Darn Good Cowboy Christmas (31 page)

“Welcome to
Sinful
Pleasure
,” he said when he could utter a word.

“Can we stay forever?” she asked breathlessly.

Raylen awoke before Liz the next morning. He propped up on an elbow and drank in her dark beauty against the gold satin. She slept on her side with one arm under the pillow. Her black hair fanned out everywhere, even covering her face. Lizelle Hanson belonged in a satin atmosphere, not wrapped in a quilt in a tack room. One day she'd realize that; he just hoped she was so much in love with him when she did that it wouldn't matter what kind of sheets she and Raylen slept on. What mattered was what went on between them. He carefully pushed it back so he could see her delicate features.

She felt a touch and opened her eyes to see Raylen not a foot from her.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said.

“I wasn't dreaming,” she said.

“No, but you look like a dream.”

“Hold me until I get awake. Then can we take this out on the water and pretend we are the only two people in the whole world.”

He cradled her into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder and her hair tickling his nose. “We are the only two left. Last night the aliens came and took them all away.”

She giggled. “We'd better make the most of the day. My poppa and your granny and grandpa will wage a war and they'll bring the population back by nightfall.”

He hugged her tightly. “Amen. Breakfast first?”

“Which is?” It was Sunday so her thoughts went to canned cinnamon rolls and bacon.

“It's in the refrigerator and marked ‘breakfast.' You cook and I'll get the boat ready to move. We can eat on deck,” he said.

“I was dreaming about gold satin sex all day,” she whispered.

He ran his hand down her naked back. “Are you sure?”

She giggled and wiggled out of his embrace, pulling a gold sheet around her when she stood up, reminding him of an exotic statue in an Italian setting.

“Nice outfit there, Madam Whammy,” he said.

She did a few belly dance moves, but when she raised her arms, the sheet fell to the floor and she stood before him strip stark naked. “I'm going for a quick shower and then I'll cook breakfast if the directions aren't too tough.”

“Want some company in the shower?”

She put a finger on her chin. “Hmmm. If I get in the shower with you, this big old boat will never get out of the marina. Do I want you in the shower or do I want to putter about on the water?”

He chuckled. “Go take your shower, woman.”

She pointed at him. “Don't boss me, Raylen.”

“Is that an order? Is the lioness cranky?”

“It's an order and the lioness is cranky. She wants to kiss you until your brain goes to mush. She wants to roll around on that bed all day. But she wants to go out on the boat, and feel the wind in her face, and she can't have both. So, she's cranky. And besides all that, my breath is horrid after that champagne we had last night. While I was dancing, I breathed on your hat, and it almost shriveled up into nothing but a little pile of straw. I'm afraid to kiss you for fear it would fog your blue eyes.”

Raylen laughed. “You don't have a bit of problem speaking your mind, do you?”

“No, I do not.” She disappeared behind the tiny bathroom door.

He slung his legs over the edge of the bed and got dressed. He'd love to rent the boat again next week, but Dewar, Cash, and Maddie had to be away from the ranch for a horse show in Conroe, Texas. So the best he could do that weekend was a late dinner date on Saturday night. Maybe he'd order takeout from that Chinese place in Bowie and rent a movie. After a weekend on the
Sinful
Pleasure
, it would be a big letdown and he hoped Liz wasn't disappointed.

Liz had finished a quick shower and wrapped a towel around her body when she heard the engine kick into gear and the boat begin to sway even more than it had all night. When she first saw the houseboat she'd had a moment of panic, fearing that she'd spoil Raylen's beautiful plan, that the constant movement would make her queasy. She'd never been on anything bigger than a worn out old canoe, and that was with Blaze when they paddled out into the middle of the farm pond to fish for bass.

The gentle movement hadn't been any worse than the travel trailer in a good wind storm. And Raylen's strong arms around her had steadied the whole world. Now she was in love with the boat and wondered how much one cost. Maybe she'd put some of her money into one and she and Raylen could get away from the whole world several times a year. Only her houseboat was going to be named
Madam
Whammy
.

She dressed in jeans, boots, and a turtleneck sweater before she opened the refrigerator. Breakfast was in two aluminum pans with direction that involved preheating the small oven and cooking for twenty minutes. One container was marked quiche, the other cinnamon rolls. While the oven preheated, she read the rest of the instructions on the cinnamon roll pan
: Serve with juice (in the door of the refrigerator) and coffee. Use tray in cabinet beside the stove if you are taking it topside.

“Well, duh! I thought I'd ignore the heat and take it up there without even a hot pad,” she grumbled.

She slid the food into the oven, made a pot of coffee, and removed two single serving bottles of juice. The boat moved slowly, leaving the noise and smells of a marina coming awake behind. She looked at the clock on the microwave: seven o'clock.

The last time she looked at the clock last night it had been well past midnight. As a carnie, she would have slept until midmorning. She poured a cup of coffee the minute it stopped dripping and backed up against the cabinet beside the tiny sink.

“I'm not a carnie anymore,” she whispered.

What
do
you
want
to
be
when
you
grow
up?
that niggling little voice in her head asked.

“I want to be a horse rancher,” she answered without hesitation. “I want to be a Maddie.”

“Do I hear talking down there? Are you fighting off aliens?” Raylen called down the hatch.

“No, the aliens are arguing with Poppa and your grandpa. They don't have time to fight with me. They've got their hands full. I heard the engine. Are we on the way to the end of the world, where we'll drop off into fantasy land?” she said.

“We went there last night,” he said.

She poured a cup of coffee and carried it up to him. “Kiss me, Captain Sexy Cowboy.”

She tiptoed and he leaned.

“I love you, Liz,” he whispered.

“You must. You didn't throw me overboard when I was cranky. Is this thing on autopilot or something?”

He laughed. “No, and it's time for me to get back to the wheel. Breakfast about ready?”

“Five minutes. We worked up a pretty damn good appetite, didn't we?”

Raylen brushed another kiss across her forehead before he took over the wheel again. She went back to the galley, located the tray, and pulled the food from the oven.

“Juice and coffee on the tray. Two forks. Don't have a rose in a vase,” she talked as she worked. She added the coffee pot and a couple of napkins, and carried it up to the deck.

The wind was still and the water was a mirror beneath them, barely leaving a wave in their wake as the boat inched along toward the bridge up ahead. She set the tray on the table and rushed back down to get her coat. Even though the sun was shining brightly, the temperature hovered around fifty degrees, and with the movement of the boat, that was downright chilly.

When she returned, the boat had come to a standstill and Raylen was sitting at the table. He'd removed the aluminum covers from the food and the aroma of sausage and eggs and cinnamon blended to make her stomach growl.

“Plates?” he asked.

“They're down there, but…” She shrugged.

He picked up a fork and dug into the quiche. “Sharing, are we? This is good. Momma makes them sometimes for special breakfast.”

Liz dug to the bottom and blew on the steaming egg mixture before she put it in her mouth. She rolled her eyes. “God, that's good. It beats the hell out of Blaze's attempt to make it.”

Raylen smiled. “Try the cinnamon rolls.”

She did and moaned. “They're as good as what they sell at the carnival.”

“Good as canned ones?” he asked.

“Oh, no! They are the best in the world. They mean the gig is up and it's time to move to the next one,” she said.

“Then don't ever serve them to me, Liz,” he said seriously.

“Why?”

“Because I don't ever want this gig to end.”

She reached across the table and touched his hand. “Me either.”

He brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed them. Not proposing to her right then and there was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

***

They barely made it home Sunday night when the cars began to drive down the lane. The very first car load brought two elderly people who parked and headed for the barn. They were dressed in plaid men's robes, belted at the waist and hanging to their ankles. Dark blue towels were held down on their heads with stretchy black headbands, but kinky gray curls had escaped around their ears.

“We didn't have time to go home and change. We just came from a Christmas play at the church. Didn't have enough men to be the shepherds so we stepped in. Hell, the congregation don't know if they're lookin' at men or women by the time we get our towels on our heads and our Goodwill store bathrobes on,” one of them giggled.

Liz followed them into the barn. “Welcome to the Ringgold light show.”

“Would you look at that, Agnes? That's the prettiest damn tree I've ever seen. Folks don't use real ones much no more. And look at that angel up there. Can't buy them like that no more. It's an antique for sure.”

“Belonged to Uncle Haskell,” she said. “Aunt Sara liked Christmas and she must've had a lot of her decorations passed down by her parents because some of the stuff I found isn't available in the stores today. But I love Christmas and I wanted to share it with everyone.”

“I knew I recognized that angel. It was Sara Hanson's grandmother's topper. I saw it once when I was a kid,” the tall shepherd said.

“Shit, Mavis, you can't remember that far back.” Agnes slapped her playfully on the shoulder.

“Don't be hittin' on me, woman. Just because you're two years younger than me and was Momma's favorite don't mean you can hit on me now,” Mavis said.

“You are sisters?” Liz asked.

“Hell, yeah,” Agnes said. “Oh, we forgot to tell you, we're the judges for the Montague County contest. We are supposed to tell the folks when we first get there but sometimes we forget.”

“Don't be usin' that
we
word.
You
forget. I got my tally sheet right here under my robe.” Mavis pulled out a small clipboard from inside her robe and fumbled in her pocket for a pencil.

Agnes fished one from her pocket and handed it to Mavis. “Here's one. See, she does forget.”

“Good damn thing we ain't real shepherds, ain't it? We'd be them kind that lose their sheep for sure.” Mavis giggled.

“If you don't watch your foul talk, God is going to strike you graveyard dead. All dressed up like a shepherd that went to see the baby Jesus and talkin' like a sailor.” Agnes frowned.

“Don't you be bossin' me around. I'll talk anyway I damn well please. I was good up there on the stage with that squallin' kid they got to be baby Jesus. Lord have mercy, but if I was him, I woulda squalled too. Havin' to lay there in that straw in nothin' but a blanket wrapped around him.”

Liz giggled.

“It's the God's honest truth, he was,” Mavis said.

“I don't doubt it,” Liz said.

“We was so glad to be done with that play that we couldn't get out of there fast enough. Next year somebody else can wear our Goodwill robes and our towels. We're going to be on the refreshment committee.”

“I'm going back outside. You ladies call me if you need me,” Liz said.

“We'll just take our notes and be gone. But honey, as far as I'm concerned, this is the biggest splash in the county,” Mavis said.

“Thank you. Don't forget to get a candy cane.”

“We won't. Agnes here does love candy canes. I swear she's been sittin' on Santa's lap for ninety-two years just to get a damned candy cane. She says the ones at Christmas taste better than the ones you can buy any other time of year,” Mavis said.

“Ninety-one years. You can't remember a damn thing,” Agnes said.

Liz giggled. “See you outside. If you need anything holler at me.”

“Where's your shepherds?” Raylen whispered.

“The world is a new place this year. They are women,” she whispered back.

“Cross-dressers in reverse?”

“You got it, darlin', and the judges for the county decoration prize too, so be very nice to them,” she said.

Monday morning started off with a bang. The electricity had blinked off during the night, and Liz woke up fifteen minutes late. Raylen had already gone, so she didn't even get a good morning kiss, and when she got to work that morning, a dozen coffee drinkers followed her inside when she opened the door at exactly six o'clock. That meant she hit the floor in a dead run without even a second to get a cup of coffee.

By midmorning she was dragging and thinking about one of those crazy energy drinks that she'd seen advertised on television. She finally had time to pour a cup of coffee but barely got a sip before the door opened again.

“Wait,” Jasmine said. “That's Lucy. She'll come right back here.”

The woman was tiny, just over five feet tall and slim built. Her brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and her face round. But her eyes were enormous and stood out like the pictures of those little kids that were popular thirty years before. They were even lighter blue than a summer sky and much lighter than Raylen's. When she smiled, they sparkled like diamonds.

“Hi, Jasmine.” Lucy went straight for the coffee pot and poured a cup. “You must be Liz. I've heard good things about you.”

“Well, with what I've heard about you, I expected you to be as tall as Austin and able to wrestle an Angus bull to the ground with your bare hands,” Liz said.

Lucy shook her head. “Not me.”

“What brings you out today? I haven't seen you in a couple of months. I missed you, girl,” Jasmine said.

“Been busy with the new therapy group, and the motel is going really good. I started to call this morning, but we only had five rooms to clean and Tasha said she'd take care of them if I wanted to get out. Thought I'd run down to the used bookstore in Bowie and stock up for a month or so. I've got two strays I need to find jobs for.” Lucy sipped her coffee.

“I'm not in the market…” Jasmine started.

“You could be,” Liz said.

“Oh?”

“I talked to Maddie last night about… well, when this day came. I only said I'd work until Lucy found someone. I've never had a job. I don't know how to do this,” Liz said.

“You're doin' fine,” Lucy said.

“I kind of figured out over the weekend that I want to work with the horses or on the ranch. That's what I want to be when I grow up. It's like fate that Lucy came today. I'll move over and let one of Lucy's girls have my waitress job,” Liz said.

“Thank you,” Lucy said. “Bridget is twenty-one. She's got waitress experience. She's living with her folks in Petrolia. I'm afraid if she doesn't get a job, she'll fall right back into her abusive husband's web. If she's got a routine and her own money, she'll be fine with our weekly meetings.”

“What meetings?” Jasmine asked.

“Started them a month ago. That's another reason I don't get out much. Sunday afternoons, those that can, we all meet in the Baptist church fellowship hall. It's like AA only for abused women. It's our support group,” Lucy said.

“When does she want to start work?” Liz asked.

“She's sittin' out there in my truck. Thought we'd check here first since it's closest to her folks' farm,” Lucy said.

Jasmine looked at Liz. “You sure about this, Liz?”

“I'll miss you but I figured out what I want to be and Maddie said I could work with the horses. I'll give Bridget my apron and start work on the ranch tomorrow morning.”

“Then bring her on in. She can work with Liz all afternoon and start full-time tomorrow morning,” Jasmine said.

Lucy didn't waste a minute as she fairly well danced across the floor.

“She takes her mission very seriously. That's a good thing you did, but I'm going to miss you like crazy,” Jasmine said.

“It's the right thing and the right time,” Liz said. “And we're friends. I'll see you often.”

Bridget was a short woman, carrying about twenty extra pounds and a few faint yellow bruises around her eyes. She wore a chambray shirt out over her tight jeans. She held out her hand to Jasmine and said, “Thank you for givin' me a chance. I did some work over at the Dairy Queen when I was in high school, but that was a while ago. I'll learn fast though.”

“Minimum wage to start,” Jasmine said.

“The tips are really good, though,” Liz said.

“I would work for minimum and give the tips to you,” Bridget said.

“That isn't the way it works. You keep the tips. Some days they'll be better than your wages. I pay on Saturday at quittin' time. You need a fifty dollar advance on your first paycheck for gas to get you to work the rest of the week?”

Bridget nodded. “Daddy said I can use his old work truck until I can get something better. He'd probably fill it up with gas, but if I can do it on my own, I'd like that.”

“Then get an apron and follow Liz everywhere she goes today. Lucy, you want to pick her up on your way back home?” Jasmine asked.

“I'll be here at two,” Lucy said.

“Hey, Lucy, you said you had two women needing work. What's the other lady looking for?” Liz asked.

“She's fifty years old and never worked outside the home. We got her set up in a little garage apartment in Henrietta, but rent is due at the end of the month. We could only help her get situated and pay one month. She's not qualified for anything.”

Liz's mind went into overdrive. “Cooking and cleaning.”

Lucy nodded. “She could sure do that. She takes care of cleaning the fellowship hall when we leave.”

“Does she have transportation?”

Lucy nodded again. “She's got a car. Have you heard about anything?”

“I might have something. Send her down to my house this afternoon. We'll talk. I hate to clean and I damn sure hate to cook. We might work up a deal,” Liz said.

“What time?” Lucy asked.

“Three. I'm supposed to be at the horse barn at four,” she said.

“She'll be there,” Lucy said.

Bridget fell right into the work, and Liz had five minutes of free time just before the lunch rush. She called Maddie and told her what she'd done that morning.

“That's a good thing you did, Liz. Then you were serious about working more?” Maddie asked.

“Were you serious about me working as much as I want?” Liz asked.

“I was. Dewar, Cash, and I are leaving tomorrow morning and we'll be gone a week. The hired help will be helping Raylen and he'll be your boss. Think you can handle that?”

“I'll do my best not to piss him off and get fired before you get back,” Liz said.

“If you can do that, I'll start you at a quarter above minimum.”

“Better make it minimum wage, then.” Liz laughed.

***

Raylen waved from the horse barn when he saw Liz drive up. She hopped out of the truck and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Did Maddie talk to you?”

“Not since breakfast. I meant to run up to the café for dinner, but Granny made fried chicken and it would have hurt her feelings if I didn't take an hour and eat with her and Grandpa. How'd your day go?”

“I quit my job.”

Raylen's heart fell to the ground. The other shoe had dropped. The weekend on the boat had proved to her that she wasn't ready for ranch life.

“Aren't you going to say anything?” Liz asked.

“I'm afraid of what I'll hear.”

“Lucy needed places for a couple of her abused women. One is working for Jasmine. I quit and gave her my job. Kind of like fate tossed them women in my path. Aunt Tressa says when opportunity knocks, invite it in for a cup of coffee before you send it on its way. So I did. Bridget is working for Jasmine, and she's a hard worker. She'll do all right. The other one is my new housekeeper and cook. She'll be at my house at eight in the morning and she's going to clean, wash, and iron and all those things I hate. And hot damn, she likes to cook. She'll have our dinner ready at noon and she'll leave at two. She's working five days a week. As of this minute, I'm working for O'Donnell's Horses and you are my boss.”

The grin that split Raylen's face lit up the whole north part of Texas. “What's her name?”

“Who?”

“The new lady.”

“Oh, that'll be Wilma. She's Hispanic and has put up with years of mental abuse from a rascal husband, but she doesn't want to talk about it. She says that's behind her now and she wants to go on with her life.”

Raylen took off his hat and slapped the dust out of it on his leg. “How can you afford that?”

“I'm going to pay her with what I make working for you,” she said.

She wanted to spit it all out right then but she couldn't make herself do it. She'd tell Raylen about her finances someday but not that day.

“I suppose we'll be out of the house by the time she gets there every day,” he said.

“We'd better be if we want to be finished before dark. I'm a horse woman now, not a carnie. I can't sleep until noon. So what are my orders?”

“Kiss me and then exercise horses until dark.” He continued to grin.