Vada awoke to a whispered, one-sided conversation between Lucas and Tex, along with the smell of bacon and coffee. Her first thought was that she was dreaming. She hadn’t woken up to someone in the kitchen since she was eighteen years old and left home for college. Her father had owned an air conditioning and heating business in Honey Grove, and her mother worked in the office for him. She had grown up eating a big breakfast because that’s what her folks both liked. They had died together in a car accident the year before Travis divorced her, and she still missed them terribly. She opened her eyes slowly to find it wasn’t a dream.
“Is this a bunkhouse breakfast?” Theron rubbed sleep from his eyes as he crawled down the bunk bed ladder.
Lucas turned around from the stove and nodded. “Cowboys need a good breakfast so they can get lots of work done. I’m making bacon, and eggs, oatmeal, and hot biscuits this morning. Does that sound good to you?”
“Yes, sir,” Theron said. “Can I help? I know how to set the table.”
“That would be great.” Lucas reached up into the cabinet and took down plates and bowls. Then he pointed toward a cabinet door. “Silverware is in there. Napkins are in the holder on the table.”
Vada threw her legs over the side of the bed. Lucas crossed the room in a few long strides, dropped down on his knees in front of her, and held out a bedroom slipper. She blinked back tears as she slipped her feet down into the fur-lined booties.
“That’s called spoiling a woman,” she said with a smile—still unsure if she was awake or if this was a beautiful dream.
“The woman is so worth it,” Lucas whispered.
He held out a hand, and she put hers in it. He pulled her up to a standing position, and gently squeezed her fingers. “Now your feet won’t freeze. These old wood floors are cold in the wintertime. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I did,” she answered. No one had been that concerned about her since—well, she couldn’t remember a time. “What can I do to help with breakfast?”
Lucas turned and went back to the kitchen. “You could get the juice and the jellies out of the fridge.”
Travis had never cooked breakfast or even helped her with Theron. He had dang sure never raced across the room to put her house shoes on her feet. He came from a family where the housework and raising babies were women’s work.
“Hey, Theron,” Lucas said, “you are doing a great job. Did your mama teach you to set a nice table like that?”
“I researched it, but Mama said that we didn’t need to set it like the queen of England,” Theron beamed. “So, we just make it look like this at home.”
Vada’s eyes popped wide open, and she glanced across the open space to the kitchen area. Theron was talking to Lucas as if he were an old friend. Maybe her grandmother had been right when she said that Christmas was the season of miracles.
“Well, it looks mighty fine. What have you asked Santa to bring you for Christmas?” Lucas asked.
“Santa is a myth. But…” Theron paused.
Vada didn’t realize she was holding her breath until her chest began to ache. Theron had never asked for anything for Christmas. She’d bought him games and given him gift cards to buy whatever he needed for his computer and wrapped new pajamas up for under the tree.
“But…” Theron repeated, “if…” he stammered, “if I could have what I wanted, I would ask for a pair of cowboy boots like yours, with square toes. The pointed toed ones are not good for a growing boy’s feet, and maybe a cowboy hat, a black one like you wear.”
“I see.” Lucas whipped up eggs to scramble. “Is there a reason you would want those things?”
“Because I want to ride Buttercup,” Theron answered.
A strong sense of dread filled Vada’s heart when she thought about having to leave the ranch in a few days. The different setting and spending time with that horse every day had brought her son out of his shell. Would he go back to his old hermit ways after they went back home?
Lucas filled a mug with coffee and handed it to Vada. “Just like you like it—black and strong.”
“Thanks—again,” she said, “Granny used to say that weak coffee was just murdered water.”
She couldn’t help feeling a special thrill when his fingertips brushed hers, the warmth shooting right through her.
At last, someone likes you and Theron as well, her grandmother was back in her head.
Theron waited patiently at the table with his hands folded in his lap. Lucas seated Vada and then took his chair at the head of the table. “I will say the blessing this morning,” Theron said.
Vada almost fell out of her chair when Theron began, “Thank you to God or the universe or whoever is out there for this breakfast and for my mama, for Lucas, and for Buttercup. Amen. And one more thing, thank you for Tex. He is a good dog.”
He looked up and said, “What?” just like a regular ten-year-old would. “I learned how to say a blessing on the Internet. I was practicing. Did I do it right?”
“You did just fine,” Lucas said with a nod as he passed the platter of bacon and eggs to Vada.
That was another first in her world. Her ex-husband would have taken out a portion for himself before handing it to her. “Thank you—again. Seems like I’m saying that every five minutes,” she said.
“You are very welcome,” Lucas answered. “It’s quite a treat having someone in the bunkhouse with me. I’ve always had lots of guys around in the past, and this old place can get really lonely and empty feeling. So, I’m glad to have you and Theron here, but the thanks should go to you for making dinner and supper for us. I can do a fairly good job of breakfast, but I’m not much of a cook with the other two meals.” He took the platter from Theron and helped his own plate. “And FYI, I can’t bake at all, so the cake you made the first day, the pie the second, and the cookies that seem to magically appear in the jar are very welcome.”
“It’s the least I can do since you won’t let us pay for staying here.” Vada bit the end from a piece of crispy bacon—cooked just the way she and Theron liked it.
“If Mama cooked every day and made cakes and pies, do you think we could stay here a little longer than a week?” Theron asked.
Vada sucked in air and almost choked on a sip of coffee. She opened her mouth to tell Theron that wasn’t polite, but she locked eyes with Lucas, who just barely shook his head.
“I reckon that Buttercup would be glad to have someone to talk to for a while longer,” Lucas said, “and I do like your mama’s cookin’. Have you put up a Christmas tree at your house in town?”
“No,” Theron said.
“What would you think of me and you going out in the woods and cutting down a tree? I bet my mama has some extra decorations. We could set it over there by the fireplace, and put our presents under it,” Lucas asked between bites.
“I would like that,” Theron said.
“Then if it’s all right with your mama, maybe you could stay until after Christmas—just so I wouldn’t be lonely,” Lucas said.
“I suppose that would be all right,” Vada said, “but if you change your mind, we can go home at any time.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Theron said with a smile.
* * *
“Well, partner,” Lucas said when they’d finished cleaning up after breakfast, “are you ready to go tell Buttercup that you’re sticking around for a while?”
Theron nodded. “I just need to get my coat and hat on. It’s very cold from here to the barn.”
“This is a miracle,” Vada whispered.
“No, it’s a horse that likes kids,” Lucas said out of the side of his mouth.
“Thank you for taking so much time with him.” Tears welled up in Vada’s eyes.
“Hey, he’s making me feel like I’m doing something special,” Lucas told her. “See you at noon, or before if he gets tired or hungry. We keep bottled water and snacks in the tack room, so we should be good until then.” He lowered his voice. “And thank you for letting him stay longer. He’s made such good progress that I’d hate to see y’all leave now.”
“And it has nothing to do with my cooking?” she teased.
“I wouldn’t say that.” Lucas winked.
“I am ready,” Theron said when he had changed from pajamas into jeans and a blue sweatshirt. His brown cap was pulled down over his ears, and his gloves were sticking out of his pockets of his coat.
“Do you think you should put those gloves on your hands?” Vada asked.
“I’ll put them on if my hands get cold. I like to feel Buttercup’s hair when I pet her,” Theron replied.
“Okay, then,” Vada said. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
“I have decided that if I am going to get better, I need to do some things on my own. That’s what my research says,” Theron answered in his most serious tone and headed outside with a wave over his shoulder. “I have my phone. I will call you if I need to, but Lucas will be there, so I think I’ll be fine.”
“That is amazing,” Vada whispered.
Lucas patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll watch his every movement, and if he gets out that toy, I’ll call you.”
There it was again—Mia called it vibes, but to Lucas it was more like electricity between him and Vada. He wondered if she felt it, too, and if she did, would she even consider a date with him.
He hadn’t made it twenty feet from the bunkhouse when the niggling voice in his head reminded him that he hadn’t been out with a woman whom he could get serious with in years. “No time like the present,” he muttered.
“Are you thinking about presents for you for Christmas?” Theron asked.
“I sure am,” Lucas stammered and tried to cover his tracks without lying to the boy. “I hoping your mama makes some more of those peanut butter cookies and gives them to me for Christmas.”
“I’ll tell her,” Theron said and then ran on ahead of Lucas toward the barn.
This was exactly why he wanted to work with disabled children—no matter what the problems—and help them to attain some level of self-confidence. His success story with Theron might turn out to be the best one he had ever had.
Lucas was feeling pretty good, right up until Theron came running hell bent for leather out of the barn. The way he was going, it looked like he wasn’t going to stop until he reached the bunkhouse.
“So much for feeling good,” he muttered.
If the pathway had been paved and Theron’s shoes had had rubber soles, he would have come to a screeching halt right in front of Lucas. As it was, Lucas reached out a hand to steady the kid when he stopped and bent forward to grab his knees.
“Are you sick, son?” Lucas asked.
“No,” Theron panted. “Out. Of. Breath,” he managed to get out. “Someone in the barn.”
Lucas glanced that way and saw his father’s pickup truck. “That would be my mama and daddy. They said they were bringing alpacas up to the barn today because there’s a possibility of freezing weather tonight. I didn’t think they would be out this early. Are you up to meeting them, or should we go back to the house?”
Theron raised up slowly, whipped his hat off, and scratched his head. “Will you stay right there with me?”
“Yes, I will,” Lucas promised.
“Do I have to talk?” he asked.
“Not if you don’t want to, but I have to tell you, the alpacas, especially Dixie, are real friendly and they love attention,” Lucas answered. “She would probably love for you to play chase with her.”
“How do I do that?” Theron asked. “I haven’t researched that game.”
Lucas removed his hand and took a step toward the barn. “You chase after her, and then she whips around and chases you. After a couple of times around the corral, she will flop down and want you to pet her. That’s the game that she and Mia play all the time. They make a sweet little noise when they are happy, and Dixie listens as well as Buttercup and Tex. But if you don’t want to play, you can just spend some time in the stall with Buttercup.”
Theron pulled his fidget toy from his pocket and started playing with it. “I will try. I researched cowboys, and you are one? I think the man in the barn might be one, too.”
“No, but I’m not surprised,” Lucas said with a smile. “You are really good at researching and learning new things.”
“I love to learn,” Theron said with a sigh, “but that makes me kind of a weirdo, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t think of you as a weirdo at all,” Lucas assured him. “You are an awesome person that I’m glad to get to know, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around my folks. Should I call your mom to go with us?” Lucas asked.
Theron shook his head and put the toy back in his pocket. He started back to the barn, one slow step at a time.
When they arrived at the doors, he took a deep breath and put his hand in Lucas’s. “I can do this if you will hold my hand.”
Lucas took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I believe in you. Just remember, these two people already like you.”
“Yes, but according to my reading, it’s not unusual for kids like me to have difficulty in social situations,” Theron said. “Buttercup helps me, and so does Tex. How do you know those people in the barn like me?”
“And you help Buttercup.” Lucas led him into the barn and toward where he could hear his mother’s and father’s voices. “She would be very lonely if you didn’t come see her and talk to Winnie, too. And the way I know about those people is because they are my mom and dad. They must already like you because they told me that they wanted to meet you. They love kids.”
“Do they even like kids who are different?” Theron asked.
“Yes, they do. I was a different little kid when they adopted me,” Lucas said.
“Really?” Theron cocked his head to one side.
“Really. They had already adopted Jesse, but then my brother Cody and I needed a home, and they took us in, too, and made us all a family,” Lucas explained as they walked toward the back of the barn. “I was kind of shy, but they helped me and loved me so much that I got over it.”
“I’m glad to know that,” Theron said. “That makes me feel like there is hope for me.”
“Always, son,” Lucas said, “there is always hope.”
As if he had settled something in his mind, Theron let go of Lucas’s hand. “Winnie is almost as good a listener as Buttercup is. Sometimes, I just talk to both of them at the same time since their stalls are so close together. Today I will tell them that I met more people than just you and Mama.”
Lucas remembered the first day that he had gone to school. If it hadn’t been for Cody and Jesse, he would have hidden in the back of the bus until the day ended. Socially challenged were the words he heard his teacher tell his mother when she came for parent-teacher conference that year. He didn’t know what that meant and wasn’t as smart as Theron, so for years, he worried about whether it meant he had a horrible disease that would kill him.
Finally, he looked it up and agreed with what the teacher had said, and like Theron, he worked hard to overcome it. Having to stay in a bunkhouse with other guys—complete strangers at first—was his first test, and it took him weeks to be even semi-comfortable. He still had trouble opening up to people he had just met, and he liked his “alone time.”
So, what’s different about Vada and Theron? asked the voice in his head.
“I understand them both,” he muttered and then wondered if he’d said that out loud.
Sonny came into the barn from the corral and leaned on his cane while Pearl closed the door and hurried over to drag a lawn chair across the floor and set it beside him. Sonny eased down into it and said, “Well, hello, son.”
“How are you feeling today, Dad?” Lucas asked.
“Better, and I see you brought someone with you,” Sonny answered.
Theron slipped his hand back into Lucas’s. “Hello, I am Theron. I am here to get better at being social. Buttercup is helping me.”
“I’m glad,” Sonny said.
Pearl brought over another chair and sat down beside Sonny. “I hear you are very smart.”
“Yes, I am. You are Mrs. Ryan and,” he turned to face Sonny, “and you are Mr. Ryan. Is it all right if I don’t shake hands with you?”
“That’s fine,” Sonny answered. “Dixie and some of the baby alpacas are out in the corral. We thought we’d let them romp and play for an hour and then put them in stalls. They’ll have to stay inside for a couple of days if the weatherman is right.”
“Would you like to go out and see them?” Pearl asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Theron answered, barely above a whisper.
“Lucas, you could go introduce him to Dixie and the others,” Sonny said.
Lucas started around them, and Theron’s grip got even tighter. “Will you still be here when we get back?”
“Probably not, but y’all feel free to come see us anytime you want. I’ve been making Christmas cookies this week,” Pearl answered. “If y’all are going to be out here a while, would you mind bringing Dixie and the babies all inside to the stalls?”
“Sure thing,” Lucas agreed.
“Did I do all right?” Theron’s hand relaxed once they were outside, and after just a few seconds he pulled it free.
“You did just fine. I was proud of you,” Lucas answered. “Now, that bigger alpaca over there is Dixie. Stevie, that’s my sister-in-law who is a veterinarian, rescued her last year. We’ve all babied her so she’s a big pet.”
Dixie came across the corral in a run and stopped in front of Lucas. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a banana, and offered it to Theron. “She likes bananas. Do you want to feed her?”
“Do I peel it?” Theron took it from Lucas, and Dixie came right to him.
“Yes, and then just hold it out to her. She’ll bite chunks off until she’s finished the whole thing,” Lucas answered.
“When she is done, will she want to play chase?” Theron removed the skin and held out the banana toward the alpaca.
She made a noise in her throat and took the first bite.
Lucas backed up to the rail and leaned against it. “I imagine that she will.”
Within minutes Dixie had finished her banana and nudged Theron on the leg.
“Does that mean she wants me to run?” Theron asked.
“Yes, but not as fast as you did a while ago,” Lucas answered.
Theron stayed close to the fence when he started running laps around the corral. Lucas slipped his phone from his back pocket and videoed about three minutes of the little boy and the alpaca. Theron’s laughter echoed through the air as Dixie and the four baby alpacas chased after him.
When Theron got tired, Lucas sent the video to Vada with a message: I feel like a king sitting on top of the world.
Theron was already in the barn, telling Buttercup and Winnie all about his day, when Lucas got a text from Vada: Have tears in my eyes. I’ve never seen him play like a child or laugh that much. I will treasure this video forever. Thank you, Lucas.
Lucas pretended to need something from the tack room so that Theron wouldn’t see his emotional state. He wiped his wet cheeks, gathered up two bottles of water and a couple of protein bars, and carried them out to where Theron was sitting facing Winnie and Buttercup. He handed a bottle and a bar to Theron and then headed out to bring in the alpacas. He wanted more than just nine more days with Vada and Theron. Falling in love with Vada would be so easy.
“This is crazy. I’ve only really known her a few days,” he muttered. “I’ve never been a guy who drew women to him like my two brothers do.”
Be yourself, the voice in his head said.
“What if she doesn’t like who I am?” Lucas whispered.
You’ve got nine days to see if she likes you for more than a horse therapist, the voice in his head told him. Make the most of it.