A Rich Man for Dry Creek / a Hero for Dry Creek (32 page)

Garrett didn't know anything about forgiving someone, but he figured he could learn right along with Nicki. Maybe he could even learn about being committed to someone at the same time.

“How can you help?”

The horse nudged Nicki on the back. The twins were waving their arms around and shouting something about swords and fire.

“I could go to counseling with you.” Garrett smiled. “I figure we've already aced marriage counseling. We make a good team in counseling.”

The horse nudged Nicki again and she started leading the procession away. They'd gone a few yards when Nicki turned. “We flunked marriage counseling, you know.”

“We were doing just fine. We only got through the first question.” Garrett decided only a fool would propose to a women who was leading around a dragon being ridden by two little boys. But propose he would. He was working his way up to it. He just needed the right time and some romantic gesture.

G
arrett stomped his shoes on the kitchen porch to make most of the snow drop off of them. He'd scrape them inside, too, after he took his jacket off. The air was much warmer inside the kitchen and Garrett stood in the entryway for a moment after he shut the door.

Garrett saw with satisfaction that a huge stack of dirty pots and pans sat on the counter by the sink. The soft sound of women's voices came from the living room.

He walked toward the voices. “Thanks for not—”

“Oh.” Lillian Redfern looked up and quickly snatched her blond wig back from Mrs. Hargrove. She put the wig on her head and looked up at Garrett. “I was just—”

Garrett could see she wasn't finding the words to tell him what was wrong. “You don't have to explain. I just wanted to let you know I was going to go tackle those pots and pans.” Garrett smiled. “That was a great meal you ladies put together,” he said and turned to go.

“Wait.” Mrs. Hargrove called him back. “Lillian, it's nothing to be ashamed of—you're going to have to tell people sooner or later.” Mrs. Hargrove put her hand on Lillian's arm.

“You're right.” Lillian nodded her head at Garrett. “Besides, you might be able to help Nicki understand when I tell her and Reno about it.” Lillian took a deep breath. “The reason I lost my hair is because of the chemotherapy. I have breast cancer.”

“And there's no reason to panic,” Mrs. Hargrove said firmly. “My niece had breast cancer and she's made a nice recovery.” She smiled at Lillian. “Her hair even grew back.”

“I plan to tell Nicki and Reno this coming Sunday. I wanted them to get to know me a little more first,” Lillian told Garrett. “So if you could keep it quiet for the time being.”

“No problem. I wish you'd told me on the way up here though. I could have taken it easier and stopped in a hotel at night or something instead of just driving through like I did.”

Lillian shook her head firmly. “Then we wouldn't have made it in time for Thanksgiving. No, the reason I wanted you to drive me is because Chrissy said you'd be able to drive straight through. I wasn't up to flying, but I did want to get to Dry Creek for Thanksgiving.”

“I'm glad we made it for Thanksgiving, too,” Garrett added softly.

Mrs. Hargrove looked at him. “I'm sure Nicki is happy you are here, too. You two seem to have hit it off.”

Garrett nodded. “I'll always remember Nicki.”

“Oh. You're leaving?” Mrs. Hargrove looked confused. “I thought you two were—well, maybe my old eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be.”

Garrett shook his head. “There's nothing wrong with your eyes. I plan to ask Nicki to marry me later today. I just don't think she'll say yes.”

“Oh.” Mrs. Hargrove brightened. “Well, you don't know that until you ask, now do you?”

“I just wish I had some flowers.”

“There's an orchid in the refrigerator,” Lillian suggested. “In some plastic box.”

“No, I think Nicki is more a roses kind of a woman. Even wild roses maybe.” Garrett wondered if he could call a florist anywhere in the world and have roses delivered in the next few hours. “I don't suppose anyone grows roses around here and has one left in their garden.”

“It's freezing out there. The roses are all cut back.” Mrs. Hargrove thought a moment. “You could make her a cowboy's rose though.”

“What's that?”

“In the early days of the Redfern Ranch, a cowboy often gave his lady a rose made out of a folded bandanna. They actually found a way to fold them that made them look just like a rose.”

“Nicki would like that.” Garrett was encouraged. Anything to do with her ranch would please Nicki. “Where can I get a bandanna?”

“I'm sure her father had some,” Lillian said as she stood up and adjusted her wig. “Let me run upstairs and check in the drawers. He always kept a package of brand-new ones in the top left drawer.”

“Here, let me get them for you,” Garrett offered as he motioned Lillian back to her seat.

“See.” Lillian turned to Mrs. Hargrove. “That's why I don't like to tell people. Everyone treats me like an invalid.” She turned to Garrett. “I'm perfectly able to climb a flight of stairs.”

“I'm sure you are, ma'am.”

Garrett watched Lillian walk toward the stairs. Why hadn't he noticed earlier that she was frail? That's probably why she'd been so quiet on the ride up here. “Do you think she'll be all right with Chrissy driving her back?”

Mrs. Hargrove nodded. “I'm sure they'll be fine.”

“Well, I may as well get some of those pots in the dishwater so they can at least soak a few minutes.” Garrett turned to leave for the kitchen.

“Good idea. Clear a place on the table so we can fold those bandannas.”

The rose bandannas were easy to make and did look surprisingly like roses. Big, sturdy summer roses. “Now, you're sure Nicki will know what these are?”

Lillian nodded as she tied the roses together in a bouquet. “We used to make them when she was little. She'll remember.”

Garrett hoped Nicki's mother was right. He was counting on the cloth roses to give his proposal respectability.

“You're welcome to use the ring, too.” Lillian nodded her head toward the refrigerator. “I'd love for Nicki to wear it.”

Garrett hesitated. “You know she's given me no reason to think she'll say yes?”

Lillian shrugged. “She seems to like you.”

“But she's convinced that Lester is the man for her. And, to give the man his due, he does know about ranching and cattle. I only know about trucking. I don't see how I could make a living for Nicki and me here.”

“Nicki would have to love you a lot to be willing to leave this ranch,” Mrs. Hargrove agreed.

“That's why I'm saying I should leave the ring on the top of the refrigerator.” Garrett felt the collar of his shirt grow tighter. He'd taken his tuxedo jacket off and rolled his sleeves up to do dishes. “What I'm doing is making a statement to Nicki. I don't think we can expect an engagement. I have Big Blue all packed and I intend to take off after she refuses me. To save everyone the awkwardness, you know.”

“I see.” Lillian smiled slightly. “Off into the sunset.”

“The two of us can see to the last of these dishes,” Mrs. Hargrove said. There was one last sinkful of pans still soaking. “But if you don't send me a Christmas card from wherever you are, I can tell you I'm going to be very disappointed.”

Garrett looked at the two women. Aunt Rose would have approved. “I can do that.”

“I saw Nicki go into the bunkhouse a little bit ago,” Lillian added. “Reno is leading the horse around now.”

“I don't think anyone else is in the bunkhouse,” Mrs. Hargrove added. “We've been watching out the window. Last time I looked, I saw Lester talking with Mr. Jenkins over by the barn.”

“Well—” Garrett rolled down the sleeves on his shirt and reached for his tuxedo jacket “—I guess there's no time like the present.”

 

After Nicki had given the horse reins to Reno, she had gone into the bunkhouse.

The heat was fast leaving the bunkhouse, but the smell of turkey was still in the air everywhere except in the walk-in closet. The closet had obviously been added after the bunkhouse had been built and inferior lumber had been used. The slats didn't match properly and wind blew into the small room.

Nicki rubbed her arms. She'd taken her heavy coat off and laid it on the floor so she'd have something to sit on. Before that she had stopped to tie a full apron around her waist. She was grateful for the apron because no one had cleaned the closet for years and a film of dust had settled over everything. She'd also noticed water spots on the boxes so the roof in the closet must leak.

Nicki quietly sat cross-legged for a minute after she opened the flaps on the first box of china. Her father had wrapped each piece of china in newspaper, and Nicki slowly unwrapped a cup. It felt like her whole childhood came back to her. Her mother was right. Nicki did think of Cinderella fairy tales when she looked at the roses on those cups.

Last week Nicki would have sworn fairy tales were worthless and that it was best to live as though romance and flowers didn't exist. But now, she wondered if she'd just been afraid love would always disappoint her.

The door to the bunkhouse opened as Nicki took out another cup and unwrapped it. The older men sitting in the barn had come earlier to take a few folding chairs and they must want another one.

Garrett stood in the open doorway of the closet for a few moments just looking at Nicki. The white apron she wore was knee-length and it billowed out around her, as she sat with her legs folded under it. The wind had whipped her hair into disarray and it looked as if it was sprinkled with dust. He'd never seen a more beautiful woman.

“So this is the china?” Garrett walked over to where Nicki sat and got down on the floor himself. He had the rose bouquet in a brown paper bag that Mrs. Hargrove had given him.

Nicki looked over, smiled and nodded. “Silly, isn't it? What grown woman likes a china pattern because it reminds her of fairy tales?”

Garrett shrugged. “I can't think of a better reason.”

“You know that pink dress we saw before—the one I thought my mother used to make me wear. I think I had it all wrong. I loved the dress. I used to pretend I was Cinderella.”

“I rather like thinking of you as a princess.”

“Oh, I stopped being a princess. All that feminine stuff—it's not me anymore. I gave up being pretty to be useful. I don't wear dresses anymore. It's all jeans. And boots.”

“Being feminine isn't about what you wear.”

Nicki smiled. “I'm independent, too. I can milk a cow, change a tire, fix a tractor engine, do my taxes.”

“I get the picture,” Garrett agreed. “And none of that makes you any less of a princess. It's good that you can take care of yourself. I just think you should be cherished like a princess.”

Nicki blushed. “You don't have to say that. I'm feeling a little better about my mother.”

“This isn't about your mother.” Garrett didn't think his proposal was going very well. If he'd learned anything about women from his aunt Rose and Chrissy, it was that he shouldn't get involved in a mother/daughter problem. He needed to turn a corner here quickly.

“Well, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better anyway.” Nicki smiled.

“I'm not trying to make you feel better.” Garrett felt his voice rise in frustration. “I'm trying to propose.”

“Oh.” Nicki looked stunned. She jerked her head up so fast, some of the dust even fell out of her hair. “To me?”

Garrett figured a proposal couldn't go much worse. “Of course, to you.”

“Oh.”

“I didn't mean for it to be so abrupt. I tried to give you a hint earlier with the whales.”

“Oh.”

Garrett thought Nicki looked a little white. “You're not going to faint on me, are you? If you hang your head down between your knees and take deep breaths, it will be all right.”

Nicki closed her eyes. “That only works if you're sitting in a chair. I'll be fine. Just give me a minute.”

“I've got all kinds of time.”

Nicki took two deep breaths. “You mean marriage. You and me?”

“That was the general idea.”

Nicki wondered when her world had gone crazy on her. She'd never expected to meet a man like Garrett. He could be in a fairy tale with all his talk of wanting to be a hero for his bride. A hero was a notch above a prince any day.

Garrett had to talk. “I made you something—I know they're not real and you deserve ones that are real.” He opened the bag and offered Nicki the bouquet of roses. “Your mother assured me you'd remember what these are.”

“Cowboy roses,” Nicki said softly as she accepted them. “They're perfect.”

Nicki put the cloth roses up to her nose just as though she could smell them. “I used to dream about cowboy roses.”

“That's good then.” Garrett decided things were going a little better. “Well, I just wanted you to know how I feel. I've never met anyone like you.”

Nicki smiled. “I'm glad.”

“And I want you to remember me,” Garrett continued. “Even if you get married to Lester, I want you to remember me.”

“I will.”

Garrett looked at Nicki. He'd keep the picture of her eyes looking up at him in his heart forever. Quiet glowing emeralds. “I'll remember you, too.”

“I'm going to kiss you now, so I don't want you to faint on me.” Garrett leaned toward Nicki and she didn't move away.

A kiss can be about a million things, Nicki thought. But not every kiss made a woman feel as if she was a princess. It was too bad that every fairy tale didn't have a happy ending.