Holidays on the Ranch (Burnt Boot, Texas #1)(42)

Callie stuck out her hand. “Hello, Verdie. That truck hasn’t given up the ghost. I can put a new thermostat in it, and with a new tire, it’ll be good for another ten years.”

Verdie bypassed Callie’s hand and hugged her tightly. “It’s so good to be home. I can move my things if you want me to.” Then she moved past Callie and hugged Finn. “Y’all are about frozen. You’d best get out of them wet clothes and get over there by the fire to get warmed up. I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee.”

“Thank you, Verdie, and you can stay in the room where you put your things. I hope it was clean, and you are very welcome to stay as long as you like. Is that taco soup I smell?” Callie said.

“I hope it’s taco soup, because I’m cold and hungry, and that would sure taste good,” Finn said.

Verdie swiped at her eyes with the tail of her apron and said, “I was hungry for it, but they don’t serve anything that’s got any flavor to it at the funny farm I was stupid enough to run off to. Y’all go on and change, and I’ll put it all on the table. Oh, the school called a few minutes ago. They’ll be letting out early. Bus drivers are afraid that they can’t get through the back roads the way it’s coming down out there. Glad I got here when I did.”

“Did you drive?” Callie asked.

“Hell no! Didn’t have anything to drive. Left my old truck here. I caught a ride to Gainesville with the daughter of a lady who lives in the funny farm. Then I paid a cab double fare to bring me on home.”

When a timer bell dinged, she whipped around and picked up a pot holder. “Last of the cookies is ready. I ate most of the first dozen soon as they came out of the oven.”

“Well, soon as I get into some dry clothes, I’m going to eat that dozen.” Finn grinned.

Callie’s feet tingled as she made her way to the bedroom where she rustled up a sweat suit and a pair of fluffy socks. She towel dried her dark hair and drew it up into a fresh ponytail. She was crossing the room when she realized that Joe hadn’t said a word since she and Finn came into the house.

She glanced in his direction to find a crazy contraption sitting on two bars of the drying rack. It had a brightly colored apron tied around the top of it.

“Damn bird was driving me crazy. He needs to be covered at night and when he gets too noisy. I put a tomato cage over him and tied an old apron around it. He’s sleeping like a baby,” Verdie said. “That constant shit he spits out would drive a woman to drinkin’.”

Before Callie could say thank you, the front door flew open. Martin ran across the floor without even wiping his feet and threw himself into her arms, sobbing like his heart was broken.

“Callie, you got to do something. They can’t go to another of them foster places. I won’t even ask for a Christmas present. I don’t need no cowboy boots anyway. It’s Olivia and her brothers. We’ve got to help them.” The words came out in ragged gasps between sobs.

She drew him to the sofa and sat down with him right beside her. “Dry up the tears and tell me what’s going on.”

“That’s the kids that the Laytons have, isn’t it?” Verdie asked.

Martin wiped his eyes and stared at her.

“I’m Verdie. I used to own Salt Draw. I’m here for a visit. Now tell me what’s happening to the children. They’ve been with the Layton family about six months.”

Fresh tears washed down his face. “The mama is real sick, and she can’t keep them no more, and Adam said that they liked it here and they don’t want to leave, and Olivia was crying.”

“What’s goin’ on in here?” Finn’s big frame filled the hallway door.

“I’ll work real hard if you can let them stay here. We got lots of room, and they’re just little kids, so they won’t eat much,” Martin said.

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” Verdie said and went on to explain the situation to Finn. “But Polly used to work for the office that takes care of foster kids, so I’ll call her and see what can be done. Right now all y’all need good warm food in your stomachs. And then we’re going to talk about decorations for that tree in there. Something that big needs more foo-rah on it, and I know just where to find it.”

Martin nodded and removed his coat, hung it on the rack, and kicked his shoes off beside the door.

Finn patted Callie on the back. “It’ll be all right. Don’t worry.”

“Easier said than done,” she said.





Chapter 13


Nothing was awkward, and that made everything awkward. One minute Callie and Finn were jogging home through the snow and then boom! They had a houseguest who wasn’t really a visitor because she was part of the ranch even more than they were. Callie could count on the fingers of one hand the times she’d entertained an overnight guest, and not a single one of them had ever moved right into the kitchen and taken over the cooking.

She tried reading a book when she went to bed, but her mind wouldn’t shut off. Next she tried visualizing a black dot and making it bigger like her therapist suggested. That didn’t work, either. Finally, she got out of bed, wrapped the chenille bedspread around her like a cape, and tiptoed across the cold hardwood floor to the den.

Shotgun’s tail thumped on the floor a couple of times, then he tucked his head under his paw and went back to sleep in front of the glowing fireplace with Pistol and Angel snuggled up against him. Callie settled into the corner of the sofa, tucked her feet up under the bedspread, and hoped the warmth of the fire would mesmerize her right into sleep.