Wild Cowboy Ways (Lucky Penny Ranch #1)(42)

Why did she have to face off with all those memories that day? She wiped the tears again, leaving streaks of dust and grime on her cheeks like war paint. Her father’s words came back again telling her to finish tearing out the old so she would be ready for the shiny new. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how tightly she’d held on to the past, to the anger and the pain, but it had to go.

She raised her head and stared at the big gaping hole where the ceiling had been. Trusses, the bottom of roof decking, ceiling joists—all visible but the old ugly stuff had been ripped away. It was symbolic of what she had to do to move on with her life.

The old had been torn out of her heart and soul, but suddenly fear gripped her when she thought of taking a step forward. She’d been in limbo for so many years she didn’t know if she could trust her feet to take even a baby step, she was so scared of falling on her face…again.

She looked out the open window at the bright sunshine and then up at the rafters. Instead of an answer to the multitude of questions plaguing her, she heard the back door slam and heavy footsteps coming down the hallway. She swiped a hand across her face to get rid of the last of the tears and stood up.

“Can we open the door?” Deke yelled.

She made her way across the cluttered floor. “It’s a mess. Enter at your own risk.”

The door eased open and warmth flowed in. Deke’s silhouette filled the doorway. Leaning against the doorjamb with one leg slightly bent in those tight jeans, he was almost as dirty as she was. Twigs and leaves stuck to his flannel shirt as well as his hair.

“You got a lot done to be workin’ alone.” His gaze started at the hole where the ceiling used to be, traveled to the open window and carpet, and then slowly inched its way from her work boots to the top of her head. He grinned when he saw all the white dust in her hair. “Holy shit, Allie! You’re going to grow up to look like your granny.”

“Thank you so much for that, Deke! I may look like shit but I got the worst of the job done, and Blake helped me pull nails for more than an hour so that helped a lot.” She smarted off back at him.

“Hey, I’m statin’ facts not startin’ a fight,” he said.

“Good, because I’m sure not in the mood for a fight!” She pushed her way past him. “See y’all in the kitchen after I clean up.”

When she looked in the mirror above the wall-hung sink in the bathroom, sure enough there was Irene Miller staring back at her. The streaks from tears mixing with dirt and dust had created pseudo-wrinkles down her cheeks. Her dark hair had a coating of white dust all the way to her scalp and her eyes were slightly swollen from crying.

That she looked like shit didn’t bother her half as much as the fact that Sharlene had seen her looking like that. She stripped out of her coveralls and left them lying on the bathroom floor. Her work pants and T-shirt were in good shape since they’d been covered up. However, the insulated underwear was getting pretty warm now that she was out of the chilly room. So she took off everything down to her underpants and bra and picked up a washcloth to work on her face.

One more glance in the mirror and she realized that she’d never brush all that grime from her hair. She found towels on the shelves above the toilet, along with shampoo. She pulled the curtain around the tub and hoped that the drain didn’t clog. She hated doing plumbing work.

“I promise to wear a hat next time I take down drywall.” She stepped into the tub and let the hot water rinse away tears, dirt, and dust from her body and hair.

When she finished, the woman in the mirror smiled at her. “Hello, I haven’t seen you since before you married Riley. I thought I’d lost you forever.”

The grin widened.

She redressed, leaving her work boots sitting on the floor beside her coveralls and long underwear. The phone in her hip pocket rang at the same time she stepped out into the hallway.

“Hello, Mama,” she said.

“I need you to stop what you are doing by one o’clock. I have to take your grandmother to Wichita Falls this afternoon for a doctor’s appointment. I forgot all about it until I looked at the calendar. You’ll need to mind the store.” Katy sounded frantic.

“It’s okay, Mama. I’m at a really good stopping point. I’ve got the ceiling down in the master bedroom.” Allie stopped and leaned against the wall. “Is one early enough? I can come on right now if you want me to.”

“The main roads are clear from here to there but we’re in for more snow tonight. I just want to get up there, get it done, and get home before the roads get slick. I’m not lookin’ forward to driving in it. Are you eating dinner with Blake and Deke?” Katy asked.

“Yes, but I could eat whatever you’ve made in the store. It’s no big deal,” she answered.

“Go on and eat your dinner. One o’clock will be fine. Thank goodness the sun melted some of this already,” Katy said.

Allie ran a hand through her hair and realized she hadn’t taken time to brush it. “Want me to take her?”

“No, I have to be there to sign papers and talk to them about a new medication they want to try. See you in an hour.”

She went back to the bathroom, ran the brush she found on the shelf beside the shampoo through her damp hair, and put it back on the shelf. Then she padded to the kitchen in her socks.