He took a step forward and she did the same. So sure that he was about to go beyond just staring into her eyes and kiss her, she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. But then he blinked and the moment was gone.
“Thank you for the same thing. See you in the morning.” He spun around and was off the porch before she could answer.
“Dammit!” she muttered. “I shouldn’t even think of kissing the boss, but I wanted to so bad.”
Cade opened the top drawer in his dresser, took out a small black velvet box, and flipped it open. The diamonds still sparkled in both the engagement ring that Julie had worn all that time and the matching wedding band that had never been on her finger.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and remembered the day he’d proposed. They’d gone to dinner at a fancy restaurant in Dallas and when the waitress brought out Julie’s favorite dessert—a thick slice of turtle cheesecake—the ring was lying on the top. He’d dropped down on one knee and proposed and she’d said yes without a moment’s hesitation.
Two years later, on their wedding day, the ring came back to him, and his heart was broken. He remembered the humiliation of having to tell all the guests who arrived for the wedding that it was off. He snapped the box shut and moved it and the note that he’d never read again into the bottom drawer. Someday maybe he could get rid of both of them. Right then, it was a baby step in the right direction just relocating them to a different place.
Even though it was late, he wasn’t sleepy, so he headed down the hallway toward the kitchen. Surprised to see a light on, he peeked around the doorjamb to see Justin sitting at the table with a glass of warm milk.
“Come on in. Peanut butter is in the cabinet if you’re hungry. You were down at the girls’ bunkhouse pretty late,” Justin said.
“Yes, I was.” Cade set about making a PB&J sandwich and pouring a glass of milk for himself. “Want me to top off your glass?” he asked Justin.
“No, I’ve had enough. You’ve been spending a lot of time with her,” Justin said.
“Yes, I have,” Cade answered. “We talked. Not that it’s any of your business but there was no hand holding, kissing, or sex.”
“I didn’t ask.” Justin grinned. “She’s a pretty woman and fits in right well with all of us. It’s way past time for you to move on from Julie, brother. But until you do, it’s not fair to lead Retta on.”
“Not leadin’ her on.” He sat down at the table. “And I keep tellin’ all of you that I’m over Julie. It’s been two years.”
“I might believe that someday, but not this one.” Justin pushed the chair back and carried his dirty dishes to the sink. “Good night. See you in a few hours. Don’t be late to breakfast. You know that upsets Mavis.”
Cade gave him a thumbs-up sign and mumbled, “Good night.”
He’d wanted to kiss Retta but she wasn’t a bar bunny and she’d just recently lost her father, her farm, and practically everything she owned. It wouldn’t be fair to her to take advantage of her vulnerability.
“But, I wanted to hold her in my arms and feel her mouth on mine so bad,” he whispered.
The sun was bright that morning when two vans came down the lane from the paved road, throwing a cloud of dust behind them. Retta shaded her eyes with her hand and could almost see the excitement bouncing around among everyone on the porch with her. It was like Christmas day when she was a little girl and her parents could hardly wait for her to open her presents.
The door slid open on the first van and a lanky, red-haired kid got out first. His eyes darted around, taking in the area. Finally, a half smile broke out when he saw Beau. The dog ran toward him and the boy dropped down on his knees to hug the animal.
“Hello, Benjy,” Mavis called out.
He ducked his head and cut his eyes up at her. “Hi, Mavis.”
Retta stepped off the porch. “I’m Retta. You are quite an artist.”
“Thank you.” He rose to his feet and with Beau right beside him, slowly made his way up the porch steps. “Hi, Skip. The sun is shining and it’s a hot day. It’d be a good day to bale hay.”
“Yes, it is, son. We like it when the sun shines, don’t we?”
Benjy nodded, serious. “I’m hungry. The stomach growls when it needs food and I didn’t eat breakfast, which is the most important meal of the day. Kirk is mean and I don’t like him.”
Skip smiled down at the boy. “Then why don’t we all go inside and have a snack. Mavis has made some real good muffins. She’s got blueberry and chocolate chip.”
“I don’t like blueberries. They look like ticks on dogs. I saw that on the Discovery Channel and read about it in a biology book. Chocolate is better.” Benjy opened the door and went inside.
Cade whispered to Retta, “He’ll be sitting at the table when we get there with his hands folded in his lap.”
Three more boys scrambled out of the van in a hurry but then stopped to try to take in the whole place with eyes as big as saucers.
Skip motioned them inside. “Hey, all you guys, just stow your stuff here on the porch. We’ll have a snack before we take it to the bunkhouse.”
Retta’s pulse kicked up a little as she waited for the next van to park. The first person out was a short lady with long brown hair. She wore a cute little suit and serviceable heels. When she opened the back door four girls piled out and, like the boys had done, tried to take in the surroundings with a single glance.
Cade left the porch and stood in front of the three other boys and the four girls. “Welcome to Longhorn Canyon. This is my brother, Justin, right here.” Cade pointed to his left and then to his right. “And Levi, our friend and foreman. They will unload your things onto the porch so these good drivers can be on their way. While they do that we’ll all go inside for a morning snack and get acquainted. So follow me and I’ll show you to the dining room.”
Levi and Justin stood to one side as they filed in with Cade leading the way, and then they hurriedly moved the kids’ sacks, suitcases, and duffel bags to the porch.
“Aren’t the drivers coming inside?” Retta asked Skip.
“No, they’re on the clock. We hire the two cars to pick them up at the Department of Human Services in Dallas and drive them here. Right now we’d best get on in the dining room so we can put names to all these new faces,” he said.
When Retta and Skip reached the dining room, the kids were standing back, girls huddled together in one area and the boys in the other. The only one that seemed even semicomfortable was Benjy, and he was sitting there like a little statue, looking straight ahead.
Cade sat down beside him. “So you think it’s a good day to bale hay, Benjy?”
“A small square hay bale weighs about fifty pounds. Kirk is mean.”
“Why do you say that?”
Benjy turned his head toward Cade but kept his eyes on the boy who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest. “That’s the weight of a bale on this ranch. Some can weigh a hundred pounds but I can’t lift that much. Kirk says I’m an idiot but my granny says I’m smart.”
“You are weird,” Kirk said.
Skip clamped a hand on Kirk’s shoulder. “You could learn a lot from Benjy if you just listen to him.”
“Yeah, right.” The kid shrugged off Skip’s hand and swaggered toward the table in jeans that were a couple of inches too short and shoes that slipped up and down on his heels.
Justin and Levi arrived as Mavis was putting two plates of muffins in the middle of the table. Skip brought in two pitchers of milk and put one on either end and then went back for a bowl of fresh fruit.
Mavis followed him and brought out a tray of sliced cheese and crackers. “Now boys on that side with Skip and Levi. Girls on this side with me and Retta. And Cade and Justin will have the end chairs. You’ll see a little card in front of the chairs where you are supposed to sit.”
“And that’s the way we’ll sit every time we come to this table,” Cade said.
The girls moved
slowly toward the table and found their places. Retta sat down in the place that put her next to Cade. Justin took the other end with Benjy next to him. Levi sat down next to two of the other boys. That left Skip and Kirk between him and Cade.
“Thank you for not letting Kirk sit beside me,” Benjy said.
“I didn’t want to sit by you,” Kirk smarted off.
Benjy didn’t even look his way. “Where is Gussie? I didn’t see her or Hard Times.”
“They’re around,” Levi said. “When they hear that you are here, they’ll be comin’ to see you for sure.”
“Okay, remember where you are right now,” Cade said. “We won’t keep the name cards except today.”
“We’ve got a lot planned for you while you are here and we want you to have a good time,” Justin said.
“This is a real ranch and we’ll be doing some work and having a lot of fun,” Levi chimed in.
“And I’ll be staying with you boys in the bunkhouse,” Skip said.
“I want an apple, please,” Benjy said. “You need to plant an apple tree. Apples have vitamin C and no cholesterol.”
Cade reached and got a shiny one from the top of the bowl and handed it to Benjy. “I’d like it if you gave me a picture of the bunkhouse. I’ll frame it and put it on the wall with the others.”
Benjy nodded. “Thank you. Oranges have more vitamin C, but they are messy.”
“He really does remember everything he reads,” Retta whispered to Cade.
“Yep.” He nodded. “Retta is going to start the introductions. Please stand up and tell us your age, name, and anything else you’d like us to know.”
Retta pushed back her chair and stood to her feet. “My name is Retta and I’m the supervisor for you girls, and the lady who made these wonderful muffins is Mavis. Now it’s your turn to tell us your names, starting right here.” She pointed at the little girl next to her.
“I’m Faith. I’m eleven and that’s all any of you need to know about me,” she said with a hard look at Retta. Purple streaks in her blond hair, blue eyes that flashed more than a little anger, and the tattoo of a heart on her shoulder. Retta could already tell that she’d be the one who would require watching.
“Gabby, and I’m eleven, too,” the next one said. She was dark haired and looked Hispanic, with big brown eyes and cute little dimples when she smiled nervously.
“Alice, and I’m ten.” The third one’s voice was barely above a whisper. Freckles across her nose. Light brown hair in braids and green eyes.
“Sasha, and I’m twelve.” The last one looked like she might break into tears. Cute little thing with red hair that kinked all over her head. Retta was not looking forward to helping her take care of that.
“Boys?” Justin said.
Benjy’s eyes went to Cade, who nodded at him.
“I am Benjy and I’m twelve. I like coming to this ranch and my granny told me to be a good boy and I will.” He pronounced each word distinctly.
He was average height for a twelve-year-old boy and built on a fairly slim frame. Retta saw shyness and wished that she could do something, anything, to help him.
“I’m Nelson. I’m ten.” He had blond hair, green eyes, and a fair complexion that would burn in the sun.
“Ivan and I’m ten, too.” Mixed race with that kinky black hair and dark brown eyes.
“Kirk and I’m eleven.” He almost growled. Brown hair cut short and hazel eyes that looked like they could cut steel with a glance.
Retta memorized their names. According to her former employer, the ability to learn names so fast was a gift, but in truth her father had taught her the art when she was a little girl. Thinking of him being young and strong brought about a fresh lump in her throat.
“Okay, now that we know everyone, Justin, you can start that plate of chocolate chip muffins around the table, and, Skip, you can take care of the cheese and crackers. I expect that Cade can reach the fruit bowl easiest,” Mavis bossed. “And for all you kids’ information, Skip is my husband and we’ve been part of this ranch for more than fifty years.”
“We’ll have break time every morning,” Cade said. “We’ll meet right here or if we’re out too far on the ranch to get back, we’ll take a snack with us. Today you have the rest of the morning to get your gear stowed away in your rooms, and after lunch we’ll begin to learn about workin’ together as a team.”
“I don’t give a damn about cows and pigs.” Faith crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll just stay in my room.”
“Did you read the paper that you signed?” Cade asked.
Her eyes cut around toward him in defiance. “No, I didn’t have a choice anyway. It was this or juvie hall for the whole summer.”
“Well, the document said that you will obey orders, do what you are told, and be a team player, so that’s exactly what you will do or you can go back to juvie right now,” he said.
Cade’s tone wasn’t cold but it left no room for wiggling. He stared right into Faith’s eyes and said, “Your choice, but you have to make it now. If you decide to stay with us, you will do whatever the rest of us are doing. You will participate in the events and the work.”
Her chin dropped to her chest. “I’ll stay, but I don’t have to like it.”
“No, you do not,” Retta said. “But you might learn to like it if you give it a chance. Now I see the muffins are coming your way. Don’t take all of them. I’m next in line and chocolate is my weakness.”
Cade appreciated Retta taking the initiative. That let her girls know that she wasn’t going to back down from them and that she would uphold what he called house rules. He took the plate from her hand, took off two, and passed it on.
“I’m a sucker for chocolate too, and I’ll get you a copy of what each kid signed before they came here. The social workers who chose the kids explained it to them in full,” he whispered.
“Appreciate it,” she said.
Yes, sir, he’d sure hired the right woman for the job, all right.
At the end of the break there wasn’t a crumb or a piece of fruit left. Cade wouldn’t be a bit surprised if a few apples and oranges had been hidden away in their pockets. That wasn’t at all unusual for the first few days, but then as time went on, they’d begin to see that there wouldn’t be a time when they would go hungry, and hiding food would stop.
“Okay, ladies.” Retta stood up. “Break time is finished. Now let’s go down to our cabin and get our things put away. After that is a hay wagon for a tour of the ranch.”
“Whoopee,” Faith said sarcastically.
“I give demerits for bad behavior. When you get ten you get extra cleanup duty. That little remark is your warning. Next time it’s a demerit, so suck it up, lady, and make up your mind to enjoy being here,” Retta said.
The girl opened her mouth but snapped it shut without saying a word when Retta held up her forefinger.
“Do you do that too, old man?” Kirk sneered at Skip.
“Nope. If you sass me or act out, I take you out to the back woods, give you a pocketknife and let you find your way home. The knife is to use to catch your food and cut kindlin’ with so you can eat it cooked and not raw. And from now on, that’s yes sir and no sir, not old man,” Skip said.
Kirk glared at him.
Skip removed a knife from his pocket and held it out.
“Yes, sir,” he said coldly.
“Okay, then, guys, we’ve got work to do before we come back here for some of my wife’s smothered steak and mashed potatoes at noon. And you’d better eat good because the hay ride will take a while.” Skip put the knife back in his pocket and winked at Cade.
There was always one rotten apple in the barrel at first. But without exception so far, they’d managed to turn that bad one into a good kid by the time they all went home in July. However, it was usually only one surly kid they had to contend with, not two, so this year might be a challenge.
“She’s proving her salt,” Levi said when they were a
ll gone.
“Yep,” Cade said.
“But I can see the way you look at her.”
“I’m a big boy and I can take care of myself,” Cade shot back as he grabbed his hat and headed out the back door.
He started down to the boys’ bunkhouse but kept walking when he got there. Skip needed to establish his role, and if Cade stepped in to help, it could undermine his authority. This wasn’t a boot camp for errant kids, but getting things running smoothly always took a few days. To do that both Skip and Retta needed their own methods and time.
The girls had barely gotten inside the cabin when Gabby picked up a plastic bag and Faith, most likely with a bad taste still in her mouth from being called down, started yelling.
“That’s my stuff and you don’t touch it,” she screeched.
“It’s my bag because I tied all mine with a pink ribbon and you don’t have any right to holler at me.” Gabby bowed right up to her.
Alice and Sasha cowered in the corner of the room, evidently afraid to touch any of the baggage in the middle of the room.
Retta stepped between them. “Take the ribbon off the bag and dump it on the sofa.”
Gabby carefully untied the narrow ribbon and shoved it into her pocket. “See, it’s all my stuff. Shirts, bras, and panties that my foster mother put in there for me.”
Faith picked up another bag, made a big, dramatic production of showing Retta that it didn’t have a pink ribbon on it and said, “I’m not bunking in the same room with her.”
“You would if we had bunk beds but as it is, you each get your own room. You do have to share a bathroom, and it will be for showers or using the toilet. You have a small sink and mirror in each of your rooms to brush your teeth and primp by,” she said.
“You mean we get our very own bedroom?” Sasha asked.
“Exactly.” Retta had planned on letting them choose their rooms even though they were all alike but she changed her mind. “Faith, you get that one.” She pointed. “Sasha is next to her, then Alice and then Gabby.”
“And whose is that one?” Faith pointed to the last door.
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