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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.”
