Be My Guest

by Caroline Clemmons

  Lunch consisted of roast beef sandwiches and fruit at the breakfast bar. Will turned the volume on Kelly's portable radio low as country music played in the background while they ate. Will sang absentmindedly along with a Martina McBride song. Although obviously untrained, his voice had a rough, earthy quality that sounded very pleasant to Aurora's ears.

  "Is she a favorite of yours?"

  Will snapped out of his mood in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't realize I subjected you to my voice. Yes, I guess she is. I've always heard she's a nice person, and I enjoy music much more if I think the artist is someone I'd respect in private life." He slid the plates to the places at the breakfast bar. "If you don't like country music out here, you're in big trouble. That's about all that's available on the radio. When the electricity's on we can listen to just about any kind of music you choose via the satellite system or CD's and tapes."

  "What kind of music do you listen to then?" Aurora thought country music appropriate for a cowboy, even a somewhat sophisticated cowboy like Will.

  Will scrunched up his face in thought. "Depends on my mood. Everything from the old cowboy songs to classics. What about you, what kind of music do you like?"

  "I guess I have eclectic tastes in music, too, except for rap or heavy metal. I especially hate rap or what they’re calling ‘urban’ music. Most of the time I listen to jazz or pop."

  "If I'm really trying to concentrate, I listen to classical music--no lyrics to make me sing along." Other than the persistent headache and pain of her back, her rest and bath helped ease some of the soreness and fatigue she experienced after yesterday's ordeal.

  Will thought he had his emotions in control now, in spite of the twinkle he saw in her eyes and her bedtime attire. At least she's mostly covered now, and he tried to ignore the imprint of the tips of her breasts against her nightshirt. Oh, man, I wonder when Lily will get over here.

  Rain dwindled to a drizzle. According to the radio announcer, sunshine soon would replace storms as the clouds moved out of the area. Will speculated that by tomorrow electricity and phone service would be restored. Ah, even now bridges reached toward his deserted isle.

  After the radio announcer's comment about the prospect of sun, Will called sheriff to see if the roads were open. Aurora reassembled the contents of her wallet and discarded those things that were ruined. Just as she tossed the last item into the wastebasket, Will finished his call.

  She shook her head sadly. "I can't imagine those poor people who have to cope with the effects of a flood in their home. It must be devastating emotionally, aside from the financial blow."

  He crossed the room and put his hand at her waist. "I know it's tough to lose personal possessions, but they're replaceable. At least you're safe."

  Aurora turned to him and placed a hand briefly on his chest. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful about my situation, Will. My thoughts weren't on these few things from my handbag, those in my car, or even the car. I thought, what if my home and all the things inside were lost or ruined? I just can't imagine what it would be like."

  "Neither can I, but it must be rough." He wondered again how many cattle he had lost. Best not to think of that now. His hand went to his head and his fingers combed through his hair in the absentminded manner so much a part of his nature. "I talked with the county sheriff's dispatcher. The roads aren't open yet, but may be by this evening. I called Kelly, and told Lori Beth to wait until tomorrow to try to make it home." He saw a sparkle in Aurora's eyes.

  She smiled and cocked her head slightly. "Oh? Does she let you tell her what to do?"

  Will's laugh told the answer. "She doesn't let anyone tell her what to do, most of the time not even Tommy. Actually, I suggested they wait until tomorrow. She said they'd go to church with Mom and then come back after lunch."

  Aurora stepped back. "Will, I have cabin fever. Is there a covered area outside that would give me a view of where we are and keep me out of the rain?"

  "Sure, why don't we sit on the covered part of the patio?" Will adjusted his crutches under his arms and started toward the patio, then stopped and turned back. "Maybe you'd like a tour of the house first?"

  "Actually, I'd love it. I fully intended to ask for a tour soon." With a tinge of guilt, she remembered her speculations about the bedroom and her desire to learn more about this fascinating man at her side.

  In addition to the master bedroom, the house contained four other bedrooms, a study, a large family room next to the kitchen, and a formal dining room. Off the utility area, the large bathroom she used previously opened into the master bedroom, and there were two other bathrooms with the four bedrooms on the other side of the house and a half-bath off the kitchen near the family room.

  From the magnificent view of the large front bay window of the dining room, Will pointed out the road over which they drove the night before. The huge lake she saw from the bedroom window became more visible and she saw the raised railway that acted as a damn to contain the water. Muddy water cascaded over a man-made spillway to form a wide brown waterfall before it flowed to the creek where she landed in the cottonwood tree.

  As Aurora stood at the window, she once again marveled at her escape the previous evening. Now she stood secure and warm near this intriguing cowboy. But for the proof of cuts and bruises on her body, it all seemed a terrible nightmare. Will's voice brought her from her reverie.

  "If you wonder why the house faces the railroad, you'll understand when you see the view from the back," Will turned to lead the way. When he reached the family room, he paused to let Aurora go first.

  The huge family room provided true southwestern atmosphere. Aurora loved it at once. A glance confirmed books by several of her favorite authors resided on the shelves of the bookcases flanking the massive fireplace. Several large area rugs in conversation groupings partially concealed earth colored tiles on the sunken floor. One sofa faced the fireplace with other perpendicular to the first to form an el. Upholstered in a Navajo rug print of burgundy, gray, white, and black, the two sofas blended with the small rug displayed on the wall nearby. Their arrangement gave a view of both the fireplace and the large-screen television.

  An arrangement of cowboy equipment on one of the pecan-paneled walls included a pair of ancient spurs, a branding iron, and several implements Aurora could not identify. Will hobbled to the south wall of the room and opened the natural-weave draperies along a massive wall of glass with French doors in the center.

  Aurora gasped in awe at the panorama laid before her. "Oh, Will, this is wonderful. What a glorious view."

  He smiled proudly as he led the way out the French doors to a covered patio that ran the entire length of the house. Architecturally, the typical West Texas rambling ranch style house used tan exterior brick, sized to resemble the softer and less durable Mexican brick. Chocolate brown paint on the exterior wood trim presented a pleasing contrast to the brick.

  From the covered portion, the patio extended to reach a raised sun deck near a rectangular swimming pool. Beyond that, rolling hills and prairie stretched with magnificent vistas of red bluffs streaked with buff and brown and gray, of canyons, ravines, and grassland bounded by the creek on the right. A ribbon of bluffs of the Caprock escarpment wound rippling back and forth, at times facing east, sometimes north, and sometimes west.

  "Whenever I see this view I think of that song `The Red Hills of Utah.' I especially like the version sung by the cowgirl singer Trudy Fair. Even though the song is about Utah, it really fits this part of Texas as well as the areas around Benjamin and the Palo Duro Canyon." He stared out across the expanses as if mesmerized by its beauty.

  She shook her head and confessed, "I don't think I know that song." She curled up in one corner of the glider swing.

  Will moved slowly toward her. "It talks about the green valleys, tall trees, cool rivers, soft breezes, pretty flowers, and sweet songs of the mockingbirds." Will smiled and admitted, "Well, there aren't a lot of tall trees here but, fortunately, you found on
e of them."

  "That's true. I'm very grateful to that particular tall tree, and I do love this view of the bluffs." She raised her hand to shield her eyes as she peered in the distance. "You don't see a little blue boat out there anywhere do you?"

  Will sat beside her, "No, I'm afraid not. Let's hope it beached itself before it made it to the Brazos."

  He called her attention to a small fruit orchard between the house and the creek on the right, most of which was hidden from sight by the house. Those and other tree plantings for the property left the view from the patio free of obstruction. Even partially covered in flood water, the view was spectacular.

  "I know that landscape seems barren to a lot of people, but it's beautiful to me. I never tire of the view." Will's eyes drank in the view as if he would never get his fill.

  Aurora slipped into another bond with Will as she shared this part of his life. His love for this land was a part of him far greater than this house or this ranch. "It is beautiful. That must be the river I see off in the distance." Aurora pointed to a distant ribbon of shining brown satin.

  "No, the river's not visible from here. That's another creek that which flows into the river several miles beyond the creek. There's usually not much water in it, sometimes none you can see from here. The river actually has several forks near here, though. The ranch is between two of the forks."

  "That's the Brazos, isn't it?" Aurora tried to remember the details of the map she had of the area--the map left in her lost car.

  He nodded assent and shifted his weight to ease his left leg stretched out before him. "Yes, specifically the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos. You must have crossed one of the forks yesterday before it rolled up."

  "Before it what?" Aurora leaned closer to Will, unsure she heard correctly.

  He smiled before he placed his arm along the back of the seat, his arm brushing softly against her. "Rolled up. When there's a heavy rain, rapid runoff creates a huge wall of water that moves down the riverbed with a loud roar. The wall can be over ten feet tall, and pushes aside anything that gets in its way. We call it rolling up, and it's an unforgettable sight."

  "It sounds frightening." Aurora remembered her experience with the creek and shivered.

  "It is frightening, no matter how many times you see it. That much power can be very destructive. I remember seeing cattle carcasses swept miles from their home range.”

  Aurora hated any thought of the flood with such a beautiful view to claim her attention. "Do you go boating and fishing on the Brazos in calmer weather?"

  "No, not in this immediate area. The White River is about twenty miles or so north of here, and there's a lake and a recreation area in Crosby County. Right now there are dozens of little creeks and tributaries feeding the rivers that are usually dry or only a trickle."

  Will picked up her hand and held it between his. "The house you can see there on our left is the Hankins'. Just out of sight blocked by this house is the one in which the Chapas live. The horse barns are there behind the Hankins' house. Maybe you can take a riding tour of the ranch with me after you're feeling better and I'm rid of this cast."

  "This is a beautiful view," Aurora repeated. "You can see both sunrise and sunset from this spot."

  "If the sun comes out and any clouds remain, the sunset this evening should be spectacular," Will said. “This is my favorite spot to be at sunset, this or on horseback atop one of the other hills.”

  "I like the house, Will. I'm glad you let your love of history include some antiques in your home." Aurora wondered if she should inquire further, and decided to risk seeming too inquisitive. "Isn't the house awfully large, though? I mean, even if your wife were alive, it's a very large house for only three people."

  Will’s voice betrayed deep emotion his face hid. "We'd planned to have several kids, maybe three or four. Nancy had a couple of miscarriages after Kelly. The doctors never found anything specific to cause them. We probably would have adopted a couple of kids if Nancy hadn't gotten ill." He fell silent and she saw him swallow hard, as if choking back sorrow too painful to express.

  Aurora and Will rocked slowly to and fro in the porch swing. Will regained his composure and asked Aurora more details of her trip. They talked companionably of trivial things as rain drizzled beyond their protected spot. The moist air kissed Aurora's skin and smelled wonderfully fresh and clean. Her legs soon became too cool, and she curled them up under her nightshirt.

  The appearance of a small Hispanic woman about Will's age startled Aurora. The woman came out onto the patio and then stopped. She stood with her hands on her hips and pointed a finger at Will.

  "Will Harrison, are you loco? Is this the way you take care of a patient, keeping her sitting out here in the damp air instead of resting?"

  He seemed not the least surprised by her tone and calmly motioned to the woman to come nearer. "Thank you for coming over on the weekend, Lily. I hope that means your kids are feeling better."

  "Ha. Those kids are too ornery to be sick for long." Lily stepped closer to the swing, peering openly at the guest.

  Will rose, and indicated Aurora with his hand. "Lily, this is Aurora O'Shaughnessy, who got trapped in the flood last night. Aurora, my friend Lily Chapa is my housekeeper and helps with Kelly."

  The two women exchanged greetings and Will and stretched, his long arms reaching up until Aurora thought they would touch the undersurface of the porch roof. "You're right, Lily, I'm afraid I'm not following Nick's orders in keeping Aurora out here. She's supposed to be resting.”

  Shouldering her share of the blame, Aurora explained, "I got cabin fever. It’s a shame to leave, but you're right. My head is telling me to lie down." Aurora uncurled her legs and stood up to hand Will the crutches he'd leaned against the side of the house. "It's just so beautiful here, I hope we can come back out here this evening at sunset."

  Lily took charge, "Sí. That will be bueno, if you rest now. I'll help Will barbecue a couple of steaks out here on the grill. Once the sun sets, this moist air will be cool." Lily gave Aurora an appraising glance. "We'll have to get some warmer clothes on you so you can sit and watch the sun go down while you eat dinner."

  Will half-turned toward his housekeeper as if struck by a sudden idea. "Hey, Lily, maybe you could ask your family over here to eat this evening and we could have a barbecue together."

  "Ha. That proves you're loco for sure, pobre amigo." Lily shook her head and put her hands once more on her hips. "That's not what you need." The woman barely paused before she said. "Now you know I would never interfere in your life, but you don't need Raul and me with our noisy niños here when you have a chance to watch the sunset over a romantic dinner with a beautiful woman."

  Will shrugged. "Okay. It was just a thought.”

  Aurora smiled at his discomfort. Certain she liked the tiny dynamo housekeeper who took charge and ordered Will about as if he were a junior member of her family, Aurora savored the fact she and Will would be alone for their dinner tonight.

  Wonderful softness enveloped Aurora as she lay on the large bed. Nick's prescription proved true--she needed rest.

  Lily peeped around the corner of the door. "I'll check back soon, but right now I'll take care of the clothes from the suitcase." She paused and stepped into the room. "You know, Aurora, flood water is muy malo. Have you put medicine on those cuts and scratches?"

  The heat of a flush spread across Aurora’s face. "Yes, thank you. Will helped me earlier."

  Lily tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Really? Well, then I will see to the clothes and check on you later."

  Lily grilled Will about Aurora. “I checked on your guest, but she sleeps like a baby.” The Spanish Inquisition, he thought. As he finished an abbreviated explanation about Aurora's ordeal and his conversation with Nick, Lily noticed his hand.

  "Ha! Will Harrison, you finally took off your wedding ring." Lily raised her eyes and clasped hands heavenward. "Madre de Dios and the good saints be praised!" She stepped
closer to Will, nodded in the direction of the bedroom with speculation in her eyes. "This is a beautiful woman, this Aurora, verdad?"

  Embarrassed again, he held his hand palm outward in a stopping motion. "Now, Lily, don't go jumping to conclusions. I took the ring off yesterday afternoon. Maybe you and Kelly and Lori Beth are right. I don't know, but I'll try your way for a while and see what happens."

  Lily launched in with her customary phrase, "Now you know I would never interfere in your personal life, Will, but this woman is just what you need. I saw the way you looked at her, ah, and also the way she looked back at you. This is muy bueno, mi amigo. You're too young to live like a monk. You should get married again and have lots of niños to fill up this big house."

  Will wanted to put a stop to her prying, so he changed the subject. "Lily, I feel bad about asking you to come over on the weekend. It's just that, well, I wanted a third person here to sort of keep down any gossip that might arise from Aurora and me being here alone."

  Lily shrugged. "We will see about this Aurora. Now, go, lie down to rest your leg while I get these clothes washed and clean up the kitchen. Maybe I can use your rope to make a clothes line."

  "I'll string it up for you in the garage," Will volunteered.

  Lily glared at him in disgust. "Ha, and have the clothes smell like the generator exhaust? No, gracias, but I'll fix something. You go get off that leg now or I'll get Raul over here to help me use that rope to hog tie you. Go, now, andale, andale!" Lily made shooing gestures with her hands.

  Long ago Will learned arguing with Lily a total waste of time, especially in her current mood. She and Raul and he had been friends since they were children in school. She bossed Kelly and him around just as she did Raul and their kids, treating he and Kelly like extended family.

  Raul already worked on the ranch when Will and Nancy married. Lily started helping in the house as a favor when Nancy became ill. After Nancy's death, Lily remained to help with Kelly and the house. Efficient and resourceful, she also took very good care of Kelly--and of him when necessary. Gratefully, he went to the nearest guestroom and lay down on the bed.