Holding Out for Christmas (The Christmas Tree Ranch #3)(49)

Francine hooted with laughter.

Then Maggie drew out another yellow page. Megan’s heart sank. Why hadn’t she written something more conventional?

Maggie adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. “‘Watch your man sleep. Touch his hair, feel his breath, and remember all the reasons you love him.’”

“Oh . . .” Maggie’s voice broke slightly. “This is beautiful—almost like a song. I don’t know who wrote it, but she sounds like a lady who’s very much in love. Does anybody want to fess up?” She glanced around the room. “No? Well, I’ll put it aside for now and guess later.”

As she slid another page out of the folder, Megan exhaled in relief. For now, she was off the hook. But she wouldn’t feel safe until the party was over.

The game continued to its end, followed by the opening of the shower gifts. By the time the last present was unwrapped, the afternoon was getting on, and most of the busy women needed to get home. Maggie stood by the door to thank each one as she left. Megan was among the last. As she approached the door, Maggie motioned her aside.

“What you wrote was beautiful, Megan,” she said. “It took me a little time to guess it was you. But when you didn’t admit to any of the others, I knew.”

Megan flushed. “Thank you for not giving me away. I was afraid I’d gotten too personal. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Maggie smiled. “I believe I do. And I hope things work out for you and Conner. You’re just the woman he needs.”

With a murmur of thanks, Megan squeezed her hand and left. Was Maggie right? Was she really the woman for Conner, or was she just one more in a long succession of girlfriends, to be cast off when someone more exciting showed up—like Lacy?

*

Still lost in thought, she drove home. She found the house quiet, her father gone, her mother in her studio, and Daniel at the kitchen table, munching cookies and poring over the Texas Driver Handbook.

“Aren’t you home early?” she asked.

“My shoulder was hurting a little. Sam, my new boss, drove me home. He told me to rest until tomorrow. He’s a really nice guy.”

“Yes, I had that impression when I met him.” Megan remembered the man—not only handsome, but with a good job. If he wasn’t spoken for, Branding Iron’s single ladies would already be taking notice.

“How was the party?” Daniel asked.

“Fine.” Megan remembered Katy’s surprise announcement. She sat down across the table from him. “Daniel, have you and Katy made plans to get married?”

“Sure, we have.”

“So you’ve already asked her?”

“I asked her a long time ago. She said yes.”

“But how will you manage? You’ll need a place to live.”

“Katy’s folks want her to stay close. When we get married, we can live in their basement. It’s got a bathroom and a little kitchen and everything we need. But I want to get a car first. Katy says maybe her dad can fix up an old one for us. But first I need to pass this test.”

“So you’ve got it all figured out.” Megan shook her head. “How do Katy’s parents feel about all this?”

“They’re worried about us. But they want Katy to be happy. Her mom talked to a doctor. It’s pretty much for sure that we can’t have babies, so it’ll be just us—Katy and me and her kitty.” He looked up from the pages of the driver’s manual, his dark eyes full of purpose. “I know Mom and Dad want to keep me here. But I’m a man, Megan. Katy’s a woman. We love each other. We have the right to be together.”

Megan blinked away a tear. Her brother was right. Their parents protected Daniel because they loved him. But that didn’t make it fair to treat him like a child. He was a man, and as far as his limitations would allow, he wanted to live a man’s life.

Here, in this family, he needed an ally. She would be that ally, Megan resolved. She would do it out of respect for his loving heart and for the man he wanted to become.

“Here you are.” Their father entered the kitchen, his cheeks flushed from the cold. Still wearing his coat, he laid a manila envelope on the table. “This is for you, Megan. I know you haven’t made up your mind to stay, but today when I went by the district office, I took the liberty of picking up an application for that first-grade teaching job. They’re still needing somebody. Whatever you decide, it wouldn’t hurt to have that application in place, or even to interview for the job.”

“Of course. Thanks, Dad. I’ll fill it out and drop it off.” Megan picked up the envelope, planning to look at the application later. “I don’t have a Texas teaching credential. Would that be a problem?”

“It shouldn’t be. They could issue you a provisional certificate. But you won’t want to waste too much time. The district office will be shutting down for the holidays after next week.”

Slipping out of his coat, he moved around the table to look over Daniel’s shoulder. He scowled when he saw the driver’s handbook. “I can’t believe you’re still wasting time on that,” he said. “Why not just give up?”

Daniel turned to the next page. “If I give up, I’ll never learn to drive.”

“But that’s just for the written test, son. Even if you pass, you’ll still need to learn how to handle a car. I’m not qualified to teach you. You’ll need somebody with special training.”