“Here they come,” she said.
“Didn’t you think they would?”
“I didn’t know, Raylen. I really didn’t know.”
“Honey, in these parts folks have to drive a long way to get a little Christmas light show. You got a write-up on the front page of the Bowie paper and one in the Ryan paper. People want to see what they read about, and besides, it’s free and you are giving out candy canes. Pretty impressive.”
He grabbed her hand and hurried around the end of the house to the barn. People would turn around and go back out to the road on the south side of the fence. He had opened the gates on his property out onto the highway and strung lights along the top of her yard fence.
“And I’m entered in the Montague County Christmas contest for the best property decorations,” she said. “Aren’t they ever going to get here?”
“No, they’re takin’ it slow and easy, probably talking about each one of those exhibits. You got the candy canes ready?”
He sat down on one of Maddie’s cast iron benches and pulled her down beside him. A smaller version of Santa’s sack filled with candy canes sat between them.
“Right here. All ready,” she said.
The first car arrived and the window on the passenger’s side slowly lowered. “This is so pretty. The kids had a wonderful time,” a lady said.
“It’ll be open nightly until Christmas Eve. Come back and here’s candy canes for everyone,” Liz said.
The kids in the backseat of the van squealed.
The next car was there before she could sit down. The third pickup pulled off to one side and three elderly cowboys crawled out.
“We want the whole tour, not just the drive-thru,” one said.
“Yes, sir.” Liz grinned and looked over at Raylen. “You are on candy cane duty. This way, guys. The whole tour is the light show and the barn, which is still decorated because I didn’t want to give it up after a big party we had at Thanksgiving.”
“Read about this in the paper. Them fool reporters didn’t give it the right credit, though. I know you. You are the waitress up at the café who always keeps my coffee cup full. Man alive, Roy, would you look at that tree. Place looks prettier than that mall over at Wichita Falls, don’t it?”
“Momma would’ve liked the angel on the tree,” Roy said softly. His shoulders sagged and white stubble on his face said that Momma wasn’t around anymore to fuss at him to shave.
“You and Raylen keepin’ company?” the third fellow asked.
Liz nodded.
“We heard that, didn’t we, Buddy? Raylen needs a good woman. You be good to him,” Roy said.
Buddy, a tall, lanky cowboy in bib overalls, nodded. “This is a fine put-on for a town like Ringgold. Must’ve took you a spell to put it all together. I got a feeling that you are happy here in Ringgold.”
“Yes, it did take a lot of work, but I had a lot of good friends that helped me. And I enjoyed it all. And I am very happy here. I plan to stay forever. Y’all know Haskell? He’s my uncle,” she said.
“Yes, ma’am, we surely do. Our wives and Miz Sara was good friends in the day. He made all them pretty things, didn’t he?” Buddy asked.
Liz nodded.
“Well, guess we’ll be on our way. We might come back another day,” Roy said.
“It’ll be open all month,” she said.
Raylen smiled when she sat back down on the bench with him. “I was busy. Was that Roy and Buddy?”
“I guess so. But I’m going to remember them as the three wise men. Look up there.” She pointed.
A star was shining brighter than all the others and it hung right above her barn.
***
Sunday dinner was at the O’Donnell’s place and Blaze still wasn’t completely comfortable. He kept touching Colleen’s hand, her hair, and her cheek for assurance.
Liz had loved that first rush phase of excitement with Raylen, but she loved the new phase even better. The one where she knew he’d be at her house as soon as he finished work, that if she had a nightmare she could back up into his embrace and it would disappear. Most of all, she loved the confidence in knowing not one ounce of the sizzle was going to fade each time they took their relationship to the next phase.
Everyone was talking all around her and Raylen, but suddenly she felt as if they really were an island unto themselves. His fingertips gently massaging her neck muscles sent her mind to an imaginary clear river where they were skinny-dipping and making love in the water. When he looked down into her dark eyes, she joined souls with him right there in all the noise and confusion of getting everyone gathered around in the kitchen so Grandpa could say grace, and everything and everyone disappeared.
“What are you thinking about? I think Blaze is doing pretty good, don’t you?” he asked.
“I was thinking how wonderful family and friends are, and yes, Blaze is doing fine,” she whispered.
He kissed her softly on the lips.
“Our Father in heaven.” Grandpa’s voice brought the last few whispers to a halt.
Liz bowed her head, but she didn’t hear the prayer. She was too busy letting her imagination run full like she did Missy the afternoon before. In her vision, she and Raylen weren’t skinny-dipping; they were making passionate love again the first time. She’d never guessed that she could endure such heat and come out on the other side without a visible mark on her body. Of course, there was that brand on her heart.
“Liz?” Raylen said.
She opened her eyes and raised her head. Prayer was over and everyone was lining up around the food tables.
“Where were you?” Raylen asked.
She pulled his head down and whispered, “Making love with you in the shower.”
Colleen saw the red creeping up on his neck. “Raylen is blushing. What did Liz just say to you?”
The high color that had reached his cheeks deepened.
“She said she’s starving. So will you hurry up and get your turkey? You are holding up the line,” he told Colleen.
“I don’t believe you,” Colleen said.
“Believe it. Food isn’t the only thing a woman can hunger after, is it?” Liz leaned forward and whispered into Colleen’s ear.
Colleen’s translucent complexion looked as if she’d walked through a forest fire. “You got it, sister! You know anything about this big surprise Blaze has in store for me?”
“Now I wonder what I said that made you think of Blaze?” Liz asked.
Colleen’s face turned darker crimson. “Hush! Surprise?”
“Yes, I do know.”
“Tell me,” Colleen said.
“Take a warm coat.”
Colleen gave her a stern look.
Liz giggled. “It won’t work. You don’t scare me anymore.”
Blaze grinned. “But you did at first, darlin’. She called me every night and whined about how you wouldn’t ever accept her.”
“I still might not if she doesn’t tell me what you two cooked up,” Colleen said.
“Don’t care if you do or not, I’m not sayin’ another word other than pack a warm coat and have a good time,” Liz said.
“You’ve met your match,” Austin told Colleen. “She scared the bejesus out of me too, Liz, but she comes around even if she is almighty slow about it.”
Liz looked up at Austin, who was several inches taller than her. “She’s worse than Maddie.”
“I am not,” Colleen argued.
“Yeah, you are,” Austin said. “But I think it’s about time for payback. Call me tonight and tell me what is going on, Liz. I won’t tell her a thing.”
Liz smiled.
Raylen waited until they were seated and kissed Liz on the ear. His warm breath sizzled when he whispered, “I love you.”
Chapter 27
Deer season opens the first week in November in the northern counties of Texas and it stays open until the first week of January. The first day might as well be written down on the calendar as a national holiday
and the last is as sad as a funeral. But during the two months it is open season on anything with antlers with at least a thirteen-inch spread. The great deer hunters of Montague County had drifted in and out of the café all day in their camouflage gear bringing their tall tales with them. By closing time, Liz was ready for them to go back to the woods. She didn’t even care if they were big tippers or if they died of pure boredom sitting up in their deer stands. She could think of at least one way to use a deer stand that was a hell of a lot more fun than waiting, and waiting, and then waiting some more for a deer.
When the last hunters finally left, Jasmine locked the door and Liz grabbed the salt and pepper to get her jobs done quickly. Raylen would be there any minute.
“Give me a room full of girls and gossip over deer hunters any day of the week,” Liz grumbled.
Jasmine laughed. “You are in north Texas, honey. Up here men folks have three main holidays. First day of deer season. Second day of deer season, and last day of deer season. The first is bigger than Christmas. The second is kin to Thanksgiving. The last one is a funeral wake because they won’t get to drag out their bows, guns, and muzzle loaders for another year.”
“I believe it. I’ve heard nothing but tall tales today. One bionic deer as big as a good-sized Angus bull ran off into the woods with sixteen arrows sticking out of his heart and one right through his brain, ear to ear.”
“Heard them all,” Jasmine said. “What are you and Raylen doing with your weekend?”
“It’s a surprise,” she said. “I think it’s payback for not telling Colleen about the surprise that Blaze had for her, which, by the way, was a huge success. Now she’s taking another week at Christmas and going out to Claude to spend it with him there.”
“I knew I’d miss out on all the fun by going to Sherman for Thanksgiving, but Momma would have bitched me to death if I’d stayed here. I wish she would have had ten kids.”
Liz nodded seriously. “I hear you loud and clear. Momma says I’d better have a dozen because she’s going to steal at least one to make into a carnie.”
“What do you want to do this weekend?” Jasmine asked. “Besides take a pizza and a six-pack to bed and not leave except to go to the bathroom.”
“That sounds fine to me, especially if we could get a couple dozen buffalo wings tossed in with the pizza order. And thank you and Ace again for taking care of my light drive tonight. If you run out of candy canes…”
“I know, Liz. They are in the barn in the tack room.”
Raylen knocked on the door and pressed his nose against the glass before Jasmine could say anything else. Liz unlocked it and tiptoed for a quick kiss.
“Ready?”
“We’re runnin’ late. Deer hunters had to talk a buck into falling down dead out there in front of their trucks in the parking lot before they could leave,” she said.
“Did they get the job done?” Raylen asked.
“I don’t think so, but they’ll be back next week to give it another try. Where are y’all off to?” Jasmine asked.
Raylen grinned.
Jasmine thought he was cute.
Liz wondered how the paint stayed on the walls. Surely as hot as Raylen was when he smiled it would have at least blistered part of it.
“You aren’t telling, are you?” Jasmine asked.
Raylen shook his head.
“Go on. I’ll get this one and you can pay me back later when I want to leave early,” Jasmine said.
“You sure?” Liz asked.
Jasmine took the salt container from her hands.
“Got your bag ready?” Raylen said.
“It’s in my truck. You said casual. I hope you meant it.”
“I did. I fed Hooter and Blister, and Dewar is going to check on them in the morning,” Raylen said.
“Then my fate is in your hands.” Liz untied her apron and laid it over the back of a chair, picked up her purse, and looped her arm through his.
“Have fun,” Jasmine said.
Raylen put a Christmas CD in the player when they were in the truck and headed north. Liz was surprised when he made a right turn on Highway 82 instead of turning left. She’d thought she had the whole trip figured out by looking at Colleen and Blaze’s plans. They’d had a trip to an island and were planning another trip to Claude so she figured Raylen was taking her to west Texas.
A twinge of disappointment flashed through her but it was soon replaced with excitement. Knowing that he wasn’t following in Blaze’s footsteps made it even more exciting, and she began to envision all kinds of scenarios, most of which involved very little clothing and lots of touching.
“Hungry?” he asked when they reached the second red light in Nocona.
“Little bit. I usually grab something from the kitchen before I leave. I was in a hurry,” she said.
He put on the left blinker and pointed. “That Dairy Queen makes the best nachos. How about a couple of orders of those to hold us until supper?”
She nodded, and when the light turned green he whipped across the highway, stopping at the drive-by window. Sugarland was singing about pretending a snowman was Parson Brown who would ask them if they were married. The lyrics said that they’d tell him that they weren’t but that he could do the job when he was in town. Liz didn’t even know what kind of wedding she wanted, but she did know that someday she wanted to be married to Raylen and spend every Christmas with him for the rest of her life.
“What do you think of them?” Raylen pulled back out on the highway, ate with one hand, and drove with the other.
“They are great! Almost as good as the ones Freddy and Martha make at the carnival.” She picked up a paper napkin and wiped his fingers for him when he held them out.
He pulled into the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant and stopped the truck. “Maybe not such a good idea to drive and eat at the same time.”
She leaned across the seat and kissed him. “No, it’s not but please eat faster. I can’t wait to see where we are going.”
They stayed on Highway 82 all the way to Whitesboro where he turned north and crossed the Red River into the little border town of Willis.
“Aha! Sin awaits us in Oklahoma,” she said.
He shot her a smile that said sin wouldn’t begin to cover what awaited them.
“Still not tellin’?” she asked.
“No, but it’s not far now,” he said.
Twenty minutes later, he made a right turn at the first red light they came to in Madill, Oklahoma, and she saw another Dairy Queen sign.
“Bathroom stop, please!” She pointed.
“You got it. Want some coffee while we’re stopped?”
“How much further to our destination?”
“Half an hour.”
“Got a coffee pot there?”
“Among other things,” he said with another wicked grin.
“Half an hour from Madill going east is nothing but water, Raylen. We played this little town several times and there’s a long bridge over a big lake. Where are we going?” she asked.
“To that lake. Want to go skinny-dippin’?”
Her eyes popped wide open. “In December? I don’t think so.”
“Party pooper. I’d planned a picnic on the edge of the water and some serious skinny-dippin’. Hot as we are together it should warm up the whole lake,” he said as he parked the truck.
“Honey, we’d kill all the fish. The water would boil like a hot tub and they’d wash up on the banks already cooked,” she bantered.
“Got a good point. Guess my idea wasn’t so good. We’ll just have to see what else they’ve got over there for us to do this weekend.”
She dashed inside and hurried to the restroom. As she washed her hands, she hummed the Conway tune they’d just heard. Could he really hear the echoes of her thoughts? Had he gotten so far into her soul and mind that he knew what she was thinking? The lyrics said that she’d never been this far before, and that was the gospel according to Conway written abo
ut Lizelle Hanson. She’d never been that far before.
“There’s a resort on this side of that bridge. I bet that’s where he’s taking me,” she muttered. “A place where no one knows us.”
He was sitting patiently in a booth when she opened the bathroom door. He stood up and threw an arm around her waist when he saw her. “Sure you don’t want coffee?”
“I’m sure,” she said.
Half an hour later they made a right turn into Lake Texoma Resort. She bit her lip to keep from smiling. She’d figured it out and they were going to stay in that big hotel… but he drove right past it. She wasn’t a bit disappointed when she saw the little cabins right on the waterfront… but he drove past all of them.
He made a few more turns and then braked in a small, concrete parking lot. She looked out ahead at a marina. Surely to goodness, he wasn’t serious about skinny-dipping.
He pointed. “See that houseboat out there with Sinful Pleasure written on the side?”
She nodded.
“She’s ours until six o’clock tomorrow evening,” he said.
“Oh, my! Do we get to go out into the water in it?” she asked breathlessly.
“Darlin’, we can do anything we want. Tomorrow we’ll take it around the lake. Today I have other plans.”
“Then lead me on into sinful pleasures,” she said.
He carried their bags onto the boat, unlocked the door, and led the way down to the bedroom and bathroom. It was everything that the rental agency said it would be and more. He dropped the bags beside the round bed covered in gold satin with dozens of pillows and picked up the remote control on the stand beside it. He pushed a button and soft country music came through the ceiling speakers.
He held out a hand. “May I have this dance, Miz Hanson?”
She took two steps and looped both her arms around his neck. He removed his hat and held it at the small of her back while they danced.
“Guess letting the hat dance with us will make up for abuse,” she whispered when she could find her voice.
He chuckled. “It might. Have I told you today that you are one hot lady?”
“Have I told you that you are the one who makes me hot?”
When the song ended, he kissed her with so much passion that her insides ached with desire, but angels walking on a barbed wire fence and singing her favorite country song wouldn’t make her hurry the process. She would enjoy each and every second of it.
Darn Good Cowboy Christmas Page 28