by Linda Warren
The kids crawled through the fence to Babe, who was bellowing for her mother. She tried to suck their arms and fingers and butted them, searching for food. They giggled—a wonderful sound. Adam stroked Sadie in the chute and the cow remained still, not fighting wildly like she had yesterday.
After Tex milked Sadie, she was released to her calf. Babe latched onto a teat without a problem, shaking her tail in delight.
“She should be stronger in a few days and able to suck on her own,” Wade told Callie.
“I’ve never seen the kids this happy.” They were behind Jock, chattering away as he walked into the barn. And the strange thing was Jock didn’t seem to mind.
“We have to make sure they stay that way.”
Her eyes held his. “What if we can’t?”
That note in her voice twisted his gut and he wanted to promise her that nothing bad would ever happen to them. But he couldn’t. All he could do was try. He touched her cheek. “I’m going to give it my best shot.”
She caught his hand. “I saw you riding Lucky last night. That had to have been hard for you.”
“Yes. But in a way it was cathartic.”
“I’m glad.”
They stared at each other for endless seconds, then Wade cleared his throat. “I better get to work. I’ll try to get back early.”
“Okay.” She kissed his knuckles, and his arm felt weak from the touch. With extreme effort, he turned toward the house.
“Wade. Wade.” Mary Beth came running. “Where you going?”
He swung her up in his arms. “To work, little bit.” Her blond hair was escaping from her ponytail and her cheeks were red, her eyes bright. Callie had probably looked just like that at six years of age.
“I’ll miss you,” she said, hugging his neck.
He swallowed. “I’ll miss you, too. Take care of Babe.”
“I will.” She slid to the ground. “Bye.”
Before he could reach his car, Adam shouted, “Wade.”
He turned to him. “Do they have boots in town—cowboy boots—like yours?”
“They have them at the feed store.”
“If we gave you money, could you pick me up a pair?”
“Don’t worry about the money. I’ll pick up a pair. What size?”
“I don’t know. Callie buys my shoes.” He slipped off a tennis shoe and showed Wade.
It seemed as if Callie had always been a mother to them. She was there for them and they depended on her. Not many big sisters would go that far for her half siblings. But then Callie was different. He’d known that from the first moment he laid eyes on her.
“Got it.” He handed back the shoe.
“Thank you,” Adam said and ran to the group.
Wade didn’t get in his car because there was one child left and in a second Brit came running from the barn and threw herself into his arms.
“Mary Beth said you’re leaving.”
“I’ll be home later.”
“Can I please ride Fancy then?”
“Yes. We’ll go riding.”
She kissed his cheek and headed back to the others.
His eyes caught Callie’s a moment before he got into the car. A year? Hell, he was already in so deep that the thought of them leaving haunted him.
But he’d survive.
He didn’t have much choice.
WADE CHECKED IN at the office first. Ray was leaving from the night shift and soon Virgil came through the door.
“Odell’s working at the house and I picked up the Harvey boys and drove them over to finishing cleaning. Getting rid of that red paint’s gonna take a while.”
“Good work, Virg.”
Virgil took a seat across from his desk. “What do you think this means? Is this gonna keep happening to the newcomers?”
“I hope not, but we’ll watch the new residents closely.”
The front door opened. “Wade.”
“In my office, Miranda.”
Virgil stood. “I’m going over to the Kolache Shop to get breakfast. Want anything?”
“No. I already had breakfast. Thanks.”
Miranda came in with Dusty at her heels and took Virgil’s seat. “How are Callie and the kids?”
Leaning back in his chair, he folded his arms behind his head, a glint in his eyes. “You mean Callie Lambert?”
She eyed him for a second. “If you’re going to give me a lecture, you can save your breath. Everyone approved her application—single mom, three kids, just what we needed in Homestead. At the time I didn’t know Callie Austin was Callie Lambert. When Callie called me, I didn’t see any reason to change my decision. No one wanted that old house and it was falling apart. Callie gave me her word to fix it up and I trusted her. Before the Harvey boys did their little job, it was looking really nice. When Callie returns to New York, I’m sure we can get a good price for it.”
“Aren’t you worried what Clint, Rudy, Arlen and people like them are going to say when they find out we have a wanted criminal on the Home Free Program?”
“She’s not a criminal,” Miranda countered. “She got those kids out of an abusive situation and I applaud that. I’d do it again if I had to.”
Wade leaned forward. “Miranda, you always amaze me with your uncanny ability to take risks but not see them as risks.”
She frowned. “Is that a compliment?”
“Yeah, and your secret is safe with me. I don’t want Callie and the kids hurt either. I just have to find a way to defuse the situation.”
“Thanks.” She paused. “What is your real feeling about the vandalism? Just sour grapes on Howard’s part or something more?”
Wade took his time answering, not wanting to alarm her unnecessarily. “I’m not really sure what to think, but I just told Virg that we’ll keep a close eye on the newcomers.”
“Good. I hope that helps.”
Wade picked up a paperweight. “Has Callie ever mentioned anything about her family?”
“Not really. She said she was born here, but her family moved away when she was about five I think.”
So Callie hadn’t told Miranda about her father, and Wade didn’t see any need to, either. Not until he figured out how to handle telling her what he knew.
Miranda got to her feet. “Tell Callie if she needs anything to just call.”
“I will. And Miranda…”
She turned around.
“Thanks for what you did for Callie.”
One eyebrow lifted. “Oh, so that’s the way it is.”
“Go to work, Miranda.”
“I’m gone.”
WADE CHECKED HIS MESSAGES—none from Simon. He was hoping to have heard something by now, but it had only been a day. When Barbara Jean came in, Wade drove over to Callie’s house.
As he got out of his car, he did a double take, staring at the house. He didn’t even notice the fence or Delbert until he spoke up.
“What do you think, Sheriff?” Del asked.
He looked down at the fence. It was back up.
“I cemented all the corner posts—makes it a little harder for someone to destroy.”
“Good job, Del.”
“When’s Callie coming back?” Little Del asked.
“Soon.”
Wade walked up to the house where Odell and the Harvey boys were painting. He couldn’t take his eyes off the color.
“Odell,” he called.
Odell jumped down from the scaffold. The boys were painting the lower part of the house.
“Looks good, huh, Sheriff?”
“Did Callie pick out this color?” Wade kept staring at the very, very blue house.
“No, sir. She was thinking white, but the hardware store didn’t have that much white. Mrs. Effinfelt ordered this to paint her house, but she passed away. Somehow the order got doubled and it was just sitting there. I got it real cheap.” He glanced at the house. “You think Callie’ll like it?”
“I’m not sure. You should have asked her first.
”
“Well.” Odell fidgeted. “I wanted to have everything done when she came back and it would take time to order the white paint. If she doesn’t like it, I’ll paint over it. These boards haven’t had any paint on them in forty years.” He frowned.
“You don’t think she’ll like it?” There was worry in his voice.
Wade had to be honest. “Mrs. Effinfelt’s sight was bad and I’m not sure she could really see that color clearly. In my opinion it’s a little bright. Could you tone it down with white maybe?”
Odell stared at the house. “It is a little bright, isn’t it?”
That was an understatement. It was a shade short of neon.
“A pale blue would be better.”
“No problem,” Odell said. “I’ll take the paint back and have Myron mix white with it until it’s paler.”
Wade thought they should ask Callie, but he knew Myron well enough to know he wasn’t taking the paint back. Mrs. Effinfelt had died almost a year ago. The boards needed paint and he’d explain this to Callie before she saw it. It could be changed if she absolutely hated it. But really, this was the least of their worries.
“Good deal,” Wade replied. “How are the Harvey boys working?”
“After they got over their little attitude problem, they’re fine. Their mama keeps checking on them. She’s afraid they might have to go to juvenile detention.”
Wade didn’t think Callie would press charges, but a little fear might keep them in line.
“Has their father been here?”
“No, and I’d just as soon not see him.”
“If he shows up, call the office.”
“Don’t worry.”
“How’s the inside coming?”
They walked into the house. The new windows had been installed and the red paint had been removed from the house and the kitchen floor. The ruined sleeping bags were gone and Callie’s furniture and belongings were back in place. The house looked in order. In the kitchen, the appliances were in and more cabinets were in the process of being built.
“Damn, Odell, you’ve been working.”
“Yes, sir. Hired two more people to help.” Odell ran his hand over the stainless-steel refrigerator. “They delivered the appliances yesterday and I stayed until I got ’em all in. They’re supposed to deliver the mattresses today and Mama’s comin’ to make up the beds.”
“What about sheets?”
“Callie ordered ’em and they’re already here. Mama’s gonna wash ’em in the new washer and dryer I just installed.”
“When do you sleep, Odell?” Wade was amazed at the work he’d done in two days.
Odell straightened the bill of his baseball cap. “I got four hours last night, but I don’t need much sleep. I want the house to be in good shape when Callie and the kids come home.”
Wade watched him for a moment. “You really like Callie.”
“Yes, sir. She’s real nice to me—treats me like a person, not a misfit.”
Wade patted his shoulder. “She’ll appreciate everything you’ve done.” Not many people had ever been kind to Odell and Wade regretted all the times he’d treated Odell like the rest of the town did. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. “I’ll check in later.”
He went outside to talk to Howie and Cliff. “Morning, boys.”
“Morning, Sheriff,” they said in unison, both continuing to brush paint onto the house.
Howie paused to look at him. “Are you gonna take us to jail?”
“Your dad and mom will meet with me in my office first thing Monday morning. We’ll talk about it then.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Keep up the good work. I’ll be by later.”
As he walked away, his cell phone buzzed. It was Simon. They talked for a few minutes and Wade sat in his car going over the information he’d just learned.
Now he had to tell Callie.
CHAPTER TWELVE
TEX PUT BABE IN ONE PEN and Sadie in the other, explaining that if the calf got full she wouldn’t suck. The cow’s udder would swell and they’d have the same problem. They’d let the calf suck at intervals and the kids were to help—that’s was Jock’s plan. Adam carried a bucket of feed to Sadie, and Brit and Mary Beth watched over Babe, unable to leave her alone.
Tex and Poncho left to check the herd, but Jock stayed behind and Callie wasn’t sure why. Maybe he was afraid to leave them alone with the cow and the calf. That had to mean he was beginning to like them here. Or, she might be reading too much into it.
The kids came into the barn and Jock showed them how to take care of a saddle. “It’s a piece of equipment a cowboy uses every day and he has to keep it in good condition. Don’t want it getting dry and cracked. Have to clean it at least once a month or so with some good saddle soap, then rub it with neat’s-foot oil until it shines.” He grabbed a spray bottle off a shelf. “This is glycerin saddle soap. In my day I used a bar, but now you can just squirt it on. Just a little. Don’t want it running all over the saddle.” He handed the kids pieces of cloth. “I’ll spray and you rub the saddle real good.” The kids rubbed without a word of protest and Callie joined in. Jock kept giving instructions.
Then Callie noticed something out of the corner of her eye and looked up to see a cat slinking along the rafters in the hay-loft. Callie pointed and the kids followed her finger.
“A cat,” Mary Beth cried, darting to the ladder for the loft. Brit and Adam were a step behind her.
“Is it safe?” she asked Jock.
“Yep.” He sank onto a bale of hay. “But they’ll never catch that cat. She’s none too friendly.”
“Be careful,” she called to the kids.
“I’ll watch them,” Adam called back.
Callie sat beside Jock. “What’s the cat’s name?”
“Just call her cat.”
“Don’t you name anything on this ranch?”
“Nu-uh. Didn’t even name my own son.”
Callie was surprised. He figured a strong, stubborn man like Jock would definitely have a say in naming his son. “You didn’t?”
“My wife, Lila, named him. She was one of five girls and Wade was the first boy born and she wanted to use her maiden name in memory of her father—so his name would live on and all that stuff.”
“Her maiden name was Wade?”
He shook his head. “Wadeinhiemer.”
“She shorten it?”
He shook his head again. “He’s Wadeinhiemer Montgomery. That’s what’s on his birth certificate. I refused to call him that so I called him Wade and it stuck. Very few people know his real name.”
Callie was totally engrossed. “What was he like as a kid?”
“He made friends easily and was popular in school. He and Jud Ritter had the young girls hopping in this county, then he met Kim and that was it for Wade. Jud, I’m not sure where he is, but I’m sure he’s still chasing women.”
Wade was a heartthrob. She could picture that easily with his dark good looks. His marriage must have been happy for a while.
“He and Kim became parents early, too early I think sometimes, but my wife and me supported them and helped all we could. We doted on Zach. We’d lost a son in sixty-four and a girl in sixty-eight—both stillborn. Wade was our whole world and that grandson just plumb made it perfect. I guess it was too perfect.” He swallowed noticeably.
“When my son called and he couldn’t talk, I knew it was bad. As I listened to his words, my world just stopped turning and I still don’t understand. Why Zach? Why my perfect grandson?”
His voice cracked on the last word and Callie wanted to hug him, but she didn’t. She was just glad he was talking to her.
“I know that kind of pain,” she found herself saying. She knew it well, losing John and her mother in a short period of time and still not understanding. “I don’t think it’s for us to understand. It’s how we handle it that counts.”
He nodded. “You could be right.”
“Callie
.” Mary Beth came running, holding the big cat in her arms. And she was big, gray and white—and purring.
“We found her.”
“Well I’ll be a sonofa…” At Callie’s glance, Jock stopped.
“That cat won’t let anybody get near her. She just gets fat off the rats in the barn.”
“Rats?” Callie looked around and had the urge to draw up her feet. She was not particularly fond of those little creatures.
“She likes us. What’s her name?” Brit asked, stroking the cat.
“Cat.”
Brit frowned. “That’s not a name. You have to start naming your animals, Mr. Jock.”
“You name her,” he said.
“We’re calling her Kitty.” Mary Beth ran her hand gently along the animal’s back.
“Isn’t that the same as Cat?”
“No,” Mary Beth snapped. “It’s special.”
“Whatever.”
“Mr. Jock, do you think it’s time to feed Babe?” Adam asked.
“Yep, sure do.” Jock got to his feet and Adam handed him his cane. Callie wasn’t sure how this was going to work without Tex and Poncho so she went along. Mary Beth was enthralled with the cat, but Brit hurried to help.
Brit opened the gate and Adam pushed Babe through it. Sadie immediately trotted over, making grunting sounds, and Callie held her breath, worried the cow might charge the kids. But Jock stood there with his cane and the cow didn’t come any closer. Sadie had probably felt the sting of that cane before and sensed when to back off. She knew Jock had the situation under control and the kids weren’t in any danger. Babe latched onto a teat without a problem. She was getting stronger.
As Adam closed the gate, Lucky galloped to the fence. Adam climbed onto the fence and patted her. Callie expected Jock to shout at him, but he didn’t. He just stared with a sad expression on his face.
Yolanda drove up to the barn in an old truck, smoke puffing out of the tailpipe. Chester and Peanut jumped out of the front seat. The girls ran to meet them.
“Isn’t that the damnedest sight you’ve ever seen?” Jock asked, his eyes now on Yo and her animals. “Hauling a pig inside the truck. That woman doesn’t have a lot of good sense.”