The Rancher Takes A Family. Judy Christenberry

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СКАЧАТЬ kept it to herself. This man certainly had a lot to learn if he thought she’d run screaming from hard work.

      John was quiet as she cleared the table and put a homemade chocolate cake in the middle. “Would anyone care for dessert?” she asked, her voice as sweet as the frosting.

      Not even John said no. He didn’t, however, join the men in their rousing praise for her good cooking.

      When she began the cleanup, the men actually brought their dishes to the sink, a courtesy she hadn’t expected. She warmly thanked them and suggested they go to the family room and relax.

      With the dishwasher, the cleanup only took a few minutes. She swept the floor and wiped down the counters, then performed a visual check to be sure the kitchen was immaculate before she went to the mudroom to launder their dirty clothes.

      As she was loading the washing machine, she felt someone staring at her. Spinning around, she found John at the door.

      “You don’t have to do that tonight. You’ve already worked hard enough.” He glanced away from her as he spoke.

      “Actually, the machine does all the work…unless the noise will bother you.”

      “No, but—” He kept his head down, as if the toes of his boots were worthy of intense study. “Listen, I was rude this morning. You did all the work anyway. I owe you an apology.”

      So there was a human under all that bluster, she thought, barely suppressing a smile. Maybe Uncle Bill was right and John just needed some time to get used to the idea of marriage again. And, she had to admit, it felt good to be appreciated for what she’d done. No one had ever made her feel that way, especially her mother.

      “I think Uncle Bill may have misled both of us,” she said. “But now you know I’m a hard worker, and I appreciate the benefits.”

      Something she’d said upset him, she realized at once. His head shot up and his back stiffened. Before she could inquire, he turned back on those boot heels and walked away.

      Debra stood there, laundry in hand. What had she said to chase away the new and improved John Richey? Whatever it was, it had cost her an opportunity to make peace with her new husband, and she regretted it. When, she wondered, would she get another chance?

      John appreciated the well-cooked meal and the clean clothes, but that didn’t reconcile him to his second marriage. Especially since his new wife was counting on reaping the “benefits.” So she thought she could get a lot of nice things out of him like Elizabeth had? Well, she thought wrong.

      Betsy seemed at peace, too. She was clean and sweet-smelling and sound asleep. Still, she’d wake up at four in the morning, as usual, and he’d feed her the 4:00 a.m. bottle, as usual. He loved feeling that warm little body in his arms, loved knowing she was totally dependent on him. It was Betsy who had pulled him out of his bout of bitterness and hate for Elizabeth.

      It would always be Betsy who kept him on the straight and narrow, working to make his ranch successful. She deserved the best.

      If they had a good crop of bull calves this season, he could escape some of the crippling debt Elizabeth had saddled him with. He’d been so in love with her he’d provided more than he should have, more than he could afford. But he’d wanted to make Elizabeth happy.

      In return, she’d made him miserable and deeply in debt.

      As he stared at the television in the family room with the others, he gritted his teeth. He was never going to let a woman do that to him again.

      “John?”

      His head snapped up. Debra was standing at the end of the couch, staring at him. “What?”

      “May I speak to you for a moment?”

      With the others, especially Bill, around him, he had no choice but to acquiesce.

      Following Debra into the kitchen—a completely clean kitchen, he realized—he prepared himself for her demands. “What do you want?”

      “I need a few things from the grocery store. Is there a car I can borrow, and do you have an account at the store or will you give me money?”

      “I should’ve known. The kitchen is full of food! You haven’t been here twenty-four hours and already you’re demanding money!”

      He expected her to try flirting to get her way, followed by crying. That was the pattern his first wife had used many times.

      Instead, after staring at him for several seconds, she simply left the room.

      After a moment, he followed her, sure she was going to plead her case with her uncle.

      But when he entered the family room, there was no sign of her. “Did Debra come through here?” he asked.

      Bill looked up in surprise. “She said good-night and went upstairs.”

      John was stunned. Why hadn’t she pressed him? Come to think of it, Elizabeth had never asked for groceries. Her requests had always been personal. Was the kitchen missing some key ingredient Debra needed?

      After pacing the room for several minutes, ignored by his men, he decided to go upstairs and find her. That was probably her plan, anyway.

      The hallway was dark, but he saw a light shining under one door. That must be the bedroom she’d chosen for her own. He rapped on the door.

      A soft voice answered, “Who is it?”

      “It’s John.”

      After a hesitation that irritated him, she opened the door about an inch. “I’m getting ready for bed, John. What do you want?”

      “What did you want at the grocery store?”

      She sighed. “I wanted to get some baby cereal and some chocolate chips for making cookies.”

      “Baby cereal? Why do you want baby cereal?”

      “I’m guessing Betsy is at least nine months old. She should be eating cereal in the morning and adding solid foods during her meals. It will mean she’ll sleep through the night.”

      “She will? Are you sure?”

      “Yes. Haven’t you taken her to the doctor for her checkups?”

      “She went while Elizabeth— She went early on, but I didn’t see any need. She’s healthy!”

      “Yes, I know. But he would’ve advised you about her feedings, if you had.”

      “So you mean baby food? Those little bottles?”

      “Well, I can make a few things. I wasn’t going to ask for too much at once. I wanted the chocolate chips to make cookies for Andy and to put in your lunches.”

      John put up his hand to stop her. “The car’s in the garage. The key is on one of the hooks by the door. Sign the receipt at the general store and Charlie will put it on my account.” He turned away and walked down the hall to the stairs.

      So СКАЧАТЬ