“Of course,” Mallory said.
Jody jumped up the minute the boys walked through the door. A full head taller than Rustin and Kyce and almost the same height as Zayne, her son broke into tears and ran to wrap his arms around his mother’s waist.
“He hit me and then that other boy hit me and then that big boy dragged me…”
The principal held up a hand. “That is enough, Trey. We’ll listen to your story in a minute, but first I want to hear what Rustin has to say.”
Kasey’s first instinct was to go to her son, but Nash slipped an arm around her waist.
“Let him tell it,” he whispered.
“I hit him first,” Rustin said, seriously. “And I’ll do it again if he says that my mama is stupid.”
The whole room went silent.
“Did not!” Trey screamed and started bawling again.
“Did, too,” Kyce piped up. “I heard him. He said Rustin was stupid like his mama because Rustin wouldn’t let him have the swing.”
“I was right there, Miss Dillard,” Zayne said. “He really did say that about Rustin’s mama, and Rustin got out of the swing and hit him right in the nose. Then he hit Rustin and got him down on the ground and started punchin’ him, and Kyce jumped on his back to stop him. That’s when I pulled Trey off Rustin and he started hittin’ me with a big old stick.”
“Did not! He hit me and y’all jumped on me, too. I didn’t hit nobody.”
“Why did you call his mama stupid?” Miss Dillard asked.
“Because my mama says that she’s stupid to live with a man and think he’ll marry her. My mama says that nobody will ever want a bitchy old redhead with three kids,” Trey said.
“I did not say that.” Jody gasped.
“Yes, you did. You told Daddy that last night,” Trey argued.
It started as a weak giggle coming out of Kasey but grew into a full-fledged guffaw that echoed down the halls of the elementary school. Soon Mallory was laughing with her and Miss Dillard was having a hard time keeping her composure. When the laughter stopped, Kasey had a wicked case of hiccups.
She glared at Jody. “I suppose now you’ll go out and say that I came in here drunk since I can’t stop these hiccups.”
“Boys, you can go back out into the hall,” Miss Dillard said.
As Rustin was leaving, Nash reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “You should always take up for your mother even if it gets you into trouble. And…” His face went darker than Kasey had ever seen it. “For your information, ma’am, there’s lots of men who’d feel privileged and honored beyond words to have this bitchy redhead and her three kids in their lives. But what Kasey does or doesn’t do to help a neighbor isn’t a bit of your business.”
Miss Dillard took a moment and then said, “The policy book says that I have to take away all recess and playground privileges for three days. They will sit in the hallway where they are now during that time, which begins right now. I’m giving Trey one extra day for causing the problem, Jody. If you have an issue with that then you can take it up with the school board. Because Rustin threw the first punch and didn’t bring the problem to me with it, I’ll have a long talk with him about coming to me if there is a next time rather than taking it into his own hands.”
“That’s not fair,” Jody argued. “Did you see my baby? He’ll have a black eye, and I bet it’s not gone before the Christmas program.”
“I suggest that you either teach him not to repeat things he hears at home or else that you don’t say things that you don’t want repeated. Now I’ve got another meeting, so if you will all excuse me, I’m going to tell the boys what their punishment is and then go to it. My assistant will watch them through the present recess time and then escort them all back to class.”
“What about lunch?” Jody asked. “I always pick Trey up and take him home.”
“Bring him a sack lunch and he can eat it in the lunchroom. The other boys eat in the cafeteria, right?” Miss Dillard answered.
Kasey nodded.
“Then my assistant will bring them a tray and they can eat it in the hallway at the desks we’ll have set up out there. We can also bring Trey’s dinner to him, Jody,” she said.
Jody jumped up so quickly that the folding chair fell against the wall with a thud. “Are you crazy? There are germs in that place. He has low immunity and he takes certain vitamins three times a day.”
“Then bring them with his lunch, leave it in my office, and my assistant will give it to him, but you cannot stay with him during that time.” Miss Dillard left no more room for argument. “Give me a minute to tell the boys before you leave and I’d appreciate it very much if you didn’t stop and talk to them on the way out.”
“You will not tell me that I can’t talk to my son. This will traumatize him for the rest of his life,” Jody hissed.
“If you cause another disturbance out there, I’ll add a day to his punishment. My students, no matter how young they are, will learn to be accountable for their actions,” Miss Dillard said on her way out.
“This is your fault.” Jody turned on Kasey as soon as the principal was out of the office. “You should have never come back to Happy.”
“Whoa!” Nash said. “You need to settle down, lady.”
Kasey stepped forward until she was nose to nose with Jody. Dozens of smartass remarks came to mind as well as the urge to simply deck the woman or maybe to yank all that bleached blond hair from her head. Her fists were knotted and her mouth opened but words didn’t come out, just another giggle.
“Did you come home because you’ve gone insane?” Jody growled.
“Nope.” Kasey stepped back. “You have a nice day now, and don’t forget to bring dear little Trey’s lunch and pills to him. Let’s go home, Nash. And Jody, you might watch what you say because my son might be smaller than yours, but he’s a scrapper—guess it’s because he works on a ranch with all those germs.”
Jody flipped her blond hair over her shoulder and stormed out of the office. She slowed down when she passed her son but didn’t say a word. Trey was a different matter. He screamed for his mama not to leave him, threw himself on the floor, and kicked the assistant when she tried to make him get back in his chair and called her a stupid bitch.
“Bet that gets him a couple more days,” Nash said as they passed the boys.
Kasey noticed that Nash gave Rustin a sly wink and a quick thumbs-up sign.
* * *
“I’m proud of you,” Nash said as he buckled the seat belt.
“For not taking Rustin out of school?” She started the engine and backed out of the parking lot.
“No, I was ready to help Lila homeschool him if you’d decided to do that,” he said. “If he was truly bein’ bullied and couldn’t take up for himself, he wouldn’t belong in that place.”
“Then why are you proud of me?”
“For not beatin’ the snot out of that Jody woman,” he said. “Want to stop at the café for a cup of coffee or a lemonade before we go home?”
“No, Jace will need to get back to Hope Springs. And between us, I wanted to knock some sense into that woman, Nash. I really did, but I know her and it wouldn’t have done a bit of good. That kid of hers and her big mouth are going to deal her enough misery without me adding to it,” Kasey told him.
“Is Rustin in trouble when he gets home?”
“What do you think?” she asked.
Nash thought about it until they turned into the lane toward the ranch house. “I believe he’s gettin’ his punishment at school. If you pile on more then he’ll think he shouldn’t take up for you or his sister, that people can call them whatever they want and he has to stand back and take it without retaliating.”
“Good point,” she said as she parked the van. “But on a different level, we should talk to him about keeping the line of authority. He should have gone to the principal and told her what Trey said.”
“I agree with that. Trey was the one doin’ the bu
llying. Today it was the swing. Next week it could be something bigger like Rustin’s lunch money. It wouldn’t be long until our boy would be withdrawn and wouldn’t want to go to school. He was smart to nip it in the bud, but I bet Trey goes on to pick on another smaller kid and I wouldn’t be surprised if Rustin plays Kyce’s part in the next fight.”
Kasey turned in her seat and cocked her head to one side. “How’s that?”
“If Trey picks on another kid, Rustin might step in and help that child whip Trey’s ass.” Nash chuckled. “I would if I was him.”
“So do we talk to him about staying out of other people’s fights, too?” Kasey asked.
Nash opened the door. “Might be a good idea.”
He walked on air all the way into the house. She’d said that they would talk to Rustin, not that he should butt out. A week ago he’d only seen pictures of her and met her twice and now he was considered enough of a friend to be included, and yet Nash found himself wanting more than just friendship.
You’re aiming for the stars with nothing but a BB gun, that aggravating voice in his head said. What Jody said about her could be better applied to you. This whole town thinks that Henry was an oddball and everyone knows you have PTSD. She would never want to tie herself down to a relationship with a man like you.
“Well?” Jace asked when they reached the living room.
“Where are the kids?” Nash asked.
“Shhh…” He pointed toward a pallet on the floor in front of the television. “They had peanut butter sandwiches and milk and went to sleep watchin’ that movie. I called Mama and talked her down, so you are welcome.”
“For?” Nash asked.
Kasey slumped down on the sofa. “I hadn’t even thought of that. Mama is on the school board and she probably wanted to storm up there and use her position to get Rustin out of trouble. She’ll be livid when she finds out why he got into the fight.”
“Oh, she already knows. Mallory is at the café.”
Kasey threw the back of her hand over her forehead and sank down on the end of the sofa. “I feel kind of sorry for Jody.”
“Well, Mama don’t feel sorry for that hussy, and me and you both know that you don’t piss Valerie Dawson off and expect happy days ahead,” Jace said.
“Amen,” Kasey said.
“I’m not following.” Nash headed for the kitchen. “I’m going to make a sandwich. Can I make one for y’all?”
“Already ate with the kids.” Jace slipped his coat back on. “I should be goin’ now. Tell Rustin that I’m proud of him for takin’ up for his mama and for takin’ his punishment like a man. I understand that Jody’s kid was a pistol.”
“Gossip does travel fast.” Nash chuckled.
“In Happy, it runs the speed of light some stiff competition.” Jace threw the words over his shoulder as he left the house.
“If you’re making sandwiches, I’ll have ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo.” Kasey looked through the doorway at Nash, who was getting things out of the refrigerator. “And thank you.”
“Barbecue chips?”
“Yes, please, and something to drink.”
“Comin’ right up. Living room or kitchen?”
“Right here in the living room.”
“I was thinkin’ that if it had been Emma fightin’ that kid, he would be in worse shape than he is.” Nash fixed two plates, carried them to the living room, and went back for two glasses of lemonade. “Now explain to me what this thing is with your mama?”
“Mama might not agree with everything I do, but that’s between me and her, not the whole county. Simply put, you don’t mess with Mama’s kids. And what Jody said about me, well, that means she’s on the top of Mama’s list, and believe me nobody wants to be there.” Kasey sat up and tucked her hair back behind her ears.
Nash would give up his dinner if he could start kissing her at that soft spot right below her ear, whisper how beautiful she was, and then work his way around to that full mouth for more than one real kiss. The pressure behind his zipper grew pretty tight so he quickly pulled his flannel shirt out to cover the problem and kept his eyes on the animated movie playing on the television. Frozen was what Emma called it and he couldn’t help but wish he had something that cold to take his mind off Kasey.
Kasey sighed when the movie ended.
“You like kids’ movies?” he asked. “Or does this thing with Rustin still have your nerves knotted up?”
“Basically all I’ve seen for the past two years have been kids’ movies and yes, this thing with Rustin does worry me,” Kasey answered.
“Mama, can we go outside?” Emma asked as she popped up from her nap, eyes sparkling and full of renewed energy.
“Me, too.” Silas yawned.
Nash picked up the plates and empty glasses. “Sounds like a wonderful idea to me. I’ll take care of this and then we’ll get coats and hats on the kids.”
The two kids didn’t mind the chilly breeze or the gray skies. Emma skipped ahead of them and Silas did his best to keep up. Pretending was a game for children, not grown men looking thirty in the face in a couple of years, but Nash did it anyway. From the house to the barn, Emma and Silas were his children and Kasey was his wife—and it felt really good.
The sheep came to the fence the moment they heard voices and Emma called back at Kasey and Nash, “Look, Mama. They know me.”
“Me, too,” Silas declared.
“You’ve been awfully quiet. Are you still thinkin’ about Rustin?” Kasey asked.
Nash wasn’t about to tell her what he’d really been imagining. She’d freak out and run back to Hope Springs without even looking over her shoulder. He looked out over the corral and counted the sheep half a dozen times. “I’m missing one and look over there in the corner. The fence has a hole in it.”
“We better get in the truck and see if we can find her,” Kasey said.
“I can do it, Kasey. You don’t have to go.”
“Oh, no! I’m not going anywhere near a phone for a few hours. Jody is liable to call to cuss at me. And drivin’ for you will sure beat sittin’ in the house and worryin’ until Rustin gets home. Well, would you look at that?” Kasey looked up at the gray skies. “Our first snow of the season. It’s too warm to stick or amount to much, but it sure is pretty.”
“Kind of sets the mood for the season, don’t it?” Nash said. “Okay, Miz Princess Emma, hold my hand and we’ll see how many snowflakes we can catch on our tongues as we run to the van.”
“I can take Silas if you’re going to run with Emma—” Kasey started.
“Already got him on this arm. You dash into the house and get the tote bag and we’re good to go, but we should take my truck. This rough ground will ruin your van.” He tossed the keys to her. “We’ll have to transfer Silas’s car seat and Emma’s booster over to it.”
Kasey caught the keys and jogged toward the house. She grabbed up a tote bag with diapers inside and met Nash back at the van. With only a few deft movements she quickly undid the buckles. In no time she had a car seat in one hand and a booster in the other. With the expertise of a longtime mother, she got each one fastened into the backseat of his truck. If he hadn’t already thought she was half magic and the other half miracle worker, he did then. It took a genius to work all those straps and buckles. Give him a tractor to tear down and put back together any day over getting car seats into a vehicle.
“How much land makes up the Texas Star?” she asked as she pulled the driver’s seat forward and adjusted the rearview mirror.
“It’s only a section. Sixty hundred and forty acres. Not a big place, but it made a livin’ for my great-grandparents.”
“Big enough unless you want to hire a bunch of help.” She backed away from the house and started driving slowly along the fence line.
They’d only gone a few hundred yards when he pointed to a ewe and a newborn baby lamb hiding underneath an old scrub oak tree. The mama was licking the baby, but it wasn’t moving. K
asey hit the brakes and Nash hopped out before the truck was fully stopped. He jerked off his coat and wrapped the lamb in it, made a motion with his hand, and started jogging across the pasture toward the barn. The ewe baaed at him a couple of times but then she followed him straight toward the barn.
* * *
Kasey turned the truck around and beat Nash to the barn. “You kids are going to have to stay in the truck for just a couple of minutes. Okay, Emma?”
“I will watch Silas,” she said, seriously.
“Just for five minutes and then I’ll come and get you out of the seats,” she said.
“Silas.” She shook his finger at him. “You be good.”
“Me is good boy,” he said stoically.
Kasey bailed out of the driver’s seat and ran to open the barn door for Nash, who didn’t stop until he had the newborn lamb and its mother inside out of the weather.
“Holy crap, he’s not even breathing hard after carrying that lamb all that way,” she whispered as she got the kids out of their seats and ushered them inside the barn and back to the stall where Nash was working with the new lamb.
The ewe followed them inside and went right into the stall with Nash. Using his coat to wipe the ice crystals from the lamb, he crooned to it like it was a human baby, begging it to live. Kasey wouldn’t have been a bit surprised if he didn’t start mouth-to-mouth on the animal. But finally he pumped his fist in the air, jumped up, and grabbed Kasey around the waist and spun her around in circles.
“It’s alive. Look, Kasey, we saved it and the mama can take care of him now. He’s a fine boy lamb. As big as he is, I’m shocked that the mama could deliver him. This is her first baby.”
Kasey was dizzy when he put her down and her coat was smeared with lamb slobbers and a touch of blood, but she didn’t care. They’d saved the baby, and with any luck it could even be a breeder. Every rancher or sheep herder knew that was a big thing. “You saved him. All I did was open a barn door.”
Long, Tall Cowboy Christmas Page 17