Merry Cowboy Christmas (11 page)

He bumped against her hip and more sparks flashed around like dozens of stars falling from the sky. Everyone talking at once covered Fiona's quick intake of breath, thank God. She clipped the bulb to the tree and took a step, putting a foot of space between her and Jud but that didn't do much for the heat between them.

“I'd offer you a penny for your thoughts but I bet you wouldn't sell them that cheap,” Jud whispered.

Sweet Lord! She wouldn't sell what she'd just been thinking for any amount of money.

“You got that right.” Crimson filled her cheeks.

“Are you blushing? Now I really want to know what you were thinking.” His warm breath caressed that soft spot on her neck, sending shivers up her back.

“You aren't getting them spread out enough. We've only got two more strands and they have to do the whole tree,” Lizzy bossed from the sidelines.

“You worry about your job and leave me alone. The nativity is off center. The shed and manger go smack dab in the middle, or you won't have enough room for all the rest of the animals,” Fiona told her.

“The joys of sisterhood.” Allie winked.

Toby unpacked figurines of sheep, a donkey, a few cows, and a couple goats. “Hey, where is Truman? I found goats.”

“Not even nativity goats would get him out here,” Dora June said above the noise. “The music has stopped. Someone needs to start another CD. I always play music when I'm decorating.”

“It ain't Christmas without music,” Irene said.

“Yes, ma'am.” Blake crossed the floor to the corner where the CD player was located and chose an album with a mixture of country music artists.

Fiona wiggled her hips to the song, “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.” When she stopped and went back to work, Jud nudged her with his shoulder.

“Great moves there. Want to go out Friday night and do some dancin'?” he asked.

“Are you asking me for a date?” she whispered.

“I guess I am. We could go to Wichita Falls or maybe to a place called Frankie's.” He drawled so low that only she could hear him.

“Frankie's? How do you even know about that place?” Her big green eyes widened and she cocked her head to one side.

“Deke offered to take me. He took Lizzy, you know.”

“No!” Fiona gasped. “Does Mama know?”

“Have no idea. You'll have to ask her,” Jud said.

“What are y'all whispering about?” Dora June asked.

“I was asking her to teach me to do that dance. I can two-step or swing dance, but I can't do the shuffle and she's really good at it,” Jud answered.

“It looks like a pagan mating dance to me,” Dora June huffed. “Y'all get on with the lights so I can help put the ornaments on. Audrey gets to put the star on the top when we get done. I promised her she could do it if she wouldn't go to sleep. That way she'll stay awake and then sleep good tonight for her mama.”

“But”—Allie glanced over toward the rocking chair—“she's not even two months old, Dora June. How is she going to put the star on the tree?”

“We'll really put it on the tree.” Dora June smiled.

“Blake will hold her up there beside it like she did it,” Irene said. “Y'all can take a picture of her up there beside it. The rule in our house says the youngest kid gets to put the star on the tree. Who knows? It could be the only year she'll get to put the star on the tree. She might have a little brother or a cousin next year at this time.”

“Bite your tongue,” Allie gasped.

“One never knows what another year will bring. I sure wouldn't mind giving Audrey a little cousin next year,” Lizzy said.

Dora June's eyes shifted to Fiona.

She popped up both palms, fingers splayed out in defense. “Don't look at me. I'm not in the market for a baby, not even to put the star on the tree.”

“Best be careful. God has a way of throwing monkey wrenches into the best plans,” Dora June giggled.

“So no babies before next year but we could go dancing. Last time I checked that didn't produce a baby,” Jud flirted.

“Can you guarantee that?” she asked.

“For sure,” he said.

“What are you two talking about?” Lizzy asked.

“We are going dancing on Friday night,” Fiona said. “But it's not a date. It's just two people going out for a good time.” She tucked the final light in exactly the right place. “Now it's time for Dora June and the rest of y'all to put the ornaments on. Jud and I have done our job.”

“Oh, really? Was I fast or patient?” Jud's eyebrows went up.

“You finished well,” she said.

“I always do,” he whispered.

She started to say something else but noticed that Irene's eyes had begun to dart around the room.

Katy went right to her side and held her hand. “Are you okay, Mama?”

“Where am I? I don't know this place. Did we get new nurses?” Irene frowned.

“We hired help to decorate the lobby. Are you ready to go to your room?” Katy asked.

Irene nodded. “I am very tired.” She glanced out the window. “Maybe tomorrow we can build a snowman if it snows enough.”

Deke had been helping Lizzy set snow globes on the higher places but he turned and headed toward the kitchen. “Let's take Miz Irene home in my truck. I'll feel better if I go with y'all and if the roads get slick, then my truck is heavier.”

“Thank you,” Katy said.

“No problem. See all y'all tomorrow, folks.”

Fiona started across the room to hug her grandmother but Katy shook her head. Allie looped her arm through Fiona's and Lizzy laid a hand on her shoulder.

“She thinks we are hired help and those folks would not hug her,” Allie said softly.

“We've learned how to handle it,” Lizzy said.

“This is so hard.” Fiona swiped at a tear clinging to her long lashes.

“Yes, but we'll be thankful that we had her for a couple of hours. That's a miracle,” Allie said.

“Just one minute, Katy,” Blake said.

Even though all the ornaments weren't on the tree, he fixed the star to the top and held Audrey up for everyone to take pictures. “I don't want you to miss seeing the real thing.” He grinned.

Jud plugged the end of the cord into the outlet and the multicolored lights lit up beautifully.

“Thanks.” Katy smiled as she helped Irene into her coat and hat. “Look at Audrey's eyes. I'm so glad you did that for me, Blake. That's a precious memory I will cherish forever.”

Fiona inhaled deeply. Lizzy was right. They'd had Granny for a little while and that was a miracle. Audrey's little eyes had lit up so bright when the lights came on that Fiona couldn't even find words to describe the joy in her heart. She made a vow right then that she'd always come home the weekend after Thanksgiving and enjoy this tradition. It didn't matter where she lived; she would never miss making memories like this again.

“Carols!” Dora June clapped her hands. “We haven't had a caroling in years. We've got enough folks in this room right here to have one. We can ride on the back of a flat-bed trailer and sing all the old carols. We'll have to figure out an evening.”

“Can you sing?” Jud asked Fiona.

“No, she can't,” Allie said. “But we don't care because she can dance.”

Lizzy nodded emphatically. “Yes, she can. If it hadn't been for her, I'd have been a scared rabbit at my proms. She taught me all the newest dance moves and I was the queen of the prom.”

“Well, if you can dance that well, I'm really looking forward to Friday night,” Jud said.

“Friday night? What's going on Friday night?” Allie asked.

“We are going to visit Granny and then go to a country bar up near Wichita Falls for some dancing,” Fiona answered.

“Oooooh.” Dora June's eyebrows shot up.

“Just as friends,” Fiona quickly clarified.

The eyebrows settled back into place.

“If you aren't nice, I will sing, Jud, so remember that,” she said.

“Is this your song?” He nodded toward the stereo.

Fiona cocked her head to one side and listened to “The Angel and the Little Blue Bell” by Brenda Lee. She had not heard the song since she was a little girl. The lyrics were about a little blue bell that couldn't ring and said that an angel appeared and told the little blue bell that she'd come to dry his tears. She changed him to gold, gave him the perfect tone, and on Christmas Day he could ring.

“No, it's not, because I don't expect an angel to appear on Christmas Eve and give me a voice of gold,” she answered.

“What if it's symbolic of what the angel could bring you?” he asked.

“The angels deserted me a long time ago.” She took a step away from him and went to the turntable. The angels had really turned their backs the day she was born. They had put wings on her shoulders instead of giving her something to hang on to so that she could find a place to light and call home.

Jud followed her. “How did they desert you?”

“All I ever wanted was a place to belong like Lizzy and Allie, but the angels turned their backs on me. I didn't fit into the little town of Dry Creek or in the big city of Houston. Maybe I'm one of those souls who will wander for her whole life and never find a place to call her own.”

“Maybe you need a good reason to put down roots,” Jud said.

“Family should be a good reason, right?”

“Maybe you need more,” he answered.

She found a CD with several of the older country artists featured on it. Loretta Lynn started out with a fast song and Fiona's shoulders wiggled to the music.

“You've really got music in your soul whether you can sing or not,” Jud said.

“Yes, she does,” Lizzy said. “And we've missed that around here.”

“I missed all this,” Fiona said honestly.

Jud grabbed her hand and twirled her several times before bringing her back to his chest. “Don't look now, but Truman is peeking around the edge of the door. He's itchin' to come in here and join us but he's too damn stubborn.”

“Like I told him before, pride is a dangerous thing.” Fiona fell into step to a country waltz as Loretta sang about the chill on the air because Daddy wouldn't be there.

“I've got a cousin in Kuwait right now and he's got two little kids. It puts a tear in my eye when I listen to this song. This was about Vietnam but I'm sure it's the same feeling,” Jud said.

“I'm sorry,” Fiona said.

George Strait started singing “Christmas Cookies” and the mood of the whole room jacked up a notch. Allie put the baby in her carrier and grabbed Blake's hand for a dance. Toby wrapped his arm around Lizzy and they joined the other two in a fast swing dance. The lyrics said that every time she put a batch in the oven there was fifteen minutes for kissing and hugging.

Jud leaned back and laughed. “I got gypped.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Fiona made cookies yesterday, but I didn't get in on the fifteen minutes of fun while they cooked,” he said honestly.

Dora June shook a bright red and silver ornament in their direction. “As long as I'm in this house, there had better not be any of that fifteen-minute stuff. Miz Katy would fire me from my chaperone job and throw me out in the snow if that happened.”

Jud bowed at the waist to kiss Fiona's fingertips when the song ended. “Thank you for the dance, ma'am.”

“You are very welcome,” Fiona said.

Blake slid a more modern CD into the player. “I think it's time for some Alabama.”

“Hear, hear!” Toby agreed.

Dora June swayed to “Christmas in Dixie” as her eyes shifted around the room. Her whole face shined with excitement when she stared at the nativity scene. A big smile covered her face at the snowmen looking out from every corner of the room. And when she looked at the snow globes, she nodded so hard that all chins were set into motion.

“This is wonderful,” she said. “There's something about having all you kids around me that I can't even explain.”

Fiona could relate well after the lonely holiday she'd spent the year before.

“We need presents under the tree. Fiona, will you take me shopping on Sunday after church?” Dora June asked. “We could go see Irene while we're up there. I should be whipped for not going to see her more often. That's saying if the weather will let us.”

“Of course we can,” Fiona said. “Matter of fact, maybe we'll make it a girls' day out. What do you say, Lizzy and Allie?”

Her sisters both shot bewildered looks across the room and she understood them. They'd put up with Dora June's crazy meddling. Fiona had been ready to shoot her right between chin number two and three more than once, but if they were going to turn Dora June and Truman into allies rather than enemies…well, it had to start somewhere.

She caught Truman's frown as he peeked around the door frame again and that solidified her determination. “We'll take Audrey with us.”

 “Oh, that would be wonderful.” Dora June grinned.

Lizzy nodded. “I haven't shopped for this sexy husband of mine and that would be a great time to do so.”

Allie's nod was slower. “I haven't even started my shopping, so I guess I do need to go.”

“Rule number one, Dora June. No bossing us or telling us how to run our lives,” Fiona said.

“Rule number one, Fiona.” Dora June pointed a chubby finger at her. “You need bossing and I'm like your granny. I speak my mind.”

“It should be an interesting day for y'all,” Jud muttered.

It was past ten when everyone finally left, but the whole downstairs was decorated for the holidays. A lovely poinsettia and candle centerpiece graced the dining room table. Red candles with greenery around them were arranged on the foyer table and the kitchen curtains had been taken down and replaced with pretty red and green plaid ones.