Cowboy Boots for Christmas (12 page)

“No! No! Cats in the house, dog,” Joe said.

She grabbed his hand and held it against her cheek. “I swear he’s going to show up on the table in alfredo sauce some night. I would love to go see the kittens, but I’ll have more fun doing mechanic work. It’s been a long time since I got to tear into a tractor.”

He bookcased her cheeks in his calloused hands again and bent at the waist to fall into her gorgeous eyes gazing up into his. Not even Lala had captured his soul the way Callie had since she’d arrived at Salt Draw. No woman had ever made him feel so protective, yet so protected at the same time.

He shifted his gaze to her lips. He had to taste them, had to claim them for his own right then, or his heart was going to jump right out of his chest and die on the floor at the ends of her cute little toes.

Green
light, please let it be a green light
, he thought as her eyelids slid shut, heavy black lashes fanning out on slightly toasted skin, and her lips parted.

“Well, shoot!” Martin said when the anchorman on television said that Burnt Boot would be having school that morning. “Oh, man, I wanted to build a snowman.”

“The snow isn’t going anywhere, and the bus will be here in ten minutes, so go put on your coat,” Callie said.

“Finn, will you help me build one over the weekend?” Martin asked.

“We’re supposed to get at least three more inches tonight, and the temperature isn’t supposed to raise enough to melt it off, so I expect we’ll have enough by the weekend to build a decent one. If we built one today, it wouldn’t hold together anyway, as dry as that stuff out there is,” Finn said.

“Can we have snow ice cream?” Martin looked at Callie.

“You, young man, are procrastinating in hopes of missing the bus, but it’s not happening. Coat. Hat. Gloves, and not those new ones that Finn bought you to work in either. The ones inside your coat pocket.”

He looked at the floor and exhaled loudly. “Okay, I have to do it, but I don’t have to like it. I could be a big help on the ranch today.”

“You’ll be a big help at school today. If they closed, then you’d just have to make it up later in the year. You might even have to go to school on Christmas day,” Callie told him.

Martin slapped his hands over his eyes and headed toward his room. “Don’t even talk like that.”

Finn turned to Callie. “So what have you got in mind for after we do our workout?”

Joe made kissy noises and turned around to look out the window.

“I guess he watched something other than cop shows a few times.” Finn laughed.

“I wish he would have listened to country music instead of watching anything. To answer your question, there’s a ranch to be run and cookies to be made after our workout. I heard through the Verdie grapevine yesterday that the sexy cowboy who lives in this house likes gingersnaps.”

“Sexy?” One dark eyebrow shot up.

“That’s according to the grapevine,” she said.

“I kind of like the grapevine then. You reckon you could put off the cookies until after lunch? I could sure use a driver this morning. Feeding would go a lot faster if you drove for me,” he said.

“If you’d rather have a driver than cookies, that’s what I’ll do. I’ve got a new warm coat and gloves, remember?”

Martin dragged his backpack up the hallway, books clumping along the hardwood floor. “It’s not fair that you get to go outside and help, Callie. I heard you talking about wearing your new coat. I’ll be stuck inside that old school all day, and you get to go help feed. It’s just not fair.”

“He’s a rancher for sure,” Finn said.

“I bet Adam and Ricky won’t even be there,” Martin continued to fuss as he headed toward the door.

“And who are Adam and Ricky?” Callie asked. “I thought Harry was your best friend.”

“He is when we’re in class. But out on the playground, we join up with Adam and Ricky. They’re both in second grade, but Ricky is a little bit older. They’re Olivia’s brothers, and if she ain’t there, then math ain’t no fun, because she and me, we’re the team leaders because we always have the good grades. And if she ain’t there, then the other team leader is Mindy, and she’s just mean.” Martin sighed.

“I’m not sure I understood all that,” Callie said.

“Olivia and Ricky and Adam all live in the same house. If they don’t have to come to school, then she don’t either. They have foster parents,” Martin explained.

Finn laid a hand on Martin’s shoulder. “The bus is pulling up in the yard. Maybe your friends will all be there. What’d you say their names are? Amos and Raymond?”

Martin mumbled as he left, “Yesterday Olivia got called to the office, and she came back with her eyes all red and puffy like she’d been crying. I hope there ain’t nothing wrong.”

Callie changed into work jeans and her heaviest sweatshirt, then checked Martin’s room before she put her coat on. The bed was made tightly, just like she’d shown him. He’d always liked to draw, and his newest creations drew her to the desk. There was a fair rendition of the ranch house with a Christmas tree shining through the window, snow on the ground, and those two four-legged things on the porch had to be Shotgun and Pistol. Another yellow figure was sitting in the window.

“Evidently animals aren’t going to be as easy for you as houses and snow.” She smiled.

She was toting her coat into the kitchen when Finn came out of his part of the house.

“Workout or feed first?” she asked.

“This first just to get me going for a workout.” He bent her backward and gave her a Hollywood kiss.

“Well, I reckon that heated me up enough,” she mumbled.

***

The cows were lined up around the feed trough like it was a Sunday buffet at the local café. Callie kept the truck running, but the heater only worked at about half speed. He was doubly lucky to have her in his life. Not only was the house in good shape, the meals on the table, and the laundry kept up, she was always ready to do real ranching work even if she didn’t like it.

He swung the ax one final time, and an old bull lumbered toward the edge of the creek for a drink. He nodded at the bull and jogged back to the truck, tossed the ax into the back, and got inside in a hurry.

“Maybe we should have Christmas this week. Then we’d be guaranteed to get our white Christmas.” He removed his gloves and stuck his hands on the heater vent. “This thing isn’t throwing hardly any heat.”

“You need to buy a new thermostat next time you’re in town, and I’ll put it on for you.”

“Is there anything you don’t do?”

“Define ‘do.’” She put the truck in reverse, and the tires spun twice before she got turned around. “While you’re thinking of a definition, I don’t knit or crochet or do any of that needlework stuff, and although I don’t mind gardening, I’ve got a black thumb when it comes to raisin’ flowers. Roses wilt and die when I pass by them, and if you’re depending on me to keep those flower beds all pretty next spring, you can fire me right now.”

“I reckon I can do without flowers for a decent mechanic,” he said.

The truck hit a hole and she yelped. “Holy shit! Looks like this thing needs shocks, too.”

She’d barely gotten the words out when a hissing noise and a long, greasy slide send them straight into a grove of mesquite trees. “Dammit! We’ve got a flat.”

“It don’t require knitting or none of that crochet shit, so you can fix it,” Finn teased.

She shook her head from side to side. “I don’t think so, cowboy! Not even if you fire me. I can fix a tire but not when there’s a big, strong handsome man who can do it.”

He pulled on his gloves. “Flattery is the only thing that would make me get out in this cold wind.”

***

Callie expected the rear passenger side of the truck to rise as he jacked it up to change the tire. At that point she’d planned to get out and help him take the blown tire off and put the new one on. The front end probably had another dent or two, but there wasn’t any steam coming out, so they probably hadn’t busted the radiator.

He tapped on her window, and she rolled it down an inch.

“Spare is flat. Shut it down. We’ll have to walk to the house and come fix it later, or if you’d rather, I’ll bring my truck back and get you. Either way, it’s going to get cold.”

“How far?” she asked.

“Half a mile at most. Maybe a little less. We should have saved our PT until after we’d done chores. You up for a second run?” he asked.

“I’m not going to just sit here and wait.” She looked down at the shoes on her feet and wished to hell she hadn’t been so stubborn about a pair of boots. Now she had to walk half a mile and maybe get frostbite on her toes by the time she got home.

He opened the door. “How about a nice little Thursday afternoon stroll, darlin’?”

She looped her arm in his and said in a sarcastic Southern twang, “Are you asking me on a date, Finn O’Donnell?”

“Can’t fraternize with the partner, but it’s a lovely day for a walk.” He grinned.

“Walk, nothing, soldier. I’m going to jog.”

As if on cue, the heavens opened up and snow began falling so hard that visibility was limited to five feet. By the time they’d gone twenty feet, Callie couldn’t even see the truck when she looked over her shoulder.

“I could give you a piggyback ride,” he said.

“If we can live through a sandstorm, I reckon we’ll make it through a blizzard,” she told him.

“Just follow the ruts.”

“They’re filling up fast,” she said.

When they reached the backyard fence, her feet were numb and her fingers tingled. The glow of the lights coming from the kitchen window was the most beautiful sight she’d seen in years. Finn tried the gate, but it was frozen shut, so he climbed over and then reached up to help her when she made it to the top of the rails.

“Just a few more feet, Callie. Martin is going to get his snowman this weekend for sure the way this stuff is coming down.”

“My feet are freezing.”

“You are getting boots as soon as I can get to the store and buy them, and so is Martin. He needs them in weather like this, and you can argue with me until hell freezes over, but you both will be getting boots,” Finn declared.

She didn’t argue. Swallowing her pride was easy when she couldn’t even feel her toes. She didn’t wait for him to be a gentleman and open the door for her but rushed in ahead of him, sat down on the chair under the phone, and kicked off her shoes. Then she peeled off her wet socks and started rubbing her feet. A towel landed in her lap as Finn stomped the snow from his boots and jerked them off. She rubbed feeling back into her bright red feet before she looked up to see where the towel came from. Then the aroma of ginger mixed with something that smelled wonderfully like tacos or Mexican food hit her nose.

A short woman with short jet-black hair and brown eyes set in a bed of deep wrinkles poked her head around the door. “Y’all best go on and change clothes while I put this dinner on the table. Old truck finally give up the ghost, did it? It’s been a good one, but the damned old bastard could have gotten you home before it quit. I hope y’all meant it when you said I could come for a visit. I put my things in the bedroom across the hall from the bunk room.”

Callie stuck out her hand. “Hello, Verdie. That truck hasn’t given up the ghost. I can put a new thermostat in it, and with a new tire, it’ll be good for another ten years.”

Verdie bypassed Callie’s hand and hugged her tightly. “It’s so good to be home. I can move my things if you want me to.” Then she moved past Callie and hugged Finn. “Y’all are about frozen. You’d best get out of them wet clothes and get over there by the fire to get warmed up. I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee.”

“Thank you, Verdie, and you can stay in the room where you put your things. I hope it was clean, and you are very welcome to stay as long as you like. Is that taco soup I smell?” Callie said.

“I hope it’s taco soup, because I’m cold and hungry, and that would sure taste good,” Finn said.

Verdie swiped at her eyes with the tail of her apron and said, “I was hungry for it, but they don’t serve anything that’s got any flavor to it at the funny farm I was stupid enough to run off to. Y’all go on and change, and I’ll put it all on the table. Oh, the school called a few minutes ago. They’ll be letting out early. Bus drivers are afraid that they can’t get through the back roads the way it’s coming down out there. Glad I got here when I did.”

“Did you drive?” Callie asked.

“Hell no! Didn’t have anything to drive. Left my old truck here. I caught a ride to Gainesville with the daughter of a lady who lives in the funny farm. Then I paid a cab double fare to bring me on home.”

When a timer bell dinged, she whipped around and picked up a pot holder. “Last of the cookies is ready. I ate most of the first dozen soon as they came out of the oven.”

“Well, soon as I get into some dry clothes, I’m going to eat that dozen.” Finn grinned.

Callie’s feet tingled as she made her way to the bedroom where she rustled up a sweat suit and a pair of fluffy socks. She towel dried her dark hair and drew it up into a fresh ponytail. She was crossing the room when she realized that Joe hadn’t said a word since she and Finn came into the house.

She glanced in his direction to find a crazy contraption sitting on two bars of the drying rack. It had a brightly colored apron tied around the top of it.

“Damn bird was driving me crazy. He needs to be covered at night and when he gets too noisy. I put a tomato cage over him and tied an old apron around it. He’s sleeping like a baby,” Verdie said. “That constant shit he spits out would drive a woman to drinkin’.”

Before Callie could say thank you, the front door flew open. Martin ran across the floor without even wiping his feet and threw himself into her arms, sobbing like his heart was broken.

“Callie, you got to do something. They can’t go to another of them foster places. I won’t even ask for a Christmas present. I don’t need no cowboy boots anyway. It’s Olivia and her brothers. We’ve got to help them.” The words came out in ragged gasps between sobs.

She drew him to the sofa and sat down with him right beside her. “Dry up the tears and tell me what’s going on.”

“That’s the kids that the Laytons have, isn’t it?” Verdie asked.

Martin wiped his eyes and stared at her.

“I’m Verdie. I used to own Salt Draw. I’m here for a visit. Now tell me what’s happening to the children. They’ve been with the Layton family about six months.”

Fresh tears washed down his face. “The mama is real sick, and she can’t keep them no more, and Adam said that they liked it here and they don’t want to leave, and Olivia was crying.”

“What’s goin’ on in here?” Finn’s big frame filled the hallway door.

“I’ll work real hard if you can let them stay here. We got lots of room, and they’re just little kids, so they won’t eat much,” Martin said.

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Verdie said and went on to explain the situation to Finn. “But Polly used to work for the office that takes care of foster kids, so I’ll call her and see what can be done. Right now all y’all need good warm food in your stomachs. And then we’re going to talk about decorations for that tree in there. Something that big needs more foo-rah on it, and I know just where to find it.”