One Texas Cowboy Too Many (Burnt Boot, Texas #3)(72)

“You had breakfast?” Polly yelled from the kitchen.

“Way her stomach is carryin’ on, I’d say that she hasn’t. Throw another couple of eggs in the bowl and she can eat with us.” Gladys took her arm and led her from the living room, through the dining area, and into the country-sized kitchen. “You really think a picnic is a smart idea?”

“Didn’t know what else to do. The rules say I have to take him to dinner. I thought we’d eat on the church steps or have a tailgate party in my truck in the church parking lot.”

Polly nodded. “That sounds safe enough. You could bring him here. We’re putting a roast in the oven and there’d be plenty for two more.”

“Thanks, but I think a tailgate party out in the open would be best, and besides, I don’t want to drag y’all into this mess. Can I help with anything?”

“You can set the table,” Gladys answered.

Leah washed her hands at the kitchen sink, dried them, and opened the cabinet door. “I need a place to live. Polly, would you rent your house to me?”

“So it’s come down to that, has it?” Polly asked.

“I understand if you don’t want to get in the middle of the feud, but this hasn’t got anything to do with that,” Leah said.

“Rhett?” Gladys asked.

“Yes, and Tanner. Granny says that if I don’t break it off with Rhett or if I start something up with Tanner as a result of this dinner today, then I have to move out. I told Granny I was leaving tomorrow evening, as soon as I get home from the first day of school. So…” Leah paused.

“So you made the decision to move before Mavis made good on her word, right?” Polly asked.

“There’s a spare room in the bunkhouse,” Gladys said.

“That would complicate things too much,” Polly said. “Me and Gladys been doin’ some serious talkin’ after that episode I had. This could be the first step in makin’ some decisions, so, yes, you can rent my house. It’s full of my stuff, but you can sleep in the guest room. When we get our plans all settled, I’ll get it cleaned out, but right now it’s livable and you can have it.”

“How much?” Leah asked.

“Well, if you’d be willin’ to help Rhett and Sawyer take care of the place, I reckon that would be payment enough. They’re feeding my cows and takin’ care of the ranch for me and…” It was Polly’s turn to pause.

“Might as well go on and tell her the rest of the story, but make her promise to keep it a secret,” Gladys said.

“I’ve got a buyer for the bar. She wants to take over the first of September. And I’m thinkin’ about offering the ranch to Rhett and financing the sale myself, but I haven’t talked to him about it yet, so don’t let the cat out of the bag. He’d take possession the same time the new bar owner would.”

Gladys pulled a pan of biscuits from the oven and carried them to the table. “And I’m going to give Fiddle Creek to Jill—all but this house and the acre it sits on, so me and Polly will have a permanent place to live. Then me and Polly and Verdie are going to do some traveling, starting with one of them senior cruises that takes two whole weeks, maybe in September if we can get it arranged that fast. We don’t want to be away from Burnt Boot for Christmas, and Verdie has to be here in late January to help out when the new baby arrives.”

“Sounds like y’all have given this a lot of thought,” Leah said.

They both nodded at the same time.

“And”—Gladys patted her on the shoulder—“if Rhett buys Polly’s ranch, and he wants to live in the house and y’all ain’t comfortable bein’ roommates, you can rent a room in the bunkhouse from Jill and Sawyer. You’ll have a place to live, honey, so don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you.” Leah smiled.

“I’ll get you a key to the house after breakfast. Refrigerator is empty, but the freezer has about a quarter of a hog in it and half that much beef. Help yourself to any of it that you want.” Polly picked up a platter of bacon and eggs and carried it to the table.

“And you can start a charge at the store. Just tell Jill to put it in your name and keep it separate from River Bend.”

Leah’s eyes misted for the second time that morning. “Y’all don’t know how much I appreciate this.”

“Ah, honey, it ain’t nothin’ but a simple breakfast. If we’d have known you were comin’, we would’ve made sausage gravy to go with it.” Polly grinned.

Gladys patted her shoulder again. “It’ll all work out. In a year, it’ll only be a line in the history of your life.”

“I hope so,” Leah said.

*

Leah made arrangements for one of her cousins to teach her Sunday school class that morning and went to check out Polly’s house, walking from room to room in the small two-bedroom house, and thinking that she’d like to have a home like it someday. All she really needed was a little place with a front porch big enough for lazy dogs and cats on a hot summer day and a yard for some roses and petunias.

If Rhett didn’t want to buy the ranch, perhaps Polly would make her the same deal. She could hire one full-time foreman and a couple of part-time cowboys to help out, and in a couple of years, she’d be making a profit.