Picnic in Someday Valley (Honey Creek #2)(36)

Piper heard the other men agreeing and the women giggling.

Colby asked the next question. “What about these two on the floor?”

“All they wanted to do was sleep, and the ladies wouldn’t let them lie down on the furniture.” The chubby man’s whole body jiggled as he laughed. “Goat over there stunk, so he went under the glass coffee table, but it didn’t help the smell much.”

“Goat is his name?” Colby asked.

“I don’t know. Probably. I ain’t ever heard him go by anything else. We call him Goat because he eats everything. Last Christmas we gave him our expired cans, and he thanked us.”

Piper opened one eye and realized she was a foot away from one sleeping man. His snoring was blowing alligator breath her direction. It was time for her to wake up.





Chapter 23


Pecos


When Pecos rushed in the door of Kerrie’s parents’ house, he could hardly wait to hold her. It seemed like he’d been away for days.

“Kerrie!” he yelled.

“In the kitchen,” she answered. A moment later she was waddling toward him and he was running to her.

As he hugged her close, rocking her in his arms, her father’s voice came from the kitchen doorway. “Don’t hold her so hard, boy. You’ll squeeze that baby right out of her.”

Pecos didn’t turn loose of Kerrie and she held on tighter to him. Pecos stared over her head at Mr. Lane. “I’m not hurting my wife and I’m not a boy.”

There was that hate-look Pecos was used to in Mr. Lane’s eyes. Like the get off my property look, or that I plan to kill you as soon as you let your guard down look.

Pecos wondered if the parents lectured Kerrie all night long. Their range of advice was endless. They wanted their daughter back, but Pecos wasn’t sure if they wanted the baby. He knew they didn’t want him.

Mr. Winston circled around Mr. Lane like he was one of the columns in the living room that seemed to have no practical purpose. He carried a plate of tiny cinnamon rolls with a pecan half on top of each. “Oh, Pecos, I’m so glad you’re here. These are fresh out of the oven. Kerrie made them.”

Pecos looked down at her. “You made them?”

“I did.”

“Then I’m sure I’ll love them.” He’d managed to get down her first meatloaf and a dozen first casseroles she got off of Pin-terest. He could handle this.

Mr. Lane stormed off to the back of the house and everyone else sat down to breakfast. While Kerrie’s mother got the egg dish out of the oven and Mr. Winston poured himself another cup of coffee, Pecos leaned close to Kerrie. “How was it last night?”

“Not as bad as I thought it might be. Mr. Winston helped. Dad makes a point of never yelling in front of strangers. He did try to lecture me to death. I pretended to be asleep most of the time.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I missed you, wife.”

“I missed you, husband. Can we go home and go back to bed?”

“I’d like that. I’ll have to be back at the station by eight tonight.” He leaned close and kissed her right in front of her mother and Mr. Winston.

When Pecos looked up, Mrs. Lane had tears running down her cheeks, but she was smiling.

Mr. Winston patted her on her shoulder. “Even an old man like me can see true love.”

Mrs. Lane nodded her head so hard, tears flew off her face, but she didn’t say a word.

After eating everything on the table, Pecos and Kerrie walked back to their home with Mr. Winston between them. He was doing all the talking. Apparently this had been quite an adventure for the old man.

As soon as they got home they all climbed the stairs and said good night even though it was morning, then headed for their rooms.

Pecos helped Kerrie with her clothes, then he stripped and they both tumbled into bed. The heavy old drapes turned their quarters into twilight.

He loved everything about this room. The heavy old-fashioned furniture, the soothing colors of deep blue and burgundy, the way Kerrie felt beside him. The feel of her against him would warm his heart until his last breath.

“Pecos,” she said as she cuddled closer. “I don’t want us to be separated if trouble of any kind comes again. Do you think the sheriff would let me stay in the dispatch room? I want to be with you, not with my parents.”

“No. The sheriff wouldn’t let you hang out and watch me work, but the firemen might let you stay next door. Then I could check on you and you could walk over and wave at me from the front office.”

“Could Mr. Winston come too?”

“Sure,” Pecos promised as he prayed trouble never came again while he was a dispatcher. If the old man thought the Lanes’ safe room was an adventure, he’d have a heart attack in the sheriff’s office during a crisis.

Just as he was dozing off with his cheek against her hair, she said, “I asked Mr. Winston what his first name was. He said Abraham.”

“That’s a nice name,” Pecos mumbled as he drifted off. There was no place in the world he’d rather be than right here. He smiled even in his sleep.

There are times, Pecos decided, that life is so perfect you feel like you might explode with happiness. They had next to nothing, but at the same time, they had it all.

He moved his hand over her tummy and the kid tapped against his palm.