Raining In My Heart (Book One of the McKay's) (26 page)

***

"Can't hurt. Do you want them to get together?" the old man asked as he continued to curry the horse.

"I think so. It'd be nice having a mom and a dad. Like other kids. I love them both, very much, but
M
om can be so stubborn sometimes. And
D
ad seems kind of shy
around women
."
Kellie
closed the door and watched
Caleb
work.
"I think they have feelings for one another.
I mean feelings they don't know how to talk about.
Grown-ups!
"

"Well
,
don't just stand there, get yourself
a brush and curry that horse your dad brought in
,
"
Caleb
instructed.

Kellie
laughed. "That's what I like about you,
Caleb
, you treat me the same as any of the men that work here.
You sorta make me feel at home, as though I belong here.
Sometimes I wish I could just go off and live with you. We get along so well."

"For a fact we do
.
"
Caleb
chuckled. "And I'd like that at times. But you'd get tired of living with an old man, and I'd get tired of all your questions all the time. I think you better put your money on your mom and dad."

"Do you think they'll get together?"
Kellie
asked
,
unaware of the excitement in her voice.

"Could be, they certainly found something they liked about each other. And that something is important too. Given time, maybe they will. But don't you fret, God has a way of taking care of the meant
-
to
-
be
'
s."

"You believe in God
,
Caleb
?"
Kellie
approached him now
,
her brow furrowing
.

He nodded. "Shore do, don't you?"

She shrugged
.
"I guess, never thought much about him. Mom and I didn't go to church much. But since I've been here
,
I go every Sunday. I like i
t, except I don't know what the
Sunday
S
chool
T
eacher is talking about most of the time.
That's a little embarrassing.
"

"Don't matter, what matters is that you believe
.
Come here, let me show you something."
Caleb
grabbed her hand and pulled her to the barn door and pointed a finger at the ridge where the sun was setting. "See that?"

"What?"
Kellie
asked
,
looking about.

"The sunset
,
you goofas."

Kellie
nodded
.
"So?"

"So, who you think made a sunset like that?"

"I don't know. I guess God…"

"And don't be forgettin' he's watchin' after you too."

"He is…
?
"

"Always has….
Tell you what, you come to the barn after your chores
are
done and after we curry the horses we'll read a chapter in the bible together every day, then one day you'll be as smart as the Sunday School Teacher. How about that?
"
Caleb
closed the door and went back to his curry comb.

"You'd do that for me?"
Kellie
questioned
,
coming closer.

"Shore would. I have found in my older age I enjoy reading from the good book, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather read it with…than you."

"Why do you like me so much?"
Kellie
asked
,
screwing up her face.

"'Cause you
’
re a horse woman, that's why. And I like horse people." He winked at her.

A silence prevailed as
Kellie
began to curry one of the other horses.
Caleb
finished his horse and came to stand at the stall door.
"
So
,
what do you think of your aunts?"

K
ellie
paused for a moment
.
"I like them all. I wish we'd have come sooner, they all treat me special. And each one is so different. I like that
, too
."
Kellie
smiled. "Aunt Letty is sort of snobby, but she can be funny too, she says what she thinks and she doesn't care what anyone thinks
about it
.
Sandy
, she's a little shy but she's always cooking such great stuff.
She's going to teach me to cook too.
Wendy
has a lot of energy and likes to go riding a lot. She always invites me to go with her, and I usually do.
But I think she likes
Mr.
Wade
.
The way she looks at him and all.
"

"
Wendy
, the youngest one?"

"Yeah…she's always watching him. But I'm not sure what he thinks of her. He treats her like one of the guys."

"That's
Wade
all right. I never noticed
Wendy
liking
Wade
, I wonder why?"

"Men don't think about romance, least that's what Mama always said."

"
Well girlie
,
you got lots of family now, and once they are married off you'll have a bigger family
,
"
Caleb
mumbled.

"Wish some of them had kids…"

"Give it time…."
Caleb
eyed her.
"Would you like a brother or sister yourself?"

"I don't know…I thought so once, but now, I don't know. I guess if they get together it could happen, huh?"

"It sure could…"

"I think if they get together I won't care. I'll be so happy."

***

"So
,
would you like to go out on Friday?"
Cade
asked as
Julie
was hanging some wash on the line outside.

Julie
stopped in mid-air. "Oh…oh
,
well
.
"
S
he shrugged. "Yes, that sounds good. Where will we go?"

"
Orwell
's got a new band, thought we could take in a supper at the Railhead and check them out afterwards, what do you think?"
Cade
asked.

"Sounds nice
.
"
Julie
smiled.
"I haven't gotten out much since I've come back."

"Good, Friday then, around six?"
h
e asked, pushing his hat back.

"Okay, I'll be ready." She nodded.

Cade
walked off.

"Well, it's started
,
huh?" Letty whistled and smiled.

Julie
glanced in Cade's retreating figure
.
"Yes, I guess it has."

Letty grabbed one of the garme
n
ts and hung it up
.
"Where you going?"

"The Railhead then to hear
Orwell
's new band
,
"
Julie
informed her.

"Hmm…nice first date." Letty chuckled. "Good luck."

"What do you really think?"
Julie
stopped
Letty
from running off.

"Tell you next month and
let me know
how anxious you are to go out with him again." Letty laughed.

Julie
didn't want to admit it, but she felt a keyed
-
up excitement about the date. Despite what everyone thought, dating Cade was appealing, more appealing than anyone knew.
It startled her when
Cade
told
Kellie
he loved her, but she was sure he meant it hypothetically.

Still, she didn't want to read more into his actions than was there. It had been
Kellie
's idea and not Cade's.

She saw
Kellie
in the hallway as she went to put the clothes basket up
.
"Well, you got your wish, we're going out this Friday."
Julie
tried to make light of the date.

"Sounds good
,
Mom,"
Kellie
answered without a backward glance.

Julie
had just enrolled her in school and
Kellie
's mind must have been on that, she decided as she went to her room.

She glanced at the closet and
grimaced. What could she wear on a date?
She hadn't been on a date in a while. Once
Jim
had proposed, they rarely went out. But with Cade
,
dating meant wearing cute jeans and
a
blouse that would knock him dead, not a dress with a split down the middle. She nodded. When a girl dated these days she had to take into account who she was dating
and exactly where she was going
.
Good, she'd buy a new pair of jeans and find herself a cute blouse either in her closet or Letty's. That was a no worry.

When her sisters found out
,
they all congregated in her room and teased her.

"I wish
Wade
would get the idea…"
Wendy
groaned.

"I've noticed him looking at you a lot. And the day they read the will, his eyes were glued to you, and you alone."
Julie
smiled and pulled out a blouse, but Letty shook her head.

"Not that one…that's for sure."

Julie
hung the blouse in the closet and rummaged through it for another.

"We get along great while we're working, but he'd never ask me out. The boys all kid him that I
’
m jail bait. As if I was a teenager or something."
Wendy
sighed.
"They just don't get it, I've grown up too."

"Well, maybe you should dress differently,"
Sandy
suggested.

"What
?
W
ear a down to my navel blouse or something
?
"
Wendy
giggled.

"No…but something a little more alluring than those cowboy shirts you wear most of the time. A cute sweater, or a romantic blouse would be nice, every now and then. Bat your eyes at him, flirt a little
,
"
Letty
suggested.

"Flirt?"
Wendy
got up off the bed
.
"
Wade
wouldn't know a flirt if he saw one.
He's all business.
"

"All men recognize the signs. You gotta let him know you know you are a woman before he'll see you as one
,
" Letty insisted.

"Then pick me out a blouse
.
"
Wendy
laughed jokingly.

"Sure honey, how about this
?
"
Julie
pulled out a lame gold top that hinted at the bust and sparkled everywhere.

"Too much
.
"
Wendy
shook her head.

Letty went to the closet
.
"Hmm….how about this little number, cool little blue that begs to be touched
?
"
They all laughed.

"You're all crazy
;
I can't work in something like that
.
"
Wendy
snickered.

"We don't expect you to work at
all, honey
.
"
Julie
laughed, tossing her
hai
r over her shoulders and applying
her make-up until
it was
perfect the
n
sprayed with a light perfume and checked herself
in the mirror
again.