Julie came into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. She sat down at the table and looked at the pancakes on the platter. The kids would be happy to see them. She didn't have much appetite. She hadn't slept well but took comfort in the fact that Griffin hadn't either. The walls were thin enough that she could hear him tossing and turning just as long as she had.
Griffin took a long sideways look at her. This busi ness of living with a desirable woman was going to ruin him. She was beautiful in a robe and house shoes. She was sexy in jeans and a T-shirt. She was desirable in a Betty Boop nightshirt. And she could arouse every male part of his body with one kiss. What would it be like to truly make love to her?
"What facts?" Melinda said from the doorway. "Is that sausage gravy and biscuits? Give the woman a raise, Griff. Marita never made breakfast."
"Want your eggs over easy or scrambled?" Elsie asked.
Melinda took a mug from the cabinet and poured a cup of coffee. "Scrambled please. Six will do."
Melinda sipped the coffee. "On second thought, don't give her a raise. Be mean to her."
"Why?" Julie asked.
"I want Elsie to quit him so I can hire her, if she makes breakfast. I can't cook," Melinda said.
"You can hush that kind of talk right now," Griffin said, glad to be back on familiar ground that didn't shift with every movement Julie made.
"Then you'd better be real nice to her because I'm waiting at the front door with a get-away truck anytime she wants to leave your sorry ass and work for me. What kind of benefits package are you offering?" Melinda asked.
Griffin glared at his sister.
"I'll give you insurance and two weeks' paid vacation every summer plus a bonus at the end of the cattle sale. Ours is in October," Melinda said.
"You are a funny woman. I wouldn't leave Griffin or the children. I love working here," Elsie said.
Elsie slipped Griffin's fried eggs from the skillet onto a plate and handed it to him. While he split two biscuits and topped them with gravy, she whipped six eggs into a yellow froth and poured them into a separate iron skillet where several tablespoons of butter had melted.
Elsie went on, "I like it even better on weekends when Miz Julie is here. Griffin is a very fortunate man that she was willing to stay after Marita left. Lizzy would have gone crazy without her. And that little Chuck. He's lived in such bad places that he loves it here. This ranch is big and would hold even more children."
"So you've worked your magic on her?" Melinda turned to Julie.
Julie held up two fingers.
"No fair. That wasn't mean. It was a statement," Melinda whined.
"Be careful," Laura said.
"What's going on?" Griffin asked.
"She said she's going to whip my ass all over the front yard," Melinda said.
"Guess you better learn to bite your tongue. I've seen her in action. She'd take on a forest fire with a cup of water," Griffin said.
"Some brother you are," she smarted off.
"Is that two?" Griffin looked at Julie.
She shook her head. "Fight your own battles. I'll take care of mine."
Melinda's face broke into a wide smile. "I might like you after all."
Julie dropped one finger.
"Why don't you just give me Annie? I always wanted a daughter and everyone would think she was mine, since she looks like Momma," Melinda said.
"Make your own. You've got a husband and the means to make one, unless you're too cold to hatch an egg," Julie said.
Melinda held up one finger.
Griffin roared.
"But I'm forty."
Laura put in her two cents. "So are Julia Roberts and your cousin, Mary Irene. They didn't let age stop them, so if you want a daughter, stop trying to steal Griffin's toys and make one of your own."
Melinda looked her mother right in the eye. "I'm glad you said that. This is as good a time as any. I'm pregnant."
"So that's why you are so prickly," Griffin sputtered.
"I'm due in May and I'm going to need extra help on the ranch. You get tired here, then give me a call, Elsie," Melinda said.
"And you can eat six eggs?" Julie asked. "Until I was six months I couldn't hold down anything."
"With this one I can. With both boys I was so sick it was awful for the first eight months. I think I figured it out, though. Girls in the Luckadeau family are conceived when both parties are drunk and girls don't make morning sickness. I got pregnant with this one after Matt and I tied one on at a party. This is a girl. I know it," Melinda said.
Elsie scooped up a plate full of eggs and handed it to Melinda, who proceeded to fill the rest of the plate with sausage and biscuits. "Congratulations. The baby will be a blessing to you and a comfort in your old age."
Melinda flinched.
Julie giggled.
"You got anything to say, Momma?" Griffin said.
"I hope it's twins and they make you pay for your raising," Laura said.
"We're not twins," Lizzy said from the kitchen door.
"We're cousins," Annie said right behind her.
"Me, too," Chuck said sleepily.
"That's right," Griffin said. "And now I'm going to work. You women hash out all this."
"I don't want hash. I want pancakes and sausage," Annie said.
"And I want pancakes and eggs," Lizzy piped up.
"And I want gravy," Chuck said.
Julie hugged them all at one time, wondering the whole time how on earth she could ever split them since they'd found each other or what they'd do if the DHS took Chuck from them. Maybe Griffin would let her take his two with her for holidays. That might be her ace card. Give me the kids for Christmas Eve and you can have them for Christmas on even years. On odd years we'll switch.
Laura made a few more notes in the book that she carried everywhere. "Today after dinner we go to Wichita Falls. First we're shopping for our dresses and then we'll decide how to decorate the barn. After all, we're the stars so we should make the place to suit our style."
"Do we get fancy dresses?" Lizzy asked.
"Of course you do. You can come and eat on the night of the party and each of you can dance two times. Then you will have to go to bed because little children can't stay up all night. And Chuck can have a new western shirt and boots and maybe even a new fancy belt," Laura said.
For a split second Julie thought about arguing. Annie was her child. If she didn't want her to attend a grown up party then it was her decision, not Laura's. If she wanted Annie to stay up until the last song was sung, the last two-step danced, and the band went home, then she should say so, not Laura. She opened her mouth but stopped when she saw the way Laura looked at the chil dren. She'd had Lizzy since birth and now she simply included Annie and Chuck into the mix without even thinking about it.
"Okay, now we've all eaten. It's your turn, Julie. What will you have?" Elsie asked. "I'll make you eggs or whatever you want."
"Just bacon and toast, please. And thank you for coming in early," Julie said.
"You are very welcome," Elsie said.
Laura liked Julie after all. She loved the children and the way she looked at Griffin was amusing. Only friends, huh? Laura figured that would change real soon and she wasn't so sure she'd be against the change. The attraction was there and it was plain as day that it was driving them both crazy.
Julie's mind ran circles around itself but she couldn't come up with a single reason why she shouldn't go shopping with the two women from hell. But by damn, she wasn't letting them pick out her outfit. And they'd better get used to the new Griffin. He might have been all sweet and kind and the big brother to everyone before, but that wasn't the Griffin she'd come to know and kiss. That white streak was pure white fire coming out of his head, straight from the hottest parts of hell. Her red hair couldn't match that kind of heat, not in a million eternities. He might have them all thinking he was the good little boy twin, but he didn't fool her one bit. After those two kisses she bet he was a true cowboy in bed.
Chapter 14
JULIE APPLIED MAKEUP, PUT MOUSSE IN HER HAIR TO TAME the curls, and was about to slip into her dress, when two little girls bounced into her room. Their hair in curlers and wearing nothing but cotton underpants, they landed in the middle of her bed, eyes aglitter and happiness written all over them. She'd planned to get them dressed after she was ready so they wouldn't get crumpled or dirty, but as she'd discovered so many times lately, plans were made to be changed.
"Lizzy, you take the curlers out of Annie's hair, very gently now. And then Annie, you take Lizzy's out. I'll get your dresses and shoes, but remember, after you are dressed, you have to be still like ladies in the living room and not get all rumpled," Julie said.
"We won't, Momma. We'll be good. Lizzy says her cousins are coming and they're my cousins, too," Annie said.
"That's right," Julie sighed.
She wasn't ready for all this Luckadeau stuff. She and Laura and Melinda had called a silent truce but it had been awkward more than once. She was eager for everyone to go home so she and the children could have a quiet Christmas with Griffin and life could get back to normal.
She put bows in their curled hair, dressed them in velvet dresses, ruffled socks, and shiny black shoes, put their jewelry on, and a dab of her perfume behind their ears. They stood before the cheval mirror in her room and admired themselves: both in identical red velvet dresses. Laura had insisted on buying their outfits with the idea in mind that they could wear them to church after the party. They'd wanted formal organdy dresses like flower girls wear to weddings, but thank goodness, Grandma Laura had the future in mind.
Melinda poked her head in the door and motioned for the girls. "Okay, beautiful ladies, it's time to let Momma get dressed now. You both are lovely and everyone at the party is going to be so jealous that you belong to the ranch."
"Thank you," Julie mouthed. It wasn't until they were out of the room that she heard the word
momma
and realized Melinda had said it without thinking.
Melinda was lovely in a calf-length, buttery cream colored silk sheath that was the same color as her blonde hair. She'd found it at a discount store in Wichita Falls called Ross's and declared she would have something skin tight because in a few more weeks, she'd be fat. Julie had been surprised to find both women loved outlet stores. She'd figured nothing short of Neiman Marcus would do for Melinda.
Laura had found a black palazzo pant outfit with flowing slacks, a tank top, and see-through duster that dropped to her ankles. The duster was decorated all the way down the front with rows of rhinestones and glit tered like the streak in her hair.
That left Julie, who at Laura's suggestion went against all rules and tried on a fire engine red dress with a halter top cut down to her waist in the back. Thank goodness it had a built-in bra and the halter straps were good and tight. The skirt was straight with a slit up the front left side halfway to her hip. When she had walked out of the dressing room, Laura sucked air.
"Who said you couldn't wear red? That is beautiful on you. What size is it?" Melinda paid her the first and only compliment of the week.
"Four," Julie answered.
"I was born in a six, wasn't I, Momma? It ought to be a sin to be able to eat as much as you and wear a four."
"It is a sin to have your height and eyes," Julie shot right back.
Melinda had blown her a kiss.
Now it was time for Julie to put on the red dress and she didn't want to wear it. Why hadn't she bought two dresses? One for backup in case she lost her nerve, which she just had.
"Attention. Julie has the jitters," she whispered to her reflection.
"Momma, hurry. It's time for us to make our 'pear ance," Annie called from the bottom of the steps.
She was glad for the velvet shawl draped around her naked shoulders and wished she could get away with wearing Griffin's camouflage coat and a pair of ratty old jeans to the party. The dress was going to put a severe dent in her white trash reputation.
These past few days she'd caught Griffin looking at her strangely several times. There had been no more kisses, but there had been people around nonstop with the sale preparations.
And besides, she reminded herself
, as she walked slowly down the stairs in high-heeled red satin shoes, he had his kiss and I had mine and ther
e
can be no more.
"Oh, Momma, you are beautiful," Annie said when Julie reached the foyer.
"I wish you were my momma," Lizzy said.
"Tonight I can be momma to all three of you kids. But let's get something straight, kiddos. You get to eat with the big people and dance two dances and then you will be coming back here to go to bed. Is that understood? No begging," Julie said.
"Yes, ma'am," Lizzy grinned.
"Yes, ma'am," Chuck echoed.
"Okay," Annie pouted.
"Are we ready, then?" Laura asked. "It's time for the Luckadeau women to make their appearance."
"I'm not…" Julie started.
"Tonight you are. You birthed my grandchild. You are one of us. After a week with Melinda, you earned the right."