Raining In My Heart (Book One of the McKay's) (20 page)

Wendy
reddened
.
"I'm sorry if this seems pushy, but if we divide the chores and then everyone knows what needs to be done then we stop the chaos that is bound to happen. You don't have to do this, but I thought I
'd
offer the idea to you." Her voice fell a notch.

Sandy grabbed the list from her sister's hand and read it, "Sandy, distribute hay to all the horse stalls each morning, choose one night a week to cook supper, other night take turns setting table, washing dishes, drying, do laundry twice a week. Seems reasonable
;
you've been busy haven't you
,
little girl?"
Sandy
cast her a quick appraisal.

Wendy
put her hands on her hips and firmed her lips
.
"Look, I work around here every day
;
I know what needs doing and what doesn't. Why shouldn't I be the one to point it out to the rest of you
?
Besides, I've taken instruct
ions from you three all my life.
I've grown up in case none of you have noticed."

"Oh
,
we've noticed
.
" Letty let her brow relax and smiled slowly at her younger sister. "The list is a good idea, and we do need one, as long as the chores are distributed evenly. I see no problem with it. So let me see the list and what my chores are."

Letty glanced down at the paper
Sandy
handed to her and then back up at
Wendy
.
"Muck out the water troughs every morning….all of them."

"All you can get to, yes. It keeps the disease down with the animals
,
"
Wendy
allowed.

"Tell me something," Letty demanded
.
"Did you come up with this alone?"

"No…I had help.
Wade
helped me
,
"
Wendy
defended.

"
Wade
, well now, talk about getting orders from the boss. I guess we'll have to go along with
this
little list, won't we
?
" Letty didn't bother hiding her sarcasm.

Julie
eyed them all
.
"
Wade
runs the ranch, but he doesn't run us. I think the list might be a good thing, but I also think there should be some leverage with it. I mean, Letty shouldn't have t
o clean the water troughs every
day
;
we should probably rotate the duties so that everyone has to do all the jobs and that way no one can complain. Now let me see my duties."

"Pick the garden daily, collect the eggs, do laundry, cook.
Cook, huh?
I'm not the best cook, I can tell you that now.
Well, as long as we share these duties I see no problem. But doing the same thing every day could get very boring and create a small war,
Wendy
. The reason some of us left is because of the boredom, remember?" Letty informed her.

"I meant for us all to share the duties, and rotating is a good idea."

"Are you on this list?" Letty asked.

"Well…I already have duties, but yes…of course I am…."

"And what are your duties?"
Sandy
asked.

"I ride fence and report any major repairs needed to
Wade
, exercise the horses and feed the animals as best I can
,
"
Wendy
explained.

Julie
watched her little sister getting bent out of shape and her other sisters ganging up on her and raised a hand. "Then your duties will be on the rotation too,
Wendy
and we can take a week of each chore list and do them. That's fair enough. I'll get
Kellie
to help too."

Wendy
looked at her in surprise
.
"Okay…."

Letty gave
Julie
a quick glance,
Julie
smiled
.
"
As long as everyone has to do the same thing eventually, that's fair and reasonable. If anyone does have a problem with it, we can all sit down calmly and discuss it. At least no one will have the same duty long. It's a good business plan…"

Letty laughed
.
"Yeah, but you could have given the kid a harder time about it."

Everyone laughed but
Wendy
.

Letty shot her young sister a quick eye
.
"Don't get your ruffles in an uproar
Wendy
, we know you've grown up, and become quite sassy. I guess you finally qualify for the
McKay
sisters now. For a whi
le I didn't think you'd make it. You used to be so docile I wondered if you were truly kin, but I can tell some things around here have changed, and you're one of them.
"

Wendy
reddened but relinquished a slight smile. "I wish everyone could see how much I've grown
up
.
Even accepting more responsibilities hasn't opened
Wade
's eyes. I know he thinks I'm too young for him, just by the way he talks. And the way he calls me Baby.
"

"
Wade
?
Baby?
Wow!
Oh…now that sounds ominous, there is a man in her picture already. Do tell,
Wendy
." Letty laughed.
"Baby?"

"It isn't funny.
And he doesn't mean it the way you think.
Wade
's never even looked at me like that.
He doesn't know I
’
m a female…."
Wendy
frowned.

Sandy
touched
Wendy
's arm, trying to calm the emotions floating close to the surface.

"Who would have thought our baby sister would go after
Wade
Weston
?" Letty asked.

"He has no idea how I feel
…."
Wendy
began.

"
One of the rules we made long ago was that if we had the hots for one of the cowboys, we had to tell everyone else so there is a hands
-
off policy. It's a
McKay
rule, and you must abide
,
" Letty informed her, crossing her arms over her chest
.
"So
Wade
Weston
is off the list of availables.
"

Wendy
shrugged
.
"For all I know
,
you may all be in love with him…."

"Oh my God,
Wade…the big Kahoona
,
" Letty burst out.
"He's not my type at all, honey. Too bossy.
Wade
'
s too stuffy. Not my type
.
"

"He's just all man, that's all.
"
Wendy
gasped.

Everyone turned to stare at
Wendy
now.

"There's a little age difference there, don't you think?"
Julie
gasped.

"Don't I know it. Oh
Julie
…I know you and he….I know…."

Julie
shook her head
.
"No…
you have nothing to fear from me, hon.
I'm not in love with
Wade
. I never have been. I had a young girl crush on him, who wouldn't, the bos
s of this place? But that was a
school girl crush…and you…are you sure yours isn't too?"

Wendy
reddened
.
"I wish it were. He doesn't know I'm a woman. I'm a hand, and a young one at that."

"Oh dear, but
Wendy
, why not Brad, or Gill, or Juggs?" Letty sighed heavily.

"They are so immature, always pulling pranks, never taking life seriously. Always wanting the more stacked and pretty girls, only to dump them in a week.
No,
Wade
is stable, responsible, and he knows more about ranching than anyone I know. He's the only man for me, and yet he doesn't see me."
Wendy
almost let her emotions free.
"And probably never will."

Julie
nodded
.
"He'll be a tough one to crack,
Wendy
. Especially with your youth. He's so
sensible;
someone might have to knock him in the head to get him to see."

Letty nodded slowly
.
"Oh
,
stop fretting. Quit being a love sick cow over him. We'll get him to see you…somehow. Now…anyone else have designs on any of the cowboys?"

Julie
almost opened her mouth, but that would be senseless, the only thing between her and Cade was
Kellie
. However, since this was a golden opportunity
,
she should mention he was the father before t
hey heard it from
Kellie
.

"I-I think I should mention to you all, so there is no embarrassment, Cade is
Kellie
's father."

A few gasps
went up
.
"Cade?"
Sandy
repeated.

"Yeah…Cade."

"I'd have never guessed that,"
Wendy
confessed. "I thought maybe Wade…."

"No,
Wade
and I never…."

"Oh…"
Wendy
put her hand over her mouth, but
Julie
noticed the relief in her eyes.

"Is there any chance of you and Cade getting together?"
Sandy
asked.

Julie
thought about it
for
a moment
;
a week ago
,
she would have vehemently denied such a chance but after that kiss they shared,
Julie
felt a confusion growing where
Cade
was concerned.

H
ad she hurt him?
The thought stunned her, but then so had the kis
s, s
o had his admission of love.
Cade
had feelings for her back then, but what about now?
And exa
ctly how did she feel about him?
She'd never allowed herself the comfort of thinking about Cade like that. Why she wasn't sure, except the guilt of that night weighed so heavily upon her, she felt she was undeserving of his love or anyone's for that matter.

Perhaps that's why she relied so heavily on her relationship with
Kellie
. It was the one love
in her life
that would never go away.

Or would it
?

Had she driven her away?

"I doubt it, but I still would like you all to accept and understand my position. He is her father
,
"
Julie
defended. "And…I should tell you all, he never knew until the other day."

"Wow…"
Wendy
gasped.
"You never told him?"

"
No,
that's why I left.
I was ashamed of what I did and didn't want him feeling responsible for my doings. But
we need some time to figure out how to handle it, with
Kellie
. She didn't take the news too well.
Not about her father, about me not telling her sooner, coming home sooner. She has issues with me, even about her grandfather
,
"
Julie
explained.
"I'm gonna confess I don't know how to handle this."

"We'll do everything we can to help,"
Sandy
assured her.
"But sometimes it
's better to let nature take it
s course.
Sometimes kids need time to work it o
ut in their heads. Won't be long before she's a teenager
and it's difficult during that time.
"

"
I don't blame
Kellie
for how she feels. I was wrong. I see that now. I know it in my heart. I should never have run away.
"