Holidays on the Ranch (Burnt Boot, Texas #1)(60)

“Well, how about that?” Verdie grinned.

“It’s like a movie,” Olivia sighed.

“Didn’t want to waste the chance.” Finn grinned as he set Callie on her feet.

She tiptoed and kissed him on the chin. “Neither did I.”

***

Finn had broken the ice by kissing her in front of them. The boys’ noses were snarled up like they’d smelled something horrible. Olivia was wide-eyed, and Verdie was still smiling. The awkward moment had passed.

“I like cats, but we never could have pets in the places we’ve lived,” Olivia said shyly, changing the subject.

“I bet by the end of the day that Angel will let you hold her, and she’ll probably sleep on your bed,” Callie said.

“This all”—Olivia swept the whole room with her arms—“feels like a dream.”

“I expect all four of you best get on in the bathroom and wash up for dinner. Since we had all this to settle this morning, we’re having grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, but supper will be fried chicken,” Verdie said and quickly wiped away a tear.

“Y’all got any questions?” Finn asked.

“You sure those dogs won’t bite us?” Ricky asked.

“I’m sure,” Martin answered. “Let’s go wash up. I’m starving, and I love cheese sandwiches.”

“Hands. Bathroom,” Verdie said.

Martin hugged Finn. “Thank you.”

“You are very welcome, son,” Finn said.

“Y’all come on. I’ll show you where the bathroom is, and after dinner, us boys are going to help Finn clean up the barn if you think you’re big enough,” Martin said.

“Anything you can do, I can,” Adam declared.

“Me too,” Ricky said right behind them.

“Well, that’s done,” Callie whispered.

“Martin almost made me cry,” Finn said.

“Big old mean soldier like you?” Callie asked.

“Big old mean soldier has a soft heart,” Verdie said. “Y’all can help me get some food on the table. Them kids need something warm in their stomachs. I know Beth Layton was good to them, but I swear them boys look like they could use fattenin’ up.”

“Which brings us to the second question of the day,” Callie said.

Verdie was behind the refrigerator door taking out butter, cheese, and milk. “Which is?” she asked.

Finn had started toward the pantry for tomato soup. “If it works out for us to keep these kids past the holidays, would you stay on as the nanny?”

Her head popped up over the door. “Hell no!”

“Hell no! Hell no!” Joe filled the house with several wolf whistles in between repeating what Verdie said.

“If you don’t shut up, I’m getting out the tomato cage and the apron,” Verdie threatened.

Callie stopped in her tracks. “Finn would pay you.”

“It ain’t money.”

“Then what is it?” Finn asked.

“If I can’t be the granny, I ain’t stayin’. I want the title, not the damned old money. I got more of that than I can ever spend. You let me be the granny, and I’ll tell the funny farm to give my room to someone else.”

Callie let out a whoosh of air. “You scared me, Verdie McElroy.”

“Just keepin’ y’all on your toes. This is my home. I figured it out after I left it, and God has seen fit to give me a second chance at livin’ here. I’ll be glad to stay on and help you run this ranch, Finn. If you’d have told me you needed some help, I wouldn’t have ever left,” she said.

“Sure funny how a man’s life can do a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn in a few days, ain’t it?” he said.

“Patrick used to say that it was a good thing we didn’t know what the next five minutes would bring in lots of cases.”

Four little kids coming down the hall sounded like a herd of elephants. Martin led the line and held out his hands for inspection.

Callie looked at the tops, the palms, and then the nails. “Good job, soldier. Next?”

Adam held his out his hands and she did the same, all the way down the line to Olivia. The girl’s hair was in need of a good shampooing and application of conditioner. It was thick and straight as a board, hung in her eyes, and needed a cut or a shaping. Callie took her small hands in hers and examined them like she had the boys.

“Good job, soldier. All four of you can sit at the table until we get the food ready.”

Martin’s smiles and the tone of his voice as the kids all talked at once was music to her ears. She’d never seen him that happy, not even when the social services lady told them that he wouldn’t have to go to foster care while Callie got guardianship papers in order.

***

Callie’s new room was one door down the hall from Finn’s with the old nursery across the hallway. The linen closet and bathroom were on the same side as the nursery. The little boys carried what they could, but Finn brought in her clothing and hung everything in the new closet.

Olivia was like a little girl with unlimited money in a candy store over the room that Callie vacated. Her meager possessions were lined up on the dresser and her Bible was on the nightstand. Her clothing took up less than a foot of space in the closet, and the shoes on her feet were all that she had. Amanda had said social services would send a check each month, but Callie had money saved, and she was determined the child would have a few things before the money arrived.