Chapter Twenty-Two
“I’m so glad they invited us to Sunday lunch like this even though Callie isn’t here,” Retta said as Travis turned into the driveway of MacFarland Ranch.
He shot her a quick smile. “Yeah, I am, too. It made my day when Ty said that he – and the others – see me as another big brother.”
“I can see that, but did it really surprise you? I know Kolby talks about you that way. I tend to think of you guys as just one big family.”
“I see it that way – and no, it doesn’t really surprise me that they do, too. It was just nice to hear him say it, you know?”
“I do, I get it. When I first came, I thought they would only see me as Kolby’s mother-in-law – and I wasn’t sure where I would fit in. The last thing I expected was to have Shayna and Ty dropping by the cabins as often as they do. Ty told me the other day that because I’m his twin’s mother-in-law, that means we have our own special bond.”
“I love that,” said Travis. “I love it for you, and I love it for Ty as well. It’s funny, not so long ago I would have said that he, Kolby, and Tanner – all the siblings, come to think of it – were a self-contained unit. But I would have been wrong. They lost their mom when they were young, and I never would have guessed it, but I think they like having you in their lives.”
“I hardly think they see me as some kind of mother figure.”
“I don’t know about that. All I know is that however they see you, they enjoy having you as part of the family.”
He parked the truck around the back of the big house next to a couple of motorcycles.
Retta nodded at them. “I didn’t realize that Spider and Frankie would be here.”
“Me neither, but I’m glad they are. I want to have a chat with Spider.”
“I’d like to get to know Frankie better. I like her.”
Travis chuckled. “Frankie’s awesome. She’s a real spitfire.” His smile faded. “She’s another one who lost her mom when she was small. At this rate, you might end up with the whole family looking to you as a kind of stand-in mom.” He was going to ask how she felt about that, but he didn’t need to – the smile on her face told him her answer loud and clear.
When he lifted her out of the truck, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips.
He looked down into her eyes. “What was that for?”
She laughed. “Are you saying that I need a reason to kiss you now?”
“Never. I just wondered, that’s all.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “You have to remember that even though it seems like I can read your mind, sometimes I only know that you’re thinking about something but not exactly what you’re thinking. There’s a reason that you’re clinging to me the way you are, isn’t there?”
“Yes, there is. It’s just…” She shrugged. “I’m going to miss this.”
“Miss what?”
“You know, this.” She tightened her arms around his neck and pressed closer against his chest. “I’m getting the cast taken off on Tuesday.”
He laughed. “And you think that means that I’m going to stop picking you up and carrying you around?” He held her tighter. “Never.”
“It’s not that I want you to stop picking me up, more that I need to start standing on my own two feet again. It’d be far too easy for me to let you keep carrying me around just because I enjoy it. But we both know that I’ll need to walk and exercise to rehab it.”
“Yeah but…” He frowned. “I’m not going to get in the way of your healing, but I’m not prepared to give this up, either. I’ll let you do what you need to by yourself, but I reckon I can still find lots of opportunities to scoop you up and run away with you.”
She laughed. “I like the sound of that.”
“Hey, are you guys going to stand out here canoodling all afternoon or are you coming to join everyone?”
Travis made a face at Frankie, who was grinning at them from the back porch.
“We’re coming, Shorty.”
Frankie trotted down the steps and came to greet them. She smiled at Retta. “It’s good to see you again. I was going to say that I bet you can’t wait to be back on your feet, but knowing this guy, he’ll keep toting you around like this.”
Retta laughed. “We were just talking about that. As much as I enjoy this, I need to get back on my feet.” She smiled at Travis. “Then he can tote me around because we both enjoy it, not because I need it.”
Frankie grinned at her. “I knew I liked you. And as much as I love Callie, I’m glad she’s not here this afternoon – it’ll mean that we can hang out a bit more. Is there any news from her yet? Any sign of the baby arriving?”
“Not yet. She and Kolby wanted to be there in case he came early, but they’re still waiting.”
“He?” Frankie asked. “Do they know that it’s a boy?”
Retta smiled. “No, I just got into the habit of calling him a boy.”
Travis chuckled. “You know, you’ve called him he so often that it’ll be strange if it’s a girl.”
They all looked up when Ty appeared at the corner of the house and called, “Hey! Are you guys going to hang out back here for the whole afternoon or are you going to come and join us?”
“On our way,” called Travis.
He sat Retta in the wheelchair, but before he could take the handles, Frankie got there first.
“I’ll bet that Ty wants you to give him a hand, Trav. Do you want to come and hang out with the girls, Retta?”
“I’d love to.”
Travis laughed as Frankie pushed her away. “It’s a good thing you want to, darlin’,” he called after them. “It’s not like she was giving you any choice in the matter.”
He could hear her laughing, and Frankie just waved over her shoulder without turning back.
He trotted up the steps to where Ty was working the grill. Tanner came out from the kitchen and handed him a beer.
“How’s it going, Trav? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Everything’s going great. The cabins are coming along. I’m sure Ty’s told you all about the restaurant. And the plan for the rest of the place is slowly coming together. How about you, Tan? What’s going on in your world?”
“It’s business as usual for me – working the horses during the day, working behind the bar at Chico in the evenings.”
“How many nights a week do you work there?”
“Just the weekends usually, but I cover some nights during the week when they need me.”
Ty grinned at him. “Seems to me that you’re covering more and more since you’re the last man standing.”
“The last man standing?” asked Travis. “I don’t get it.”
Tanner rolled his eyes. “He means since the rest of them are all coupled up. Ty and Luke used to be my wingmen, but now, they have Shay and Laney.” He shrugged. “I don’t blame them for staying home with their girls instead of coming out with me. I’d do the same in their position.”
Travis cocked an eyebrow. “That sounds like you wouldn’t mind being in that position?”
Tanner shrugged again, and Ty chuckled and said, “Trav’s right, you know – you used to give us a hard time, but lately I feel like I’m sensing a little bit of envy there, Tan.”
“What do you want me to say? I never thought the day would come when the thought of staying home with one girl was more appealing than the thought of going out with as many as I can but…”
Travis grasped his shoulder. “But that day is finally here?”
“Maybe. I won’t know until I meet the kind of girl who I’d want to stay home with.”
Ty laughed. “You might have to start looking in a different place, then. The only girls you meet at Chico are the kind you want to take home for the night – and that’s a lot different from staying home with them.”
Tanner laughed. “Tell me something I don’t know. But where the hell am I supposed to look?”
“I’ve told you, I’m a convert to the whole online dating thing since I met Shay. I was more skeptical than you were in the beginning, but we all know that it’s the best thing I ever did.”
Tanner made a face. “It couldn’t have worked out better for you, I’m not denying that, but it wasn’t really online dating that brought Shay into your life, was it? It was all because of April knowing you both and connecting you. I feel like you got so lucky that lightning won’t strike in the same place twice.”
Travis nodded. “For what it’s worth, I’m with you, Tan. I love how it worked out for Ty and Shay, but I think you’re more likely to meet your match while you’re just going about your life.”
Tanner grinned at him. “You mean the way you met Retta?”
He grinned. “I guess I do. I just got lucky. If you think about it, if I hadn’t barged in on Kolby and Callie while they were talking to her on a video call, things might not have worked out as well as they have.”
“Yeah,” said Tanner, “but you still would have met her at some point, since she’s Callie’s mom.”
“True, but I don’t know that just meeting her would have been enough.” He chuckled. “It took me a long while to wear her down and bring her around to seeing things my way.”
Ty laughed. “But to see you guys together now, it’s obvious that you were always meant to be.”
Travis nodded happily. “Glad you think so. That’s the way I see it.”
~ ~ ~
Retta was somewhat in awe of Frankie and Laney. She was sitting with them and Janey, whom she also adored but who had a very different personality from her sister and cousin. While Janey was quieter and more thoughtful, Laney and Frankie were outgoing, loud, and confident. They’d had her in stitches while they told her stories about their antics as teenagers.
They used to race horses – she still wasn’t exactly sure what ‘barrel racing’ was, but from what they said, it sounded as though they went to different rodeos every weekend and competed. It sounded like they used to win a lot, too. Retta almost felt sorry for the young cowboys they talked about – she imagined that the two of them had left a trail of broken hearts in their wake.
She looked around for Sierra; Janey had said that she and Wade had taken the children over to Bozeman this morning, but they’d be here when they got back. It made sense to her that Janey seemed to be the closest to Sierra – she was another one who was quieter and more introverted.
Shayna was around somewhere – she was the one who Callie was closest to, and that made sense as well. The two of them fell somewhere in the middle – they weren’t as outgoing as Frankie and Laney or as quiet as Janey and Sierra.
“Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask you about your dress,” said Laney. “I saw Libby yesterday and she said that you ladies had a great time shopping in Bozeman on Friday. She showed me the dress that she bought, and it’s a knockout, but she said that as much as she loves it, the dress you bought was the nicest of all of them – she said it’s a real showstopper.”
Retta smiled. “I don’t know about that. I love it, and it’s very flattering, but we all did well.”
Laney laughed. “Libb said that the guys aren’t going to know what hit them.”
“What’s your dress like?” asked Frankie.
“It’s deep blue, fitted, with a square neck.”
Laney waggled her eyebrows. “A low-cut square neck, from the way Libby tells it.”
“It’s not that low. And besides, since I’m mostly going to be sitting, the neckline had to be the most important feature.”
Laney grinned. “See, you’re the kind of woman who knows all about that kind of thing, aren’t you? That would never have occurred to me.”
“Or me,” added Janey.
Frankie nodded. “You’re the reason why Callie’s always so well put together, aren’t you? You know how to look like a woman, and she learned just by being around you.” She looked at the others. “We never had that – and I’m going to stick with that as my excuse for why we look like a bunch of cowboys most of the time.”
Laney laughed. “And scarecrows the rest of the time.”
“That’s not true!” Retta protested. “You girls are beautiful – all three of you.” She wanted to make sure that Janey knew she was including her in that statement. Travis had told her that Janey didn’t think much of herself before she met Rocket – and from what Retta could tell, she still had no idea just how lovely she was.
Frankie made a face. “Yeah, we’re alright-looking in our own ways, but none of us knows how to do all the girly stuff. I’m not putting us down, just saying that it’s never been a priority to look good, you know?”
“You could teach us,” said Laney.
Retta raised her eyebrows. “I’d be happy to help you with anything you want me to. But what exactly do you want to learn?”
“The kind of stuff that we wouldn’t even think of – like you knew that the most important thing about your dress for this dinner you’re all going to, was the neckline because you’ll mostly be sitting down. That wouldn’t have occurred to me. I don’t know that you really can teach us to instinctively know stuff like that, but I bet there’s a bunch of basic guidelines that some women know, and we just don’t.”
Retta thought about it. “I suppose I could think of a few things. You know that I’m used to working with cheerleaders. This might be a sweeping generalization, but I think it mostly holds true. The girls who want to be on cheer teams tend to be the kind of girls who are interested in how they look – their hair, and clothes, and makeup are important to them, so they take the time to learn about what works for them.”
Janey nodded. “It’s true, and saying that isn’t like making a judgment. It’s just pointing out that different people have different priorities. We put our time and attention into animals and riding and working on the ranch. I wouldn’t expect a cheerleader to know anything about any of that because none of it’s important or even relevant in their lives.”
“Exactly,” said Frankie. “Just like hair, and clothes, and makeup haven’t been relevant in our lives.”
“But we can learn,” said Laney. “If you want to teach us.”
“I’d be happy to.”
Janey smiled at her. “Is there anything we can teach you about life around here?”
Retta bit down on her bottom lip.
“There is!” said Laney. “What is it?”
She looked down at the cast on her leg. “I’ve always wanted to learn to ride a horse. Obviously, it hasn’t been an option since I arrived, and it won’t be for a while yet – I’ll need to rehab my leg first but …”
“Just as soon as you’re ready, you let us know,” said Laney.
Janey looked more thoughtful. “You should get Trip to say that it’s okay first, though and … I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but are you sure that it’s a good idea?”
Frankie scowled at her. “She’s not that old!”
Retta had to laugh. “Thanks, I think.”
“That’s not what I meant,” said Janey. “I was talking about … Callie mentioned once that you have osteoporosis.”
“So?” asked Laney.
“So that means her bones break more easily,” said Frankie.
“I know!” Laney grinned at Retta. “That just means you’ll have to learn not to fall off, right?”
They all looked up when a shadow fell across Retta. She knew it was Travis before he spoke.
“What are you thinking about falling off of, darlin’?”
She shrugged as she looked up at him.
“She’s not,” said Laney. “We’re going to teach her to ride – she won’t be falling off.”
Travis scowled. “It’s going to be a while before you can even think about that. You have a lot of physical therapy ahead of you when the cast comes off.”
“I know, I’m not talking about starting next week or anything, but I’ve always wanted to learn.”
He squatted down next to her. “You have? I thought it was just these girls talking you into it.”
“I was the one who brought it up.”
“You’ve never mentioned it before.”
She shrugged. “It didn’t seem like there was much of a point – like you said, it’s going to be a while before it’s a possibility.”
“But it’s something that you really want to do?”
“Yes, why?” She hated feeling so defensive, but if he was going to put up any arguments, she was going to have to set him straight. She loved him, she loved all the ways he looked out for her, but she couldn’t let his concerns hold her back.
He smiled. “Because if it’s important to you, I’m going to have to see what I can figure out.” He leaned in closer and kissed the tip of her nose to a chorus of awws from the girls.
He sat back on his heels and smiled at them. “Will you guys keep your eyes and ears open for a bomb-proof trail horse for me? And something I can ride, too.”
Laney grinned. “You got it, Trav. I’ll give you a call tomorrow and we can talk about it, but I can think of a couple of options you might be able to get your hands on.”
“You’re welcome to ride Bonnie or Clyde any time you want to,” offered Janey.
Retta laughed. “Do you think I should be starting off with outlaws?”
Janey smiled. “They got their names because they’re Clydesdales – and they’re two of the gentlest giants you’ll ever meet. I meant for Travis though – he’ll need a horse that kind of size to carry him.”
Travis nodded. “Thanks, Janey. I might take you up on that – and I might have to ask you to keep an eye out for a draft horse for me.” He turned to Retta. “We’ll want something smaller for you. Small, and docile, and …”
Frankie laughed. “I’m impressed, Trav. I thought you were going to say that she shouldn’t be riding at all – I thought you might suggest a buggy instead.”
“A buggy?” Retta asked.
“A cart – you know, something that you sit on and the horse pulls, they’re harder to fall off of.”
Travis nodded enthusiastically. “They are. Maybe I should be thinking about a pair of draft horses that can pull the kind of buggy we can ride on together.”
Retta laughed. “That sounds like fun, but you’re not going to put me off learning to ride.” She looked around at the girls. “Can one of you change the subject and come up with something to distract him”
Frankie grinned. “I know. Tell us what you think about Retta’s dress for the fundraiser dinner, Trav.”
Retta laughed, and he rolled his eyes. “I would if I’d seen it. She won’t show me.”
“I want it to be a surprise.”
Laney raised her eyebrows. “Kind of like a wedding dress?”
Retta’s heart thudded to a halt. She hadn’t thought of it that way. It wasn’t that she thought Travis seeing the dress before she wore it would be bad luck, just that she wanted to surprise him when he saw it for the first time. Showing it to him on the hanger, or even if she tried it on for him, wouldn’t have the same effect as letting him see her wear it out. She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his, hoping that the mention of a wedding dress hadn’t freaked him out. They might have talked about spending the rest of their lives together, but they hadn’t mentioned marriage, and she knew that the very idea of it spooked some people.
Not Travis, apparently. He was wearing a big smile, and his eyes twinkled as he said, “Yeah, like a wedding dress.”
“Oh, wow! Are you guys …?” Frankie asked.
Travis grinned. “Button it, Shorty. I’m working my way up to it.” He held Retta’s gaze as he said, “I don’t know if Retta would even consider marrying my ass.”
She had to laugh at the way he put it, and she had to let him know how she felt. “I’d do more than just consider marrying your ass – and the rest of you, too.” She grinned at the girls. “It is a nice ass, though.”