Merry Cowboy Christmas (24 page)

O
n Monday morning, Allie and Dora June began to gear things up for the ranch party the next Saturday night. The whole town was either talking about the party or the fact that Truman was going to be Santa Claus. Everyone had thought that the Lucky Penny would fail for sure and yet here they were throwing a huge ranch party at the end of their first year. No one would have believed that Truman, of all the men in Dry Creek, could ever have been coerced into doing anything for Christmas, but yet he was bragging about the pillow that Dora June was making for him to wear around his midsection.

The end of the world had to be on the way. Any second the clouds would part, a bright white light would shoot down, and a booming voice would come out of the heavens, calling all the saints and sinners to Judgment Day.

On Tuesday night, Fiona met Jud on the landing. He opened his arms and she walked into them, holding him tightly as she inhaled the sexy scent of soap, shampoo, and what belonged solely to Jud.

“I'll be glad when this party is over,” she said.

“Me too. Let's celebrate on Sunday by going to an afternoon movie in Wichita Falls. We'll sit in the dark, hold hands like teenagers, and relax,” he whispered into her hair.

“Yes, but only if you promise you won't laugh at me if I snore. I'll be so tired by then, I won't be able to stay awake. And can we stop in and see Granny either before or after the movie?”

“Yes, we can. Truman bought an RV today. The fanciest thing you've ever seen. He's going to have it parked outside the house on Christmas morning and as soon as the leftover potluck is finished at the church that night, he and Dora June will head south for the winter,” Jud said.

“Oh. My. God! He was serious. Dora June is going to faint.”

“I hope not,” Jud chuckled, and then he tipped her chin up for a quick kiss. “He's like a little kid about all this. Tomorrow he and Blake are going to Throckmorton to buy a small car that's listed in the newspaper down there. He's going to sell his truck to Toby but this is all a big hush, hush secret. Not even your sisters know it's a done deal.”

“Oh, they know. Blake and Toby don't keep secrets any better than you do,” Fiona laughed. “We are planning to buy stuff for their new trailer for their Christmas presents.”

On Thursday, things really moved fast. The rental company with all the tables arrived that evening right after Fiona got off work. In an hour the living room was changed into a lovely party area with small round tables scattered with the flow pattern to the bar and the dining room planned out beautifully. Centerpieces were chunks of mesquite with the Lucky Penny brand burned into the sides. Across the tops of the logs holes had been drilled to hold short tapers that would be lit just before the party started. Silk poinsettias and greenery had been used to give the pieces a Christmas flare and the ribbons matched the sashes on the backs of the chairs.

“Oh my!” Fiona gasped.

“Pretty damn impressive, isn't it?” Lizzy asked from the Christmas tree area, where a big red chair waited for Santa Claus. “Did you see the bar? They decided to set it up in the foyer. The guys had to move out the hall tree and the credenza but it looks like it's going to work very well. I wish Mama were here for the party but to have her come home early would be selfish.”

Fiona peeked out into the foyer. “It's all decorated, too.”

“Oh, yes. This is the party to attend this year from what everyone says. The Dawson guys did not fall on their faces their first year in business and Truman is Santa Claus. What else could we ask for?”

“That Granny could be here and having a good day.” Allie carried Audrey into the room. “Who'd have thought a year ago right now that we'd all be where we are?”

“If you'd have told me I'd be married to anyone other than Mitch, I'd have thought you were crazy,” Lizzy said.

“We didn't even know the Dawsons and only heard rumors that a bunch of fool cowboys were interested in the Lucky Penny.” Allie handed Audrey off to Fiona and straightened several ornaments on the tree.

“Fool cowboys, huh?” Jud asked.

“Yep.” Fiona nodded. “That's exactly what they called you three. Like that old commercial said, ‘You've come a long way, baby.' You weren't supposed to last past that hard winter or the hot summer and yet, here you still are.”

“And we'll be here next year and the one after that, won't we?” Jud asked, but his eyes were on Fiona.

“Hopefully,” she said.

“It looks good. The caterers arrive at eight in the morning and take over the kitchen. I'm shutting the store an hour early to have time to get ready. Why don't y'all girls come over here at four and we'll have the whole upstairs to ourselves.” Fiona swayed back and forth with the baby in her arms.

Jud cleared his throat loudly.

“Minus Jud's room. We can do mani/pedis,” Fiona said.

“Then we can all make an entrance down the staircase.” Lizzy nodded.

“Audrey and I will be here at four on the button,” Allie agreed.

Jud waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs with his two cousins on Friday night. The pungent smell of barbecue floated out from the kitchen. Waiters wearing white shirts and black slacks stood ready behind the dining room table to help guests.

Two pretty blond bartenders were in their place to make whatever drinks anyone ordered. A month ago, Jud would have already had two phone numbers and would have been trying to make up his mind which one to call first. But tonight he wasn't interested in either of their sly glances his way. He was waiting on his girlfriend.

Allie was the first Logan sister to appear at the top of the staircase. Blake sucked air so hard that Jud turned to make sure he wasn't choking to death.

“She's wearing the red velvet dress that she wore when we married,” Blake said hoarsely. “She took my breath away in it on Valentine's Day and even more so tonight. I've got the prettiest wife in the whole damn state.”

They made quite the pair, with Allie wearing red velvet and Audrey all dolled up in a Christmas plaid taffeta dress. Jud wanted what Blake had at that moment even more than he wanted the Lucky Penny to have oil down beneath the surface. His cousin's eyes never left his wife and daughter. It was as if no one else in the world existed but them and when they reached the foyer, he took Audrey from her, cradled the baby in one arm and slung the other around Allie's shoulders.

“You are stunning,” Blake said.

“You look pretty damn good yourself. Shall we go on in to the party? It sounds like we've got some guests already and we'll need to greet each and every one,” she said.

Lizzy made her way down the steps, but Toby didn't wait for her to get to the bottom. He bounded up to meet her, kissed her passionately right there in front of the bartenders and Lucy and Herman as they came through the front door, and then hooked her arm into his.

“You are beautiful tonight, Miz Lizzy,” Jud said when they were beside him.

“Lucy, darlin', I'm so glad you and Herman are here.” Lizzy hugged both Lucy and Herman. “Y'all come on into the party room with us. It sounds like folks are already arriving.”

“That green satin looks beautiful on you, Lizzy. You should wear that color more often,” Lucy said.

“And you look stunning,” Lizzy said. “How'd you ever get Herman out of his overalls and into a suit?”

“I threatened to sit on Truman's lap and tell him what I want for Christmas,” Lucy whispered.

“Women!” Herman grumbled as he clamped a hand on Jud's shoulder. “If you don't want to be bossed around, take my advice and run when a woman even looks at the rings in a store window.”

“Is that what got you in trouble?”

Herman sighed. “Damn straight and now fifty years later I got to wear this uncomfortable suit to come to your party.”

“Looks real good on you,” Jud said.

“Ain't wore it since my son got married years ago but it still fits so that's a good thing, I guess. I knew y'all boys would make a go of that ranch. Truman was against you from the beginning but he's comin' around. I can't believe he's goin' to be Santa Claus. All the dirt in Texas wouldn't make me put on that suit,” Herman said.

“Herman Hudson, quit hangin' out at the bar and come on in here.” Lucy crooked a finger toward him.

“The boss speaks.” He grinned.

“Sounds like it,” Jud chuckled.

“Does that one belong to you?” one of the bartenders asked, and pointed up the wide staircase.

If Jud would have had to utter a word or die before a firing squad, he would have reached for the blindfold and put it on himself. Fiona wore a black cocktail dress that hugged her body like a glove. A choker of bloodred rubies was wrapped around her long, slender neck and her curly red hair was swept to one side, leaving the other bare for his kisses. Between the short skirt and the high heels, her legs looked a mile long.

“Well?” the bartender asked again.

“Yes, she does,” he said when he'd found his voice.

“Well, now, don't you clean up well,” Fiona said from the second step.

“This old cowboy suit? Why, I've worn it for years.” He picked up her arm and tucked it safely into his. “I should have worn my revolver on my hip. As gorgeous as you are, it's going to be a chore just knocking the cowboys away from you. Please, let me tell everyone we are dating. I can live in a trailer for a week until Dora June and Truman leave.”

“Shhh.” She put a finger on his lips. “This is all about the ranch tonight. Not about us. We can wait one more week. Smile when we walk through the door. Lizzy is going to snap our picture to send straight to Mama.”

He closed his free hand around her finger and kissed it. “You rendered me speechless when I looked up and saw you.”

“That may be the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me. Now, let's go make everyone welcome and show them that the Lucky Penny is a ranch to reckon with.”

W
ithin seconds of entering the party, Jud was pulled into a group of high-powered ranchers from around Olney. Two were women, an older one with gray hair and a tall blonde wearing a lovely little dark green lace sheath dress that hugged her slim body, leaving little to the imagination.

Instant jealousy washed over Fiona when the younger woman moved so close to Jud that her breasts, sporting a mile of cleavage, brushed against his arm. He took a step to the side and motioned for Fiona to join them. That helped the green-eyed monster subside but only slightly.

She started that way, but Sharlene caught her arm. “Did you see that hussy making a play for Jud? You'd better go rescue him. She's the one who took Deke out to the car to ‘cool off' when we went dancing. That's her grandmother with her and the old gal owns half of the county around Olney.”

“What's her name?” Fiona asked.

“Lacy, and her grandma says that she has to be married in the next year or another grandchild is going to inherit the ranch.”

“Why?” Fiona asked.

“Because the grandma is eighty years old and wants to retire. But she wants someone who is settled to run the ranch,” Sharlene said.

Fiona nodded and took a few more steps toward Jud, who was looking pretty frantic. She'd only gone a few feet when Mary Jo waylaid her and dragged her into a corner.

“This is a really nice party. I'm glad that the Dawsons are making the Lucky Penny into a ranch,” Mary Jo said.

“Thank you,” Fiona said.

“But that's not why I grabbed your arm. You need to tell Jud to watch out for that woman over there. She wanted Deke but bombed out there, so she's on the prowl again. I imagine that Jud is the whole reason she and her granny are here. I'd tell him but the way he keeps looking at you, I expect he'll listen to you better,” Mary Jo said. “I'm going to the bar. Want me to bring you something?”

“Yes, a glass of red wine would be great. Thank you, Mary Jo,” Fiona said.

She finally made it to the group and held out her hand to the older woman. “Hello, I'm Fiona Logan. I don't believe I've met you.”

“Yes, you have, darlin'.” The older lady smiled. “I knew your grandmother, Irene, and your grandfather very well. But I haven't seen you since you were a little girl. Please let me introduce you to my granddaughter, Lacy. I expect she's about your age.”

Fiona turned slowly and flashed her best Southern smile. “I'm Fiona. I hope you're enjoying the party?”

Lacy looked at Jud like she'd gladly have him for a midnight snack. “Oh, honey, it's a great party, but I can't believe I didn't dance with this good-looking hunk when I met y'all a couple of weeks ago. When does the dancing begin?”

“I'm afraid we don't have room for dancing tonight. Maybe next year we'll plan to hire a band when the sale barn goes up,” Fiona said sweetly.

“Wine?” Mary Jo handed Fiona a glass.

Fiona took it and extended her arm toward Lacy. “You don't have anything. Please, take this and I'll get a beer later.”

“Thank you,” Lacy said.

“Oh, Jud, there are some people over here that you have to talk to. They have a little spread down around Throckmorton and they always have a fall sale. We should go to it next year to get an idea of how to build the new barn on the Lucky Penny.” She looped her arm in his.

Just as Lacy was raising the glass to her lips, Fiona stepped on her toe. Wine went everywhere: inside all that cleavage, down the front of her dress, the last drops hitting the tops of her ridiculously high heels. Surprisingly enough, not one drop hit the floor and yet the glass was empty.

“I'm so sorry,” Fiona said. “Please come upstairs with me and I'll help you clean this up. We'll get some club soda at the bar. It works wonders.”

“It's all right,” the grandmother said. “We've got another party this evening in Olney, so we'll just run by the ranch and she can change. It's been wonderful meeting you again, Fiona. Come on over to our place anytime. We'll catch up about Irene. Come along, Lacy. We'll have to hurry.”

Lacy set the glass on the nearest table and shot Fiona a dirty look. It was meant to kill Fiona on the spot, drop her like a ton of bricks into nothing but a black dress right there at Jud's toes. But Fiona apologized a dozen more times and invited them to come back to the Lucky Penny anytime.

“Did you do that on purpose?” Jud whispered.

“Would you care if I did?” she asked. “Honey, I know how to pick up bits and pieces of conversation. I was saving your ass.” Fiona unhooked her arm from his and went to greet another couple coming into the room.

Blake clamped a hand on Jud's shoulder. “I want you to meet Mark Hutchins. He's got a sale barn that we need to look at before we build one. If all goes well, we can have our ranch sale and party in our own barn in a couple of years.”

Jud never let her out of sight the entire time he talked to Blake and Mark about a new barn and joined her as soon as he could wrangle his way out of the conversation. He draped his arm possessively around her shoulder when the rattle of sleigh bells sounded on the stairs.

“Ho, ho, ho!” Truman bellowed in his deepest voice.

Fiona had trouble finding Truman beneath all that belly and gray beard. If it hadn't been for his eyes and those heavy dark brows, she might have thought Herman had decided to play the part after all. “I've got a bag full of presents for boys and girls of all ages, and I'll be right over there in my chair for any of you who want to tell me what you want for Christmas.”

Folks were still eating, drinking, and talking but the focus shifted to the kids. Cameras came out and Truman was the center of attention for the next hour. Audrey was the first baby to sit on his lap and he was a little awkward, but when she cooed at him and flashed a toothless grin, he softened right up.

“Never actually thought I'd see this happen,” Jud said.

“You've worked some mighty fine magic,” Fiona told him.

“Not really. I think he wanted to be like this all along but he didn't know how. Now he does. I hope Dora June was serious about that RV thing. He's so excited that he can't be still. I'll be surprised if he keeps the secret another week.” Jud slipped an arm around her waist.

“Mama will be home on Tuesday, so I hope he keeps it until then. I want her to be here when Dora June finds out. It's all because she invited them to stay here that this has happened.”

Allie bumped Fiona on the arm. “You and Lizzy are going to have to take care of the last of the party. Audrey is getting fussy. I'm glad that she stayed awake long enough to get her first Santa picture made, but I'm taking her upstairs to my old room to rock her for a while.”

Fiona kissed the baby on the forehead. “She's been passed around a lot tonight. Her little bones are probably sore.”

At eleven-thirty, Truman gave the last present in his bag to a five-year-old who was so tired that she whined because it was wrapped in red paper instead of green. Lizzy and Toby walked them to the door and the second their taillights disappeared, they turned off the porch lights.

“Great party, darlin'.” Toby picked Lizzy up and swirled her around in the foyer.

“Y'all told me an hour,” Truman grouched. “I've been sitting here in this chair for three hours and my mouth is dry as bone. I need a drink. Don't you look at me like that, Dora June. I earned it.”

“The bartenders left thirty minutes ago with the caterers,” Blake said. “I bet I can mix up anything you want. There's a little liquor left.”

“I don't want liquor. I want a beer.” Truman pulled the beard and hair off in one motion. “But first, Dora June, I want you to get me out of this pillow contraption so I can go to the bathroom.”

“I suppose you've earned a beer,” Dora June said.

“While they're gone, take what's left of the liquor out to our truck,” Lizzy said. “We paid too much for that to have Dora June pour it down the drain.”

“Part of it can go upstairs to my room,” Jud offered.

“We've got maybe five minutes.” Blake nodded.

Several cold beers were on the dining room table with the leftovers when Dora June and Truman returned. He was dressed in his usual overalls, a pair of bedroom slippers, and a flannel shirt. To imagine him as Santa Claus at that point was impossible.

He picked up a beer and carried it to the living room, where he plopped down in a chair and propped his feet up in a second one. “I ain't stayed up this late in years,” he said as he tipped back the bottle and took a long gulp.

Dora June sat down across the table from him, propped her feet up, and popped the cork out of a bottle of champagne. “Somebody get us eight glasses from that bar out there. We're going to celebrate success.”

Truman spewed beer across the table. “Where did you get that?”

“I took it from the bar when they were setting things up. We done good, so don't you fuss at me, Truman O'Dell. I don't reckon one glass of this pretty pink stuff will make me drunk,” she told him.

“I'll get Allie,” Blake stammered.

“Good idea,” Lizzy said. “She won't want to miss this.”

A few minutes later, Blake carried a sleeping baby, all nestled down into her carrier, into the room. “I see that you've got it poured, Fiona. So a toast.” He set the carrier on the floor and picked up a glass in one hand and wrapped the other one around Allie's shoulders. “To a wonderful year. We've made more progress than we thought we would and this party was a big success. Thank you to our wives, to Fiona and to Dora June and Truman for helping us.”

“Hear, hear!” Toby raised his glass.

Everyone followed his lead and touched their glasses together.

“Well, now!” Dora June said when she tasted the champagne. “If I'd of known how good that tasted, I would have saved back two bottles.”

“Dora June!” Truman gasped.

She picked up his bottle of beer and swallowed twice. “Hmmph,” she said. “Mine is better than that stuff. It tastes like yeast bread smells when it's risin'.”

“Well, I like yeasty bread,” Truman said defensively.

“And I like this pink bubbly stuff,” she said.

“To the Lucky Penny. May it continue to prosper.” Fiona held up her glass again.

Truman hesitated but he clinked his with the others and finished off the remainder of the champagne in his glass. Dora June poured the last of what was left in the bottle in her glass and sipped at it as she stood.

“I'm going to my room now. Tonight will go down in my book of memories as one of my favorites of all times. Truman, you going with me?” she asked.

He picked up his bottle and followed her, weaving his way through the tables to their bedroom at the end of the foyer.

Blake set his glass on the table. “And we're takin' this baby home. See y'all in church tomorrow morning. Don't forget tomorrow is a potluck. I can't believe Truman has volunteered to play Santa again.”

“Me neither. Hey”—Toby lowered his voice—“we should give Dora June and Truman a bottle of champagne for Christmas. We could tuck it into their new RV with a card so they'll find it on their first night.”

“I'll take care of buying it if Fiona will hide it,” Jud said.

“I'll get a card,” Lizzy offered. “But right now, we're going home, too. The rental company said they would be here at three o'clock tomorrow to clean all this up.”

“If the church thing isn't finished, y'all can stay and I'll come home to let them in,” Fiona offered.

“Then good night to everyone.” Allie yawned.

Fiona slid down the back of the door, kicked her shoes off, and stretched out her legs as soon as everyone had left. Jud removed his jacket and hung it on the newel post, pulled off his boots, and sat down beside her.

“That went well, except for Lacy's dress.”

“I'd say that went well, too,” Fiona said.

Jud took her hand in his and brought it to his lips to kiss each knuckle. “You were the most beautiful woman at the party tonight, darlin'.”

She pulled her hand free from his and with a single fluid motion she was sitting in his lap. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“Tired?” he asked.

“Worn out and we still have the church thing. Oh no! We were supposed to have our first date tomorrow,” she groaned.

“How about we watch a movie in my room tomorrow evening? We can take leftovers and cookies up there and have a picnic,” he said.

“Will you hold my hand?” she asked.

“And I won't laugh if you snore if you don't laugh at me for the same thing.”

“Then it's a date.” She yawned.

“Come on, Sleeping Beauty. It's past your bedtime and we both have to be up early.”

“Jud, I liked being your girlfriend tonight, too. But what I liked most was the look in your eyes when you watched me walk down the stairs. I felt special.”

“You, my darlin', are very special.”

They went up the stairs hand in hand.

Fiona stopped in front of her door. “My room is a total mess. I'm going to grab a nightgown and sleep in Mama's bed tonight.”

Jud's eyes fluttered shut and his lips came closer and closer. She rolled up on her toes to meet him and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss was the perfect ending for the whole evening but it created a deep desire for more.

“Sleep tight, darlin',” he said, and disappeared across the landing.