Texas Dad. Roz Fox Denny

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      “You mean, like...fall in love with her?”

      Zoey nodded. “But how?”

      “Well...I’ll do a Google search on love and see if any ideas come up.”

      “Would you? My dad has our internet blocked. I can’t exactly tell him why I want to look up love.” She wrinkled her nose.

      “I’ll call and tell you what I find out, okay?”

      The girls high-fived and bumped elbows in their special signing-off code. Giggling, they changed the subject, talking instead about the party Brandy hoped her parents would let her have for her upcoming thirteenth birthday.

      * * *

      AS MACK STOOD by the window, he saw the girls chattering a mile a minute, and he was glad the Everses were such nice people. He counted himself lucky that Brandy and Zoey had gotten along like sisters from the day they met in third grade. Dan Evers sold tractors in town. His wife, Amanda, loved gardening. They’d moved to La Mesa and bought the old Thompson ranch so she could set up greenhouses. Several days a week she sold flowers and seasonal vegetables to local residents. Although Erma used to tend a large garden at Turkey Creek Ranch when Mack was a kid, she bought fresh produce from Amanda now. He knew she was slowing down.

      He heard louder voices and turned in time to see a technician pushing Erma, in a wheelchair, into the waiting room. Mack tossed his empty coffee cup in a nearby wastebasket and rushed up to her. “How do you feel? What’s the verdict?”

      A harried-looking doctor showed up before Erma could answer. He handed her a prescription. “The pills are for pain,” he said. Turning to Mack, he added, “She needs the pills for when the shot I administered wears off. I explained to Erma that her hip is badly swollen and bruised. I don’t see a fracture, but I’m sending the films to a radiologist in Lubbock. I should have an answer in two or three days. This is no simple injury, and there could be a chipped bone. Of necessity, due mostly to Erma’s age, I don’t want her bearing weight on that leg for four to six weeks. This is a loaner wheelchair. You’ll need to rent or purchase one and bring ours back as soon as possible.”

      “Mackenzie, I am so sorry,” Erma said even as she adjusted a blue ice pack she held to her right hip and thigh. “I told Benny last week about that loose step. In my rush to gather eggs this morning, I plumb forgot about it and caught my heel. It was my own dumb fault.”

      Mack patted her shoulder. Taking in everything the doctor and Erma said, he was trying to figure out how they’d care for Erma and handle her many chores while she was laid up. His phone rang as the doctor impressed on Erma the need not to skimp on the pain medicine. “Take two of these as soon as you get home, and two more before you go to bed. Then the same dose twice a day until we get answers from radiology.”

      Excusing himself, Mack went into the entry to take the call. Benny’s booming voice caused him to hold the phone away from his ear.

      “Boss, where are you? Someone we were just talking about a couple of months ago showed up. She says you know she’s here. It’s Jilly Walker.” The old ranch foreman whistled through his teeth—a wolf whistle that grated on Mack’s already frayed nerves.

      “Don’t let her get too cozy, Benny. Jill is only a temporary pain in my butt. I’m with Erma. The doc’s not sure if her hip is just bruised or fractured, too. But she’s gonna be laid up for at least a month. We have to swing by the pharmacy for her prescription, and to see if they sell wheelchairs. I’ll stop and see Leitha Davidson at the employment office. We need a housekeeper to fill Erma’s shoes for a while. I hope they can supply someone. By the way, can you fix up some type of ramp into the house? Erma says she tripped on a loose board on the back steps.”

      “Dang, she told me about that last week. It’s on my to-do list. But it came after hauling water to a thirsty herd, and bringing in cows with new calves.”

      “I’m not blaming you, Benny. This is our busiest season. The last thing any of us need is to have Erma down, to say nothing of Jill messing up my life again. She promises it’s for a day or two. Why she’s here is a long story. I’ll fill you in later.”

      “I might have a solution to one problem, boss. My cousin Sonja may be able to fill in for Erma. Sonja’s youngest daughter just got married and moved away, so she’s kind of blue. Hold off talking to Leitha until I call my cousin. She’d fit in here and I can vouch for her cooking.”

      “That’s music to my ears, Benny. We’ll be home within the hour. Let Jill, uh, take her trial pictures, and send her on her way.” He ended the call and went back to fetch Erma.

      Because Mack didn’t really want to explain Jill’s presence to Erma in front of the girls, he hurriedly mentioned the untimely visit as he wheeled the housekeeper out.

      “Praise the Lord,” Erma said.

      “From my perspective it’s more like a curse,” Mack muttered as Erma’s excited response made his heart flutter.

      “What brought her back here?”

      “Zoey and Brandy got it into their heads to enter me in a lame magazine contest. They won. Worse luck, Jill is who the magazine sent to do a story and take pictures of me around the ranch.”

      “Mmm, seems like serendipity.” Erma shot Mack a broad smile over one shoulder.

      “You’re far too cheerful for a woman in your condition. I’ll chalk it up to the pain shot the doc says he gave you. But there’s one thing we all need to get straight. I am not the least bit happy to have Jill Walker land back in my life, even for a couple of days.”

      “Oh, I hear you, Mackenzie.” Erma closed her eyes and tucked her chin against her chest.

      Chapter Three

      As soon as Mack unlocked his pickup with the remote, Zoey hopped out and ran to hug Erma. That pleased Mack. Zoey really was a good kid, although he should probably still dole out some disciplinary action for sending embarrassing photos of him to a women’s magazine. He could take away a few of her privileges, he supposed, but he hated doing that to a lonely, only child. He knew what growing up alone was like.

      “Zoey, will you please open the front passenger door? Stuff this bed pillow Erma brought under her right hip. Be gentle, she’s in some pain.”

      “Is your hip broken?” Zoey asked Erma after her dad lifted the housekeeper into the truck. He folded the wheelchair and slid it under the canopy covering the pickup bed.

      “The doctor won’t know until a specialist in Lubbock reads my X-rays, Zoey. I sure hate causing your dad so much bother. He has better things to do than waste half a day taking caring of me. I made a dumb mistake, tripping over a board I’d already said was loose.”

      Mack boosted Zoey into the backseat, then rounded the pickup to the driver’s side. Then he said, “Come on, Erma. You’re family. Dad gave thanks every day that you happened to be looking for work when Mom’s cancer got bad.”

      “Such a long time ago. Twenty-five years,” Erma murmured as she leaned back against the headrest. “You were younger than Zoey when your mom died, Mackenzie. The years sure roll on by quickly, don’t they?”

      “I was eight,” Mack said softly as СКАЧАТЬ