Merry Cowboy Christmas (Lucky Penny Ranch #3)(55)

“Fair enough.” Truman pursed his lips together. “My granddad taught me to play when I was about five years old. I won my first game when I was ten, so I’d say you best be real careful and think before you play.”





Chapter Fourteen



Irene was sitting around a table with a group playing bingo when the girls all arrived that Sunday afternoon.

“Come on B twelve! Come on B twelve!” the little man beside her said.

“Willie, there ain’t no B twelve on your card,” Irene said.

“But there is on yours and it’s all you need to bingo. Maybe you’d give me the candy bar if you win?” Willie said.

“And the next number is B twelve,” the caller said.

Irene yelled, “Bingo,” so loud that it made Fiona jump.

Irene pushed her card back, told the caller to give the candy bar to Willie, and hurried over to hug Fiona. “You were my good luck charm. And you brought everyone with you.” Irene clapped her hands. “Audrey is here to see her great-granny.”

Fiona hugged her grandmother fiercely. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ll be home for a few months, so I can come see you real often.”

“Did they tell you that sometimes I have trouble remembering things?” Irene whispered.

“Yes, Granny, they did.” Fiona tried to swallow the lump in her throat but it was impossible.

Irene took Fiona’s hand in hers and led her to the sitting room. She pulled her down on one of the two facing sofas and held her arms up to take the baby from Allie. “Dora June, what in the hell are you doing here?”

“The girls are taking me Christmas shopping,” Dora June said.

“And they think I’ve lost my mind,” Irene said sarcastically. “Why would my girls take you anywhere after the hell you gave Allie and Lizzy?”

Dora June crossed the room and laid a hand on Irene’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry for that, Irene. I’ve been jealous of you my whole life. You got Katy and then three granddaughters and I wanted them all for mine.”

“That’s why you tried to drive them crazy with your meddling?” Irene crossed her thin arms over her chest and continued to frown.

“When you decided to live here, I…” Dora June paused. “I didn’t know how to…”

Fiona very gently squeezed Irene’s hand. “Granny, it’s okay. Dora June and Truman are staying at Audrey’s Place while Mama is on vacation. Their house burned down and they needed a place to stay.”

“Now I know I’m either crazy or dead. Ain’t no way Truman would stay there. He’s too self-righteous. Who are these other girls you brought with you?” Irene cocked her head to one side and studied her other two granddaughters.

“This is Allie and Lizzy. My sisters, remember? Your granddaughters. Allie is getting Audrey out of her coat so you can hold her,” Fiona said softly. Her mother had warned her that Irene’s memory could flash on and off like twinkling Christmas lights. “Remember when you came to Dry Creek last week and we put up the tree but it was too windy to put up the outside decorations?”

“I wish I had a tree,” Irene said wistfully.

“I’ll bring a little one and some decorations next Sunday and we’ll put it right there in the corner. Maybe I’ll even make a butter rum cake this week.” Fiona winked but it was all she could do to keep the tears at bay.

Irene clapped her hands. “I love butter rum cake. Remember when we used to make them at Christmas for the church potluck and we never told anyone that it had real alcohol in it?” She glanced at Dora June. “I bought rum, didn’t I? At a liquor store in Wichita Falls.”

“You bought the rum because Truman would have pitched a fit if I brought liquor in the house and we made them at your place.” Dora June smiled.

Irene frowned. “Who are these girls again, Dora? Did you and Truman adopt kids after all? Is this pretty little thing your grandbaby?”

Dora June wiped away a tear. “Got something in my eye. Yes, we did adopt all these girls. They’ve been our biggest blessing these past few days. You don’t mind if we adopt them, do you?”

“Hell, no! Everyone needs kids. I don’t know what I’d do without my Katy,” Irene declared.

Allie put Audrey in her lap. “She’s a good baby as long as she gets her way. Kind of like Lizzy.”

“She looks like Fiona,” Irene said. “My mother had red hair but she didn’t like it so she put stuff on it. It stunk and I didn’t like to be in the house when she did that.” She frowned again and then smiled. “You are Allie and you are Lizzy and you belong to Katy, right? You aren’t Dora June’s kids?”

“Not really. We are your granddaughters and the baby is Audrey,” Allie said.

“Audrey is the hooker that built our house. How can this be Audrey?” Irene was visibly confused.

“We named her after our great-great-grandmother,” Allie answered.

“Well, ain’t that a hoot,” Irene giggled. “Where’s Katy?”

“She’s on a little trip with Trudy and Janie,” Allie repeated.

“Oh, no! Those two are always up to no good. Tell her that I said she has to come home. They’ll have her drinkin’ and chasin’ bad boys.” Irene’s voice shot up to just below yelling.