Chapter 6 #2
“How could you, Daddy? How could you embarrass me like that? Now Joey Mac thinks I’m a big ol’ baby who needs her daddy to watch out for her.”
“You are my baby.”
“Urghh!” She set down the hamburger she’d been eating and clenched her fists. “I’m not a baby, Daddy. I’m fifteen!” She looked at Boone, who was standing in the doorway. “Tell him, Boone.”
Boone held up his hands. “I’m not going to get into this. In fact, I’m going to take Emma lunch.” He grabbed the bag and the tray with two of the drinks and left. When he was gone, Cal took a stool next to Cheyenne at the worktable.
“I’m sorry, honey, but I’m not going to let you go to some senior party with some cocky kid who knows so much more than you do.”
“I know things! And Joey isn’t cocky.”
Cal rolled his eyes. “Believe me, baby. I know a cocky boy when I see one. That kid thinks way too highly of himself. He spent a good fifteen minutes looking at his reflection in one of the hubcaps I have hanging on the wall at the garage and messing with his hair. If that’s not arrogant, I don’t know what is. ”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best. I look in the mirror a lot too.”
Cal lifted an eyebrow. “And maybe you shouldn’t. It’s not important what’s on the outside, Cheyenne. What’s important is what’s on the inside.”
Cheyenne jumped up. “You just don’t understand.
Joey Mac is good on the inside. He’s nice and funny and hardworking.
He gets good grades and works after school and on the weekend at the soda fountain.
He’s perfect! And if you ruined my chances of getting with him, I’ll never forgive you, Daddy.
Never!” She started for the door that led into the store, but stopped short when Miss Gertie appeared with her hot pink walker and mean-looking cat.
“When I walked into the store and heard all the fussing, I thought for a second that Boone and Emma had started feuding again.”
Cal quickly got up and took off his hat. “No, ma’am. Cheyenne and I were just having a little discussion.”
Miss Gertie snorted. “I had a few of those with my daddy. And discussion isn’t exactly the word I’d use.”
“My daddy still thinks I’m a baby,” Cheyenne grumbled. “He refuses to let me go to an innocent Christmas party with Joey Mac.”
Miss Gertie looked at Cal and he figured he was going to get an earful. Cheyenne and Miss Gertie had become extremely close when he and Cheyenne had stayed at the Dixon Boardinghouse after their trailer burned down. But the old woman surprised him.
“Your daddy’s right.” Miss Gertie rolled her walker into the room. “Joey Mac is too old for you.”
Cheyenne stared at her in disbelief. “But you told me age doesn’t matter in love. You’re lots older than Lucas Diamond.”
“Lucas and I met when we were both adults and knew our own minds. You need to experience life a little more before you date the likes of Joey Mac. You can’t ride a bike unless you practice pedaling and steering on a tricycle.”
Cheyenne released an exasperated huff before she stomped out of the back room.
“Thank you, Miss Gertie,” Cal said.
“Don’t thank me. It doesn’t look like Cheyenne is going to listen to me any better than she listens to you.
When a girl sets her sights on a boy, it’s hard to get her to focus on anything else.
The best you can do is hope that some other boy who is more suited for Cheyenne will catch her attention. ”
“I’d just as soon she didn’t like any boy.”
Miss Gertie snorted. “That’s like asking the sun not to rise.” She paused and studied him. “She’s going to get hurt by love. That’s just part of life. But she’ll get over it and be stronger for it.”
He wasn’t so sure Miss Gertie was right. He didn’t feel stronger. He just felt like an idiot for not seeing the type of woman Clarissa was before he fell in love with her.
Miss Gertie glanced around. “So where is Boone?”
“He’s eating lunch with Emma at the bookstore, but he should be back shortly. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Boone is building the nativity for the First Baptist Christmas pageant and I wanted to see how’s it coming. If you don’t stay on that boy, he gets sidetracked. Especially now that Emma is expecting.”
“Emma’s pregnant? Boone hasn’t said a thing.”
“Neither he or Emma has said a word to anyone. But it’s as plain as the noses on both their grinning faces. I expect they’ll let the word out soon enough.” She sent him a pointed look. “You’ll keep your mouth shut until they do.”
“Yes, ma’am. And I’ll be happy to help Boone with the pageant nativity.”
Miss Gertie snorted. “I thought you’d given up on God, Cal Daily. Your mama’s probably rolling in her grave that you’re not attending church. Or at least making more of an effort to get her only granddaughter there.”
She was right. His mama had always been a spiritual person who read the bible daily and expected her son to attend church and have a strong faith in God.
But after all he had been through in the last few years, Cal’s faith had been shaken, and he’d stayed away from God’s house.
He couldn’t force Cheyenne to attend church when he didn’t.
But Miss Gertie changed his mind.
“Cheyenne should come to the first pageant rehearsal tonight. She’d make a beautiful Mary.”
Cal perked up. “Tonight? The first rehearsal is tonight? What time?”
“Six to nine. But it usually runs over a little the first night because it’s hard to corral that many kids. Although I don’t think Maisy Dawson will have a problem.”
Cal had heard that Maisy Dawson was home for the holidays with her husband Sawyer.
Maisy was a rodeo bronc rider. Sawyer had also been a bronc rider, but was now following his wife on the rodeo circuit while he studied to be a veterinarian.
They were both good folks and Cal was happy they were home.
But he was even happier that he’d found a way to keep Cheyenne busy.
The pageant rehearsal would give him and Jolene plenty of nights to meet all the way to Christmas Eve.
By that time, he was sure his craving for Miss Applegate would be appeased.
“You’re right, Miss Gertie,” he said. “My mama would be upset at me for not giving Cheyenne a chance to go to church. I’m sure Cheyenne would love to be in the pageant.” He wasn’t sure at all. He could only hope that his stubborn daughter wouldn’t flat refuse.
Surprisingly, Miss Gertie had no trouble talking Cheyenne into it.
Probably because Cheyenne knew he’d been avoiding church and just agreed to spite him.
But whatever the reason, when he left the hardware store, he couldn’t help whistling.
He should feel guilty about using a Christmas pageant to have an affair. But he didn’t.
Ever since Clarissa had left, the holidays had been a time of extra stress. He’d felt unbelievable pressure to make everything twice as special for his daughter because she didn’t have her mother there. Never once in the last four years had he thought about making Christmas special for himself.
But this year, he was going to give himself a present.
And it was pretty darn special.