A Cowboy Christmas Miracle (Burnt Boot, Texas Book 4) (22 page)

Kyle was back on Sunday morning, but he still turned the preaching over to John that day. For the first time in his life, Declan sat in the middle section with those folks who were neither Gallaghers nor Brennans. Lottie sat between him and Betsy, and the chill in the room had nothing to do with the freezing temperatures outside.

His attention was more focused on the emerald-green ribbon and note in his shirt pocket than it was on whatever John was preaching about that morning. He only had a few items in the secret boot box, but if they could help Betsy understand the past, maybe she would forgive him and move on toward the future. His dad had asked him if he was in love with Betsy and he’d thought about it a lot over the past two days.

He wasn’t sure about love, but he did know that he didn’t want to lose her. His life had never been more complete than it was right at that moment. Even though she was angry at him, he still wanted her by his side. That could easily lead to love if she was willing.

“Now we’ll ask Declan Brennan to deliver the benediction,” John said.

Hearing his name jerked him back to reality and he stood up, bowed his head, and barely said a long enough prayer for John and Kyle to get down the aisle to the door. The whole time he was asking the Lord to bless the people of their community what he really wanted to ask Him to do was make Betsy forgive him.

“I’m having Sunday dinner with Gladys and Polly. There’re leftovers from last night in the fridge at home if y’all want that. If not, you are on your own,” Lottie said the minute the last amen was said.

“We’ve got some things to deliver to our cause,” Betsy whispered.

“Well, take that box right behind the door in my bedroom with you. It’s the only one in there, so you can’t miss it. And after services tonight, we are going to watch a movie and have popcorn and hot chocolate. Yes, you are required to be at church and at the movie, and yes, it will be points taken off if you fail to show. You might as well take one truck down to Gainesville. Whole town has seen you sittin’ together during church,” Lottie said.

“We were sitting with you, not together,” Betsy stammered.

“Don’t think the Gallaghers or the Brennans saw it that way. And you were in the same pew so sorry, kids, in God’s eyes you were sitting together. I was just the chaperone.” Lottie laughed. “Give me your keys, Betsy. I’ll take your truck to Gladys’s place, and we’ll meet at home at four thirty. I’ve got just the movie picked out for us to watch after church services.”

“Which is?” Declan could foresee some old black-and-white western with Roy Rogers or maybe even Gene Autry in it. He’d be yawning halfway through the thing and lose points for sure.

Betsy held out her keys, but her expression said she sure didn’t want to give them to Lottie. Finally the old gal snatched them from her and said, “Wipe that horrible expression off your face, girl. I can drive anything that’s got four wheels on it, from a covered wagon to a hay baler. I won’t put a single scratch on your pretty pink truck. But just between me and you, it looks like it’s been sprayed down with Pepto-Bismol. What in the great green earth possessed you to buy the thing? I hope it was on sale.”

“Right now I wish I’d bought any other color in the world.”

“Well, darlin’, get the thing painted or trade it in. A ranchin’ woman don’t drive a pimp wagon,” Lottie said.

Declan could feel his eyes almost popping out of his head, and Betsy’s blank expression said that she was as shocked as he was.

“Lottie Miller!” Betsy said.

“I did not cuss, and it does. There’s Gladys. I’ll see y’all at four thirty.” She left them totally speechless, standing side by side.

“Well?” Declan said.

“I guess we’re going to the storage unit in your truck. I’m in shock that Lottie said that.”

“I’m going to pretend that she didn’t. I can’t imagine my old Sunday school teacher even knowing what a pimp is. Want a burger for lunch?”

“I’d rather have dumplings from Cracker Barrel.”

The corners of his mouth tilted upward but only slightly. “You think we’re safe that close to the hotel?”

“Probably not. So we’ll make a quick stop by the house. Do you have anything at the bunkhouse?” she asked.

“No, we’ll get your donation and get something to eat before we go to the storage unit,” he answered.

“I’ll be ahead of you if you haven’t gotten a donation this week,” she said.

“I got something, but the furniture stores have to deliver it.”

“Stores as in two?” she asked.

“Stores as in four,” he said. “They will be there at two thirty.”

* * *

He opened the door for her, and she crawled into his truck right out there for the whole town to see for the very first time. Her grandmother frowned and glared at her with enough fire that Betsy could practically feel the heat. Mavis Brennan shook her finger at the truck as Declan drove away.

“Guess we’re in bigger trouble than we could ever imagine.” He smiled.

“Looks like it,” she said.

The ride wasn’t awkward but more like a comfortable silence with an old friend. She started to mention the note and treat from the night before, but she couldn’t find the right words. Betsy Gallagher had always been the I-don’t-give-a-damn girl made of gunpowder and lead, the person who didn’t take shit off anybody and went after what she wanted with no holds barred. So being tongue-tied was a whole new experience for her, and one that she wasn’t sure she liked.

Declan parked in the front yard and said, “I’ll get that box for you.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

So he had four people donating, and she had one for the week but she’d exhausted her supply of contacts. That meant he would win and she’d owe him a thousand dollars, which meant he’d get the money back that he’d given Tanner. She crossed her arms over her chest.

A smile spread across her face and she talked out loud to herself. “Tanner, I have decided on your punishment. You are going to give me the money you made on that bet, and I’m giving it to Declan. It seems only fair, and if you don’t give it to me, I will never forgive you,” she whispered.

Declan slung the door open and set the box on the backseat. “It is heavy, but I bet them figurines will look real nice on the altar during the program and for church services until after New Year’s.”

“Maybe so.” She smiled.

“Aha! She smiles,” he said.

“Don’t get all feisty and misread it,” she said quickly. “I was thinking about something other than our problem.”

“I don’t care if you were thinking of murder. It’s nice to see you smile.”

A few flakes fell on them when they left Burnt Boot. The snow got increasingly heavy with every single mile until the windshield wipers couldn’t begin to keep up when they finally slid into a parking spot at the restaurant.

“Do you think we cause all this snow when we come to Gainesville?” he asked.

“It’s a possibility. You sure your donors will bring stuff out on a day like this?”

“They’ve got enclosed trucks, and we’ve got a big, roll-up door they can back right into. We probably need to tell Kyle to bring lots of help and an enclosed cattle trailer. I bet my dad would let him borrow one from River Bend,” Declan said. “You ready to brave this, or you want to change your mind and go to Sonic so we can eat in the truck?”

“A big, greasy burger does sound good,” she said.

“Then Sonic it is.”

He backed the truck up slowly, but the wheels had trouble getting traction. Finally, they had managed to get out on the highway, which wasn’t quite as slippery as the parking lot, and had pulled under the awning at the Sonic when Betsy’s phone rang.

“Hello, Kyle,” she said.

“Hey, do you have a couple of minutes for me to shoot an idea past you?”

“Sure, if you’ll hold five seconds. I want whatever number is a bacon cheeseburger, a large order of tater tots, and a cup of coffee,” she said. “Now, my order for dinner is done. What’s on your mind?”

“How close are you to having all your donations done?”

“Hold on just a minute?” She turned to Declan. “Do you have any more folks to talk to after today about donations? Kyle wants to know.”

“This is it. When my stuff gets delivered today, then that’s all of it,” he said.

“Is that Declan?” Kyle asked. “If it is, put it on speaker and I’ll talk to both of you at the same time.”

She poked a button and laid the phone on the console between them. “You are on speaker and Declan is right here beside me.”

“Good. I thought I’d have to call him next. Here’s my plan, and by the way, it was good to see you two sitting in the center pew this morning. After services tonight, I’m going to announce that I’m making a special announcement on Wednesday night, but I’m going to refuse to say what it is. Everyone will think I’m resigning and giving John my endorsement for a replacement, so they’ll show up. Some will want him to stay and some won’t—you know how the feud works—but everyone in town will be here for the announcement.”

“Are you resigning?” Declan asked.

“No, I like it here in Burnt Boot. Is making this Christmas program going to be doable?” Kyle asked.

“With a lot of work and a couple of trailers, I think it just might be. But remember we can’t beg, buy, or borrow a trailer from either feuding family,” Betsy said.

“I’ve got that covered. The Gallaghers can have the nativity scene, but the Brennans are going to have the choir and lead the singing and do the Bible readings for it.”

“That ought to go over like a cow patty in the punch bowl—or maybe a mouse,” Betsy said.

Kyle chuckled. “We’ll see. That’s going to be the rules to even have a program and I think they’ll do what I ask. I want you two to be here tonight and on Wednesday night for sure, and of course, I need the key to that storage unit to get the stuff brought in here tomorrow morning bright and early.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Declan said. “But you might want to have the National Guard on standby. There could be a riot right there in the church.”

Kyle’s deep laughter filled the cab of the truck. “Might not be a bad idea but I’m hoping for a miracle. So if either of you have one up your sleeve you might bring it with you.”

“We’ll get to church a little early and give you the key and the address,” Declan said.

“You sure that we’ll need two trailers? That sounds like a bit much for one program,” Kyle asked.

“There’s a surprise or two in the place. We’ll see you later,” Betsy said.

“Well, thank you in advance for all of it. Weatherman says that the sun is supposed to come out bright enough tomorrow to melt some of this, and we’ll have fairly decent weather until Christmas Eve, when they’re calling for nothing short of a blizzard. That’s another reason I’d like to have this on Friday. I could sneak away before the storm hits to be with my fiancée both Christmas Eve and Christmas, and John will be glad to have the evening service for me—when Christmas is on Sunday, we don’t have a morning service, just the evening one and then a potluck afterward. I’ll look to see you later this afternoon then.”

The phone went quiet, and Betsy picked it up. “I guess this means you win the contest. I owe you a thousand dollars, right?”

He started to say something and she held up a hand.

“Not yet. I’ve got a phone call to make before we talk about money.”

She poked a button and immediately Tanner answered, “I’m so sorry, Betsy. I can say it a million times and it wouldn’t begin to cover how sorry I really am. Please forgive me?”

“I might forgive you, but only if the conditions are right.”

Tanner groaned. “Name the price. I miss you.”

“Your pride meant more to you than I did, so here’s what it’s going to take for you to get out of hot water. You have to give me the money that you won from Declan on the bet. It’s only fair since you messed around with my life,” she said.

“Come on, Betsy. That’s pretty steep.”

“It’s the price. Can I expect it this afternoon? I’m going to the church probably about four o’clock to drop something off. You can bring it to me there,” she said.

“Well, dammit!”

“Yes or no?” Betsy asked.

“Yes. Will a check do? I don’t have that much cash on hand,” he asked.

“A check will do fine but leave the recipient line blank.”

“Why?”

“You aren’t in any position to ask why after what you did.”

“Then I’m forgiven?”

One side of Betsy’s mouth turned up in a crooked smile. “Of course, darlin’. You are my favorite cousin, after all.”

She ended the call, put the phone in her shirt pocket, and felt Declan’s gaze. “What?” she asked as her green eyes locked with his blue ones.

“You are incredible.”

“Thank you. You will have your money from Tanner when we get to the church. Both of you had best remember to watch that gambling problem you have from now on.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

* * *

Betsy figured she might have time for a nap, but the trip back to Burnt Boot took longer than she expected, and they got back just in time for services that evening. She was surprised to see Tanner already sitting in a back pew.

“What are you doing here?” he asked Declan.

“We’re here to see Kyle,” Betsy answered.

Tanner’s face turned ashen. “What for?”

“Personal business,” Declan said.

“Betsy, we need to talk before you do this,” Tanner drawled.

“Do what? I’m just giving him a key. I’ve been bringing in the programs for him. You know that. What’d you think we were going to see him about?” Betsy asked.

Tanner wiped his brow. “Nothing, just thank God I was wrong! Here is your check. And if you decide to see Kyle for…well, you know… Don’t. Just don’t.”

He made a hasty retreat out the door, leaving Betsy holding a thousand-dollar check and Declan with a smile on his face.

Kyle poked his head down the hall and yelled, “I’m in my office. Y’all got time to visit?”

“Not really,” Declan answered. “We’re supposed to go home right after services tonight. Lottie says we both have to be there for popcorn and a movie.”

He motioned them on back to his office. “Well, I sure wouldn’t want to disappoint Lottie.”