Boots And Booties Part 4

"Nothing. Why?"

"You don't seem real happy."

"Should I be?"

"Well, h.e.l.l, yes. We got ourselves a real pretty boss and she doesn't seem

anxious to change anything. I'm happy. I'm gonna celebrate and make up a batch of enchiladas. You want to join me?"

"Now?"

"h.e.l.l, no, not now. Suppertime. At six." He looked at his watch, a timepieceso scratched and worn it was a miracle John could see the time. "Four hours from now."

"Sounds good."Calyawned, then took another swallow of beer. "Help yourself,"he told the man. "Nice and cold."

"No, thanks. I just came over to tell you that Miss Addie called on her cellphone and said she'd be moving into the house in a couple of weeks. Asked mesome questions about the house and the plumbing and all that."

"And you knew the answers?" He got out of bed and followed John back into thekitchen. So it was "Miss Addie" now, and not "Mrs. Larson."

"Nah. But I told her just to call me anytime and I'd do what she wanted."

"What about the husband?" He pretended to be casual, going so far as to openthe refrigerator and offer the old man a Mountain Dew, which was John'sfavorite drink. "What did you hear about him? Divorced?"

"She was wearing her wedding ring,Cal," he said, taking the can. "Thanks. Hermom told me that that poor girl's husband died a few years ago, when thosekids were little."

"Died?"

"Yeah. In a car accident. I'm surprised Ed didn't say anything about that."John pulled up a chair and sat down at the table that was barely big enough for two people.

"How would he know?"

John shrugged. "I got a feeling he kept track."

"Imagine that."Calleaned against the counter and wondered why he felt so d.a.m.npleased with life all of a sudden. He should be afraid. Very afraid. AdelaideLarson wasn't married after all. She was a widow. She was available. And she was coming to live on the Triple J.

He knew now that this surely meant trouble. Widows with children wantedhusbands. And he couldn't be called husband material, not by any stretch ofthe imagination. If Adelaide Larson didn't stay on her part of the TripleJ,Calknew he'd have to pack up and get out.

Paula was almost afraid to ask, but since she already suspected the answer,she went ahead. There were still thirty minutes left to drive before arrivinghome, after all, and Addie had been on the cell phone when Paula returned tothe car with the promised ice cream. Now the boys were asleep in their ca.r.s.eats and the car was blessedly quiet. "You're going to live there, aren'tyou?"

"Of course." Addie smiled, something she had done a lot today. It had to dowith the house, an architectural accomplishment back in the 1890s, but anenormous drain of time and money today. Fortunately, her daughter had both. Orwould, as soon as some of the property was sold. And she was certain Addiewould waste no time taking care of that problem. Addie was good at problems.How else could she have taken care of things so well after Jack died? But evenAddie might be biting off more than she could chew with that giant of a house.

"You know, it needs a lot of work," she felt it necessary to point out.

Addie laughed, another miracle. "Yes. That's the best part. I now have thetime and the money and the house. What could be better?"

"And the ranch?"

"Will go on being a ranch."

"With John and Cal working for you, I a.s.sume, since you don't know anythingabout cows," Paula added, but Addie didn't respond for long moments.

"I guess," was the only thing she said, which was surprising. Paula thoughther daughter had gotten along well with both men, and seemed pleased with thecondition of the animals and the care of the buildings.

"What do you mean, youguess?"

"Meaning I don't know. Mr. McDonald might not want to stay."

"How formal you've become. He's a very good-looking man," Paula pointed out.

"I suppose," Addie said. "If you like that type."

"That type?" Paula chuckled. "You mean big, handsome and polite? Are youblind?" And it was about time Addie started noticing such things; the girlcouldn't raise those boys alone. They needed a father, and Addie needed a man.And something told her that her daughter was well aware of Cal McDonald's s.e.xappeal.

"Mom." It was said in the tone Addie used to warn her mother that she should stop talking. Paula didn't have any intention of stopping now, though.

"John told me thatCalhas lived on the ranch for twenty years, almost as longas John has. And thatCalis one of the best cattlemen in the county. He saidhe's trustworthy and honest, too."

"Well, he can be as honest and trustworthy as he wants," she said, lookingembarra.s.sed, which Paula thought odd. And interesting. "As long as he doesn'tinterrupt my getting the house restored. I'm not sure I'm going to keep theanimals, anyway."

"You just said-"

"For now, Mom. I won't make any changes fornow."

"That's good," Paula said, noting the stubborn tilt to her daughter's chin."Because if you're intent on moving into that old monstrosity of a house,you're going to need all the help you can get."

She'd seen him again and she hadn't died of embarra.s.sment. That had been oneaccomplishment for the day, Addie decided. She dropped her mother off at hercondominium, in an elegant, gated community just south of Round Rock, whereher mother lived among other fifty-somethings in an oasis of swimming pools,hot tubs and tennis courts. She promised she would call her in the morning,promised she would let her know what she could do to help with the move,promised not to rush into any hasty decisions and also promised that she wouldtry to get a good night's sleep. Yes, she'd promised, she wouldthink abouthaving a gla.s.s of wine before bed, just to make sure she would sleep.

And then she'd taken the boys to the grocery store, where they splurged onfrozen pizza, root beer and cookies-tonight's supper. She also bought threemore boxes of saltine crackers and two bottles of ginger ale, just in casetomorrow morning brought another queasy spell. She also managed to grab everydecorating and remodeling magazine on the racks at the checkout stand, mostlyfor inspiration but also to cover the pregnancy test kit lying on the bottomof the shopping cart.

She'd seen him, she thought again later, after the boys were fed andsleeping, and no doubt dreaming of the horseback rides the old cowboy hadpromised them on their next visit to the ranch. She'd seen the man who hadcarried her across two parking lots and a field to take her to bed. A bed fromwhich she'd run as soon as pa.s.sion cooled and she'd realized what she'd done.

Addie skipped the wine and fixed peppermint tea instead. She took a notebook,her magazines and her father's bank statements to bed with her. She would makelists, she would add figures, she would stop thinking about the pregnancy testand the man who'd reappeared in her life today.

Call house inspectors,she wrote. She needed someone to go over the house andtell her what needed to be repaired or replaced.

Find repairmen who work in Nowhere.Wacowas closer thanAustin, so she mighthave to look there.

GetWacophone book.

Quit job.That would be a joy. She'd managed to make the insurance settlementfrom Jack's death stretch by working evenings for a cleaning company. Shecleaned offices from six to ten, four nights a week, while the teenager in thenext apartment took care of the twins and put them to bed.

Decide what property to sell.A real estate agent should be able to give heradvice. Kate might know someone reliable.

Call Kate.She'd already told her best friend about her father's will. Katehad listened to her guilty confession about the forty minutes at the motel,given her a tissue and a hug and welcomed her to the "weird world of dating."She'd hold off telling her about the reappearance of Motel Man, though. Withany luck, he'd ride off into the sunset and she'd never have to face himagain.

Buy Mom a new car.Addie knew exactly what her mother wanted, too. That was aneasy one to take care of.

Decide what to take to Nowhere. If anything.The boys' beds would go, as wouldtheir toys and bookshelves. She would pack up the kitchen things, but thefurniture wasn't worth moving. She would keep the Oriental rug her mother hadgiven her, and she would bring her china and crystal, those rarely usedwedding gifts that would finally have a place of honor in a dining room. Sheand Jack had been saving for a house before the twins were born, so thewedding china hadn't seen the light of day for years.

Take test. Pray.She would read the directions before she went to sleep.Tomorrow would be The Day. And she would deal with whatever the little stickdisplayed.

Keep clothes on.Addie crossed that one off as soon as she wrote it, then wentback to scribble over it so it couldn't be read. Her reaction toCal's presencewas anything but sane. One look at the man and she wanted to press herself.a.gainst him and feel those strong arms wrap around her. She wanted that warmthagain, that feeling of being wanted and possessed. Irrational, yes. She was awoman with responsibilities and a code of behavior that didn't jibe withone-night stands.

Decide on a moving day. The sooner the better.Addie leaned against herpillows and closed her eyes. She might have never known her father, but he hadgiven her and her sons a chance at a wonderful new life, and for that she wasvery, very grateful.

No matter what happened.

So the next morning, while the boys were eating cereal and watching cartoonson television, Addie watched the pregnancy test results and learned that shewas going to have a baby.

So much for condoms. And just her luck to have been on the receiving end of adefective one, which must have been what had happened. Surely a man Cal's ageknew how to use one properly. He'd had all the other moves down pat. Her bodyhad responded to every touch and caress, every pa.s.sionate moment.

She nibbled on crackers and sipped ginger ale, all the while wis.h.i.+ng shecould tolerate a strong cup of black coffee. She needed caffeine, and sheneeded to decide how she would handle having a baby without a husband. Womendid it all the time, she realized, but that didn't mean it was easy. RaisingIan and Matt without a father was the hardest thing she'd ever done in herlife. But she could do it again. Especially now that she didn't have to worryabout money, and she had a home, areal home, to give her children.

Maybe this child would be a girl. Addie thought of pink dresses andlace-ruffled socks, hair bows and pastel blankets. And then she thought of herburgeoning stomach-surely she'd be showing in about three or four months-andwhatCalwould think. Would she tell him? Maybe she wouldn't have to. Maybe he'dbe long gone by the time she started looking like there was a basketball under her s.h.i.+rt and he could put two and two together and come up with "father."

She would wait. She had plenty of time. There were more immediate problems,such as when she would tell her mother. And exactlywhat she would tell hermother.I was abducted by h.o.r.n.y aliens. I used a sperm donor and a turkeybaster. I had wild s.e.x with a stranger on Valentine's Day.

Paula would believe none of it.

"Who just left?"Calwatched John walk across the yard from the main house.

"Cleaners." The old man grinned. "It took them four days, but that old houseis s.h.i.+ning for the first time in a long time."

"I thought I saw a furniture truck."Caldidn't know where Adelaide Larson gother money, but she sure as h.e.l.l could spend it.

"Yeah. I let them in about an hour ago. Some beds came, and a washer anddryer. I thought there'd be more, but I guess Miss Addie is going to wait 'tilthe house is fixed up before she buys more new stuff."

"They still moving in today?" He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried tolook casual, but John gave him one of those eagle-eyed stares, as if he knewthatCalhad ironed his s.h.i.+rt and taken extra care shaving this morning.

"Yeah. Should be any time now."

"I guess I'd better get back to work," he said, but he didn't move. She wouldbe living only a few hundred yards away. He wished he knew more about her. Wa.s.she a Sat.u.r.day night party girl who made a habit out of picking up men inbars? Somehow he doubted it. But if he'd learned one thing about women in hisnearly forty years, it was that you couldn't tell by looking at one what theywere like. The quiet ones could fool a man, all right.

"Stick around," John said. "She's going to need our help."

"She's going to need alot of help,"Calpointed out, gazing at the peeling oldVictorian, with its gables and peaked roof, its north addition and the wideporch that ran along the front and one side. He hoped for Addie's sake that itwas st.u.r.dy and worth the trouble to fix it up, if that's what she reallywanted to do.

"That's why she's got us." John winked at him.

"We're not carpenters. Just painting the outside of that house is going to bea full-time job. I hope she can afford it."

"I wouldn't worry about that. The mother told me that Ed left his daughter'nicely settled' in his will. 'Nicely settled,' that's how she put it."

"You and Mrs. Johanson are talking a lot?"

"We keep in touch. She's been helping Miss Addie get things organized." Johnkicked a clod of dirt. "Anyway, she said not to worry about the ranch, thather daughter could afford to run it, least for a while."

"Well, that's a relief." Maybe. He still wasn't sure if he would stickaround. "Who'd have thought that Ed had two pennies to rub together?"

"He was an odd duck, all right," the old man declared. "But he was good to me, and he didn't have much reason to be." John's lined face broke into asmile. "Here they come, son. Hang on to your hat, cuz life's about to change!"

"Like that's news?"Calquipped, having thought about those changes for thepast two weeks, ever since he'd seen Adelaide Larson for the second time inhis life.

Sure enough, three cars came up the driveway, clouds of dust trailing intheir wake. The sky was bright blue, and the sun beat down with the scorchingintensity of July, not April. Adelaide Larson had herself a hot day to moveinto her new home, butCalsuspected she wouldn't let it bother her. He'd seenher from a distance before today; she'd carried a clipboard and a measuringtape. Sungla.s.ses hid her eyes and a wide, straw hat covered her hair, andsometimes she talked into a cell phone. He had the feeling she was going tomake things happen here on the Triple J. She'd been here several times in thepast two weeks and she hadn't sought him out, so he guessed she didn't haveany questions about the cattle operation.

Or she was avoiding him. Which was just fine. He watched the cars come to astop. Someone honked a horn when John lifted a gnarled hand in greeting. Theboys tumbled out the back door of Addie's old station wagon, at the same timea tall brunette-Calthought she might be the same woman he'd seen Addie with atBilly's-climbed out of a black SUV. Mrs. Johanson opened the driver's sidedoor of a new, red Chevy pickup. Hopping down, she called something to Addie,who by now stood in the driveway and watched the little boys chase each otheraround the old soap kettle on the front lawn. She wore khaki shorts and ablack tank top that raisedCal's temperature another ten degrees.

"Looks like we've been invaded," he muttered to John, but the old man hadalready headed toward the women.Calhesitated. He watched the kind of familyscene of which he had no part and felt like he was ten years old again, on theoutside looking in. It was the kind of thing that made him want to turn on hisheel and head in the opposite direction so he wouldn't have to feel so bad. Hewas fine,Cala.s.sured himself. Going on forty and perfectly content.

Except in times like this. He couldn't walk away, though. Not with threewomen and one old man unloading boxes from the back of the pickup. He had nochoice but to start moving toward them.

"Hey!Mr.Cal!" One of the little boys waved to him and started running in hisdirection. The other boy was just about ready to go headfirst into the kettle,butCaldidn't think there was anything that could hurt him. It should have heldflowers, but Ed hadn't been much for spending money on things that weren'tabsolutely necessary.

Calcaught the kid before he plowed into his abdomen. "Hi, there," he said."Which one are you?"

Brown eyes stared up at him. "I'm Ian. You can't tell, can you?" He didn'twait for an answer. "Mom said we hafta call youMr.Calbecause that's polite."

"Well, you have to do what your mother says."Calfigured that was a safeenough answer.

"Yeah." The boy grabbedCal's hand and tugged him toward the driveway. Thelittle hand aroundCal's fingers was warm and very soft. "My gramma got a newtruck and I got to pick it out. And my mom says that Matt and me get our ownrooms, but we like sleepin' together so we said no and she said okay."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Sounds like a plan," the boy repeated, clearly thrilled with the phrase."Yeah, sounds like a plan." He walkedCalright to his mother, who smiledpolitely and said h.e.l.lo, before he ran off to join his twin in the gra.s.sysection of the front yard.

"h.e.l.lo," was the only brilliant thingCalcould think to say. He lifted thelarge cardboard box out of her arms and pretended he didn't notice that hisfingers had grazed the bare skin of her arms. She smelled like vanilla androses, a scent he remembered from that night. Her skin was pale, and there wasa fragile look to her that surprised him.

"Thanks." She gave him a quick smile and didn't meet his gaze. Clearly shewas as uncomfortable with him as he was with her. And neither one of them could forget that night. She quickly introduced her friend Kate, whose armswere full of bedding. "Kate, this is Cal McDonald. He works here with John."

"Nice to meet you," the brunette said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Youlook familiar. Have we met before?"

"Kate," Addie said, darting a look at her mother to see if she was listening.Paula was deep in conversation with John, while the twins had turned theirenergy into walking up and down the front porch steps. "Don't."