The crowd went wild and the little girl blew them kisses before she went back to her chute, where her mother and daddy waited. “Hey, all you daddies of little girls up there in the stands, I want y’all to remember this next feller’s name. It’s Wayne Crawford, and he’s proven for the last two years that he’s a real muttin’ buster. In a few years, if he comes to date your daughters, you tell him to get lost, because he does not know how to let go.”
Sonny’s laughter could be heard all the way to where Jesse and Addy were sitting.
“Daddies don’t need to worry.” Mia sat down right behind them. “Girls are smart enough to see through those kinds of boys. It might take them a while, like it did me, but…” She gasped. “Good God! That’s Ricky down there in the arena. He’s one of the cowboys opening the chutes.”
“No, it’s not,” Addy said. “That’s Pete.”
“Thank you, Jesus!” Mia whispered.
“Hey, Mia,” Sonny called from two bleacher rows in front of them, “you in the mood for some cotton candy?”
“Always, Poppa.” She stood and started toward the concession stand. “How about you and Nana. Y’all want some, too?”
“Yep,” Sonny said, “and two root beers.”
“What was Mia thanking Jesus for?” Cody sat down beside Addy.
“That one of those cowboys out there isn’t Ricky O’Malley but his brother Pete,” Addy answered.
“Mama told me all about the trouble last time we talked on the phone,” Cody said. “Looks like I’m not the only one who dodged bullets.”
“She might have gotten grazed,” Addy said. “She turned pretty pale when she thought that was Ricky out there.”
“She’s young,” Cody said. “She’ll get over it.”
“Did you ‘get over it’ with Stevie?” Jesse teased.
“That was a long time ago,” Cody said. “Lots of water under the bridge since then.”
Addy’s thoughts went to all the water that had run under the proverbial bridge in the past twenty years since she and Jesse had said their goodbyes. She would never have thought they would be given a second chance to have a relationship again and yet there they were, thinking about babies and grandbabies.
He hasn’t even told you that he loves you, the voice in her head reminded her. This could just be the heat of the moment for both of you.
* * *
The folks around the breakfast table on Saturday morning had grown to seven since Henry had joined them. Now Sonny sat at the head of the table with Pearl to his right and Henry beside her, Cody on the other end, and Jesse, Addy, and Mia on the other side. Addy had thought that Sonny would be totally exhausted after the previous day, but he looked more alive and happier than he had in years.
“Henry, Pearl and I spent some time talking yesterday afternoon, and we’ve made some decisions,” Sonny told his foreman and then addressed everyone else. “Henry’s going to leave us on August first, and Jesse will take over in his place. That next week, Pearl and I are going to Colorado for a long visit. When we get back, we’re going to move into Henry’s house. It’s plenty big enough for the two of us. Cody can have the bunkhouse for his house and office, and Jesse, Addy, and Mia can live in this place.”
“It’s the sensible thing to do,” Henry agreed. “Pearl will have less to clean. My little place was built on a concrete slab, so there’s no stairs for Sonny to worry with.”
“I can’t imagine living in this house without y’all in it,” Mia sighed.
“Change is good for folks. It keeps us on our toes so we don’t get to taking life for granted,” Sonny told her. “We’ll only be a quarter of a mile away, and when we’re home, you can have the job of driving me around the ranch every single day.”
“Mama?” Cody asked from the other end of the table. “You’ve lived right here in this house your whole married life. Are you good with this?”
“I’m the one who outlined the whole plan,” she answered. “I’m actually looking forward to it, and to doing some traveling with this handsome husband of mine. I want to thank you two boys for coming home so we can do some of the things we didn’t think we’d ever get to do, but I also don’t want to waste precious time I have with you.”
“Addy, have you given any thought to what Cody offered you?” Sonny asked.
She hadn’t been able to sleep the night before for thinking about the idea and still hadn’t made up her mind until that very moment. Her grandmother had told her that she should open the door when opportunity knocked. According to her, it was easier to invite it inside and give it a glass of sweet tea than to chase it a mile down the road when you change your mind.
“Thanks for the offer, Cody. I would love to work for you,” Addy said.
“That’s wonderful, but you won’t be working for me. You’ll be working with me. We’ll make a great team, and there will still be time for us to both do some ranchin’,” Cody promised. “You all right with this arrangement, Jesse? You’re going to be the boss.”
“I’m fine with it,” Jesse said. “Now, pass the biscuits, and let’s get the day’s work lined out. Mia and I are going to work on the barn roof. Cody, you can drive Dad around the ranch and refamiliarize yourself with the place this morning.”
“We’ll knock off at four so we can get to the rodeo grounds to see the kids again tonight, and then we’re not working at all tomorrow,” Sonny said. “I don’t want to miss the bronc and bull riding, or the dance after the rodeo is over. Mia, you’ll save your old poppa a dance, won’t you?”
“Of course I will, but Nana gets the first one and the last one, because she’s the girl you’re bringing to the dance and the one you’ll be taking home. That’s the rules,” Mia said with a grin.
“You going to give me first and last dances?” Jesse whispered for Addy’s ears only.
“Yep, she sure is,” Mia answered.
“Little corn has big ears,” Addy said.
Pearl giggled. “We learned that lesson years ago. Now that we’ve got everything lined out for today and for the future, Henry, do you have anything else to say?”
“Not without blubbering like a baby,” Henry answered. “I’m just glad to have had time to watch you boys grow up and to work with my best friend, Sonny, all these years. To eat lots of meals that Pearl cooked and have five years with Addy and Mia. Now, that’s enough. We’ll save the tears for the day I drive away from this place and head for Colorado.” He finished off his last sip of coffee and pushed his chair back. “Me and the hired hands are going to be fixing fence today. Before I leave, I intend to have the fences in good enough repair to last for a long time.”
“Thank you for always being here for us through the years, Henry.” Pearl wiped a tear away with her napkin. “Addy and I are supposed to be in town from ten until noon today to watch over the bake sale table for the church. We’re having this one for our missionary fund.”