The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby (7 page)

Lucas was closer to the swing than Natalie, so he rushed over to get the dumb chicken
out of Josh’s lap. If that critter pecked at his little chubby cheeks or worse yet,
at his eyeball, Natalie would shoot first and ask questions later, and she’d be aiming
at Lucas Allen’s heart.

He grabbed the hen and Natalie grabbed Josh at the same time. A freshly laid egg rolled
out of the baby’s lap and splattered on the floor between them. Three puppies ran
over to lick up the mess and Grady picked up two while Jack got hold of the other
one.

“We’ll get them out, and by damn, I’ll fix that pen myself,” Jack said.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Lucas asked.

“It means that I bet they don’t get out again. Shoo them damn chickens out of the
house. Must be this storm that’s got them all crazy. Never knew chickens to do that,”
Grady said.

That’s when Natalie buried her face in Josh’s hair and giggled like a little girl.
Lucas stopped in the middle of a whole flock of chickens and stared at her. Was she
laughing or crying?

Natalie looked up and shook her head. “That was the funniest sight I’ve seen. Men,
dogs, and chickens. Feathers flying and rooster crowing. I wish I’d had my video camera
out here.”

The rooster crowed once more and then flew down the hall. “Hold on to Josh and don’t
move. I’ll be back to get that rooster soon as I get all these damned chickens back
out to the coop.”

When the hens were all out of the house, Lucas raised an eyebrow at Natalie. “I bet
that cantankerous old boy is in your bedroom. You got a problem with me going in after
him?”

She shook her head and smiled. “The whole scene would have been a hoot to send in
for
America’s Funniest Home Videos
.”

A grin tickled the edges of his mouth and finally he just gave in and let it materialize.
“Well, let’s hope the rooster goes without too much trouble.”

The damned old bird was roosting on the edge of the portable crib, crowing like he’d
just found a brand-new harem of hens. Lucas reached out to pick him up, and the rooster
flogged him, pecking and tearing at his arms.

“You rotten old bastard, I swear to God, we’ll have you with dumplings tonight,” Lucas
yelled.

Natalie stepped inside out of the hallway, still holding Josh in one arm.

The rooster flew away from Lucas and lit on her shoulder.

“What are you, a damn animal whisperer?” he asked.

“Never have been before. If you’d quit inviting them inside, this wouldn’t happen.
Be quiet. I’ll see if I can simply walk him out to the coop.”

“You can’t take that baby out there like that. One of his socks is even missing,”
Lucas said. “Give him to me.”

The rooster flogged Lucas again when he reached for Josh. Lucas backed off and the
old boy flew back up and sat on Natalie’s shoulder.

“Okay, I’m going to pick up Josh’s blanket and wrap him in it. And I’ll hurry,” Natalie
said. “This bird does not like you!”

“Isn’t too fond of you either, or he wouldn’t have just left his calling card running
down your back,” Lucas said.

“One more time, you rascal, and I’ll be the one who wrings your neck and puts you
in the boiling pot,” Natalie growled.

Lucas went ahead of her and told Grady and Jack not to make a sound. Grady held up
two eggs. “Found these on the back porch. Feels like they’re probably frozen solid.”

Natalie came through the kitchen, baby in her arms fighting against the blanket, rooster
on her shoulder, crowing away. He rode there all the way to the coop, hopped off,
flapped his wings, and strutted into the coop like the king of the whole world.

Lucas lined up with Grady and Henry, noses pressed against the window as they watched
her hurry back to the house.

“That has got to be the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen,” Grady said.

“Your grandpa ain’t goin’ to believe a word of it,” Jack said.

“I’m not sure I do,” Lucas said.

***

Natalie had planned on meatloaf for dinner, but she changed her mind. If they were
going to put up a tree, then she’d make a big pot of vegetable beef soup, corn bread,
and a pan of brownies for dessert. Supper could be leftovers with a side dish of cheese
and crackers.

Grady came inside from the cold and went to the coffeepot. “If them pups crawl out
again, I’ll swear they are magic. When do y’all put up the tree?”

Evidently, the folks at Cedar Hill were a lot like those over at the Circle A in Silverton.
The front door was used for company, not family.

“Usually two weeks before Christmas. Daddy and Momma have had their own tradition
since before they had kids. They go out on a Saturday afternoon hunting just the right
cedar tree, and believe me, that’s not easy in a land where there’s little but plowed
pasture and sky. But they always bring one home and then on Sunday we all are there
to help decorate after church and dinner. Momma don’t abide excuses on that day. Her
boys and their wives are expected to be home. Only sickness nigh unto death or maybe
the birth of a grandchild is reason not to be home.”

“We ain’t put up a real tree in years. Henry put up a fuss about it at first, but
he still cuts a real one for the cabin and he’s finally accepted a fake one in this
house,” Grady said. “But we got us the biggest, realest-looking fake one we could
and Josh is going to love it. Christmas is always better if there’s a kid in the mix.”

Natalie opened her mouth to say she was sure Hazel would be home by Christmas and
that she wouldn’t even be there. Then a whoosh of cold air blew Henry into the kitchen
before she could get anything out. He quickly kicked it shut with his boot and hung
his black felt hat on a hook and his coat on the rack. His thick gray hair had a ring
around it where his hat had set and his sharp nose was as red as Rudolph’s.

“Got lonesome as hell down at my place and I’m tired of them damn things you put in
a toaster in the morning. Where’s the baby? Good Lord, he’s done grown a foot since
Jack took me home on Sunday. I’m waitin’, Lucas! You ain’t too big or too old to hug
your Gramps. If Kuwait did that to you, I’ll buy the whole damn country, plow it under,
and spread cow shit all over it.”

Lucas met Henry halfway across the floor in a fierce hug. “Might be a good idea, but
where would we put all those people?”

“Texas is a big state.” Henry patted him on the shoulder. “Good mornin’, Miz Natalie.
Looks like we’re havin’ omelets. I want onions in mine and a thin layer of picante.
Rest of this crew ain’t got the stomach for jalapeño, but I like it. And I see the
waffle iron too. Lord, I knew I was coming to the right place even if the path down
to my place is slick as Jell-O on a glass doorknob.”

His voice was gruff, but he had tears in his eyes when he hugged Lucas. “It’s an answer
to an old man’s prayers to see you sittin’ in this kitchen. I prayed every day that
God would bring you home safe. Grady says you’ve done your enlistment and you ain’t
signin’ up for another one. Tell me that’s right.”

“It’s right.” Lucas threw an arm around Henry’s shoulders and walked with him to the
table.

Henry looked up at the ceiling and said, “Thank you, sweet Jesus.”

“You remind me of my grandpa,” Natalie said.

Henry took the coffee that she poured for him. “Is that a good thing?”

“Oh, yes,” she answered.

Henry took one sip of coffee and set the mug on the table. “Then thank you. Now I
need to see Josh. I like his name. It’s a good strong name like Lucas. Nowadays, girls
are namin’ their kids such weird names it looks like they just throwed the whole alphabet
up in the sky and whatever fell on the table, that’s what they named their kid.”

He grabbed the back of a chair and dragged it to the swing. “Now me and you are going
to visit. Won’t be long until you get some of them eggs with picante sauce on them
and I betcha you like it as well as I do.”

Natalie and Lucas exchanged a look across the tops of the three men’s various shades
of gray hair. In a couple of easy strides he was in front of the refrigerator. He
pushed things around and brought out a pint of picante sauce and set it on the cabinet
beside the stove.

“They’re having such a good time with a baby in the house. It’s like they’ve got a
brand-new toy,” he whispered.

She nodded. “They
are
happy, aren’t they?”

“They like you and there are a couple of things that we haven’t discussed that I will
pay you extra for.”

“Cooking, cleaning, and what else?”

“Couple of parties. One to arrange, but Hazel has notes. And one to attend with me
at the local Angus Association.”

“The
what
else
will cost extra,” she said.

“Give me a bill before you leave. I can afford it. Look at them. Lord, they’re more
excited about that child than they are me coming home.”

She slapped at his arm, missing it by a few inches. “Are you pouting?”

“Hell, no! I don’t pout. I’m just stating facts.”

“I promise when we’re gone you can be the glory child again.” She poured egg mixture
into a cast-iron skillet and deftly whipped up a gorgeous omelet for Henry. She’d
timed it perfectly so that the waffle iron blinked to the green light right after
the omelet was on the plate.

“Still not pouting,” he whispered.

She ignored him. “Serving up breakfast for Henry. Putting in breakfast for Jack now.
What does he want on his omelet?”

“Make Lucas’s first. I’m not through talking to Josh and it’d be a bad example to
talk to him with food in my mouth. Way Gramps has been pushin’ ahead of me, he won’t
even know my voice if I don’t put in some time with him,” Jack said.

“I’ll have sausage and cheese in mine. No onions,” Lucas said.

“Warm strawberry syrup on the waffles, right?” she asked.

His brown eyes sparkled. “You remembered.”

“Of course she remembered. Them computers is good for something. We didn’t have to
pay to talk to you and we could see you even if your nose did look too big in the
picture on the screen,” Grady said. “I expect Natalie was shocked when she saw that
your nose didn’t look like Jimmy Durante’s.”

“Or Pinocchio’s.” Henry laughed. “This is some good breakfast. Worth every bit of
the sleet that fell off that tree right down my shirt collar when I was getting in
my truck.”

***

Natalie would put up with Josh instead of Joshua because it seemed to make the old
guys happy, but she’d draw the line on Hoss or Buddy or Jay-Man! God, she hated nicknames.
She didn’t even like it when Drew called her Nat, and he only did it when they argued.

The phone rang while she was loading the breakfast dishes. She recognized the ring
tone and said, “Good morning, Aunt Leah.”

“Your mother is on the warpath. The shit is about to hit the fan, girl, and I’ll be
damned if I’m in front of it when it does. If you are going to stay in that place
with your Internet boyfriend, then honey, it’s time to call her. I can’t fend her
off any longer,” Leah said.

“But she’s going to have a fit,” Natalie whined.

“Yes, she is, and she is entitled to a real old-time hissy,” Leah told her. “You should
have told her ’bout Lucas in the beginning.”

“I know, but it’s complicated. I mean with the Internet thing. Lord, she would have
had a heart attack. Everyone here is in love with Joshua and they’re all excited about
Christmas with a baby in the house. They call him Josh and I haven’t even fussed at
them for it. They’d be so disappointed if I left and…”

“And you kissed that cyber cowboy and you liked it, right?”

Natalie gasped. “How’d you know?”

“It’s in your voice. It’s high-pitched and squeaky like when you called and told me
that you were pregnant and the baby belonged to Drew. Only thing that would make it
go shrill like that is if you’d kissed Lucas. That’s all you did, right? I mean, you’ve
only been there a couple of days.”

“Settle down. I inherited my squeaky voice from you, and I only kissed him a little
while ago.”

“Call your mother. I’m going to be out of the house all day and I’m turning my phone
off with the excuse that my students are taking final exams today. Lord, I don’t want
to deal with the fallout!”

“I promise I will. But by night you’d better have it turned back on or she’ll be on
your doorstep as soon as she can get there. It’ll be easier to talk her down on the
phone than in person,” Natalie said. “Got to go! We are putting up the Christmas tree
today.”

“God help us all!” Leah said and the line went dead.

Four men brought in an enormous box with a picture of a Christmas tree on the outside
before she could get the phone back in her pocket.

“I smell”—Henry raised his eyebrows—“vegetable soup, right?”

“No, you don’t. You’re getting old. That’s chocolate cake, isn’t it?” Grady said.

“Don’t be calling me old. I know what I smell. Ella Jo made it once a week even in
the summertime because it’s my favorite,” Henry argued.

“It’s both,” Natalie said.

“See, I told you it was chocolate,” Grady said.

“I’ll never get them raised,” Lucas whispered and headed across the den and dining
room toward the back door.

The front of the house was an enormous square. Two doors opened from the wide porch.
One into the living room that was as big as a hotel lobby. Two archways opened up
to the left off the living room. One led into the den, the other into the dining room,
with a third arch separating those two. The kitchen was at the back of the dining
room with a normal-sized door opening into the living room and one into the dining
room.

The whole effect created by so much openness was spacious and intimidating to Natalie.
The guys set the biggest box she’d ever seen on the floor of the living room, just
to the left of the fireplace. The picture on the box reminded her of the one they
put up at the Opryland hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. She’d been mesmerized by that
tree when she was a little girl and they’d gone there in December for a week.