A Cowboy Family Christmas. Judy Duarte

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СКАЧАТЬ wasn’t about to let his little sister psychoanalyze him. Who knew what assumptions she’d come to, right or wrong.

      When he spotted the big yellow sign that indicated he’d reached the Rocking C, he said, “Listen, I have to hang up now. But I’ll give you a call this evening.”

      “You don’t have to. I know how busy you are.”

      “I’m never too busy for you.”

      And that was the truth. Kara Lee was the only family Drew had left, and after all they’d been through, especially her, she deserved to be happy—and to finally be a mom.

      “I’m curious,” she said. “Where will you be staying while on the ranch?”

      “They’re putting me up in one of the cabins so I can get a feel for the daily routine. It’s not just a retirement home, it’s a working ranch. So the whole enterprise is new and innovative. I’d like to check it out.”

      “Good luck.”

      “Thanks. I’m actually looking forward to having a change of pace—and to being in the same place for longer than a few days.”

      “So says the family rover. Maybe you’re more cut out for home and hearth than you think, especially if you meet the right woman.”

      “Oh, yeah? We’ll see about that.” Drew turned onto the long, graveled drive that led to the Rocking Chair Ranch. “I’ll talk to you later.”

      When the line disconnected, he slowly shook his head. If there was one thing he’d learned over his thirty-one years, it was easier to be a rover than to deal with the countless people who weren’t what they seemed and were bound to disappoint you.

      Thank goodness he wasn’t likely to meet any of that type on the Rocking C.

      * * *

      It had been two days since Mr. Carlton had hired Lainie to write the Dear Debbie column, but she still hadn’t made any headway in answering a single letter.

      She’d been busy settling into her temporary job. But that wasn’t the whole story. In fact, none of the problems of people seeking Debbie’s advice had triggered a clever or witty response, and Lainie was stumped.

      She sat at the kitchen table, reading through the letters, trying to choose an interesting one or two to include in her first Dear Debbie column. While she pondered, her fingers tapped softly on the keyboard without typing out a single word. She glanced at the clock on the microwave, noting how much time had passed since she’d done the breakfast dishes, and blew out a sigh. Her midnight deadline loomed.

      “You can do this,” she whispered aloud. Then she reread the letter on top of the stack.

      Last year, I met John, the most handsome, amazing man in the world, and I knew I’d finally met Mr. Right.

      Last month, Lainie had met Craig...

      Darn it. She had to stop projecting that jerk into each of these stupid letters written by someone who’d either been jilted or disappointed by various people in their lives.

      All I’ve ever wanted was to fall in love and get married, but now my heart is broken, and my life is a wreck.

      “Tell me about it,” Lainie muttered. Well, not the broken heart. She’d gone out with Craig only three times, but the rest of it sounded pretty darned familiar.

      Then, a few weeks ago, a woman who works at John’s office started hitting on him and lured him away from me.

      Lainie leaned back in the chair and shook her head. From the comments left on the YouTube video of her that night at the Houston hotel, it seemed everyone in the rodeo world thought she’d targeted a married man and tried to lure him away.

      During the blowup, his wife had told him off, implying that he was a serial cheater, a secret he apparently kept from his legion of fans.

      “Aw, come on,” Lainie scolded herself. “Focus on this woman, this letter, this problem.”

      Yet how could she? She was the last person in the world who should offer romantic advice to anyone, let alone a stranger who hoped for an easy fix.

      Darn it. No matter how badly she’d wanted a job at the Gazette—and she needed one if she wanted to support herself—she’d been crazy to agree to taking over for Dear Debbie.

      Footsteps sounded in the doorway, drawing her from her reading. She glanced up to see Otis “Sully” Sullivan enter the kitchen. The sweet, kindhearted old man had a jolly way about him. Each time she laid eyes on the retired cowboy, she couldn’t help but smile. With a head of thick white hair and a full beard, he reminded her of Santa Claus, especially today when he wore a solid red flannel shirt.

      “Hey, Sully.”

      “I’m sorry to bother you, but is there any more coffee?”

      Lainie set aside the letter she’d been reading, pushed back her chair and got to her feet. “It’s no bother at all. And you’re in luck. There’s still at least a cup left.”

      She poured the last of the carafe into a white mug. “I could make a fresh pot.”

      “No need for you to go to any extra trouble.” Sully took the mug she gave him, gripping it with gnarled hands, and thanked her. “That was a nice breakfast you fixed us today. I haven’t had good chilaquiles in a long time. My late wife used to make them for me every Sunday morning, but she usually overcooked them.”

      Lainie laughed. “Did she? How were mine?”

      “Best I’ve ever had. Nice, crispy tortillas. Perfectly scrambled eggs. Mmm, mmm, mmm.”

      Lainie beamed at the compliment. She wasn’t used to getting many. “Thanks, I’m glad you liked them. When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to make them for me and my sister.”

      “You got a sister?”

      “Yes, a twin.”

      Sully brightened. “Where is she?”

      Lainie had no idea. The two of them had been separated years ago, when Lainie had been taken from the group home and sent to the hospital to be treated for an undetected congenital heart defect. It had taken a while for the doctors to decide upon a treatment plan, and by the time Lainie recovered from her lifesaving surgery, a couple arrived at the children’s home, adopted the healthy girl and left the sickly one behind. From what Lainie had gathered, her sister’s new parents had been afraid to assume financial responsibility of a child with such serious medical issues.

      As a result, she hadn’t seen her twin since, but she offered Sully the happy outcome she’d imagined for Erica. “She’s happily married to her high school sweetheart and has a two-year-old daughter.”

      Before Sully could press further, Lainie turned the conversation back to the chilaquiles. “Anyway, my grandmother passed away before she could pass on her recipe. But when I got older, I did some research and a little experimenting until I came up with a batch that tasted nearly as good as hers. I hope they weren’t too spicy.”

      “No,” СКАЧАТЬ