Just in Time for Christmas, page 27
“What meetings?” Jasmine asked.
“Started them a month ago. That’s another reason I don’t get out much. Sunday afternoons, we all meet in the Baptist church fellowship hall. It’s like AA, only for abused women. It’s our support group,” Lucy said.
“When does she want to start work?” Liz asked.
“She’s sittin’ out there in my truck. Thought we’d check here before I took her on to her folks’ farm,” Lucy said.
Jasmine looked at Liz. “You sure about this?”
“I’ll miss you, but I figured out what I want to do, and Maddie said I could work with the horses. I’ll give Bridget my apron and start work on the ranch tomorrow morning if you say it’s all right,” Liz said.
She remembered someone in the last few weeks saying that change was a good thing. Though she couldn’t recall exactly who said it, she sure hoped they were right.
“I’ve loved working here,” Liz said around the lump in her throat.
Jasmine crossed the kitchen and gave her a hug. “Girlfriend, just because you don’t come in to work every day doesn’t mean we won’t see each other often. We are family now. Lucy, go bring Bridget on in here. She can work with Liz all afternoon and start full-time tomorrow morning,” Jasmine said.
Lucy nodded and headed for the door.
“Lucy takes her mission to help abused women very seriously,” Jasmine explained in a low tone. “I’m going to miss you like crazy.”
“It’s the right thing and the right time,” Liz said.
Bridget was a short woman, carrying about twenty extra pounds and a few faint yellow bruises around her eyes. After introductions, she held out her hand to Jasmine and said, “Thank you for givin’ me a chance. I did some work over at the Dairy Queen when I was in high school, but that was a while ago. I’ll learn fast though.”
“Minimum wage to start,” Jasmine said.
“The tips are really good, though,” Liz said.
“I would work for minimum and give the tips to you,” Bridget said.
“That isn’t the way it works. You keep the tips. Some days they’ll be better than your wages. I pay on Saturday at quittin’ time. At the end of work today, I’ll give you a fifty-dollar advance on your first paycheck for gas to get you to work the rest of the week.”
Bridget smiled for the first time. “Daddy said I can use his old work truck until I can get something better. He’d probably fill it up with gas, but if I can do it on my own, I’d like that.”
“Then get an apron and follow Liz everywhere she goes today. Lucy, you want to pick her up on your way back home?” Jasmine asked.
“I’ll be here at two,” Lucy said.
“Lucy, you said you had two women needing work. What’s the other lady looking for?” Liz asked.
“She’s fifty years old and never worked outside the home. We got her set up in a little garage apartment in Henrietta, but rent is due at the end of the month. We could only help her get situated and pay one month. She’s not qualified for anything,” Lucy answered.
“I’m looking for someone to cook and clean and do a little work around my place,” Liz said.
“She could sure do that.” Lucy’s voice was full of excitement. “She takes care of cleaning the fellowship hall when we leave.”
“Does she have transportation?” Liz asked.
Lucy nodded.
“Send her down to my house this afternoon. We’ll talk. I hate to clean, and I sure hate to cook. We might work up a deal,” Liz said.
“What time?” Lucy asked.
“Three. I’m supposed to be at the horse barn at four,” she said.
“She’ll be there,” Lucy said.
Bridget fell right into the work, and Liz had five minutes of free time just before the lunch rush. She called Maddie and told her what she’d done that morning.
“That’s a good thing you did, Liz. Then you were serious about working more here at the ranch?” Maddie asked.
“Were you serious about me working as much as I want?” Liz asked.
“I was. Dewar, Cash, and I are leaving tomorrow morning and we’ll be gone a week. The hired help will be helping Raylen, and he’ll be your boss. Think you can handle that?”
“I’ll do my best not to aggravate him so bad that he fires me before you get back,” Liz said.
“If you can do that, I’ll start you at two dollars above minimum.”
“Better make it minimum wage, then.” Liz laughed. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll give it a try.”
***
“Did Maddie talk to you?” Liz asked Raylen when she arrived at the ranch that afternoon.
“Not since breakfast,” Raylen answered. “I meant to run up to the café for dinner, but Grandma made fried chicken and it would have hurt her feelings if I didn’t take an hour and eat with her and Grandpa. How’d your day go?”
“I quit my job,” Liz said.
Raylen just stared at her with a puzzled look on his face.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Liz asked.
“I’m afraid of what I’ll hear, but go on,” he said without a smile or a kiss.
“Lucy needed places for a couple of her abused women. One is working for Jasmine. I quit and gave her my job. Kind of like fate tossed them women in my path. Aunt Tressa says when opportunity knocks, invite it in for a cup of coffee before you send it on its way. So I did. Bridget is working for Jasmine, and she’s a hard worker. She’ll do all right. The other one is my new housekeeper and cook. She’ll be at my house at eight in the morning and she’s going to clean, wash, and iron and all those things I hate. And she likes to cook. She’ll have our dinner ready at noon and she’ll leave at two. She’s working five days a week. As of this minute, I’m working for your ranch, and you are my boss.”
The grin that split Raylen’s face lit up the whole north part of Texas. “What’s her name?”
“Who?” Liz asked.
“The new lady at your house.” Raylen could breathe a little easier now that he knew Liz wasn’t leaving Ringgold.
“Wilma. She has put up with years of mental abuse, but she’s a sweet lady and says that’s behind her now and she wants to go on with her life. She’s so grateful for this job, and I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
Raylen took off his hat and slapped the dust out of it on his leg. “How can you afford that?”
“I’m going to pay her with what I make working for you.” She should tell him about her financial situation, but she wasn’t quite ready. “The only time we’ll even see her is when we go home at noon. For now, we’d better get busy if we want to be finished before dark. I’m a horse woman now, not a carnie. I can’t sleep until noon. So, what are my orders?”
“Kiss me and then exercise horses until dark.” He continued to grin.
Chapter 28
Christmas Eve wasn’t exceptionally cold, but it was nippy. The O’Donnell family had decided to have their dinner and gift exchange that day, and then on Christmas day, Austin and Rye could take Rachel to Tulsa to spend the day with the other side of the family. Liz and Raylen and Blaze and Colleen could all go to Claude.
“Got to be accommodatin’ to the other folks,” Cash had said.
Liz awoke in a state of excitement. She’d already wrapped ten presents for Raylen and hid them in a spare bedroom. She had at least one present for everyone in the O’Donnell family and one for Blaze, and now all she had to do was wait for Raylen to come pick her up and help take the gifts out to his truck.
Raylen was running a little late that morning. A mare was down in the horse barn trying to deliver a foal too early and he’d called the vet in for an opinion.
“Merry Christmas Eve,” he said with a sweet kiss. “You ready?”
“Once we get all these presents out to the truck.”
“That’s a lot of gifts,” he said.
“Buying them was so much fun. I love shopping and I got to buy so many this year. Usually, it’s one for Mama, one for Aunt Tressa, for Poppa and Uncle Haskell, and for Blaze. I love Ringgold,” she said.
“Did you buy something for everyone in town?” he asked as she stacked presents in his arms.
“I would have if they were coming to Christmas at your folks,” she answered.
Colleen met them at the door and helped Liz unload the presents from Raylen’s arms and arrange them under the tree.
“So how are things between you and Raylen?” she whispered.
“First, tell me about you and Blaze,” Liz said.
“I’m in love.”
“Me too,” Liz said.
Dinner was loud and noisy just like all affairs at the ranch. Afterwards when everyone opened gifts, the room was covered in paper and ribbons and more noise and laughter.
Liz opened her presents slowly, savoring every single moment and enjoying watching others open what she’d chosen carefully for each one. To have friends so close that she knew what they would like was the biggest gift of all.
Raylen looked strange when he opened her gift—a silver belt buckle engraved with the ranch brand—as if he didn’t like it or she’d intruded on some kind of private ground by commissioning a silversmith in Amarillo to make the buckle. He kissed her on the cheek and thanked her, but something wasn’t right, and suddenly the whole atmosphere between them turned awkward. Before she could ask what was wrong, Maddie dug her phone from her hip pocket and answered it. “Oh, no!” she said.
“What?” Raylen asked.
“It’s that mare we’ve been watching. She’s delivering early. I knew she was too old to breed, but I wanted one more colt out of her,” she fussed.
“You stay here. Liz and I will take care of her,” Raylen said. “Everyone doesn’t need to go.”
“Get rid of those shoes and use my boots, Liz, and you’d better shuck out of that fancy dress and put on my coveralls too. They’re hangin’ on a hook by the clothes dryer,” Maddie said.
Liz was a little disappointed that she couldn’t finish the day in the glow of the family in full Christmas spirit, but she nodded in agreement. She hurried into the utility room and changed into the coveralls, kicked her high heels off and donned a pair of worn cowboy boots that were half a size too big.
Raylen drove so fast that the mesquite trees and fence posts were a blur as they whizzed past Liz’s window. They both rushed into the barn to find the mare down in one of the stalls with a hired hand standing over her when they reached the stables.
“I’m on duty every two hours. When I left last time, she was fine,” he said.
“The vet checked her early, Carl. We both thought we had it under control. It’s not your fault. Go on home to your family. We’re here and we’ll take care of her.” Raylen knelt beside the black horse. “And Merry Christmas, Carl.”
“Same to you and Miz Liz.” Carl headed out of the barn.
“Come on, girl,” he said softly.
Liz dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the mare’s neck. “Please have this foal and live. Maddie does not need this on Christmas Eve. I promise this will be the last time you have to do this.”
***
“How do you plan to keep that promise?” Raylen could hear a chill in his own voice, but he’d felt terrible when he didn’t have a gift under the tree for Liz. Even Blaze had thought to bring something for Colleen, which made matters even worse. But he’d been so wrapped up in getting his gift for her ready for the next day that he had totally forgotten about the gift exchange among the family that day. He gave gift cards every year to everyone. To fancy restaurants for Rye and Austin, to a toy store for Rachel, to a spa for each of his sisters, and a cruise for his parents. Dewar got tickets to a George Strait concert and…
He frowned when he remembered that he hadn’t given Blaze anything, either. Now Colleen would be mad at him too.
“What is the matter with you? Didn’t you like my present?” Liz snapped.
“I love it. It’s beautiful, and I love it. But I didn’t have a thing for you or Blaze.” Raylen hung his head.
Liz walked across the stall on her knees and wrapped her arms around Raylen. “Tell me you love me.”
“You know I do,” he said.
She cupped his face in her hands. “Tell me.”
“I love you, Liz Hanson,” he said.
“That’s the best Christmas present in the world. Now let’s take care of this horse. She’s just about ready. Look at those little hooves coming out.” She turned back to the mare.
“It’s premature, so it’s probably not going to make it,” Raylen warned.
“Oh, yes it will. Little or not, it’s not going to die. That Mama horse has worked too hard not to be able to keep her baby, and it will live,” Liz declared as the next contraction pushed more of the foal out into the world.
It was black except for one white ear and a white splotch on the forehead that faintly resembled a star. Raylen was everywhere at once, wiping its nose, shaking it gently to make it suck in air, and cussing under his breath the whole time.
Liz stayed out of his way until the newborn finally heaved and started breathing, then she helped wipe it down with warm towels. “What now?”
“We baby-sit for a while. See if it can stand on its own, and hope his mama survives,” he said.
“Do we call the vet?” Liz asked.
“No, nothing he can do that we can’t now,” Raylen said.
“Where’d that blaze come from?” Liz asked. “His mama and daddy are both solid black.”
“He’s only thrown one other one with a blaze. He’s won two major races and is almost as famous as Danny Boy,” Raylen said.
At midnight, the mare was standing on her own and everything looked fine. The tiny little horse had fed even though it had to stretch its neck to the full extent to reach his mother’s teats.
“I’m going to get a shower and grab a few hours sleep,” Raylen said.
“Me too. Santa Claus is coming at five in the morning, right?”
Raylen grinned. “Leave milk and cookies.”
***
Liz woke up Christmas morning to the aroma of coffee wafting down the hallway. Without opening her eyes, she patted Raylen’s side of the bed, only to find a pillow and cold sheets. Then she remembered that he was going to his house after the foal had been born. He’d promised to be at her house at five o’clock because Santa was coming that morning. She jumped out of bed, pulled the curtains back, and gave a sigh of relief. The weatherman had said there was a slim possibility of freezing rain, but the sun was peeking up over the eastern horizon. After presents, she and Raylen should have dry roads all the way to Claude where they were having Christmas with her family.
Raylen slipped his arms around her from behind and pulled her back to his chest. “Merry Christmas, darlin’.”
“Merry Christmas to you.” She wiggled in closer and sniffed the air. “Do I smell cinnamon rolls? Does that mean the jig is up? Did you find the milk and cookies on the bar, Santa?”
“I found my milk and cookies. Blister talked me out of the milk and Hooter begged for the cookie so that was their Christmas present. The cinnamon rolls are not canned. Wilma had them in the refrigerator with a note on top that said to heat for ten minutes on Christmas morning.” He led her to the kitchen. Coffee, juice, and two forks were already on the table. He brought the cinnamon rolls from the oven and put them on a hot pad in the middle of the table.
Excitement reigned in her heart. She’d gotten what she wanted for Christmas. A house that wasn’t on wheels and not just any old cowboy picked up under a tumbleweed or behind a mesquite tree, but Raylen O’Donnell. Miracles did happen. She had living proof.
She nibbled at the cinnamon rolls but was too nervous to eat more than a few bites. She’d put out all ten of his presents before she went to bed the night before, had awakened at two o’clock and checked to make sure they were arranged just right and to see if he’d snuck one in for her. At four she woke up again and padded up to the Christmas tree to rearrange them one more time. Still nothing from Raylen.
“All finished?” she asked.
He pushed back the coffee cup. “Wait right here.” He disappeared down the hallway and into the spare bedroom where she’d kept all her presents until the night before. When he returned, he was carrying something wrapped in an old quilt.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Your Christmas present,” he said.
He laid it in her lap, and a little white head and two black hooves shot out from under the quilt. The foal made a noise that reminded her of a baby and looked up at her with big round black eyes.
“Oh!” Other than one word, she was totally speechless.
“He’s all yours, but we have to take him back to his mama. You’ll have to go out to the barn to spoil him,” Raylen said.
Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “The first of my own herd. And I’m going out to the barn every day to spoil him.”
Raylen grinned. “I know you will.”
More tears flowed from her eyes. “Oh, Raylen, I love him. Do I get to name him?”
“He’s your baby,” Raylen said.
“His name is Glorious Christmas Star because of the star on his forehead, and because all winners have to have three names. I will call him Star.”
Raylen cocked his head to one side and wiped her tears away with a white handkerchief that he pulled out of his pocket. “Sounds fine to me, but are you sure that’s a star? It looks more like a lightning streak to me.”
“It’s a star that got smeared a little, but it’s still a star.” She bent forward and kissed the foal on his forehead. “You are going to be a fine racer, aren’t you, Star, and we’re going to win the same prize that Danny Boy did. Your mama did real good, darlin’.” She crooned to the foal. Raylen kissed her on the top of her head and smiled. She looked up and meant to kiss him on the lips but missed and got the side of his mouth. “Now it’s your turn. I’m going to sit right here and hold Star while you open your presents, and then we’ll take him back to his mama. The big round one first with the red paper and gold bow.”
