“There’s a tree stand in the storage room, so we can set up the tree, but I’ll have to go to Mama’s to get some decorations,” Lucas said as he hauled the bigger tree into the bunkhouse and laid it on the floor.
Theron took a deep breath and blurted out, “May I go with you?”
Vada almost hyperventilated. “Are you sure about this?”
Theron nodded. “I’m not ready for a big crowd with lots of people around me, but I’d like to talk some more to Sonny and Pearl. They were nice to me.” His hands trembled, but he didn’t shove them into his pockets or get out one of the fidget toys that calmed him. “I researched the idea of going around people, and from what I read, if I try just a couple at a time, it’s better.”
“Baby steps,” Vada said.
“I’m not a baby, Mama,” Theron protested. “I’m ten years old and very smart.”
“Yes, you are,” Lucas agreed as he brought out the tree stand that had been red at one time but now the paint was chipped, “but baby steps just means that you take one little step at a time in this journey to get better.”
“I see.” Theron nodded again. “I agree that it has to be a slow process so as not to overwhelm the patient—that’s me in this journey. So, are we going now or are we going to put the tree up first?”
“Let’s set the tree up and water it real good so it doesn’t dry out,” Lucas said. “This is the first Christmas tree I’ve ever put up.”
“You didn’t have one when you were a boy like me?” Theron asked.
“Yes, but that was for our family,” Lucas explained as he worked. “We helped decorate it, and we all loved Christmas, but this is the first one I’m putting up that’s kind of like for my own little family.”
“I like that,” Theron said.
“You reckon you could hold the tree real steady for me while I get the screws into the bark to hold it upright?” Lucas asked.
“Yes, sir, I can do that,” Theron reached into the limbs and grasped the tree firmly. “I am glad that I’m wearing gloves. These things are kind of prickly.”
When they finished getting the tree in position, Lucas and Theron waved goodbye to Vada and disappeared outside. She grabbed her phone and called Stevie.
Stevie answered the phone with, “Hey, girl, how are things going? I’ve been dying to get over to the bunkhouse for a visit, but I didn’t want to spook Theron.”
“I’m in total shock,” Vada said and then told Stevie about all the progress Theron was making. “I’m so proud of him, but I can’t help but be afraid he will revert back to his hermit lifestyle. I don’t want to ever leave the ranch for any reason for fear that the magic lies right here. What if I take him home and…” She paused for a breath.
“The difference in the way things were and the way they are is that he wants to be helped,” Stevie reminded her. “I don’t think that will change one bit. How about you, Vada? How are you doing living out here in the boonies?”
“After living in the small house and seldom getting outside, I feel like a bird let out of a cage,” she answered. “When Theron and Lucas go to the barn, I have time to myself. I’m getting my work done in a shorter time because I’m not constantly worried about my son. I love cooking for three. Theron is eating more, and Lucas is so sweet. He compliments me and thanks me for every meal.”
“That’s a Ryan thing for sure,” Stevie said. “Cody does the same thing, and I love it. I understand you’ve agreed to stay until after Christmas, right?”
“I’d stay forever, but…” Vada said and then clamped a hand over her mouth.
“I bet it could be arranged,” Stevie told her.
“Do you think the family would sell me an acre of ground to put a double-wide trailer on?” Vada asked, but in her dreams, she and Theron and Lucas lived right there in the bunkhouse.
“One never knows,” Stevie said with a giggle.
“They’re back with the decorations. Give us a couple of hours and then come see our tree,” Vada said.
“Do you think Theron is ready to be introduced to another person?” Stevie asked.
“He went with Lucas to get the decorations, so he’s getting acquainted with Sonny and Pearl,” Vada replied. “And if he gets nervous, Lucas can take him out to the barn and let him talk to Buttercup or the alpacas.”
“What about bringing Cody?” Stevie asked.
“Let’s give it a try,” Vada said. “Theron is into all things cowboy right now, so maybe…”
“If you think it’s too much for him, just give me a signal, and we’ll leave,” Stevie said.
Vada cocked an ear toward the door. “I will, and Stevie, he’s laughing, so I guess things went well at Sonny and Pearl’s house.”
“Good sign. See you later,” Stevie said, and the screen went dark.
Who was this child coming in out of the cold with a cardboard box in his arms? He looked a little like her son, Theron, with his blond hair that needed cutting, but his blue eyes sparkled with joy. How could a horse cause such a fast turnaround in a kid?
It wasn’t the horse, her granny answered her questions. It was the fact that he decided he wanted to get better.
Lucas carried three boxes into the bunkhouse right behind Theron. “There should be enough stuff here for our tree and the one out in the barn. This kid says that he wants to do both trees tonight, so we’d better get busy.”
Theron set his box on the kitchen table. “This one has cookies, some fudge, and part of a chocolate cake. Pearl says I’m supposed to call her Granny and Sonny is Poppa. Is that all right with you, Mama? It’s not disrespecting my real granny, is it?”
“Your real granny would be glad that you have found a new granny and poppa,” Vada assured him. “I can almost feel her smiling.”
Theron frowned as he opened the box and took out a sugar cookie. “How do you feel a smile, Mama?”
“How does it make you feel to brush Buttercup after you walk her around the corral?” Lucas asked.
“All warm inside,” Theron answered without hesitation.
“That’s what a smile feels like,” Lucas explained.
“Thank you. Now I understand. All of this is really new to me, but I like it so far,” Theron said and bit off a chunk of the cookie.
Vada felt as if her feet were floating six inches off the floor. “A tree needs presents under it. Do you still want boots and a hat?”
“Yes, I do, and gloves like Lucas has,” he replied. “I want to ride Buttercup after Christmas, and I need a new external hard drive to keep all my pictures of the ranch, and the horses, and the bunkhouse on.”
“If there was a Santa Claus, what would you ask him for?” Lucas asked.
“I would ask for enough money to buy this ranch, so I never had to leave it,” he said. “Now can we put the stuff on this tree. I can’t wait to see what Buttercup and Winnie think of the one in the barn. And, Mama, tomorrow I’m going to meet the twins and Mia. I think I’m ready.”
“Stevie and Cody might drop in for a few minutes tonight to see our tree,” Vada said.
“Could they come to the barn and see that one, too?” Theron asked with a long sigh. “Lucas says I can fix it up all by myself.”
Vada wouldn’t have cared if he wanted to decorate forty trees. To hear him excited and asking for boots and a hat even before something for his computer put a big smile on her face. “I think Stevie and Cody would love to see your barn tree. I’ll call her and tell her to meet us out there.”
“Is Cody a cowboy?” Theron asked.
“Yes, he is,” Lucas answered as he opened the first box and took out a strand of lights. “This is a two-person job. I’ll feed them to you, Vada, if you’ll get them situated.”
Theron plopped down on the sofa and frowned. “Why would you feed lights to my Mama? They are made of glass. Humans do not digest glass.”
Lucas bit back a chuckle. “That’s just cowboy talk that means I will put the lights around my arms and let your mama pick them off, one at a time, to put on the tree branches. We won’t do lights on the barn tree because it might spook the horses. We’ll just put garland and unbreakable ornaments on that one.”
“Unbreakable?” Vada asked as she began helping get the lights on the tree.
* * *
“When we were just little kids, Dad made Mama some ornaments out of wood. Three boys romping around in a house can be rough on things that break,” Lucas answered.
Every single time, without fail, that Vada reached for another stretch of lights, her hand brushed against this, and her touch jacked up his pulse a notch or two. His mama always said that whatever you do on New Year’s Day would be what you did all year. With that in mind, he hoped he could convince Vada to stay on the ranch until after that day. Then there would be the possibility that the three of them would be together for the whole year—if his mama’s superstition was right.
When the lights were finally on the tree, Lucas opened another box and brought out a long rope with bandanas tied to it about every six inches. “This is the garland that mama used when we were kids.”
“A cowboy Christmas tree!” Theron whispered.
“Yep, complete with one of my dad’s old hats to put on the top instead of an angel or a star,” Lucas told him.
“Can we make the one in the barn just like this?” Theron’s eyes were as big as silver dollars.
“We can, but we’ve only got one hat,” Lucas said.
“Why don’t you guys use the hat for the barn tree and let me create a topper with whatever I can find?” Vada suggested.
Theron looked so happy that Lucas was glad Vada had come up with the idea. He planned to go into town the next day and buy Theron boots and a hat as near to the ones he wore as he could find. Maybe he would need a work coat, too, to go with his gloves.
“What are you thinking about?” Vada asked.
“Christmas presents,” he answered. “What do you want?”
“I’ve got everything right here that I could possibly want,” she replied.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really.”
She raised her head and looked him right in the eyes. “Yes, Lucas Ryan, I really do.”
She blinked, picked up the rope garland and began to drape it around the tree, and then started hanging ornaments—small wooden boots, steer horns, bird houses, angel wings, and more than a dozen other shapes. Theron stood to the side and told her where each piece should go, and when she was finished, he crossed his arms over his chest and walked around three sides of the tree.
“This is a good tree,” he declared. “I like it better than the ones I saw on the Internet when I researched how to decorate one.”
“That’s great,” Lucas said with a grin. “You ready to go set up the barn tree?”
“Yes, I am.” Theron headed across the room to the sofa where he’d tossed his coat.
“I’m buying him boots and a hat,” Lucas whispered to Vada. “Want me to pick up a work coat like mine?”
“You don’t have to do that,” Vada argued.
“Nope, I don’t, but I want to,” Lucas said. “He’s made such good progress, and he’s a wonderful kid. A little too smart. Sometimes when he’s done his ‘research,’” he air-quoted the words, “he tells me things that are even above my head, but I love spending time with him.”
“Then, yes, I’d like for him to have a work coat,” Vada said with a nod.
The whole room lit up brighter than the Christmas tree when she smiled up at him. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms and kiss her, but there was no way when Theron was right there staring at them.
A knock on the door startled all three of them.
Theron stood perfectly still and locked eyes with his mother. Lucas hurried to open the door and let Pearl into the bunkhouse.
“Come on in, Mama,” he said. “Is something wrong?”
“No, I wanted to see your tree,” she answered. “It’s just like I remembered it. I’m so glad you could use all those ornaments. And I wanted to ask Theron if it would be all right if Sonny and I watch him decorate the one in the barn. You can say no and we won’t be offended, but Sonny wanted to get out a little while this evening. If that big winter storm hits us, he’ll be in the house for a while.”
“Yes, you may,” Theron said. “I liked your cookies, Granny Pearl.”
“I’m so glad,” Pearl said. “When you eat all of what I sent, you come on down to my house and I’ll give you some more. Poppa and I will go on down to the barn and be ready when you get there,” Pearl said with a smile and closed the door behind her as she left.
“Are you coming, Mama?” Theron asked.
Vada picked up her coat. “You bet I am. I want to see how you fix up your barn tree. I just know that Buttercup and Winnie, and even Dixie, are going to love it.”
Lucas’s hand brushed against hers as they followed Theron outside to the truck, and he locked his pinky finger with hers. Even though it was a brief walk across the porch and to the vehicle, he enjoyed every minute of being united with her in that small way. He felt like a teenager on a first date—or in his case, a twenty-year-old. He hadn’t dated anyone in high school, and his first experience with a girlfriend had been when he was with the daughter of the rancher where he worked. He gave Vada’s hand a gentle squeeze before he let go to open the door for her, and she responded by patting him on the arm.
“I wish Lucas was my daddy,” Theron piped up from the back seat.
“Oh, my!” Vada muttered. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” Lucas asked.
“Why?” Theron must have thought Lucas was talking to him, because he unfastened his seat belt and leaned up so that his head was between Vada and Lucas. “Because you understand kids like me, and because I like you, and Sonny and Pearl like me, and they would be my real grandparents if you were my daddy.”
“We understand each other very well, son,” Lucas said, “and it’s okay for you to wish that. I’m honored that you like me that much.”
Lucas had to swallow hard to get the lump in his throat to go down. He would love to have Theron for a son—he’d even adopt him if that was possible—but what he’d like most was to deck the man that was privileged to have such a smart little boy and yet made him feel ashamed and unwanted.