We went a little overboard with Ethan’s daughter’s new wardrobe, because it was fun to shop for babies and Melissa was excited about it.
As the second week of December set in Melissa locked herself down for finals studying. I began the decorating at Mirror Lake. I was under the firm impression that the ranch house had not had a Christmas tree since Gentry’s grandmother was alive and that saddened me. Of course most Christmases since her death the boys spent in Illinois with Gentry’s parents and Gloria.
I made Gentry spend an afternoon in the forests edge finding a perfect, or as Gentry put it, “good as you’re going to get, I got shit to do,” tree. We hauled it home and I bribed everyone with Irish coffee and fresh cookies to come pretend to help me decorate the tree. I found the attic and old dusty boxes of decorations. I tried to convince Ed to let me go on a splurge for new decorations but he firmly told me no. I went out anyhow and snuck in a few new strands of Christmas lights.
“The babies are down finally!” Gloria half whispered into the phone I was cross legged on the floor of my room – though it was just used for storing my stuff. I slept in Gentry’s room since he had cleaned it top to bottom including the bed. He had been right. His mattress was better.
“You have been useless in helping me,” I told her for the umpteenth time this week. I placed a box of clothes in the center of the wrapping paper. This was for Ethan’s daughter Annie. I was signing both Melissa’s and my name on the these. She was so picky on Annie’s gifts.
Gloria groaned on the other end of the line. “You’re killing me smalls!”
“Well what are you getting Gentry for Christmas?”
“What I get him every year. Same as mom does. Jeans, dress shirts, socks, boxers, new fancy razor set and some half way decent cologne. Things for bachelor men, the cowboy special. They don’t typically remember to buy things like that for themselves.”
“Well, thanks for that I guess. Clean underwear and tame whiskers.”
“You’re welcome. Throw out anything of the socks and underwear that have holes please and thank you.”
“Ugh, will do.”
“Good. It will save me a lot of time on my trip next month. Carla has cut back on my need to all the chucking and cleaning while I’m there. Hopefully, you will knock it out some more.”
“I cannot believe you’re coming in the middle of January.”
“We come for a week in the summer too. Until the kids are older it’s our way of getting to the ranch when the guys don’t come home for the holidays. Without mom bitching that we aren’t home for Christmas.”
“She still won’t come out here?”
“Not since Gran died. But her aversion of the place comes way before that.”
“Still sad,” I said carefully placing a pretty, sparkly purple bow on the fun snowman paper for Annie’s gift.
“It’s my mother. Who by the way, Gentry still hasn’t told about the two of you.”
“I don’t see what not.”
“There was a fight about the holidays and he has been opting to use the fewest words possible method complete with his non-committal grunts. She leaves it on speaker phone so I know how horrible his manners are.”
I groaned. “Can you…”
“Nope. No way in hell. I don’t want to hear her bitch about why Gentry didn’t tell her himself. When there’s no explanation but that fact that he’s my brother.”
“She’s going to bitch about it to you eventually anyhow.”
“Fine. You owe me one. And only because she’s calling me now and I don’t want to talk about what I forgot for the church fundraiser.”
Gloria disconnected and I was no closer to finding a gift for Gentry. I wanted something extravagant and memorable. Like our first Christmas.
****
I blared Christmas music throughout Gentry’s old beat up Impala. “Turn that shit down!” he said climbing in the car. We had just gotten out of our last class and I had beat him to the car taking the key he had made me for emergencies and starting up the engine. It was a dreary ass day and our days till Christmas. School was out and I dreaded break but Gentry couldn’t wait to get away from his brick and mortar hell.
“Are you afraid your popular football friends will hear?” I teased.
“It’s just annoying.”
“Fine,” I turned the radio down and tossed in a mix CD. His guarantee there would be no holiday cheer.
“How many books are you bringing home? No one assigned work over break?”
I stared at my overstuffed and worn out bag. “I want to get ahead. And Ms. Patterson let me check out some extra books from the library to keep me entertained over break.”
“I can keep you entertained,” he said squeezing my knee. We rolled to a four way and after a quick glance and not seeing anyone I leaned over and kissed his lips quickly.
“I’ve missed that all day,” he told me as I leaned back in my seat and he rolled on through the stop.
“Me too. Where’s Gloria at?”
“Snuck off with that new boyfriend of hers. She’s not supposed to date till’s she’s sixteen and dad’s pretty firm on that. So we are covering for her. You out of love as best friend, I traded trash duty for it,” Gentry grinned.
“You’re incorrigible!” I laughed slapping him on the arm playfully. “She’s covering for us.”
“But she doesn’t know it.”
“True. How come your dad’s such a pain about the sixteen dating rule? You dated before that.”
“I’m a guy. It’s different.”
“How sexiest.”
Gentry reached over and held my hand. “Only if you’re female.”
I tried to tug away but his grasp was firm. “What’s the plan?”
“Well, Ms. DeLouch we can either sneak into your house or we can drive down to the river and kill time.”
“Mom’s boyfriend is with his wife or whatever tonight so she will be at the house moping around until it’s time to sling drinks at seven or so.”
“River it is,” Gentry turned the car West on the next side road.
“Good. I got a surprise for you,” I told him.
“For me?” he asked in a silly fake surprised voice.
I nodded. “You’re Christmas present.”
“Good. I have you’re too.”
Sneaking around the last month had become to be the norm for us. It was just before Thanksgiving when he had first kissed me for the second time. In his parents kitchen out of frustration over whatever we were fighting about before storming off. Now we had our understanding and our rhythm.
We pulled into our spot by the Illinois river bank and Gentry jumped out to get a package from the trunk. He got back in and we leaned our seats way back to give us as much room as the bucket seated, small car allowed.
I quickly fished the small box containing Gentry’s present from the front of my back pack, careful of the smooth paper. He handed me a large box with Rudolph wrapping paper and a red bow. “Open it,” he said trying to mask his excitement.
I slowly removed the bow and ripped into the paper. He handed me a pocket knife from under his front seat and I cut open the box, pulling out a sleek dark blue very ‘cool’ and very pricey book bag.
“I love it,” I gushed scrambling to give him a hug.
“You’ve had yours forever and you don’t carry a purse just your books everywhere. I didn’t know how to buy books so I bought something to carry them in.”
In our school looks were of utmost importance. Name brand style was demanded and I lacked those things. It had caused me to struggle with my insecurity, at least before Gentry. There was something about seeing the most popular and beautiful girls in town try to catch his eye and knowing that he was faithful to me and me only.
I handed him his box and watched him tear into it. He opened it to find a silver belt buckle with the initials ML embossed on the front.
“I love it,” he said looking it over and I smiled sheepishly.
>
“It’s nothing special. I found it at one of those pop up stores at the mall that they have around Christmas time selling antiques and other stuff. I saw the ML and it made me think of your Uncle Ed and the Sutton family ranch. Mirror Lake. I know you want to go there to stay. I thought you would like a real belt buckle. Blend in with all the cowboys,” I looked down at my bag feeling embarrassed. It was a silly gift I had picked up used not this perfect bag, tags still attached.
“I want us to go there,” I felt his hand on the bottom of my chin tugging my face up. “Me and you. We could have a life of our own there. Away from this town, away from your Mom. I love you, Krystina DeLouch. I am in love with you.”
“I love you too Gentry,” emotions swelled up in me as I leaned in to kiss him.
“Wait, wait,” he said pulling back and reaching between the seats. “We got to do this all Christmas-y like.”
And so we kissed underneath him holding mistletoe over our heads.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Gentry
“The bank said no, so what? Banks are assholes Gentry. Focus on all the good this year. The cattle crop was strong. No major unexpected costs. This isn’t a big deal, it was just something you had casually talked about. It won’t make or break Mirror Lake. You have Krys here for God sake boy. You got it good,” Ed ranted and I slammed my hands on the hood of the truck.
“That’s what this is about isn’t it? Krystina? That girl doesn’t care about whether or not you grow this ranch by a hundred acers.”
I climbed in the truck, slamming the door and starting the engine. Ed scrambled in the passenger side.
“Krys came from nothing. Teffy DeLouch never gave a damn about her, she never even told her what piece of scum was her father. She went to school, James gave her everything. Money, status, power. Even if his family, his older brothers, his parents hadn’t helped giver her that she would have gotten it on her own. Been some high power player in Boston or New York’s court rooms. Now she’s here and she has real estate agents sending her house listings of mansions. City townhouses, beach front fancy bungalows. If I have a right to ask Krys to stay here for good, I have to prove I can expand and provide as good of a life as she had and better.”
“She’s happier here Gentry.”
I stared out the window aimlessly remembering her draped in Upper East Side attire at Gloria’s wedding and the day I picked her up at the airport.
She had looked amazing. Vouge model worthy. She was perfect in her jeans and boots though I couldn’t predict how long she would want this.
“Happier for now. I have to prove I can do both.” Ed didn’t ask what both was. But I had to be able to whisk her to the city and keep her finer things and be that man to. I had to do whatever it took to keep Krys here. Keep her happy.
We drove back to the ranch in silence. I had a few more calls I could make to other banks but I doubted it looked good. Lacey had hinted if I couldn’t offer soon she had another buyer interested. I didn’t blame her. It had been a few weeks now.
We were the last meeting of the day so it was dark when we got home. A quick scan showed everyone settled in the barn for the night. The crockpot on the counter was going and I smelled chicken and cheese Quesada dip wafting out of it. I knew better than to touch it until Krys gave the okay.
Ed dropped our papers and folders on the desk inside the living room and headed for his recliner. I took the stairs two at a time looking for Krys. She was in her room wrapping more Christmas presents.
“Where’s mine?” I asked peeking through all the bags.
“Like I would bring it in here,” she scoffed. “You are too nosey and would find it. Then the surprise would be ruined.”
That wasn’t helping. Krys had gotten me something awesome and I was still dumbfounded on what to get her.
She quickly pushed everything aside and I flopped on the bed. She groaned that I still had my boots on and pulled them from my feet. She crawled in bed next to me and lay her head on my chest. “Meeting go good?”
“Not particularly,” I wrapped my arms tightly around her snuggling my face in her hair, relaxing into her.
“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, no. if it was meant to be it’s meant to be. I’ll figure it out and if I can’t it’s not the end of the world.”
“If it’s something you want,” she started and I placed a finger to her lips.
“What I want is you,” I kissed her and rolled over on her nibbling at her neck.
Twenty minutes later we were re-dressed and headed back down for dinner. Her long hair was falling over her shoulders as she danced around the kitchen setting the table.
This was so natural, so comfortable. The last ten years didn’t exist today. It felt like she had been right here the whole time.
Ed sat the paper in front of me with the corner folded down on the town jewelers advertisement. He was rooting for a holiday engagement. But it was too soon. Wasn’t it? Because Krystina had been gone for the last decade. Her divorce, no matter how much she says it doesn’t matter to her, it was her marriage and the ending was fresh. Plus, we have only been back together with me done hating her for the last month.
I wanted to find out her plans. Where she was going, what she needed to with her life now. I needed to ask her to stay. To tell the realtors to all go to hell. But a left hand ring? She wore my locket. That was our agreement to wed. That I would always be hers. But a ring meant a wedding date and I didn’t want to rush this.
I tossed the paper down and watched my horse handler pour us three some sweet tea. I needed to figure out how to make me, make the ranch, something she needs to keep in her life permanently.
I grabbed Krys by the waist and encircled her. “What’s your plans for the week?”
“Why? What do you have in mind?”
“Was hoping you could sneak away with me for an afternoon this week. From a lunch date on?”
“I’ll have to see what my hard ass boss has planned. But possibly. Christmas is only nine days away you know.”
“I know,” I kissed her. “How’s Saturday?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Krystina
“Ms. DeLouch, won’t you come in?” the scruffy salt and peppered haired lawyer stepped into the tiny reception area.
The office was in one of the older, basic buildings in what I think is the original part of the small cattle town. In fact, as far as I knew, Ronald Broxton was the only lawyer around.
“Thanks for seeing me on such short notice. The family is handling the sale of the land directly? No realtor?”
“No, no realtors of yet, they thought they had some interest parties on the hook but so far no sale.”
“Very well, I have an offer,” I took a piece of paper from my purse and slid it across the desk to him.
“Not exactly the asking price the family was hoping for. About a seventeen percent decrease. But I have done my research and this is a more than appropriate figure. I don’t have to worry about financing, it is a cash on the barrel offer. Money can be transferred tomorrow at the earliest as soon as the families legal heirs sign the bill of sale.”
“Do you want your legal representative to review the paperwork, the contracts and such?” Broxton asked me placing his hand on his chin as if he were pondering my offer.
“No need. I will be sufficient.”
“I heard you had a legal back ground.”
I beamed. “This town does like to talk.”
“No that would be from my baby sister. Carla likes to keep me informed.”
“I didn’t know Carla had a brother or family in the area,” I paused. “I’m sorry that came off terribly rude.”
“No need for apologizing. I’ve announced my retirement a few months ago. My wife and I want to move south to Arizona and Carla is not happy with me about it. She can be… bossy to say the least.”
“Carla? Bossy? Never!�
� I laughed.
“She told me you were a lawyer, I am looking to sell my practice.”
“I’m not a lawyer. Not yet anyhow. I graduated but I never took the bar.”
“You should. Especially if you plan on hanging around town. It’s not wealthy or exciting law by any means. But the town will need someone to look after them nonetheless.”
“I’m not sure what my plans are at this moment. But I appreciate the thought.”
Ronald had been approved to accept any offer in a certain range so he fell quiet as he typed away on his computer, getting things in order for my real estate deal. The who transaction was setting me back just over three hundred thousand. About a of the price tag on the house me and Jimmy had shared in the city. Only a small scratch in my settlement money.
Delores had money and I have Jimmy’s balls. It was a good trade.
I had hoped that this would be the perfect gift for my Gentry. An addition to Mirror Lake, a piece that had once belonged to it as well. Most importantly the temptation for Jimmy was off the table and hopefully Gentry never had to know my ex tried to undercut him.
Jimmy would never move here but he would purchase land near enough to make Gentry’s life a living hell.
I needed to make Christmas perfect. I had been here over a month and a half. While that was a blink of an eye in relationship time, I needed to make plans. Do I stay on the ranch and take the bar here? So many questions I needed answered. So much I didn’t know.
Things had been so good for Gentry and I, especially since the rodeo. Neither one of us wanted to have the future talk it seemed. We danced around it, afraid. I didn’t miss the city. Not Manhattan or Boston. Occasionally I craved authentic and different cuisine that the ranch life didn’t offer. But that was it. I wanted this life. This life felt like me, the me that was always supposed to have been.
Hopefully, just maybe, this will prove that this is where I was meant to be.
Ronald’s printer started to wiz, spitting out papers. He turned around and put together the paperwork, flipping the pages and handing me those that needed my signature.
Mirror Lake Ranch: Once in a Memory Page 12