Chapter Seventeen
“Jimmy, if you don’t pass that meat right now, I will give your dessert to the dog.” Dean threatened.
Jimmy added one more slice of the roast beef to his plate and reluctantly passed it down the table.
Jo was everywhere but in her seat. She refilled glasses, got the kids more rolls when they asked, and found more salt and pepper. She kissed the tops of each of her kids’ and grandkids’ heads when she passed them, making sure they knew they were heard and loved every second.
I watched in marvel.
The noise was physical. Dennis was laughing hard at a story Alan was telling about a runaway goat, the kids were arguing over the last bit of juice, the wives were talking about their kids’ latest accomplishment in school, and through it all was the rhythmic clink of silverware against the heavy stoneware.
“Allegra,” Jimmy called when there was half a second of silence.
I looked up from my potatoes.
“Colt says you’re from Amarillo. You still got family down there, or did the big city swallow you whole?”
There it was. The question I had so easily avoided in the truck. I swallowed and clutched my spoon like a life raft. “Um, yeah. My mom is still there.”
Jo gasped. “Oh, I can’t wait to meet her! Will she be coming to the rodeo down there?”
I swallowed hard. “I’m not sure! She…she works a lot, so we’ll have to see.” Okay, Allegra, time to take control of the situation before they ask about Dad. “So, is it nice to be home?”
Alan nudged his wife. “You tell me, sweets.”
His supermodel-looking wife, Erin, rolled her eyes.
Her stiff hair barely moved as she poked him back with a fork.
“It would be if he would change any diapers,” she said to me with a wink.
“No, it’s incredible to have them home in the middle of the rodeo season.
We kinda mentally prepare it just to be the girls until the season is over, but this is a very nice surprise.
” She laughed, a cute, tinkling, perfect laugh.
“Allegra, are you enjoying the nomadic lifestyle?”
I looked down, uncomfortable at how well the Nashs were turning the subject back to me. “Um, I’m still adjusting. I went home this past week to do some laundry and repack, and I’ll admit it was hard to get back on the road.” My eyes flashed to Miley, Dean’s fiancée. “How has it been for you?”
Miley looked like the epitome of innocence. She had short brown hair with hundreds of freckles that speckled her baby doll face. She smiled at Erin as if they were sharing their own inside joke. “I actually just took this season off from the rodeo.”
“Oh?”
Dean wrapped his arm around his girl casually. “Miley is one of the best barrel racers in the country.”
She blushed, her humility palpable. “I’m not, but I really enjoy it.”
I was finally back in control, not the subject of the table, and getting to know the interests of those around me. I tucked my hands in my lap. “What made you take the season off?”
“I had a bad crash one day, during practice,” she admitted, a twinge of regret in her voice. “It was a silly accident, but I tore my ACL, and figured if I wanted to keep riding as much as I was used to, I’d better heal right.”
In the back of my mind, I heard the loud whinnying of a horse and a hundred people gasping all at once. I shook away the memory and forced myself to come back to reality. “I’m really sorry, that’s too bad.”
She smiled and looked back down at her food. “More time for wedding planning!”
I spent the remainder of the meal using my usual tactics to deflect their questions, finding safety in hearing about Miley’s wedding plans and Alan’s goat stories.
When Colton’s leg knocked against mine, the ‘sorry’ I started to whisper was met with a soft smile.
He didn’t shift back to his side of the chair.
He stayed right there, his denim-clad knee resting firmly against mine, as if he was making sure I knew I wasn’t sitting at that table alone.
When the most amazing food I had ever eaten was gone, and the cobbler was nothing but crumbs on a plate, everyone began taking their plates to the kitchen.
“Dean, it’s your dish night,” Jo ordered.
Dean groaned like a child. “No way, Mamma. I did it last night. It’s Colton’s turn.”
Miley smacked his chest and gestured toward me.
I busied myself, wiping off the dining table with a soapy rag I found in the sink, and pretending I didn’t see that. While my back was turned to the scene in the kitchen, I heard lots of whispering.
The Nashes were incredible people, but they were the farthest thing from subtle. I smiled to myself.
“Um, Colton?” Jo said after the whispering subsided.
Colton was busy fulfilling his promise to play with the kids. He was letting them jump off the coffee table, catching them, and throwing them down onto the couch. They were having so much fun that they were practically squealing.
Colton, his messy hair everywhere, was laughing with them and making loud monster noises. I felt something wet drop on my bare foot before I realized I was squeezing the rag tightly.
“Colton?” Jo called again.
He threw another kid before looking up at his mom. “Yes, Mamma?”
“Why don’t you show Allegra her room so she can get her bag settled?”
Colton picked up as many kids as he could, making his muscles practically break through his denim shirt, and threw them all down at once. They laughed so hard they couldn’t breathe.
He glanced up at me, breathing hard, a wide smile on his face. “Sure, Mamma. Follow me, Ally.”
I turned to leave and found Jimmy’s wife, AnnaJane, standing in front of me, holding her hand out. “I’ll take that, girly!” She announced.
She was tall, towering over me, with big black southern hair and rosy cheeks. “Oh, thank you.” I handed her the rag.
As I was walking away, she smacked my butt. I turned around in surprise, and she was holding up two thumbs, her smile huge. Though a few weeks ago, I would’ve been appalled, today, I laughed. I couldn’t wait to get to know her more.
Colton was waiting in the hall, carrying my bag and briefcase. “Did I give you enough warning about the madness?”
I glanced back at the living room as we walked.
Dennis, who was crawling on all fours, chased the kids around.
Jimmy, AnnaJane, Alan, and Erin were sitting back at the table, playing a card game.
Jo was talking to Miley, throwing her hands up to animate her story.
Dean was doing his dishes. “This isn’t even close to madness,” I said quietly.
Colton stopped in front of a bedroom and shoved the door open. “This was mine and Jimmy’s room.” He said sheepishly, stepping aside to let me in.
It was adorable.
Two twin metal poster beds on either side of the room, each had a vintage rodeo poster hanging above.
Colton’s, I assumed, had a cowboy on a bucking horse.
Jimmy’s had a cowboy on a bull. The bedspreads, which looked hand-sewn, had little Western pictures scattered around them.
A wooden rocking horse sat next to a box of farm toys and stuffed animals.
The only indication that Colton had grown in this room, and that it wasn’t frozen in time, was the hundreds of medals and trophies decorating a wall.
I wandered to the trophy wall. “Humble,” I teased, throwing a smile over my shoulder to let him know I was kidding.
Colton was leaning against the doorframe, refusing to enter the room. He chuckled. “You can thank Mamma for that.”
I picked up the biggest trophy. “Mutton Busting champion?”
He held up three fingers. “Three years in a row.”
“Impressive.” I set the trophy back down and sat on the edge of his bed. “Your room is cute. Where are you sleeping?”
He looked as if he wanted to come in and join me, but hesitated.
“Dean and I are on the bunk beds, right across the hall if you need anything in the night…” He took a long breath.
“So, the bathroom is just right out here. Dean and I will stay out of your way, just remember to lock the door, because he has a horrible habit of barging in without knockin’. ”
I nodded and smiled, but inside, I was freaking out. Sharing a bathroom with Colton Nash? It’s very possible that it was more intimate than sharing a bedroom.
Finally, he squeezed his hands a couple of times and crossed the threshold. He sat next to me, pretending to be as cool as a cucumber.
I stared at Jimmy’s bed, doing my best to breathe normally.
“Do you have plans tomorrow?” He asked, pretending not to notice when our pinkies slumped together.
I shook my head. Tomorrow was Thursday. I didn’t have plans until the rodeo that evening, which obviously he would be attending as well. “No plans.”
He nodded, sucking his cheek in and chewing it. “Good, that’s good, because the kids want to go on a horse ride, and I’d love to bring you along.” He turned and looked at me, his full attention on me.
I worked up enough courage to face him, smelling the familiar peppermint gum.
Colton’s bright green eyes were pinned on mine. He swallowed, his mouth slightly open. He was so handsome. “I, um, I want to get to know you, Ally. I want to know you really well.”
I could feel my hand getting sweaty on the bedspread. His pinky twitched on mine. I could feel the heat in my cheeks. My face was as serious as his as I answered, “I want to know you, too, Colton.”
He had a single curl on his forehead, begging to be touched. I felt it like a magnet, being pulled without any say in the matter. He was getting closer too, the smell of his gum and cologne getting stronger.
I licked my lips.
He took a deep breath.
My eyes darted to his mouth.
He put his thumb and forefinger under my chin.
“COLTON, I HAVE TO GO TO BED NOW, GIVE ME HUGS!” A tiny voice demanded, along with the sound of little feet sprinting down the hall.
The moment burst open, and we suddenly realized where we were.
We separated and stood, right as a little boy barreled into the room.
He didn’t hesitate before throwing himself into Colton’s arms. Colton laughed and wrapped his strong arms around his little body.
“Goodnight, Cash! I’ll see you tomorrow, right? ”
The boy leaned back, and I finally got a look at him. He was so cute. Maybe four or five. He had thousands of little freckles on his face and arms, as brown as his curly mop of hair. “Yes! I want my own horse. Okay?”
“That’s up to your mamma,” Colton said smartly. “Did you say goodnight to Ally?”
The boy looked at me, shook his head, and launched himself toward me. I let out a surprised, “Oh!” before catching him. He put his little arms around my neck and gave a tight squeeze.
“Goodnight, Ally!”
I resisted the urge to correct him with a serious, “Allegra,” and instead squeezed him back and whispered, “Goodnight, buddy.”
He squirmed out of my arms and out the door, as fast as he entered.
“Those kids love you,” I said as soon as Cash was gone.
Colton laughed. “That’s cause I’m the only uncle who does whatever they ask. They would give up candy for a lifetime for my Mamma, though. She spoils them.” He itched the back of his head and looked around. “Well, I’ll let you get settled. Um, is seven too early to start riding?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m an early riser.”
He nodded, hesitated, then leaned in. “I’ll see you bright and early then,” he whispered, his voice low and gravelly.
I looked up at him, still surprised by how tall he was, and nodded. “Bright and early,” I repeated.
He leaned down and kissed my cheek before turning on his heel and leaving.
~~~
I was pulling toiletries out of my suitcase when I heard a soft knock.
“Just makin’ sure you were all settled before we hit the hay,” Jo said as she walked in.
“Oh, yeah. This is lovely. Thank you so much for letting me stay here,” I said, setting my bag on the floor. “Your home is gorgeous.”
She sat on Jimmy’s bed and sighed. “Sorry for the chaos this evenin’. I’d like to lie to you and tell you it’s not always like that, but it is.”
I sat on Colton’s bed across from her. “I loved it. My house was really quiet growing up.”
What was it about this place that made me want to talk about Texas?
She gave me a soft, motherly smile. “Only child?”
I just nodded, fighting for something I could say to change the subject. “Have you always lived-”
Jo picked up a stuffed cow and placed it on her lap, brushing back its fur. “You said your mom is in Texas, what about your dad? Did they split up?”
Damn it. I blinked hard and long. “Um, no, he passed when I was twelve.”
It was the first time I’d said it out loud in years. It still felt like a knife being plunged into my gut.
“Oh, sweetie…”
I looked up at the picture of Jimmy and Colton riding a horse.
Dennis was pulling the reins, looking up at them with his huge smile.
I couldn’t cry, not here. I pointed at the picture, redirecting her attention while I blinked away tears.
“They’ve always been so close?” I asked, forcing a light tone in my voice.
She followed my finger. “Oh, they fought like cats and dogs most of their childhood, but so did Alan and Dean. It must be a brother thing,” she chuckled lightly and stood. “Thick as thieves now!”
Success. I stood with her. “Jo, thank you very much for your hospitality. I’m really happy to be here.”
She threw her arms around me, enveloping my entire body in a hug. “Allegra, when you’re in my house, you’re family.”
I squeezed her back, taking a deep breath and swallowing the warm smell of her.
“Which means you’ve got chores, young lady!” She pulled back and wiped a tear away. “Sleep well, honey.” She left surprisingly quickly, shutting the door behind her.