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“Looks like you lost that argument.”
Shannon turned toward Mandy who had come from behind her. She stood in the kitchen doorway, her arms crossed under her breasts. Color had returned to her face.
Shannon heaved a great sigh. “It sure does.”
“He’ll be okay. The horses are penned up. They can’t hurt him.”
“I know. It’s just that. ... She looked down at her hands clenched into a knot she hadn’t even noticed. “It’s like I told Drake, there is a lot around here for him to get into.”
“Welcome to life on a ranch. There’s something every day. What if you actually lived here?”
“Yeah. What if? Raising four kids here must have been a constant worry for Betty Lockhart.”
“She had plenty to worry about, for sure, and on more than one front.”
Half the time, Mandy spoke in riddles. “What do you mean?”
“Funny, but I was just thinking about this a couple of days ago. Besides the hazards that just naturally go with ranching, the Lockharts dealt with other traps. Every girl in school wanted to hook up with one of the Lockhart brothers, especially Drake. Getting knocked up was a goal for more than one of them. And even if the girls didn’t want that for themselves, their parents wanted it. Betty had her hands full fending off the husband-seekers for sure.
She looked down and giggled. “Girls were always so easy for those boys and they took full advantage. Pic told me about once he walked into the big hay barn and Abby Hartshell who was a total goody-two-shoes and claimed to be a virgin. You know her, don’t you?”
“Uh, no. I don’t know anyone in Drinkwell.”
“Abby was performing a strip show for Drake to music on the radio. They got it on right there in the hay barn, with her stark naked and Drake’s pants around his knees. All us kids thought she was untouchable. And maybe she was. But she sure wasn’t after that day in the hay barn.”
“Really. Um...Pic was watching them?”
“He sneaked out of the barn and they never knew he was there. Although knowing those two brothers as I do, I’m sure Pic told him later. Abby’s married to one of Pic’s hunting buddies now.”
A memory of her own days in high school rushed through the halls of Shannon’s memory. Back then, everyone had heard stories about the Lockhart brothers and their adventures with girls. There were always warnings to “nice girls” to stay away from them.
Not wanting to talk about Drake being with a nude girl, even when they were kids, Shannon searched for something to say. “I think I must have been in the same grade as Pic. Kids from Drinkwell always came up to Camden. I’m still surprised I didn’t run into either Drake or Pic.”
“Me, too. They were all over the place.”
The picture of Drake with a naked woman continued to nag at Shannon. “Can I ask you something? I thought Drake was a virgin when he was engaged to Tammy. I thought he was faithful to only her.”
Mandy shrugged. “Oh, the barn incident took place after the big breakup, before Drake went back to SMU. He would’ve screwed a fence post. Abby wasn’t the only one.”
Shannon drew a shaky breath. “I see.”
“Hey, don’t be upset. They were kids. Pic was as bad as Drake. Lord, they used to make bets on who they could get to give them blow jobs.”
Shannon shook her head. “TMI, Mandy. I thought I wanted to hear about stuff Drake did, but I’m not so sure I do. It bothers me. ... So, are you feeling better now?”
Mandy nodded. “I just had a little something in my stomach. For a minute, I thought I was going to throw up.”
Shannon studied her for a few beats. She was lying. But why? “Can I help you in some way?”
Mandy shook her head.
“I saw your reaction when Drake told everyone about Chris. Are you upset about him leaving?”
“Uh, no, not really. ... Well, maybe. There have been times when I saw more of him than I did Pic. I’m a little hurt that he didn’t tell me. He’s been with me so much, especially lately, and we had gotten to know each other. I’m going to miss him. Wouldn’t you miss Steve Logan if he suddenly went away?”
“I’m sure I would.”
Mandy started back into the kitchen and Shannon followed. Her sister-in-law pulled a mug from the cupboard above the coffee urn that had been parked on the end of the counter every time Shannon had been here. Mandy drew a mug of coffee from the urn.”
Shannon chuckled. “Really, those Redstone guys don’t tell us much about what they’re doing. Why would Chris tell you he’s leaving? Wouldn’t that be between him and the owners of Redstone Partners?”
Mandy removed the spoon from her coffee mug and laid it on the counter. “You know something? Before this ranch became my home, I hardly ever drank coffee. But around here, they drink it all-day long, even in August. I think it has something to do with John Wayne. Do you want a cup?”
Wow. Mandy had dodged that question slick as a whistle. Shannon gave her a look. “Uh, no thanks. I’m avoiding caffeine right now.”
“Tea? There are tea bags around here somewhere.”
“Tea has more caffeine than coffee. I brought apple juice. If I want something, I’ll drink that.”
“I would offer you a bottle of water, but Johnnie Sue isn’t allowed to buy bottled water. Pic and Bill Junior hate the empty plastic bottles. That they’re strewn along the highway annoys them no end.
“Drake hates that, too. He doesn’t want Gloria buying bottled water either.”
“Bill Junior told Tom Gilmore—he’s the sheriff—he should get the prisoners in the jail to pick up the plastic bottles and other crap on the side of the highway between here and town, but Treadway County never has enough jailbirds to make that doable.”
Shannon managed a laugh. “Does that mean the county needs more crime?”
“Perish the thought. Most of the crime that takes place around here is perpetrated against this family.” Mandy picked up a napkin. “Let’s go into the living room. You haven’t seen the Christmas decorations. Besides, I don’t like Johnnie Sue listening to my conversations. She has gotten so bad about nosing into everything that goes on around here. You’d think she owns the place.”
Shannon looked around the cavernous kitchen, trying to see if the housekeeper was present and could have heard what Mandy had just said. Just then, a phone warbled and Shannon spotted a flip phone on the counter a couple of feet away from the coffee urn. “Oh, is that your phone?”
Mandy, too, glanced at the phone. “I’ve got a smartphone. It must be Johnnie Sue’s.” She picked it up and checked the tiny screen on front. “Jordon Palmer? Humph. Wonder why he’d be calling Johnnie Sue?”
The name Jordan Palmer crashed into Shannon’s memory and she swallowed a gasp. She had seen Jordan only once since she and Drake got married. Drake, too, had some kind of history with the man, but he had never told her exactly what it was. “Are we talking about the guy we ran into when we went to the horse show at the coliseum on your birthday?”
“I guess. You know him, right?”
Shannon was reluctant to admit she knew Jordan. “Well ... only slightly. Through the real estate business. He’s a commercial broker with a company in Dallas.”
“Of course, I suppose there could be more than one Jordan Palmer.”
“Drake knows him, too, but he’s never told me why he gets so uptight about him.”
“Oh, it’s probably because they had a fight. Years ago, Kate was engaged to him. They had a nasty break-up and Jordan stalked her for weeks until Drake kicked him out of Kate’s house. Mind you, I was living in Lubbock then, so I don’t have the first-hand skinny. That’s just what Pic told me.”
Shannon filed the phone call in the back of her mind and walked with her sister-in-law along the wide hallway that led to the formal living room. Prissy trotted beside her. “I hope no one’s upset because we brought Prissy. She’s sort of become a part of our household. She and Will love each other. Drake said it was okay, but he might have been just saying that. I don’t want to cause a conflict.”
“It was Betty’s rule that no dogs were allowed inside the house, especially male dogs. I’m sure Bill Junior doesn’t care and I don’t think anyone else does, either. I sure don’t.”
“There’s no one at our house for her to stay with. Drake gave all the help time off until Friday and my grandmother went to my sister’s house. I suggested we board her, but Drake said that was unnecessary.”
“Don’t worry about it. Honest. So you bought Drake a winery as a present? Is that a Christmas present in this family that doesn’t exchange Christmas presents?”
“It is now. Originally, it was supposed to be a birthday present. I made an informal offer on it back in September. I planned to have it closed by Drake’s birthday at the end of November, but that timetable didn’t pan out.”
“San Gabriel’s. Pic and I’ve gone down there for lunch a few times.”
“Good food?”
“Fine, as I recall. Nothing fancy. The last time we were there, it was also a bed-and-breakfast. Is Drake going to keep that part going?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“I don’t get the point of a bed-and-breakfast out here in the middle of nowhere. There’s nothing to do except look at grapevines. It’s pretty down there, though. You must think so, too.”
“I’ve never seen it.”
“And you just up and bought it?”
The sharp tone in Mandy’s voice bordered on being critical. Next, she would be asking what Shannon had paid for it. “Well, yes. I trusted the Realtor handling it.”
They reached the heavy double doors that opened into the living room. The minute Mandy swung them open, the scent of pine and spices filled the air. “Hmm. I love holiday smells.”
As they stepped inside, Shannon looked around. Thick ropes of gold garland draped from corner to corner of the large room. A wide evergreen tree that touched the ceiling filled the corner on one side of a cut-limestone fireplace. It was exquisitely decorated with gold and white angels and burgundy and gold ribbons. Hundreds of tiny lights winked from it.
Elaborate cascading garland looped along the thick oak mantel. A single stocking with Will’s name on it hung in the center of the mantel. “Oh, my gosh,” Shannon said. She walked over and looked closer at the stocking. “How sweet. Did you make this?”
“Not I,” Mandy said. “I’m not artsy like that. Kate’s responsible.”
“I’ll have to remember to thank her. Next Christmas, we’ll have two stockings. Or maybe three if you get pregnant.” She completed the circle of the room at a massive harvest table outfitted with burgundy ribbons trimmed with gold. It huddled beneath a wide window that looked out over a landscape of giant live oaks and rolling pastures, a picture of tranquility. On the table sat a large crystal Wassail bowl and matching cups. Shannon picked up one of the heavy cups. “This is for eggnog?”
Mandy came and stood beside her. “Yeah, but I guess you won’t be having any. It’ll have bourbon.”
Shannon continued to study the intricate work on the crystal cup. She had never even seen such fine crystal, much less held it in her hand. “God, what if someone broke one of these cups?” Shannon carefully set the cup back in its place. “Open house? Hm. Drake didn’t mention that. Who’s coming?”
“People the ranch does business with, mostly from the surrounding area. A few locals. A few people from the school. The school loves Bill Junior, you know.”
“They should. He’s done a lot for them. I understand the big gift this year is enough money to remodel the gym.”
“He gives them something big every year. People in town used to think he was so generous because I was Pic’s mistress. Now they think he’s generous because I’m Pic’s wife. I’m still sleeping with Pic, but at least now, I’m respectable.” She laughed.
Though she heard a note of sarcasm in Mandy’s comment, Shannon laughed, too. “Small town BS. You can’t defeat it. It goes on in Camden, too.” They strolled around the room toward the Christmas tree.
“I think the real reason he gives so much is number one, he’s got it to give and would probably have to give it to the government in taxes if he didn’t donate it to something. Also, he went to school here himself and so did his father and grandfather as well as his kids. He knows that without the school, the town would amount to nothing.”
Shannon stopped in front of the Christmas tree. “This tree is even more beautiful than last year’s.” She fondled a Christmas ornament hanging on the tree. “I’m afraid to ask what a tree like this cost.”
“I didn’t see the bill. Five digits, no doubt. No telling where it had to be shipped from.”
“This makes our home-decorated tree in Camden look so cheesy. I know I’m dumb, but until last year, I didn’t know there were companies that did nothing but decorate people’s homes for holidays.” She laughed again, her hand flattened against her bulging belly. “Being in the real estate business and working at cultivating customers who buy high-end homes, you’d think I’d know that, wouldn’t you?”
“That Christmas store in Dallas, All About Christmas, came down and did all of the decorating.”
“Oh, I know about that store. They sell nothing but expensive stuff. They spend the entire year getting ready for the Christmas season.”
“Three days they spent here. You saw the decorations they put at the front gate. Kate even dragged them over to Troy’s house and put up a tree over there. You did your own tree?”
“Absolutely. Drake and I went to Home Depot and bought one. He and I did most of the decorating, but my grandmother and Will had a hand in it, too. I’ve always thought half the fun of Christmas is the process. You know, the decorating, the cooking and so forth.”
Amanda gave a wide-eyed gasp. “Good Lord. The almighty Drake came down off his throne and helped decorate a Christmas tree? I don’t think I’ve ever known him to do anything like that. I’m floored.”
Mandy seemed to come up with a dig at Drake at every opportunity. “Why? We had fun. He’s very handy.”
Mandy straightened one of the angels that had gotten cock-eyed. “I suppose he could be. He worked as a ranch hand for a while once, which means he had to help build fences and work on windmills and barns and all of that. I assume he’d recognize a hammer. But that was years ago.”
A visual of the scars on Drake’s hands floated into Shannon’s mind. “He told me once that his hands had gotten so scarred up working on the ranch.”
“I barely remember it,” Mandy said. “I know only what Pic told me. I was in high school. Pic was in college in Stephenville, so I didn’t come out here much at that time. After Tammy broke up with him, Drake separated himself from the family, moved into the bunkhouse and lived the plebian life of a cowboy for more than a year. He didn’t even come into the ranch house, didn’t talk to his family.”
Shannon had tried to imagine her perfectly groomed and pressed husband doing ranch work before, but the image would never form. Frowning, she looked up. “He was that much in love with her? She meant that much to him?”
“Um, well ... I’m probably telling something I shouldn’t. That’s what Pic said. He was torn up over her marrying another man.”
Immediately, Shannon remembered the night in the hot tub in Hawaii, when Drake had told her about his fiancé dumping him. He had told her facts, but not emotions. He hadn’t told her how he felt about Tammy McMillan or how the broken engagement had truly affected him. Nor had Shannon ever asked him, though she wouldn’t close her ears if someone wanted to tell her about it.
“Smoky told me everyone thought he would only last a few weeks at that job,” Mandy continued. “The cowboys around here work hard. But when it went on and on, Betty started to worry about him. She thought he had gone crazy. She wanted to send him to a psychiatrist, but Bill Junior told her to leave him alone and let him find his own way. He must have found it. He emerged from that experience a different person.”
“In what way?”
“He was no longer the rich, good-time playboy. He had an intensity about him. It was almost feral. In my opinion, it hasn’t left him to this day.”
Shannon gave a mental eyeroll. More words beyond her. “What do you mean? Feral intensity.”
“I meant that he had this untamed quality that made everyone a little nervous. I think he still has that. This is just my own opinion, of course, but I think this is where his don’t-try-to-baffle-me-with-bullshit attitude comes from.”
Shannon couldn’t deny the edginess in her husband’s personality. He played to win. At everything.
“He’s always had a big ego, even as a kid. Valedictorian and hotshot football player and all that, Mandy went on. “Personally, I’ve always believed Betty and Tammy’s mother put that engagement together. Clever on Tammy’s mother’s part because the Lockharts are worth a whole lot more money than the McMillans. I’ve heard Mrs. McMillan say how disappointed she was that Drake and Tammy didn’t have kids, which would, of course be another McMillan hook into the Lockhart millions.”
“Wow. That’s harsh, Mandy.”
“Look at the circumstances. Drake was barely twenty and Tammy was a year older when they got engaged. Both of them were spoiled people who had lived protected lives. Neither one had experienced a setback of any kind and most certainly not rejection. Looking back on it, I think the dude she married kind of swept her off her feet. He was quite a bit older and more sophisticated than she and Drake were. He’s from England. A pro golfer. He has some dough, but probably nowhere close to as much as the Lockharts.”
Some of that Drake had told her. “Hm.” Shannon said. “I learn something new about my husband every time I’m here.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Mandy said. “I doubt if Drake would ever tell you much about his past. Pic says he’s not a guy who looks back. He’s always moving forward. Let’s sit down, shall we?”
They took seats in a pair of burgundy velvet wingback chairs. On the lamp table between them, Mandy retrieved a coaster from a small ornate box and set her mug on it. Prissy parked herself in front of Shannon and whined. “No,” Shannon said firmly. “You can’t get on the furniture.”
“Oh, what harm can she do?” Amanda stood, picked up the small dog and placed her on the sofa nearby. The miniature pooch immediately nestled in as if she had slept there dozens of times. Mandy smiled down at her. “Look at that. She’s right at home. If I weren’t so busy, I might like to have a little dog.”
“She’s probably lonesome without Will to play with her.”
Mandy returned to her seat. “Are you going to give up selling real estate after the new baby comes?”
“I don’t know. I probably should. Drake wants me to, but I worked so hard putting that business together. I hate to give it up when it’s just now starting to be the company I always wanted it to be.”
“I know what you mean. Pic isn’t happy with my continuing to coach and teach. I’m sure you know he wanted me to quit. In that friggin’ prenuptial agreement I signed, I agreed to, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to resign. I feel like I’m doing something important at the school and I don’t want to stop.”
“You’ve accomplished a lot and done something to be proud of. I’m sure they need you. I can see it would be hard to walk off from it.”
“It’s more than that. I feel like I have more in common with those struggling families whose kids I teach than I do the Lockharts. Sometimes I think it’s as simple as me not being cut out to be a rich man’s wife.”
“Mandy, come on. You let money become an issue.”
“And how do I ignore it when I’m surrounded by it? My God, money and the fear of kidnapping and ransom are the reasons we all have to have bodyguards. That never bothers you?”
“If I let myself think about it at all, I consider what might happen if we didn’t have them. I still remember that wreck up in Fort Worth. I try to focus on my business and leave everything else to Drake.
“That aside, you have to admit there are definitely more positives than negatives to being married to someone like the Lockhart brothers. Drake and Pic are wonderful men. And as far as I can tell, so is Troy. I’m in love with Drake. That would be true even if he had only two nickels in his pocket. He’s the only man I’ve ever been in love with.”
Mandy drew a deep sniff and toyed with a thread at the wrist of her sweater.
“Come on, now. You’ve probably got the holiday blues,” Shannon said. “You’re probably upset because you and Pic have had a fight at Christmas. You’ll make up. He’s been in love with you forever, Mandy.”
“That’s a nice thought, but I think he still loves his former wife more than he’ll ever love me.”
“I’m sure that isn’t true,” Shannon said.
Mandy looked up. “Ask your husband. If he’s honest, he’ll tell you it is true. Pic will go to his grave in love with Lucianne Shepler. She’s a cowgirl, you know. Pic got acquainted with her because she needed a horse and he gave her one.”
“Wow. Until knowing this family, I’ve never been around people to whom horses were such a big deal.”
“It’s been that way as long as I’ve known them,” Mandy replied. “You’ll offend everyone if you don’t make it a point to go to the barn and look at Dandy Little Lady. When you consider the breeding, the coddling and the endless hours of training, they’ve got a fortune tied up in that horse”
Shannon laughed. “Right now, I don’t think I have any business in the barn.”
“Pic told me you didn’t go to the World Finals and watch the big win.”
“I would have, but I knew I’d be too uncomfortable sitting in those seats, not to mention the walking and the stairs. Sometimes, this kid I’m carrying feels like a baby elephant. But usually, I do enjoy watching. Going with Drake is fun. He knows so much about it and he’s good to explain everything. He said you didn’t go either.”
“I’ve quit going to those horse shows. I don’t have the time, really. I’ve watched him and Kate dozens of times in dozens of shows. To me, one performance looks just like another. Besides that, the cutting horse world is too esoteric for me. I have nothing in common with that cutting horse crowd.”
Esoteric. Another word Shannon never heard in everyday conversation. Sometimes she needed a dictionary to talk to her sister-in-law.
“Of course you do. You’re married into a family that’s a big part of it.”
“But that doesn’t make me a member.” She shrugged. “It was strictly the siblings and Bill Junior watching this year. One strategically placed bomb could have wiped out the whole Lockhart dynasty. This year, it was more passionate than usual, I think. Months, even years, in advance, Troy planned on winning. Apparently, Dandy Lady was the perfect horse.”
Seeking comfort, Shannon placed a fancy decorative pillow behind her back.
“Are you feeling okay?” Mandy asked.
“I feel great. My back has bothered me a little this time is all.”
“Middle of February, huh?”
“That’s what the doctor said, but I feel like it could be sooner.”
“I cannot believe how Drake has taken to being a father. Seeing him with Will is just ... well, strange. I, for one, thought I’d never see the day.” Mandy picked up her mug and sipped. “I suppose most men go a little nutty over having a son.”
“He’s crazy about Will, but we would have been just as happy if the new baby was a girl. The most important thing is to have a healthy child.”
“Oh, I agree,” Mandy said.
Shannon’s backache persisted. She shifted in the chair again and pressed a hand against her lower back.
A wary look came from her sister-in-law. “Are you sure you’re okay? Forgodsake, don’t have a medical emergency here. We’re a long way from civilization and midwifery isn’t one of my long suits.”
Shannon chuckled. “I’m fine, I’m fine.”
“Why didn’t tell me you’re expecting again? We’re family. I thought we were pals. We’ve talked on the phone, even seen each other several times in the last few months and you’ve never said a word.”
Uh-oh. Hurt feelings. Shannon’s brow pulled into a tent. “We are pals, Mandy. Of course, we are. There’s no special reason we didn’t tell everyone. First, I thought we shouldn’t say anything until I went to the doctor and got the official word. I was so shocked when I first did the test at home, I wasn’t sure it was real.
“Then Drake wanted us to wait until we knew the baby’s sex. That date passed and he thought we should wait until we came down here for Christmas. So, here we are. Please don’t feel slighted.”
“Oh, I don’t. I know Drake has to be in control of everything that happens. I can’t imagine what it must be like to live with him. So you didn’t intend to get pregnant so soon after Will? Did he lose that control or what?”
Damn her. The answer to that question was none of her business, family or not. “Well, we...we, uh, didn’t plan it. But we didn’t not plan it either. ... Mandy, what’s this about? Are you mad at Drake? At me?”
“Why would I be mad?” She looked down into her mug. “Did you, uh ... mention to him what I asked you to?”
Okay, if she wasn’t mad, she might be envious. “A couple days ago. We closed the deal on the winery in Stephenville on Wednesday and we discussed it in the car, all the way down there.”
“Do you think he’s had time to say anything to Pic?”
“Probably not. Everything’s been so busy since we talked ab out it. I should tell you though, he might not bring it up to Pic. He said he’s reluctant to insert himself into something so personal.”
“Why? He inserts himself into everything else.” She made a silly laugh that Shannon saw as glaringly phony. “Actually, I’m hoping now that he doesn’t say anything. You might pass that on if you get a chance.”
“Okay, if that’s what you want. But why?”
“Pic and I had a really nasty fight Tuesday night. It was awful. He said some things—” She stopped, shook her head and dabbed at one eye with her napkin. “After what he said, I don’t even want to have kids now. Maybe I won’t ever. At least, not with him.”
“Mandy. You don’t mean that.”
“He finally admitted a family is not high on his list and might never be. Far be it from me to force any man to do something he doesn’t want to do. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about it myself since then. Bill Junior’s latest disappearing escapade sort of brought my situation here into focus. I think I haven’t adapted very well to living on this ranch or for that matter, to living in this family.”
“Why do you say that? You’ve known Pic and this family your whole life.”
“But knowing them isn’t the same as living with them. Haven’t you ever heard that old saying, you never live with the man you marry?”
Just then, Johnnie Sue opened the door and stuck her head into the room. “The boys are back.”
Shannon got to her feet, glad to escape this conversation and eager to tell Drake about the phone call on the housekeeper’s phone. “I’d better check on Will,” she said and walked out of the room, not giving her sister-in-law an opportunity for more of a conversation that had grown more uncomfortable by the minute.
She caught up with Drake at the coffee urn. He immediately handed Will over to her. “I think he needs a new diaper.”
So change him, she wanted to say, but bit her tongue. She stood him on the floor. “Did he pick out a horse? I hope it was a small one.”
Drake laughed. “Not yet, but he wasn’t the least bit afraid. In fact, he wanted to climb on old Suzy’s back.”
“Suzy’s a horse? I hope you had a good grip on him. You didn’t let him ride her—”
“Kate wanted to take him for a ride, but I wouldn’t let her. Here, let me show you Will and Suzy.” He unclipped his phone and showed a picture of Will placing a kiss on a docile horse’s face. Drake was obviously proud of his son. Shannon angled a dubious look up at him.
Drake’s mouth was still tipped into a wide grin. “He’ll be able to go for a ride soon.”
Shannon ignored that. Thank God the horse adventure was over for the time being. “Walk to bedroom with me. I want to get him out of this coat and change his pants and I have something to tell you.”
