by Beth Wiseman
“I think I’ll just bring it up. You said she did such good work today, and you did promise her chickens.” He grinned and was glad to see Darlene grin back. “We’ll follow you to your house, and we won’t stay but a minute. I know you want to spend time with your family.”
They both walked back to Cara, and Dave told her the news. Cara stood up and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy.” She spoke slowly and clearly, as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
“You’re welcome, baby.”
He looked at Darlene and wondered if she was confused by Cara’s calm demeanor because Dave stayed confused. But right now, Cara was happy, and that was all he wanted for her. That’s all Julie would have wanted too.
Darlene pulled into her driveway, hoping she wouldn’t have to invite Dave and Cara in. There was no telling what shape the house was in, and, she mused, there was always the possibility of someone talking about a nose-picking teacher or some other inappropriate subject. She hoped Ansley’s chickens were all in the chicken coop and not running loose like her daughter let them do sometimes.
Chad’s truck was here, and so was Grace’s new car. Brad should be on his way home. She felt a sense of relief whenever she saw that her teenage drivers were home, especially Grace since she’d just gained her freedom on the roads. As they’d done with Chad, after Grace passed her written test, Darlene and Brad had spent lots of time in the car with her. Both the kids were good drivers, but Darlene suspected she’d worry every time they got behind the wheel.
Dave pulled up behind her in his shiny black Mercedes. She’d show Cara the chickens, then have time to cook dinner. As she climbed out of the car, she could see Layla in the far distance on one of her horses. She still couldn’t believe Layla was famous. Maybe she should introduce Dave to Layla. Dave’s clothes and car seemed a nice monetary fit with Layla. Then she tried to picture Layla and Cara interacting, and she quickly dismissed that idea. Layla didn’t strike her as very maternal.
“Hi! The chickens are over there in the chicken coop,” she said as she walked toward Dave and Cara. She saw Dave glance at the farmhouse. “It needs a lot of work. We’ve only been here two months. It was my grandparents’ house.”
“I love these old houses,” he said, smiling. “Reminds me of when I used to visit my own grandparents. They had an old farmhouse in a rural area outside of Dallas.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“Since right before Cara was born. Julie—my wife—and I left Dallas to move here.” He paused, his green eyes traveling away from hers. “But she died when Cara was six.”
“I’m sorry.” Darlene was now in step with him as Cara ran up ahead.
He looked at her again, smiling. “Thanks. But at least I have Cara.”
“Chickens!” Cara yelled when she got to the edge of the coop Brad had fixed up. The ten-by-ten-foot cage housed the four hens and one rooster. Each hen had a roosting box filled with hay, and Brad had constructed a wooden perch in the far corner.
“I’m actually rather scared of birds, so I’m glad to see they’re in their pen.” Darlene glanced at Dave and shrugged. “But Brad promised them to Ansley for improving her grades.” She chuckled. “And we are in the country, so . . .”
“Brad’s your husband?”
“Yes. He works in Houston, so he usually gets home late.”
“Wow.” Dave folded his arms across his chest. “That’s quite a commute.”
“About an hour and a half each way, but he loves it here and says it’s worth the drive.”
They were quiet for a few moments as they watched Cara studying the chickens. Three of the hens were roosting. The other one scurried around the cage trying to avoid the rooster.
“I should probably get Cara a pet,” Dave said as they peered through the chicken wire. “But I can barely keep up with my business and Cara.”
“Oh, I understand. We had a dog in Houston. Buddy. We were all very attached to him, but after he died, I told everyone we were going to take a break for a while. Not only did it seem like no one could replace Buddy, but I just didn’t want to start all over. The kids promised to feed him, bathe him, and everything else, but I ended up doing most of the work.”
Cara threw her head back, laughing. Her auburn hair caught the light from the descending sun as she twisted to face them. “Ansley’s chickens!”
“Do you like those, Cara?” Darlene asked as she and Dave moved closer. Cara nodded. Darlene heard the back door slam, so she turned toward the house. “Here comes the owner of the chickens now.” Darlene motioned with her hand for Ansley to come their way.
“This is my youngest daughter, Ansley.” She put a hand on Ansley’s shoulder. “Ansley, this is Mr. Schroeder and his daughter, Cara. I teach Cara at The Evans School.”
Dave extended his hand to Ansley. “Nice to meet you, Ansley. That’s a great group of birds you’ve got there.”
“Mom hates them. Nice to meet you too.” Ansley quickly walked to Cara. “Hi, Cara.”
“Ansley’s birds . . .” Cara lifted her shoulders and dropped them slowly. “. . . are pretty.”
“Want to go in the pen?” Ansley reached down to unhook the clasp on the wire door. Dave stepped forward.
“Oh, I don’t know if that’s such a good—”
But Ansley was already in the chicken coop, and Cara was right behind her.
“That’s Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.” Ansley pointed to each of the hens she was referring to.
“She’d just finished reading Little Women when she got the chickens,” Darlene said.
Dave nodded. “And what’s the rooster’s name?”
“Rocky.”
Dave leaned closer to Darlene and whispered, “Is there a Rocky in Little Women? I’m not sure I’ve ever read the book, but just wondering.”
Darlene laughed. “Not that I’m aware of.”
Ansley turned to Cara as she put her hands on her hips. “Do you wanna feed them?”
Cara nodded, and if Darlene hadn’t known better, she would have thought that Cara was just like any other twelve-year-old girl. A quick glance at Dave told her that he was more relaxed than he’d been a minute ago—not as stiff as before, anyway. Darlene had to admit, she’d been a little nervous for Cara to go inside the cage too. Darlene made a point not to go in there. But Cara’s eyes were bright, and she was smiling ear to ear as she followed Ansley’s lead, tossing a handful of feed on the ground. The three roosting hens joined the other one.
“Meg is timid. You can’t get very close to her.” Ansley tossed some seed toward the brown hen in the corner, but kept an arm out to keep Cara back. “Just throw some food on the ground near her.”
Cara did as Ansley instructed, smiling the whole time.
“Now we have to fill up their little trough here.” Ansley reached for the water hose. “Here, Cara. Do you want to give them some water? Just pull the trigger and point it at their water bowl, like this.” Ansley demonstrated, and Cara took the hose and filled the metal bowl like she’d done it a hundred times.
“They were thirsty.” Cara spoke slowly and clearly.
Darlene glanced at Dave. He didn’t even look like the same man, his mouth now curled into a full smile. Most of the time, the two lines between his eyebrows were deep, which made him look angry. The result of too much frowning, she assumed. But the lines were faint now.
“That’s amazing,” he whispered to Darlene without taking his eyes off his daughter. “She’s just like . . .”
He didn’t have to finish. Darlene knew what he was thinking. “She’s a beautiful girl, Dave.”
Dave turned to face her. “Well, Ansley is wonderful,” he said. “Look how good she is with Cara.” He smiled again. “It must run in the family.”
Darlene felt her cheeks warm. “Ansley’s never met a stranger.” She could feel Dave’s eyes on her, but she kept her gaze on the girls until she heard tires rolling onto their dirt driveway. “Oh, good. You’ll both get to meet Brad.
He’s early.” She glanced at her watch, then lifted her hand to her forehead to block the sun. In the distance, she could still see Layla riding in the far pasture.
Cara and Ansley were tossing more feed to the chickens when Brad walked up. Darlene walked to meet him, then kissed him. “Hey. You’re early.” They turned and walked toward Dave. “This is Dave Schroeder. He’s Cara’s father.”
Both men exchanged pleasantries as they shook hands.
Her husband towered over Dave, who was still considerably taller than Darlene. Brad’s hair was dark, his eyes brown, and her husband had managed to retain his boyish good looks even as his forty-first birthday approached. He had the body of the high school quarterback she’d fallen in love with, and he had classically handsome features. She smiled to herself. Sometimes he still acted like that high school boy. Brad liked everything to balance out at home and at work, but he had a playful side that made him seem much younger than he was.
Darlene figured Dave to be about Brad’s age. Cara had his green eyes, which flecked in the sunlight as he talked with Brad. His olive skin stretched over high cheekbones, and one side of his mouth lifted higher than the other on the rare occasion when he smiled. He always stood straight like a towering spruce, and his massive shoulders filled the green polo shirt he wore. He was a nice-looking man, but . . . uptight. That was the word that came to her mind. She’d been hoping Brad could meet someone here in Round Top to maybe hang out with or play some golf with, but she doubted Dave was going to be that person.
But when she tuned back into their conversation, she was surprised to hear Brad suggesting a round of golf.
“I appreciate the offer,” Dave said before he glanced at Cara. “But it’s . . . well, hard for me to get away.”
“Mom can watch Cara,” Ansley said as she and Cara locked up the chicken coop. “She was always the neighborhood babysitter in Houston.”
“It’s true,” Darlene said as she smiled. “And I don’t mind watching Cara if you and Brad want to go play golf one day.”
Dave immediately shook his head. “You watch Cara all day long during the week. I don’t want to be a—”
“Dad.” Cara tugged on Dave’s arm as she pointed back at the bird cage. “Chickens.” A smile came to Dave’s face. He might be uptight, but it was clear that he loved his daughter.
“I see.” He put an arm around her, and Cara nestled against him. He turned to Brad and extended his hand. “It was nice to meet you. I’m going to let you get back to your family.” Then he turned to Darlene. “And thank you for letting Cara come see the chickens.”
“You are very welcome.” Darlene waved. “Bye, Cara. See you tomorrow.”
Brad put an arm around Darlene’s shoulder and whispered, “Seems like a nice guy.” He held up a hand and yelled, “And let me know about that game of golf.”
“I will.” Dave and Cara got in the car and left.
Thirty minutes later, Darlene had some pork chops baking in the oven, and Brad joined her on the porch. He’d changed out of his work clothes and into a pair of long tan shorts and a gray T-shirt with a NASA emblem on the front. They’d taken the kids to NASA in Houston a couple of years ago. Brad was big into the stars and could rattle on about things Darlene didn’t understand. But she enjoyed the time they spent stargazing together, and out here in the country, it was quite a show on some nights.
Tonight, as they settled onto the porch swing, it was way too early for any space shows. The sun was descending on the horizon, and Layla looked like the movie star she once was, her silhouette on the horse pasted against an orange ball behind her.
Brad shook his head as they both watched her cross the field speckled with bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes. “I still can’t believe Layla Jager lives next door to us.”
Darlene nudged him with her elbow. “Try not to swoon so much the next time you see her.”
Brad pulled her close. “You’re the only one who makes me swoon, baby. Only you.” He leaned down and kissed her in a way that made her feel like a teenager again.
Thank You, God, for Brad and for blessing our marriage all these years.
As Dave pulled out of the driveway, Cara stared out the passenger window, smiling. He thought about Brad’s offer to play golf sometime, and Darlene’s offer to watch Cara. He wasn’t ready to leave Cara just yet. Maybe as they got to know Darlene better, he’d feel more comfortable about it, but Dave knew Cara was a handful, and he didn’t want to discourage a potential friendship with Brad and Darlene. He’d been particularly impressed with Ansley and suspected their other children were equally as pleasant to be around.
Good parents. Good people. At least it seemed that way so far.
He eased back into his seat and stroked his chin. Cara was watching a group of Longhorns resting beneath an oak tree on the side of the road, so Dave slowed down. He watched Cara’s face light up, knowing he was a lucky man to have been blessed with someone as special as Cara. “God chooses special couples for special children,” Jules used to say.
Lord, I miss her so much.
He missed the laughter of family. Jules used to laugh a lot, even when times were hard. They’d started out with virtually nothing and lived in a small duplex in Dallas in the beginning. But they’d worked together to build their real estate business, then Cara came. She was their everything from day one, and Julie was a good mother.
Darlene reminded him of Julie today.
Brad is a lucky man.
Chapter Eight
“How do I look?” Darlene walked into the den dressed in the royal-blue Versace gown she’d borrowed from Layla. Brad and all the kids were munching on popcorn and glued to the television.
“Wow.” Brad sat taller, raising an eyebrow. “I think you better just stay home tonight. This little town isn’t ready for you, Dar.”
Darlene spun around, showing off her backless dress and hair pulled into a French twist, feeling more elegant than she surely was with her long drop rhinestone earrings. “So I look okay?”
“Uh, yeah.” Brad’s eyes were fixed on her. “You look gorgeous.”
Chad handed the popcorn bowl to Grace. “Mom. That’s just wrong. Moms shouldn’t look like that.”
“Be quiet, Chad.” Ansley walked up to her mother to have a better look, then whispered, “I think you look like a princess.”
Grace joined Ansley beside them. “Mom, you look beautiful.”
“That settles it,” Brad said with a mouthful. “You’re staying home.”
“Ha, ha.” Darlene picked up the small evening purse she’d found on sale last week. “Now, listen. There’s a chicken casserole on the stove. You might need to warm it up. And there’s a salad in the fridge.”
Brad stood up. “We’ll be fine.” He kissed her lightly on the cheek, knowing he’d mess up her lipstick if he kissed her on the mouth. “Just go and have a good time.” He leaned closer to her ear. “You do look hot, baby.”
“No mushy talk,” Chad yelled from his spot on the far end of the couch. Then he jumped up and went to the window. “Uh, Mom . . . there’s a limo pulling up.”
“What?” Darlene’s heart leapt as she went to the window. She’d only been in a limo twice. Senior prom and after her wedding. “I can’t believe it.”
Everyone gathered around the window.
“I can believe it,” Brad said before he snickered. Darlene glared at him. They’d agreed not to mention Layla’s fame to the kids. Not yet, anyway.
Darlene took a deep breath, said bye again, and made her way carefully down the porch steps, walking on her toes so her heels didn’t dig into the rugged terrain between the house and the car. A short man with gray hair, dressed in a tux, was holding the door open. She climbed in across from Layla in the back.
“Champagne?” Layla handed her a glass as soon as she sat down. “My, don’t you clean up well.”
Darlene accepted the fluted glass, suddenly feeling quite inferior. She’d seen Layla in the gown before, but now,
with her hair done, full makeup, and accessories—she definitely looked like someone famous. “As do you,” Darlene said, wondering why the need for a limo and champagne when they were only going ten minutes down the road.
“I’m not thrilled about these types of events, but this one is for a good cause.” Layla took a sip of champagne.
Darlene nodded. “Yes, it is for a good cause.” She carefully leaned back against the seat, taking great care with the Versace gown. “Why the limo?”
Layla shrugged. “I figured you don’t get out much and might enjoy it.” She grinned.
“Well, I guess you used to travel this way quite often.” Darlene smiled as she lifted her glass.
Layla frowned. “I wondered how long it would take for you to figure it out.”
“I didn’t. But my husband is a huge fan of yours. It was embarrassing the way he acted during Grace’s birthday dinner.” She sighed and shook her head before grinning. “He’s been looking for Layla Jager movies on cable ever since.”
“You’re not going to act all weird now, are you?” Layla scowled before she tipped back her glass. “I don’t go out seeking friends, but I thought you might be a prospect.” She winked at Darlene.
“Well, if you don’t like calling attention to who you are, why the limo?”
“I told you—for you.”
“Right,” Darlene said dryly. “You must miss it all sometimes. The fame, riding in limos, and whatever else goes along with stardom.”
Layla turned toward the window and stared out into the sunset. “There’s a price for it all, believe me.”
They were quiet for a few moments. “Well, thank you for inviting me. And for loaning me a dress. I would have never suspected that any organization out here would have such a lavish event.”
“Well, there are a couple of people from Houston who organize this event, and they go all out. This is only the second one to benefit the school. It will be a chance for you to meet a lot of the people who live here, ones you might not run into at the grocery store, if you know what I mean.”