Stevie breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t we all hope to find that kind of person. Those steaks about ready?”
“They are, and the potatoes are done too. Wait ’til you taste the coffee,” he said.
“Good, bad, or ugly?” she asked as she poured herself a cup.
“You be the judge,” he said.
She took a sip and shivered even worse at the taste of it than she had because of cold. “Beyond ugly, even beyond downright nasty.”
“It should clean out the bathroom drainpipes,” Cody teased as he forked up a steak and put a good-sized portion of potatoes on each plate.
“Probably eat right through them.” She opened the window behind the stove and tossed what was in the cup out on the ground, then closed the window. “You can drink it if you want. I’d rather have water.”
“Me too, only I poured mine back in the pot,” he told her.
“Yuck!” Her nose crinkled. “That’s not very sanitary.”
“Honey, no self-respecting germ would ever live in that horrible stuff.” He sat down on the sofa and began to eat. Dolly came from behind the stove and began to rub around his legs. “I’ll save the bone for you, pretty girl, but you can’t share with Dixie. Alpacas don’t eat meat,” he said and then glanced over at Stevie, “unless this redhead wants it. I owe her for saving my hands, so if she wants to gnaw on it awhile, then she should have it.”
Stevie picked up her pocketknife from the worktable and sat down on the other end of the sofa. “You’re not even funny.”
“And I tried so hard.” Cody heaved a long sigh but there was no denying that it was all fake.
“Seriously.” Stevie rolled her eyes. “You know when I miss Mama the most?”
“At mealtimes.” Cody turned serious. “That’s when I missed my folks the most.”
Stevie cut off a piece of steak and started toward her mouth with it. “We shared two meals a day with each other, even when she was sick. I would carry our plates to her room and sit beside her bed while we ate.” She finally put the steak in her mouth.
“I understand,” Cody said. “I really do. I thought I was ready to get away from the ranch, but I was so lonely in college that sometimes I thought of quitting and going home. There were people all around me in the cafeteria, but not a one of them to talk to about my day. Mama always said breakfast and supper were our best family times. Even as little boys, we talked about our day at the supper table, and I missed that so much.”
“Everyone needs a family,” Stevie said. “Look at Dixie. She probably wouldn’t survive without the cats. Even though they’re two different species, they’ve bonded to make a family. I hope Max doesn’t mind if I take them with us when we leave.”
“Max is in the hospital,” Cody said. “I was coming from his place when I wrecked my truck. He was having chest pains, so I called the ambulance and sent him to the hospital in Bonham. I’m sure he won’t mind if we borrow Dolly and the kittens. In fact, he’d probably be happy to know they were being cared for. Once Dixie is happy in her new world, I’ll bring them back.”
“I envy you and the closeness you have with your family. Always have.” Stevie cut another piece of steak and popped it into her mouth.
“You were close to your folks,” Cody said.
“Yes, I was, but I always wanted siblings like you had,” Stevie confessed. “Losing Mama would have been a little easier to bear if I’d had brothers or sisters to share the grief, to share the memories.”
“I can’t imagine not having family. Even when I was thousands of miles away, the highlight of my week was getting to talk to Mama and Daddy and my brothers when I could get phone reception,” Cody said. “You were going to tell me your first memory.”
“Yes, I was, and I will if you promise not to laugh and to remember that I was just a little girl,” she said.
Cody laid a hand on his chest. “Cross my heart, I won’t laugh.”
“Okay then,” she said and nodded. “I must have been about four, and I begged and begged Mama and Daddy for a puppy for my birthday. As you know, we lived in town, not out in the country like you did. I didn’t care if it was a mixed breed that came from the pound.” She stopped and ate a bite of her potatoes. “I just wanted a pet. I can see Mama standing at the kitchen table, putting icing on my birthday cake, and from the smile on her face, I just knew I was getting what I wanted. But when I opened my presents, all I got was two stuffed animals. One was a mama collie dog and the other was her baby.”
“Were you disappointed?” Cody asked.
“Oh, absolutely,” Stevie answered.
“Did you throw a fit or cry?”
“Why did you ask that?” Stevie asked.
“Because I asked for a pony when I was about that age, and I threw such a bawling fit that I even had my brothers both crying,” Cody answered.
Stevie shook her head. “I was disappointed, but I didn’t cry. Even at four, I knew that would hurt my folks’ feelings. I took those stuffed animals to my bedroom, made them a kennel from a cardboard box, and fed and watered them every day.”
“For real? What did you feed them?” Cody asked.
“Whatever I could sneak away from the supper table. When Mama came to clean my room a week later, she found molded food and ants everywhere,” Stevie answered.
“What did Ruth do?” Cody chuckled.
“She explained to me that my dogs didn’t eat people food, that they only ate pretend food. Then we took them out in the backyard, she said because they needed some exercise, and she had a tea party with me under the pecan tree,” Stevie said. “Not much of a story, but that’s my earliest memory, and thank you for not laughing. Now your turn. Was it when you didn’t get a pony?”
“Why would I laugh?” Cody asked. “I think that’s a sweet story, and with a mother like that, you had a wonderful role model.”
“Yes, I did,” Stevie said. “Now about the pony?”
“No, and maybe I should explain the reasoning behind why I didn’t get one,” Cody answered. “Daddy explained that, to be fair, if he bought one pony, he would have to buy three—one each for Lucas and Jesse on their birthdays too, and we didn’t need that many ponies on the ranch. I found out later that he had lost his last horse just before we came to live at the ranch, and it hurt him so bad that he vowed he wouldn’t have any more horses on his property. He was saving me from the pain of having to put my pony down later in life.”
“So, what is your first memory?” Stevie asked.
“That would be when I was three and Lucas was just a baby—barely walking. A lady put us in the car with her and took us to the ranch. The lady said our new mama and daddy were waiting and they would love us. There was another little kid there, and Mama said his name was Jesse. I was scared, but I had to be strong for Lucas, or he would start crying.”
“You were adopted? What happened to your real parents? I mean your biological ones. I don’t think I ever knew that you weren’t…actually Sonny and Pearl’s son…” Stevie stammered. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right.”