Holidays on the Ranch (Burnt Boot, Texas #1)(79)

Polly came back, this time pushing herself in a wheelchair, and picked up the microphone from the pulpit. “Sometimes you kids make a list for Christmas. Well, just because we’re older than twenty…”

“Pol…llly.” Gladys’s head poked out from between two quilts.

“Okay, older than twenty-one…”

“Pol…llly.” Verdie’s head came out from the other end, and she was wearing the flashing Rudolph antlers.

“Oh, all right, you two ain’t a bit of fun, and it’s Christmas,” Polly said. “Just because we are old enough”—she paused and looked over the audience—“to get senior citizens’ discounts at Dairy Queen and the Pizza Hut, doesn’t mean that we don’t make a list. As for me, I was thinking maybe I’d wish for a white Christmas this year, but wait, we already got that. Well, then, I guess the next thing on our list will have to do.”

The curtains parted and five old gals plus the same amount of gents filed out. The ladies had put tutus on over their sweat suits, and the guys wore striped vests and top hats.

Polly jumped up out of the wheelchair and yelled, “Hit it,” and the music started for “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.” They had made a few adjustments to the lyrics: “All I want for Christmas is to find my dentures.” They sang that if they could find their dentures they could whistle and say “sister Suzy sitting on a thistle.”

When that ended, they entertained the congregation with “Jingle Bell Rock” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” and then Polly wound up the half-hour show by asking everyone to pick up the hymnal from the back of the pew in front of them and open it.

“Like our preacher told us, laughter is good for the soul. So is music and singing. We’ve had a good time here this morning, and we’re tickled to be here another year with all y’all. Here’s hoping we can all ten be here again next year and that Verdie don’t get in the way of a reindeer. Now Gladys is going to play the piano like she used to do when we really were too young to get those senior citizens’ discounts, and we’re all going to finish this morning’s service by singing together. The song is right there inside the cover, and we want to hear your voices lift the roof,” Polly said.

Verdie pushed her way to Polly’s side. “Really we want you to sing loud because we’re all hard of hearing.”

Gladys hit the keys and Polly handed the microphone to Verdie, who led the whole group in “Joy to the World.”

Callie could hear Finn’s deep Texas twang over the sweet little voices of the children and wished she was standing beside him.

Callie steered clear of the ladies’ room that morning and only caught a glimpse of Honey and Betsy shooting evil looks at each other. If only they’d both have to make a run to the bathroom, she’d gladly lock them inside.

***

“Boy, I wish church was like that every week,” Martin said on the way home.

“Not me,” Finn whispered toward Callie. “I missed you sitting beside me.”

“Sometimes I nearly fall asleep when the preacher starts talking about that old stuff, but I didn’t this morning,” Ricky said.

“I like the part when we all get to sing,” Olivia said. “Someday I’m going to be a country music star and sing in Nashville. Maybe I’ll even get asked up on the Grand Ole Opry stage when I get to be really famous.”

“It was fun,” Verdie said. “Never knew how much I missed the little things about Burnt Boot until the well run dry. I’m glad to be home, and I’m not leaving again. If y’all kick me off Salt Draw, I’ll go live with Polly and be a barmaid at night.”

“Verdie!” Callie exclaimed.

“I’d rather do that than go crazy on depression pills at the funny farm. Oh, I meant to tell y’all. My grandkids called last night. They can’t come for the holidays this year, but they asked me what I wanted.”

“What did you tell them?” Olivia asked.

“I said I wanted seven tickets to the Rainforest Cafe in Grapevine, Texas. I thought we might go have dinner there for New Year’s Eve and then go ice-skating in Frisco at that big old mall they got down there,” Verdie answered.

Olivia slapped a hand over her mouth. “Are you serious?”

“My Rainforest tickets will be here in my Christmas card sometime this week, but we’ll have to clear it with Callie and Finn,” Verdie said.

Finn reached across the distance between the two bucket seats in the front of the new van and laced his fingers into Callie’s. “Fine by me, but now you got to convince Callie. She might have other ideas to bring in the New Year.”

“Callie, please,” Martin whispered right behind her.

“How could I ever say no to a deal like that? How many of you have ever ice-skated?”

No hands went up, but Finn squeezed her fingers.

“You?” she asked.

“Couple of times, ma’am. We were up in Montana for a rodeo one winter, and then we went to the finals in Las Vegas. One of the casinos has a rink on the bottom floor. I’ll teach you,” he answered.

“How about you, Verdie?” Olivia asked.

“When I was a girl, we had some real hard winters around these parts and the ponds froze over. We didn’t have skates, but we put old socks over our shoes and had a big time. I’m willing to learn if you are,” Verdie answered.