Getting Lucky (21 page)

   "Okay." She drew out the word to have six syllables.

   "Carl had a heat stroke but the tests reveal heart problems. He needs open heart surgery and he needs to retire. His youngest daughter lives in Austin and she got there early this morning, but Carl and Marita have talked all night. It's a tough decision. They've lived on this ranch since they were first married. But they're going to Austin when he gets out of the hospital. Their daughter and her husband raise horses and they've got an extra house on their ranch. Marita was crying, but it needs to be done. I'm big enough to see that and so is she, but it hurts like hell. I'm losing my right arm and my left one, too. I don't know what to do."

   "What
are
you going to do?" Julie could barely stand to look at the anguish on his face. If she could help, she would. She'd keep the kids for him. Do anything. Well, anything but live with him. That was out of the question. It would be too much punishment for her raging hormones.

   "I was still awake at three o'clock this morning trying to figure it out. Marita and I talked again at midnight and she had a suggestion, but I didn't think you'd go for it, at least not then," he said.

   
Oh no. Oh no. Not even oh no. But oh hell no!

   "But I'm going to put it on the table and you think about it."

   "Is that the bad news?" she asked.

   He went on without answering her question. It was as if he hadn't even heard it but was off in a different world. "It's the best thing for Lizzy. She's only known Marita her whole life," he rambled, "and there's Chuck. I hope I can pull some strings with the DHS and keep him here."

   "Don't you play the sympathy card," she said.

   "I'd play any card right now. Think about it. Are you going to come running back from Jefferson to whip someone every time Lizzy tells Annie that the new housekeeper was mean to her?"

   "What are you talking about? Back from Jefferson? I'm not leaving. And the answer is yes, I love Lizzy enough to take up for her. No one should be mean to a child. And she can stay with me and Annie every day until you find a replacement for Marita. And I'll go with you to the DHS to talk to them about Chuck. If they've got a problem with you keeping him, maybe I can do the job," Julie offered. She could feel more bad news coming and hoped she was wrong.

   "Thank you. I can hire a cook, maybe Paul's wife. I can promote Paul to ranch foreman. He's worked here long enough and knows the business, and she can do the housekeeping."

   "You don't know how to vacuum and dust?" she asked.

   "You ready for the bad news?" he asked.

   "I was hoping that was all of it. So what is it? That you can't cook, either?"

   "No, it's a little worse than the fact that I burn grilled cheese sandwiches. At three o'clock this morning when I had barely dozed off, I got another fire call," he paused. Of everything he had to say this was the worst. He almost wished she'd asked for the good news last. "The north wind had picked up just slightly and some embers…"

   She tapped her foot under the table. Did he expect her to step up and offer to take Marita's job? Had the situation been reversed, she'd swallow her pride and ask him for the same thing. Annie was the first and foremost thing in her life, just like Lizzy was in his. Add Chuck into the mixture and she might have begged, not just insinuated.

   He stopped and tried to find words to soften the blow, but there didn't seem to be any way but to spit it out. "Remember I told you I saved the kittens and the momma cat? I put them out in the barn with Lizzy's momma cat and kittens. Surprisingly enough, the two old cats aren't hissing. They each found a corner and settled in with their babies."

   "What's a bunch of cats got to do with any of this?" Julie frowned.

   "They're your cats. The embers blew across the road—probably onto the porch—and your house went up in flames. There must've been a tiny gas leak under the house because about ten minutes after I got there, it looked like a bomb had gone off. It's leveled. There's nothing over there but the old cellar, and the top of it is caved in. The tool shed even burned when the flames from the gas bomb caught it."

   Julie gasped. She'd never fainted in her life but the room began to spin and the floor got closer and closer to her face. Frantically she scooted the chair back and stuck her head between her knees. Taking great gulps of air she finally got control of the dizziness. It could not get any worse but his face was still stony. No smiles. No twinkles in his eyes. Nothing but sadness.

   "What will I do?" she whispered. Everything she and Annie owned except an old momma cat and her kittens was gone.

   He went to her side, and leaned over her, patting her on the back, each touch as hot as the fire that had taken her house. He wasn't sure if he should drop on one knee and hold her or just let her process the news in her own way. Griffin was all thumbs.

   "I know you've got insurance, but it will take a few weeks to get it settled out. Would you even consider staying here until that is done? You can have the room you slept in last night. Annie can have her own room or stay with Lizzy. Chuck is already settled. Whichever you think is best. I can find someone to do the work, I'm sure, but I'm thinking of the kids. They need someone to be here with them and for them. If you'd fix breakfast and take them to school, the cook and housekeeper would take care of the rest. I wouldn't even ask you to make supper. Elsie can do that before she leaves like Marita did. It's just that…" he talked as he patted her back.

   She stood up and threw herself into his arms. She needed comfort and he was like the Rock of Gibraltar for her all of a sudden. She hugged as tight as she could, but it didn't make the hurt go away. After several seconds she pushed herself back.

   He liked it when she needed him. He wished it would continue instead of her going all stiff and proper.

   "Everything is gone at my place?" she asked.

   "I found the cat and kittens in the ditch. She must've moved them when she felt the danger. That's all that's saved. Your truck looks like it's nothing but a burned-out shell of metal." He couldn't stop talking. If he did, he would hug her even tighter to his chest again.

   Nothing saved. Not even her pictures or Annie's Barbie dolls. Thank goodness she'd brought her favorite ones to Lizzy's for the play day. "My pictures of Annie when she was a baby?" she whispered.

   "It's all gone." Griffin imagined his feelings if he'd lost everything pertaining to Lizzy and he sat down. His cell phone rang before he was settled into the kitchen chair. He answered it and listened for a moment, then handed it to Julie. "It's for you."

   "Darlin', this is Alvera Clancy. I heard this morning about your house and I'm so sorry. Do you need a place to stay? My home is open to you and your daughter. Just come on over here. Do you need money or clothing? You let me know and I'll take care of whatever you need."

   "Thank you, Alvera, but Griffin and I are talking about a deal right now. He managed to save Annie's cat and kittens." Julie tried to make light of the situation but the last words came on the fringe of a sob.

   "Don't you be breakin' down. Houses can be replaced. Cats and kittens can even be replaced, but be thankful you and that precious child were safe. I mean it. My house and checkbook are open to you. Just stay in Saint Jo. We need you and Catherine says you're a damn good teacher, so the school needs you."

   "Thank you again, Alvera."

   "Besides, just think how Clarice would gloat if you decided to throw in the towel and leave because of a fire. Hell, she might've even set the thing," Alvera laughed.

   "I'm not running from anything," Julie said stoically.

   "That's the spirit. Get on with your life. This is a big thing but in ten years we'll all see why it happened. Good-bye, darlin'," Alvera said.

   Julie had a fleeting notion that Alvera could see into the future ten years and already knew why it happened.

   Lizzy and Annie rushed into the kitchen with Chuck right behind them. "We're starving, Daddy. Can we please have some cereal? Are you done with the big people talk?" Lizzy asked.

   Griffin looked up.

   Julie dropped down on her knees in front of Annie. "Annie, our house burned down last night, but Griffin saved your cat and kittens and she's out in the barn with Lizzy's cat and kittens."

   Annie's lower lip quivered. "What are we going to do, Momma? Please don't take me back to Jefferson. I don't want to leave Lizzy and Chuck and we…"

   Tears flowed down Lizzy's cheeks. "Daddy, what are we going to do?"

   He pulled all three kids into his big arms. "Come here. All of you. Lizzy, Marita is going to move away to Austin. Poppa Carl has a bad thing wrong with his heart and they can fix it over in Austin, so they're going to go live with Clarissa."

   Lizzy broke into sobs. "Who's going to keep me, Daddy?"

   "I'll stay," Julie whispered.

   "Name your price," he said.

   "You don't charge us room and board and I won't charge you for breakfast," she said.

   He nodded. "Deal."

   "Annie, do you want to live here for a little while?" Julie said. Words came out of her mouth but her heart was still just a chunk of stone.

   "Yes. Say yes," Lizzy whispered.

   "I do want to, Momma, and I wanted me and Lizzy to really be sisters but I didn't want our house to burn down and I'm sorry," she cried.

   Julie rolled back and sat down as she pulled her into her lap. "You didn't cause that fire, honey."

   "I think that's enough to take in for one day," Griffin said. "Thank you, Julie, and now it's time for you kids to eat breakfast and get ready for school. Miss Julie will take you with her this morning and bring you home this evening. Tomorrow things won't look so bad, I promise."

   Tears dried up. Frowns were replaced with smiles as they found places around the table.

   "Okay, it's cereal this morning because we are in a hurry," Julie said as she opened the pantry. Anything to keep her mind and hands busy and off the loss. "Tomorrow morning we'll have something hot."

   "Thank you, again," Griffin said.

   He put bowls on the table, along with milk. She found cereal and pre-made blueberry muffins and carried it all to the kitchen table. She would call Mamie during her break time and ask her what to do about filing insurance claims. She would focus entirely on school to keep her mind off the house. Would she ever find anything else she and Annie liked as well?

   The doorbell rang and Griffin went to answer it. She had just set the orange juice on the table when Mamie rushed in, grabbed her in a hug, and gushed on and on about how sorry she was.

   "You and Annie can come and live with me for as long as you want. I've already started the insurance claim for you. I brought papers for you to sign. I'm so, so sorry," she said.

   "Thank you for the offer but we're staying here. Griffin and I made a deal. I watch the kids, cook break fast, and take them back and forth to school in exchange for room and board," Julie explained.

   Griffin poured three cups of coffee. "Carl had a heat stroke but needs heart surgery."

   The telephone rang about the time she finished the story. When she answered it, Marita was on the other end.

   "Julie?" Marita said.

   "Marita?"

   "Yes, it's me. I'm on my way to the house to pack some bags. Clarissa is here and I'm riding back to Austin with her. They're taking Carl by helicopter. Surgery is tomorrow morning. It's not good, but they say it can be repaired. The heat stroke was actually a blessing. Did Griffin put you to work like I told him?"

   "He gave me a job. My house burned down," Julie said.

   "I know and I'm sorry but I'm glad you are there. Lizzy knows and loves you. It will make my leaving at least bearable. He can hire someone to do the work. She just needs a mother figure."

   "It's a pretty big job," Julie said around the lump in her throat.

   "You'll do just fine. We're at the house now. I'm going to pack and stop by just long enough to hug the kids. Take care of all of them for me." Her voice caught in a sob. "I've had her since she was two months old. This is the hardest thing I've ever faced other than worrying my head off about Carl."

   "I'll take care of her, I promise," Julie said.

   "I know you will. Just don't let Griff hire someone who won't when you have to leave."

   "I promise on that issue, too," Julie said.

   "Had to be Marita," Mamie said when Julie put the phone back on the stand.

   "It's tough on her."

   "She and Carl raised their kids on this ranch. I can't remember how many children they had because they're older than Graham and Griffin and were already married and gone by the time we were good-sized kids. But Lizzy has been her surrogate grandchild. Bless her heart. Things can sure get messed up in a twenty-four hour stretch, can't they?" Mamie observed.

   "I'm still thinking I may be dreaming all this and if I am, it's the worst nightmare ever. Bring your coffee upstairs. I've got to get ready for school."

   Mamie headed for the door. "No, I've got to open shop this morning. I heard about the fire and that you and Annie were fine and stayed here last night, but I had to see about you. Call me if you need anything."

   "Thank you," Julie said past the lump in her throat. Reality was sinking in and it hurt. What was it Alvera had said after the town meeting? That which didn't kill them would make them stronger? Well, after all she'd endured the past six months, she should be a pillar of steel instead of a whimpering woman who had to lean on Griffin for support.