Wild Cowboy Ways (Lucky Penny Ranch #1)(15)

She must have loved Walter a lot, not only to trudge through the snow, but to wear a coat that weighed half as much as she did. It’s a wonder that the thing didn’t fracture her frail shoulders.

“Yes, you can and I like my hot chocolate with lots of extra cream, but you know that, and why aren’t you wearing your glasses tonight? You know you can’t see anything without them.”

“I got those newfangled contact lenses, remember?” he said.

Irene squinted up at him. “Those what?”

“Little tiny lenses that go right in my eyes,” he said. “I don’t have to wear glasses all the time now.”

“That’s crazy, Walter. I bet they were expensive if there is such a thing and your mama paid for them to make you feel guilty about wanting to move her in with your brothers, didn’t she?” She eased down into the rocking chair and held her hands out to the blazing fire. “When did you get that fancy chair? Did she buy that for you, too? I’m not surprised since she let you bring that mangy mutt in the house. She’ll do anything to guilt you into keeping her with you forever.”

Once she was settled, he went to the kitchen and put a cup of milk into the microwave for a minute. While that heated, he searched in the cabinets and found a box of instant chocolate mix. When the milk was ready, he removed it and added the mix plus a heaping tablespoon of coffee creamer, stirred it well, and carried it to the living room.

“Did you put in the extra cream?” Irene asked.

He set the chocolate on the coffee table. “Of course I did, ma’am. I know exactly how you like your hot chocolate. Be careful now. The mug is hot.”

“Don’t you ma’am me. I’m not your mother or an old lady.” She picked it up and wrapped her hands around the mug. “Ahh, nice and warm for my hands as well as my freezing insides. Well, crap! I hear a car coming down the lane. Who would be coming around this late? Don’t folks have any manners at all? You don’t go visiting after dark. It’s not proper.”

“Maybe someone lost their way and needs directions or maybe they’re turning around in the driveway,” he said.

Irene nodded and sipped her chocolate while she rocked back and forth in front of the fire. A gentle knock on the door brought the rocking chair to a stop, and Irene’s expression changed. Blake turned on the porch light, opened the door, and motioned Allie inside.

Irene’s old eyes narrowed into little more than slits. “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be having a good time with your girlfriends because this is the last night before you get married tomorrow.”

“Granny, I am Allie, not Katy, and it’s time for us to go home, now,” Allie said.

Irene’s face went blank as she looked around the room. “Why did you bring me over here to this place? I told you to stay away from here. It don’t bring nothing but heartache and yet here you are, flirting with this cowboy. It’s a good thing I saw you sneaking out of the house and came to get you. I’ll have to watch you closer or else you’ll ruin your life like your mama almost did.”

“You want a cup of hot chocolate or coffee?” Blake asked.

Allie shook her head. “What’s this about Mama ruining her life?”

Irene popped up out of the rocking chair and pointed her finger at Allie. “I don’t want to talk about that, Alora Raine Logan. I told Katy that she’d have to get over it and she did so we’re not discussing it no more. Let’s go home and I swear to God, if I catch you over here one more time, you’re going to be in big trouble.”

“Let me help you with your coat,” Allie said.

“I’m a grown woman. I don’t need any help,” Irene protested.

Allie stood aside and let her grandmother get the heavy coat up on her shoulders, then watched as Irene slammed the screen door and stomped out to the van. “Thanks for calling. We thought she was asleep in her room. She crawled out a window. Guess I’ll have to put locks on them so she can’t get out.”

“She must’ve loved Walter a lot,” he said.

“I don’t even know who Walter is. He might be a boyfriend she had in the fourth grade and she’s got him mixed up with someone who lived over here at some time in her life. Who knows what triggers what these days.” Allie sighed.

Shooter whined, yipped, and then opened his eyes wide. He jumped up and raced across the floor like he’d been poked with a red-hot brand. Blake barely had time to sling open the screen door before the yellow blur sped past him and Allie. Then, as if in slow motion, Allie was tumbling forward, grasping at nothing more than air to break her fall.

Blake quickly wrapped his big arms around her and pulled her to his chest. Her heart pounded against his as he tightened his arms around her and her arms snaked up around his neck.

“I am so sorry,” she gasped, but she didn’t push away from him.

“It’s all right. I’ve got you,” he whispered. “Sorry about Shooter. I’ve never seen him act like that and I’ve had him since the day he was born.”

Her arms fell to her sides and her face turned scarlet. “I had visions of a broken arm and not being able to work.”

Blake didn’t know that women blushed in today’s world, especially those who were tough enough to put a roof on a house and run a construction business.