Chief Cook and Bottle Washer (17 page)

"We've handled tougher things than this,
we'll get through it." Clint slapped Deke on the back and
smiled.

"You're certainly in a jovial mood."

"It's the good company I've been keeping."
Clint winked and started out of the room. "Excuse me, I'm gonna get
washed up for supper unless you need somethin' bro?"

"Go ahead." Deke watched Clint walk down the
hall.

"Sounds like Clint might be coming out of
that mood of his," Cal said chuckling. "And it's about time. I was
worried. Looks like Emma might be just the right medicine."

"We all were worried about him," Deke
commented dryly, as though he weren't as pleased as his father
about the news.

He shot Emma a glance but she turned away.
Deke picked up his hat that he laid on the back of a chair and
nodded. "Don't wait supper on my account."

He handed Sammie Jo to Cal. Cal and Emma both
jumped when he slammed the door.

***

For the next couple of weeks Emma kept her
distance from Deke. He'd been out of sorts and jumpy for the past
few days and Emma didn't want to make matters worse. She didn't
want to make him any angrier and obviously it was she who made him
angry. She didn't know if it was because Clint had taken her into
town when she should have been here, working and taking care of
Sammie Jo. Or maybe because Clint was paying extra attention to her
suddenly.

Sammie Jo was walking much better now and
getting into everything. She had won Cal's heart when she started
getting his bed-slippers every evening and helping him put them on.
Emma watched the exchange of love between them. Poor baby, she
needed a family.

Still, Emma was a wreck trying to keep her
out of things that would hurt her. At first it was little things,
like the TV, radios, and Papa Cal's old dear hunting boots. But
then she ventured into the kitchen and Emma tried everything to
turn Sammie Jo's attention on the few toys she had.

"Sammie Jo, no!" Emma cried out one evening
after supper when Emma was doing the dishes. "The soap is not to
eat. Go get your teddy, honey."

"She's really getting curious, isn't she?"
Cal watched Emma distract the baby.

"Yes, and I'm so happy Rusty built that shelf
over the washer so I could store all the poisons and cleaners up
there. But she's climbing too. Just yesterday I caught her trying
to get into that very shelf. She'd moved a chair over there. I
can't believe she could figure that out for herself."

"They are smart. Half to watch 'em all the
time."

Never had Emma realized what a chore raising
a toddler could be. She thought she'd get some slack as Sammie Jo
got older, but the problems seemed to multiply. Sammie Jo was such
an explorer, a risk taker. Afraid of nothing, and curious about
everything.

It was early on Saturday when Sammie Jo was
sitting on the floor of the kitchen with her juice and a ball to
play with, that she decided to get her own cracker. She had asked
for one several times and Emma had ignored her. Not that she wanted
to deprive her, she just knew she couldn't be hungry after eating a
big meal.

Climbing was a new feat Sammie Jo had become
very interested in and she pushed a chair up to the counter and
climbed into it. She wasn't shy about her new bag of tricks and she
wasn't scared. Straining for the jar, she only managed to push it
off the counter. A loud crash reverberated from the kitchen.

Emma had gone to clean one of the bedrooms.
She thought she heard a noise and realizing Sammie Jo hadn't
followed her into the bedroom as she usually did, she ran toward
the kitchen, holding her chest in fright. What now?

Sammie Jo was there, screaming at the top of
her lungs. She had scooted the jar to the edge of the counter,
knocked it off and broken it in a million pieces. When she had
tried to retrieve her prize, a cracker, she had stepped into the
broken chards of glass and her foot was bleeding. It was hard to
tell if it was serious since blood covered most of her foot.

Emma let out a helpless scream. Deke came
running into the kitchen from the barn, his face a complete storm
cloud, his hands still dirty from working on repairing Emma's
truck.

"What the h–"

"She got into the cracker jar. She must have
knocked it off the counter. I thought she followed me into the
bedroom. She always does. I should have made sure. It's all my
fault. I'm so sorry. I'll clean this mess up as soon as I get her
foot taken care of."

Emma was crying and holding Sammie Jo up to
the sink to wash the baby's foot.

Sammie Jo screamed.

"Oh I know it hurts darling. Mommy will fix
it and make it better," Emma cooed, but her own emotions were
welling and she was in no better position than Sammie Jo.

"Hey now Sweet Pea, what have you done?"
Deke's voice went from brittle to soft and assuring as he took
Sammie Jo out of Emma's arms and cradled her against him.

The calm that was all Deke Travers seemed to
take hold of Sammie Jo too and she stopped crying, "Dada."

"Yeah, well, that's as good as any, I guess.
Let's get this doctored and put a bandage on it. Old Papa used to
tell me that a bandage would cure anything." He glanced at Emma who
still held her chest in fright. "She's gonna be just fine. Just
lacerated the skin. Get the peroxide from the bathroom, Emma."

"Yes, yes of course." Emma dashed from the
room, unthinking, only doing what she was told. She couldn't think
right now, the blood from Sammie Jo's foot had scared her out of
her wits.

"Dada, owie," Sammie Jo whimpered against
Deke's shirt front.

"Yes Sweet Pea, I know. But you're going to
feel a lot better real soon. We'll get it fixed up. And we'll put a
dandy bandage on it too so you can show Papa," Deke said as Emma
dashed back with the bottle of peroxide.

Emma went red all over at Sammie Jo's
referral to Deke as Dada. How could she have come to such a
conclusion? And why Deke of all the men on the ranch?

"I'll need some tweezers to pull the glass
out of her foot. I wanted to calm her down first. She'll be
fine."

Emma's face went white.

"Are you okay?" Deke glanced at her with
concern.

"Just can't stand the sight of blood."

"Take a deep breath and get the tweezers,
honey."

A small word, but so heartwarming, Emma felt
the tears well and stick in her throat. "I'll get it."

When she returned to the kitchen she found
Deke talking very softly to Sammie Jo, and the baby had quit
crying. Emma stopped and stared. Handing him the tweezers, she
shook her head. "You really have a way with children."

Deke smiled down at the baby, "I don't know
if it's all children, or just this one. I guess I picked it up from
dad."

"Now that I can believe." Emma smiled, her
cheeks were still damp from her tears, and her hands still
shook.

"You know you'd do better not to get so
worked up every time this little critter decides to get into
something. It's natural, she's curious. This won't be the last of
it. She's not afraid of the horses either. Dad let her ride with
him the other day and she looked on top of the world."

"I'm only beginning to realize what a stunt
girl she is. But it scares me. She's all I have, and I'm afraid for
her. Afraid for me. I can't lose her."

Deke looked up this time, and their eyes met
and held for a long moment. "She'll be fine. And she's not all you
have Emma. You have us."

Emma was speechless. Us, not him, she thought
vaguely then squashed the notion from her mind.

After he doctored the baby's foot and put a
couple of bandages on her, Sammie Jo, smiled and got out of his
lap. She walked and showed off her bandages to Uncle Rusty, and
Papa Cal when they came in too.

"Why don't you go get your book, and I'll
read you a story before naptime," Emma suggested, sweeping up the
mess.

Sammie Jo scuttled off to the other room.

"Thanks Deke. I'm sorry we are such a
bother."

"You're no bother, Emma." Deke walked over to
her. His eyes held hers for a long moment. "Sorry I've been such a
bear lately, but this water problem has got me in knots."

"I know, I wish I could help."

"You're a big help." He was very close to
her, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath. She wanted
to lean the distance, and go into his arms, but the sound of little
feet brought her quickly to reality. What had she been thinking?
The room was full of people now.

"I better get back to work," she said
breathlessly.

"Yeah," Deke muttered, "so had I. See ya
Sweet Pea," he echoed from the door his eyes going to the baby then
to Emma.

He was talking to the baby, but Emma
recognized the look in his eyes. As though he regretted having to
leave her and the baby just now. She knew instantly that Deke felt
the same way she did at that moment. The rest of the day went by in
a blur as she tried to dispel the feelings washing over her every
time she got a glimpse of Deke Travers.

The following Saturday was Clint's birthday
and Emma baked him a big chocolate cake. She was fond of parties
and had often longed for them herself as a child. Doing this for
Clint made her feel as though she were a real part of their family.
Besides, she suspicioned a party might be good for the young
cowboy's morale.

She planned a small family party for him and
invited the boys from the bunk house. She managed to surprise him.
No one knew what she was up to. She decorated the dining room with
what little supplies she could muster, and set the table
nicely.

Clint turned red when after supper the boys
filed into the dining room, with their spit and polish. "Gee, I
haven't had a birthday party since I was a kid, Emma. You shouldn't
have gone to all this trouble, but I'm glad you did. I've been
smelling your cooking all day and wondered what was up. Come on in
boys and take a load off."

"Just cut out the mushy stuff and blow out
your candles," Cal said with a chuckle.

Clint looked around the table, blew out the
candles and Sammie Jo put her arms around his neck. "Birthday," she
said and kissed Clint on the cheek.

"Thanks darlin'." Clint said and smiled,
kissing the baby on the cheek. "Now, how big a piece do you want,
Sammie Jo?"

Sammie Jo stretched her little arms wide.
"Big."

"You got it." Clint laughed.

Cal sat Sammie Jo in his lap and fed her
cake, while Emma passed everyone a piece. He had bought Clint a
pair of lizard boots which were not wrapped, but he had stuck a bow
on them and gave them to him. Rusty produced a new rope for him.
The boys in the bunkhouse made him a silver belt-buckle which they
fashioned, "All around ranch hand". Clint chuckled. Jake bought him
a new suit, western-cut of course, Emma suspected Clint wouldn't
wear a regular suit.

Deke cleared his throat and looked seriously
at his younger brother. "Clint, I know you've got your heart set on
the rodeo, and you know how I feel about it. I'll always think your
place is here, on the ranch, but just this once, I gave in. Your
present is outside."

Clint's brows drew together. "Outside? Now
what on earth could you have gotten me . . ." His voice trailed off
as he looked out the back door. One of the hands drove up the back
way with a big white horse trailer and a huge bow on it.

"Damn–a horse-trailer. That must have set you
back considerable, bro. Dammit what'd you go a do a thing like that
for?" Emotion choking his voice.

"Well, if I gotta have a brother in the
rodeo, he's going to be there in style."

Clint went to look it over, as Emma watched
from a distance. Deke held back, too. It was obvious the way Clint
moved and checked every detail, how proud he was of the
present.

"You've changed your mind about Clint and the
rodeo?" Emma barely managed to get the words out. She felt as
choked up about the gesture as Clint had been.

Deke turned to look at her. "No–I'll never
change my mind about that. But I guess he deserves a chance to do
what he wants to do. You taught me that." He glanced over at her
and cleared his throat. "I just wish he wouldn't break his neck
doing it."

"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard,"
Emma said quietly. "You're really something, Deke Travers. You all
are."

"Emma–" Deke reached for her, his hand nearly
grazing hers, but she backed up and let a tear roll down her cheek.
"You're pretty special too, honey. This party was just what he
needed."

He reached to gently flick the tear away, and
just as he would have kissed her she pulled out of his reach.

"I've got to get the coffee on." She said and
fled from his nearness.

***

Deke stood in the doorway, staring after his
brother. He heard the crickets chirping, Denver barking in the
distance, and felt the sadness surrounding him when he thought
about Emma falling for Clint.

She admitted she hadn't been able to buy
Clint a present, but Clint had only laughed and kissed her tenderly
on the cheek, explaining the party was the next to best
present.

Deke tensed now. He had to set things
straight with his brother. He didn't want to hurt him, or his
feelings. But dammit, Emma was wrong for Clint.

Later, when the party died down and Clint was
out in the barn putting away his new gear, Deke joined him.

"Clint I'd like to talk to you."

"Sure big brother, what's on that serious
mind of yours?"

"I had several things on my mind when I gave
you that gift. I wanted to talk to you about them."

Clint glanced over at Deke. "Well shoot bro,
get it off your chest. I could tell you've been wanting to say
something for quite a while. I just wasn't sure what."

"I'm not going to lie to you Clint, about
anything. I gave you that trailer for two reasons. One was
unselfishly given, wanting to make you happy, encouraging you to
keep your dreams."