked.

  “I’ve decided since I only own the one tractor with a blade that you can have a day to go over the books. The card table is in the hall closet, and you can take it to your room because I didn’t get to talk to Gladys and Verdie and Polly nearly enough about this big announcement. Don’t worry, I’m not letting the cat out of the bag, but I do want to hear what everyone is saying about it. I’m glad Kyle isn’t going to resign and that John isn’t coming to town. It would make the feud worse, what with him and Honey all moon-eyed over each other. So y’all get on about your rat killing.”

  On Tuesday morning, the puzzle was still the topic of conversation. It had even gone above and beyond the love war, and the phones buzzed all day with information, whether real or not. A big trailer had arrived at the church on Monday night and several men unloaded stuff into the sanctuary and then at the parsonage. Kyle said it was part of the announcement for Wednesday night and the church would be locked until that time.

  “Lord only knows that you can’t get a man to talk about anything that goes on,” Verdie fussed when Lottie talked to her that morning before breakfast. “You’d think if he was leaving though he wouldn’t be moving stuff into the parsonage or the church. I’m still on the purchasing committee, and there ain’t been a thing said about any new church pews or choir chairs. I wonder what’s in there that he don’t want us to see.”

  “Well, darlin’, I guess we will find out tomorrow like everyone else. I’m awful glad I’m not leaving until Saturday. I don’t want to miss this before I get on that airplane for the first time.” Lottie winked across the room at Betsy. “Betsy is up, and I hear Declan coming down the hallway. I’ll talk to you later.” Lottie put the phone receiver back in the cradle.

  “Your first time to fly?” Betsy poured a cup of coffee and sipped at it.

  “Yes, and I’m nervous about it. I don’t like the idea of being crammed into a tin can and shot across the skies, but I’m too old to drive, and my old truck wouldn’t make it down there anyway. I sold my car when I decided to do this so I wouldn’t back down,” Lottie answered.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? Have you even been to Florida before?”

  “Me and Leland drove down there every five years and spent a week in the fall when the ranchin’ slowed down enough we could pay someone to do chores for us.”

  “Good morning, ladies. Coffee smells good and so does the bacon. What are our chores today?” Declan asked.

  “Whatever you want to do is fine. Today, I need to do some serious thinking,” Lottie said.

  “Then I’ll spend the day in town with my dad,” Declan said.

  “And maybe I’ll go do some Christmas shopping. I haven’t done any at all,” Betsy said.

  “Sounds good to me. I’ll see y’all at suppertime.” Lottie nodded. “I’ll scramble up some eggs, and breakfast will be ready.”

  The sun was out brightly on Wednesday morning, but the temperature was well below freezing with no hope of rising. They were finishing breakfast and Lottie was still fussing about the doings at the church when Betsy’s phone rang.

  “It’s Kyle,” she said and listened for a minute before she glanced over at Lottie and asked, “He wants to know if me and Declan can come help him today.”

  “Lord, yes. Ask him if I can do anything.”

  “I heard her, and tell her thanks, but you two will be good enough,” Kyle said.

  “He says just us two, and he’ll meet us there in fifteen minutes. He also said we’ll have dinner and supper at the church so not to cook for us and that he hopes to see you at the meeting tonight. Do you want us to come back and get you, or will Verdie pick yo
u up on her way?”

  “Verdie can take me,” Lottie said.

  * * *

  The church looked like it could have been featured in an episode of Hoarders. From big items, like the three-sided shed for the live nativity scene, down to the tiniest single ornament, stuff was scattered all over the front six pews and the raised stage where the pulpit stood.

  Kyle stood there, bewildered. “I am so happy with all the new furniture for the parsonage and spent all day yesterday arranging it and my new office. I promised that today I’d get this all done, but when I looked at it, I knew that I couldn’t do it alone.”

  “We’re here,” Betsy said.

  “But where do we begin?” Kyle scratched his head.

  Betsy took charge of organization. “First thing is for y’all to get that shed set right there and then set up the Christmas tree over by the piano. While y’all do that, I’m going to unload boxes and lay out the decorations for the tree on the first three pews. Lights will be on the first pew of the Brennan side. There is going to be too many, so we’ll decide where to put the rest when we get done with the tree. Garland on the first row of the neutrals and ornaments on the Gallagher side. We have one big tree and several that are about three feet tall. I guess we could put one in each Sunday school room.”

  “One is pink,” Declan warned.

  Kyle chuckled. “Put that one in the teenage girls’ room. They’ll get a kick out of it. I knew I was right in calling y’all to help me.”

  Kyle and Declan situated the nativity stable complete with a rustic-looking feed box to be used as a manger with a bed of hay. While they decided how much hay to scatter around it, Betsy found the box with Lottie’s donation. She set the pieces on the top of the old upright piano, one by one, and squealed when she found a gorgeous Battenberg lace cloth in the bottom of the box.

  She held it up for the guys to see. “I bet she put this on the mantel, and it’s about the same size as the altar. Isn’t it gorgeous?”

  “What is it?” Declan asked.

  “A mantel cloth,” she answered.

  “I’m glad you know that. I wouldn’t have,” Kyle said.