Best of Cowboys Bundle

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Barbara White Daille, Judy Christenberry, Christine Wenger, Shirley Rogers, Crystal Green, Nina Bruhns, Candance Schuler, Carole Mortimer

  “Okay,” Andy agreed. Then he closed his eyes again.

  “Sweetie, that means it’s time to get up. Go wash your face and I’ll put out some clothes for you to wear.” As she did so, she noted that Andy was outgrowing what he had. She was going to have to sell a quilt just to keep him in clothes.

  Once she had both kids in the kitchen, she made pancakes for Andy and mixed cereal for Betsy. Betsy looked at her breakfast and then at Andy’s and reached for his.

  “No, Betsy, you need to eat your cereal.” After she put a spoonful of cereal in Betsy’s mouth, she added, “I’ll give you a bite of pancake after you eat your breakfast.

  Suddenly she heard John’s voice. “Uh, Andy, can you please go tell John I’ll bring his breakfast as soon as I finish feeding Betsy?”

  “Sure, Mommy.” Andy hopped down from his chair and ran out of the room.

  Debra was afraid he needed her support to get to the bathroom, and that would involve touching. She was hoping to avoid that.

  She strained her ears, trying to hear what John said to Andy, but other than a low rumble, she could hear nothing. She had to wait till Andy came back down the hall. When he slid into his seat, she asked, “What did John say?”

  “He said okay.”

  “That’s all he said? Did he need help getting to the bathroom?”

  “He didn’t say anything,” Andy said, looking at his mother curiously.

  Then they all heard a big crash.

  Debra was on the move almost at once. “Andy, stay here and keep an eye on Betsy. Don’t let her climb out of the high chair!” She raced down the hall to John’s room.

  As she expected, she found him on the floor halfway to the bathroom. “John! Did you hurt yourself?”

  He managed to roll over and gave her an ugly look. “It sure didn’t help anything!”

  Debra straightened. “I beg your pardon, but I was feeding Betsy her breakfast. If you couldn’t wait, you should’ve told Andy.”

  “I know, I know,” John said in disgust. “But I thought I could make it on my own.”

  “Let me get you up. Then I’ll help you to the bath room, like we did yesterday.”

  “Thanks.”

  He didn’t sound grateful, but Debra dismissed that thought. She suggested he get on his good knee and she’d help him stand. They managed to get him upright and Debra slipped his arm around her shoulder and put her arm around his waist. She felt his warmth up and down her body.

  “You okay?” he asked as they reached the bathroom door. “You seem out of breath.”

  “I—I’m fine. I was just afraid you’d hurt yourself.”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Good. I’ll wait for you here.”

  She breathed a deep sigh when the door was closed between them. If he didn’t get his walking cast on soon, she might attack him right here in his bed. Was she that starved for love? She smiled at herself in derision. It wasn’t love. At least she didn’t think so. It was plain old lust.

  When he opened the door, she helped him back to bed. “I’m going to go finish feeding Betsy. Then I’ll bring you a breakfast tray. Do you want more medicine? It might be a good idea in case your fall makes you sore.”

  “No, I don’t want any more medicine. Did you give me pills this morning? Otherwise, I don’t think I’d sleep this late.”

  “Yes, I did, because you were in pain. I have to go now.”

  She hurried out of the room before he could say anything else. The last thing she wanted to discuss was their early morning encounter.

  When she reached the kitchen, she found Andy standing beside Betsy’s high chair, feeding her. “Oh, Andy, thank you, sweetheart.”

  “Look, Mommy, I can do it just like you do. But she’s hungry and she tries to take the spoon away from me.”

  “I know she does. Here, I’ll finish feeding her. Go eat.” Andy went back to his pancakes. “Is John okay?”

  “Um, yes, I think so. He fell down, but he said he didn’t hurt his leg again. I’ll be glad when he gets his cast.”

  “A cast? Will he let me sign it?”

  “How do you know about signing a cast?”

  “I saw it on TV.”

  “Oh. Well, I don’t know. And I don’t know when he’ll get his cast. But it will make my life easier.” And it would stop her from having to touch him. He was a big, strong man. The kind that could hold you in his arms and make you feel safe. She’d never had that feeling, but it was something she longed for.

  Later, when she made John’s breakfast, she asked her son, “Andy, would you like to go say hello to John?”

  “Yeah, Mommy. I’ll ask him if I can sign his cast!”

  “Okay,” Debra agreed. She would’ve agreed to any thing as long as she didn’t have to face John alone. She didn’t want any questions about this morning’s activity.

  “I’ll take Betsy and you can come with us. I think John will like that.”

  She wiped Betsy’s hands and face and picked her up from the high chair. “Do you want to go see Daddy?”

  The baby immediately began to babble “Da-da.”

  “Good girl,” Debra whispered. She went down the hall, Andy in front of her. When they got to John’s room, he had the television on.

  “Hi, John!” Andy said, greeting him with a big smile.

  “Hi, Andy. How are you this morning?”

  “Good. Can I sign your cast when you get one?”

  Debra shook her head. Her son always went right to the question he had on his mind. No manipulation on his part.

  “Sure. That would be great. Uh, can you write your name?”

  “Part of it. Mommy is teaching me,” Andy said with a glance to her over his shoulder.

  John followed his gaze and realized she was there, along with his daughter. “Betsy! You came to see me, too? I’m a lucky guy, aren’t I?”

  “Yes, you are,” Debra said. “Can you handle holding Betsy for a moment, and I’ll go get your breakfast tray?”

  “Good, I’m starving,” he said, holding out his arms for his child.

  Debra made sure he had a good hold on the wriggly baby before she left the room. She didn’t want any more accidents.

  She brought his tray, with the note folded carefully beside the silverware, so he’d see it at once.

  After she set his tray on the lamp table, she reached out for Betsy. The baby greeted her with a loud “Ma-ma!”

  Debra quickly looked at John. He was frowning.

  “I didn’t teach her that. She heard it from Andy.”

  John nodded. “I figured,” he said.

  Uncomfortable, Debra pointed at the tray. “There’s a note from Bill. I told him you wanted to know what was going on.”

  “Are you sure it’s from Bill?”

  “Why would you ask that?”

  “Because Bill can’t write much,” John said as he unfolded the note.

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “Yeah, I wrote most of his notes to you and your mom. I thought maybe you knew.”

  “No. I never saw the letters.”

  “But you did get the money, didn’t you?” John asked.

  “No,” Debra said. “Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”

  He took a bite, but it didn’t stop the questions. “Why didn’t you get the money? I know Bill sent it every month.”

  “He sent it to my mother. She never told me.”

  “Your own mother did that to you?”

  “Not all women are cut out to be mothers, John. She was very self-absorbed. She also took all of my paycheck. I got to keep my share of the tip money since I never told her about that. But it didn’t amount to much.”

  “You worked hard all that time and she took your entire paycheck? What for?”

  “Andy and I shared her small apartment and she looked after him while I worked.”

  “I see.”

  “Eat your breakfast, John.”

  Before he did as she ordered, he asked
one more question. “You aren’t going to leave, are you?”

  She stared at him. That was the first time he’d ever requested her presence. “I—I guess we can stay a few minutes, if that’s what you want.”

  “Good. Did you read the note?”

  “I didn’t need to. Bill dictated it to Jess.”

  “Good for Jess. I guess he knows Bill can’t read and write very well. But he sure knows ranching.”

  “I see.”

  “Did you go to college?”

  “No. I got pregnant with Andy during my senior year in high school. By the time I graduated from high school, I’d been married and widowed.”

  “What happened to your husband?”

  “He found marriage to be too confining and a job too hard to hold, so he quit me and the job and took up drug-dealing.”

  “Not exactly a safe job. Didn’t he care about his child?”

  Debra looked at her son, playing with Betsy. “No, he was too young.”

  “How old were you?”

  “I was eighteen.”

  “I don’t suppose you got any insurance when he died.”

  “No one insures drug dealers.”

  “I’m sorry, Debra. I had no idea—I mean, I knew Bill was sending you what he could. I imagined you were leading a nice life. I had no idea life was so bad for you. It’s my fault Bill stopped sending the money. He told me I could keep most of his salary until we got back on our feet.”

  Debra shrugged her shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. We survived. And nothing could make me regret my son.”

  “Yeah. I guess we have a lot in common.”

  “I guess so. Do you need more breakfast?” she asked.

  Anything to distract him from her life. She didn’t like talking about her past. She’d made some bad choices, but she wouldn’t redo them if it meant not having Andy. She loved her son so much.

  “It’s funny, isn’t it?” John said.

  “What?”

  “My wife had an easy life, but it wasn’t enough. She spent a lot of money, trying to find happiness, but she felt she had to leave. I guess she didn’t really love me.”

  He sounded sad. Debra couldn’t resist patting his shoulder. “I think she probably loved you as much as she could, but she sounds a lot like my mother. She was only focused on herself, and even Betsy wasn’t enough to hold her.”

  He took a sip of his coffee before he said anything else. Then he smiled at her. “Thanks, Debra, for trying to make me feel better. I’ve been a little bitter over my lot in life. I resisted doing what Bill suggested, but it looks like he was right. You’ve been a big help.”

  Yes, she’d done well as a fill-in. But in the fall, he’d hire a housekeeper. Debra was beginning to realize how painful it would be to leave.

  “I’ve got to clean up the kitchen. Andy, are you ready?”

  “Okay, Mommy. Bye, John,” her son said readily. She reached for Betsy, but John held on to his daughter.

  “What are you going to do with Betsy while you clean the kitchen?”

  “I’ll put her in her playpen with Andy watching Sesame Street. She even likes the show, and it keeps them both entertained.”

  “I’ve got a television in here. They could stay here with me.”

  “Are you sure you want to watch a children’s show?”

  “Yeah, I’ll get to see what Betsy is watching. And if I have trouble understanding it, Andy can explain it to me. Right, Andy?”

  “Sure. Can we, Mommy?”

  “I—I suppose so. I’ll go get Betsy’s playpen.”

  Once she had them set up, she ordered Andy not to get on the bed before the familial scene in front of her proved too enticing to resist.

  John lay back against the pillows. In spite of his broken leg, he felt good. He might even say happy. The kids were in here with him; he didn’t have to go anywhere. He could just relax, with a full stomach.

  “Hey, John, look, it’s Cookie Monster!”

  “Does he scare you?” John asked curiously, looking at the blue furry puppet.

  “No. He doesn’t scare anybody. He just loves cookies, like me!” The little boy chuckled.

  “If the cookies are some your mommy made, I think I’m a cookie monster, too.”

  Andy giggled.

  “Why don’t you come sit on the bed, Andy? It’s got to be more comfortable than down there on the floor. You’re going to get a crick in your neck, if you don’t.”

  “But Mommy said—”

  “I’ll tell Mommy I invited you. She won’t mind.”

  Andy agreed and climbed up on the bed. John put him on his right side, so the boy couldn’t accidentally bump into his bad leg. Then he shared his pillows with him, and they settled down to watch Andy’s favorite show.

  But John wasn’t really watching the show. He was thinking about Andy’s mother. What a hard life she’d had. And how sad it was that her mother kept all the money Bill had been sending her.

  She’d probably ended up pregnant because she was looking for the affection she’d obviously not found at home. Then he thought about his own little girl. If Elizabeth had lived, she would’ve been like Debra’s mother. But already he could tell Debra was loving to Betsy.

  “Da-da!” Betsy squealed, trying to reach him over the top of the playpen. Was she jealous that Andy was on the bed and she wasn’t? His child was developing fast.

  “Debra?” he called.

  Andy immediately sat up. “Why did you call Mommy?”

  “I think Betsy wants to get up here with us,” John said.

  “Maybe I should get down,” Andy said and started scooting toward the edge of the bed.

  “No, Andy, it’s all right, I promise.” He could hear Debra coming down the hall.

  “Yes, John?” she asked as she came through the door. Then she saw Andy on the bed. “Andy, I told you to stay on the floor.”

  “I’m sorry, Mommy—” Andy began.

  “Debra, it’s my fault, not Andy’s. I asked him to come up here with me. He hasn’t bothered me at all.”

  “Then why did you call me?”

  “I wondered if it would be all right if Betsy joined us? She seems jealous that she’s in her playpen and Andy is up here with me.”

  “I think the easier solution would be for Andy to get back on the floor.”

  John grinned. “I don’t like that idea. It’s kind of nice to have someone in bed with me. I was feeling too isolated before.”

  Debra blinked at that statement and had to bite her tongue not to volunteer to join him there, minus the kids.

  Betsy added to the mix by chanting, “Da-da.”

  Debra sighed. “All right, for a few minutes. It will be time for her bath soon, anyway. Are you sure you can handle both of them?”

  “Yeah, and Andy will help me.”

  “All right, but don’t turn loose of her. She might fall off the bed.”

  “I promise,” he said, adding a big smile.

  She gave him a strange look before she lifted Betsy from the playpen and put her on the bed between Andy and John. Then she looked at her son. “Don’t let Betsy get past you, okay?”

  “Okay, Mommy.”

  She looked at John. “If he forgets because he’s watching television, make him help you.”

  “It’s not a problem, Debra. We’ll be fine.” John smiled at her again. He found it interesting that his smiles didn’t seem to make her relax. If anything, she seemed to tense up. Why? He knew they’d gotten off to a bad start, but things were improving, weren’t they? Didn’t she think so?

  He was even spending time with Andy. And enjoying it. What else did she want from him?

  Maybe she was just too overworked. How could he lessen her burden? He’d have to think about that, because he wanted her to be happy.

  What was the matter with him? He’d tried to make his wife happy and had failed miserably. What made him think he could do anything to impress Debra?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

&nbs
p; DEBRA was bathing Betsy when the phone rang. She didn’t bother trying to answer. John had a phone by his bed.

  Betsy squealed and splashed Debra again. “You naughty girl,” Debra said with a smile, wiping her face with a towel she’d laid out for that purpose. She’d discovered early on that the little girl loved her baths.

  “Debra?” John called.

  She was beginning to wish John didn’t know her name. But he’d still call someone. With a sigh, she called back, “I’m bathing Betsy!”

  She continued her task, shampooing Betsy’s hair. As she did so, she heard steps on the stairs. She was pretty sure it was Andy. Who else could it be? He must be the message runner this morning. She wrapped Betsy in a towel and gently dried her off as Andy burst into the room.

  “Mommy, that was the doctor who called. He wants John to come get his cast on this morning!”

  “I’m not sure we can do that, Andy. I’ll come talk to John as soon as I get Betsy dressed.”

  “Okay, I’ll go tell him.” Andy dashed out the door as if he were carrying a special message to the president. It worried Debra that he was so involved in John’s situation.

  Like her.

  She diapered Betsy and dressed her in fresh clothes. Then she brushed her hair and put in a barrette. She might be ready for a haircut, soon, but Debra wasn’t sure her daddy would agree.

  “Come on, Betsy. Let’s go visit with your daddy again.”

  “Da-da,” Betsy repeated all the way down the stairs. When they reached the bedroom, Andy was on the bed with John, chatting away.

  John looked up as they came in. “Who is Eileen?”

  Debra came to an abrupt halt. “Why?”

  “Andy mentioned her. I just wondered.”

  “She’s my mother. Do you want to hold Betsy a minute? She just had her bath.”

  “Sure. Come here, Betsy,” John said, opening his arms to his child. That was one thing Debra had noted about John. He was always willing to hold his child.

  “Andy said the doctor wants you to come in this morning to get your cast on?”

  “This morning or this afternoon. He thinks the swelling should have gone down enough and it’s safer to get the cast on as soon as possible. That way I can get to the bathroom on my own,” he added with a smile.