"Our family has a rule. The ranch produces what it uses. That means the ranch grows its own hay for the cattle and food for the people. Keeps the wolf away from the door. It means that if you go borrowing money and have a bad year, you owe the bank. Couple of bad years and the bank owns you. Lots of small ranches go belly up when the owners buy into the big-or-bust idea."
"Which is?"
"More cattle than the land can support so you have to buy hay and grain. More equipment than they need to keep up appearances. Taking money out of the ranch for things they don't need like big vacations and condos in Florida or Paris."
Daisy slathered butter onto a hot roll. "Ruby basically said the same thing about the Honky Tonk. Mingus was the perfect place for a beer joint and the reason so many had failed was because the owners got the idea they were in Dallas or Nashville. They had to have live entertainment; they were only open on Friday and Saturday nights; they spent megabucks on advertisement. And presto, a year later they were declaring bankruptcy. Ruby took a salary from the profits at the Honky Tonk. She paid Tinker and me and what was left after bills went into a savings account. When she died she split the savings account between me and Tinker. I'm not rich but if we had a couple of bad years at the Honky Tonk I wouldn't go under."
"Same general idea. Is this what y'all are serving tomorrow?" he asked.
"No, I found two whole hams in the freezer. They're thawing out. Also found another stove out in the utility room. I'd seen it there when I was here before but I had no idea it was hooked up," she answered.
"Mavis fixed it that way so she could cook out there in the hot summer and it wouldn't heat up the house. Are you cooking one in each oven?"
She nodded. "Menu tomorrow is ham, baked beans, potato salad, and hot rolls. Cathy made a couple of her famous chocolate cakes and I put together three peach cobblers for dessert. We found everything we needed right here so we didn't have to go to the store. You still didn't answer my question about Garrett running this place alone."
Jarod buttered a second hot roll. "He's bringing a crew. Uncle Emmett was like your Ruby. He left a savings account and we felt like the wise thing to do was let Garrett have it to run the ranch. He'll have a foreman, three full-time hired hands, and a cook and housecleaner. The foreman and housekeeper are married. They'll live in the house for a couple of weeks. Garrett has bought two trailers. One will be for Ben and Livvy, the other for the hired hands. They'll live in them a couple of years but eventually the foreman and his wife will have a house and there'll be a bunkhouse for the hired help."
"Sounds like Garrett is going to have his work cut out even with help. The ranch has sure gone down the past few years." Daisy eyed Jarod. "Whatever is making that frown on your face? Cold asparagus? I told you it wasn't as good when it got cold. Save room for peach cobbler. I made a small one for supper."
He looked across the table and she read his mind.
"For an Indian you sure don't have a flint face expression," she said.
"Oh? What was I thinking?"
"Let's just say you were not thinking about peach cobbler," she answered.
"No, actually I wasn't. I was thinking about peach cobbler with ice cream. What were you thinking about?"
"That romp in the sheets at your house in Cushing."
He almost choked on a bite of potato. Daisy spoke her mind and did not stutter. Life with her would never be a guessing game.
She smiled sweetly. "I was lying. I was really thinking about how I'd like a repeat performance up in your bedroom right here."
"Before or after cobbler?" He laid his napkin to one side and held out a hand. She put hers in it and followed him upstairs to the bedroom. He left the door open and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling her down beside him.
"I want you. I've thought about you all day and was disappointed when I thought you weren't here when I came in for the day. Every waking thought centers around you, Daisy. I want to make love to you until neither of us can see straight."
"I see a but in your face and it's not part of anyone's anatomy."
"There is a but. I want more. I want a relationship with you. I don't want a quick tumble in the sheets. I want to date you. I want to introduce you as my girlfriend even though that seems young and silly. I want to be able to say the words."
"Can we talk about this after we make love?"
"No, I'm not making love to you right now even though I want to so bad it aches. I want an exclusive relationship and I don't want sex without it," he said.
"What if all I want is a friendship with benefits?"
"Then you'll have to find it somewhere else. I can be your acquaintance but I can't be only your friend with benefits."
"Kiss me," she said.
"Is it friendship with benefits?"
She let go of his hand and stood up.
You've blown it,
he thought.
She threw one leg over both his and sat in his lap, facing him. Grabbing a fist full of hair she pulled his lips down to hers and ran her tongue around his lips.
He broke away and leaned back. "Why did you do that?"
"Testing the water, darlin' man," she said.
He frowned.
"I was afraid that if I said I'd commit to you that it would change things. It didn't. Kissing you made me just as hot ever. Have I ever told you that touching your hand puts my mind in the gutter and I want to haul you to bed every time you look at me?"
"And?"
"I'll be your girlfriend, Jarod. I'll be your exclusive, committed relationship, but don't pressure me for anything more for a very long time," she said.
"It's a deal, sweetheart." He hugged her tightly. "Will you sleep with me tonight? I'm so tired I'm not sure I can do anything more than that, but I want to cuddle with you like we did last night. I want to wake up with you beside me like I did at my house in Cushing. I want to hold you and feel your sweet breath on my chest all night."
"I promise I'll sleep with you but peach cobbler with ice cream is waiting, honey," she whispered in his ear.
"Lie down here with me for five minutes. Let me feel your body next to mine. I'd rather feel you than taste peach cobbler and it's my favorite dessert," he said.
"I'm flattered," she giggled softly.
"You should be. Darlin', I have never given up peach cobbler for another woman," he laughed with her.
They snuggled for half an hour, whispering as if the house was full of relatives who might overhear their sweet talk.
"I could sleep until morning just like this," he said.
"Me too."
They didn't sleep or make love but lay in each other's arms for another thirty minutes. He made lazy circles on her back and upper arms and she breathed softly on his chest.
"Want to go watch the sunset with me?" Jarod finally asked.
"I'd love to," she said.
They hurriedly cleaned up the kitchen and dipped cobbler and ice cream into one bowl with two spoons to take to the porch to watch the sunset. They sat side by side on the porch steps and shared cobbler as the sun slowly sunk below the horizon.
The clock struck nine times in the dining room. That was the first time Daisy had thought of the Honky Tonk all evening. Guilt flowed over her; she loved that place. How could she forget it even for an evening?
Easy. You found something that you love even more
, that pestering voice inside her heart said.
Oh, no,
she argued.
I'm in a committed relationship
now. I love the sex. I love the attention. I love the after
glow and even this peach cobbler, but I will not admit
that I've fallen in love with Jarod. Not tonight. I can't do
that much in one day and keep my sanity.
"Peach cobbler and a sunset are almost as beautiful as my girlfriend. It don't get no better than this," Jarod said.
"You are sure using that word a lot," she said.
"Yes, and you'll be hearing it even more tomorrow when I introduce you to everyone who drives a truck onto this property, or when we go to the Honky Tonk and I tell Billy Bob and everyone who'll stand still and listen to me crow that you are a marked woman now," he said.
She tried to find a smart aleck remark to snap back at him but her mind went blank. She sighed. She hadn't thought of the teasing Chigger and Cathy would give her.
Chapter 17
Chigger took one look at Daisy and winked. "You got laid."
"Did you?" Cathy's big blue eyes widened.
"I don't kiss and tell but the answer is no. I have agreed to a committed relationship. I did not agree to anything past that," Daisy said.
"If you are thinking of anything past that you'd better get on the ball or else wait until after Valentine's Day because I'm going to be in the wedding and I refuse to look like I've got a watermelon under my fancy dress when I am," Chigger said.
Daisy looked at Cathy. "What about you?"
Cathy put both palms up. "I've got a new car and a job. I don't care if you take fifty years to do anything past that."
"Good, guess that's settled. I can use it. Hams are cooking. You can make the yeast rolls. The cattle trucks won't be here until lunch or after so I can help in the house until then," Daisy said.
"You are a woman of many talents," Chigger said. "I can't cook and barely know a cow from a bull."
"But what you do in the bedroom makes up for that, don't it?" Daisy teased.
Chigger headed for the kitchen. "You are damned right! But I can help with this dinner in other ways that cookin'. I've helped Momma do hundreds of funeral dinners at the church and this ain't much different than that. I'll get the table arranged. We'll start 'em on this end by the door. They can pick up a tray, fill it up, and go find a place to sit. Where's the paper plates? Bet they're in the pantry out here with the extra stove." She pulled a stack of divided Styrofoam plates from the shelf, along with plastic cutlery and glasses.
"I'll get busy on hot rolls." Cathy started searching through the pantry for the flour, yeast, sugar, and oil. "So did you?" she asked Daisy.
Daisy stirred up the dressing for the potato salad. "Did I what?"
"Get laid," Cathy asked.
"You two are obsessed with sex. And I understand. I really do. Chigger just got married and had it on the brain even before she said 'I do.' Cathy, you've always liked a man in your life. I swear you'll be leaving the Honky Tonk in another week and searching for a new boyfriend. But I'm content with a committed relationship for a very long time."
"Bite your tongue!" Cathy said.
"Did you get laid?" Chigger asked.
"I'm not answering that question. Which reminds me, you never did tell me what your momma had to say about your marriage," Daisy said.
Chigger stopped working and poured a cup of coffee. "She cried and then she got mad that I didn't have it at the church so she could buy a new dress. Can you just imagine all the frills and ruffles she would have picked out? I would have looked like Little Bo Peep. All I would have needed was a shepherd's hook and a parasol. Hell, she might have made me carry a parasol too. After the tears she was happy because she didn't have to pay for a big shindig and she was excited that she was going to have a new grandbaby. She couldn't wait to get to church on Sunday and tell everyone that we got married six months ago and was keeping it a secret. Said it sounded so romantic. All I could think was, 'Hot damn, I got off that one easy.'"
"What cock-and-bull story did you tell her about
why
you got married secretly?" Daisy asked.
"She hadn't asked yet. You got any ideas?"
Daisy peeled cooled boiled potatoes and diced them. "It's your lie. Concoct it anyway you want."
Cathy poured two cups of hot water into a bowl and added yeast and sugar. "You two sure do fight a lot to be best friends."
Chigger put a plastic cloth on the table. "Best friends don't always see eye-to-eye. We respect each other's opinions. Wait until you meet Momma. You'll understand."
"Am I going to meet Momma soon?" Cathy asked.
Chigger smiled brightly. "Oh, yes. She's coming to Sunday dinner, not this weekend but the next and both of you are going to be there and so is Jarod and he's going to have to be married to Daisy that day so you'd best get him ready for the part."
"Oh, no, not again," Daisy moaned.
"You will do it, won't you?" Chigger asked.
"Of course I'll do it," Daisy said.
"And Cathy, you are Joe Bob's girlfriend that day," Chigger giggled.
"Dear God," Cathy muttered.
"What about poor old Billy Bob?" Daisy asked.
"Oh, he'll be there all right but he made me mad this week so he doesn't have a girlfriend. Know what that means?"
Cathy shook her head.
Daisy shivered.
Chigger nodded seriously, "You get the prize, Daisy, 'cause you figured it out right away. He isn't going to have a girlfriend and Momma will fix him up with someone from her church. He'll learn to be nice to me and Jim Bob. Momma's matchmaking skills are even worse than voodoo. And while we're at it, you'd better tell Cathy the cover story."
Daisy filled her in.