“I don’t feel so strong right now,” Stevie said. “I’m grateful for everything, but inside, I’m a mess, Cody.”
“Let’s go up to the ranch house for supper. You need to be around people and family,” Cody told her.
Stevie wanted to curl up on the bed, put a pillow over her head, and think about nothing, but after all the Ryan family had done for her, she couldn’t do that. She nodded and stood up. “You are right. Maybe playing with little Sam and Taylor might make me realize that, like Mama said, it’s just stuff.”
Cody took her by the hand and led her to the living room, where he helped her into her coat. “I’ve lived among folks who had so little that I can agree with your mother.”
Stevie just gave him a brief nod. They walked up the path to the house hand in hand, and just that small gesture made her feel better. Pearl must have been watching for them out the kitchen window because she met Stevie in the middle of the kitchen floor with outstretched arms.
“I’m so sorry about this,” Pearl said as she hugged her, “but know that you are welcome here for as long as you want to stay. Sonny says we’ll clear out the tack room and you can use it for your vet clinic.”
“That’s right,” Sonny said from his place at the table. “We can put locks on both doors so the insurance people won’t fuss at us over the drugs you need to keep handy, and you can keep your van parked in the barn so it will be ready to go when you need it.”
“And for all that and for room and board, I want to pay you what’s fair,” Stevie said.
To her surprise Sonny nodded without an argument. “I’ve been thinking about that. How about you do whatever vet business we need done for free while you live on the ranch? But only your time is free. Whatever you have to use in the way of medicine or vaccinations will be billed to the ranch.”
“That’s a pretty good deal.” Mia brought in one of the twins. “Can we add that I get to assist you with whatever that is?”
“Yes, you can, and thank you, Sonny,” Stevie said. “That’s a very generous deal.”
“On whose end?” Cody chuckled. “Dad might figure out a way to keep you here through calving season and the spring vaccinations.”
“If I can’t, I bet Mia or Addy can help me out.” Sonny laughed out loud.
“I won’t let you down, Poppa,” Mia giggled.
“And you can depend on me,” Addy added as she put the second twin in a high chair.
Fate had to be playing out a hand, Stevie thought, and wondered what she would be dealt next. She glanced over at Cody to see him grinning so big she hoped that, whichever way the cards fell, things didn’t get awkward between them.
Chapter Sixteen
The church parking lot was sparsely occupied that Sunday morning when the Ryan family arrived in three vehicles. Stevie had ridden with Cody, and even though he had said they would be going shopping for a new truck next week, she kind of hated to give up the old work truck with the wide bench seat.
“Penny for your thoughts.” Cody parked between Addy’s and his mother’s SUVs.
“They’re not worth that much.” Stevie smoothed the front of her knee-length dark green skirt. “I was thinking about Tex not being able to ride in the front seat with us when you get a new truck. These days they all come with consoles and bucket seats.”
“And here I was hoping you were thinking about sharing a hymn book with me,” he teased.
“Do you know what that means to the old folks?” Stevie asked.
“Oh, yeah!” he said. “What do you say…love? Shall we make this a date even though we can’t go out to dinner and for a long drive on dirt roads?”
“Why not?” She shrugged. “If this is a date, then we’ll get to that fourth one faster, and we can get a Sonic burger.”
As usual, Cody got out of the truck and rounded the front end to open the door for her. That morning, he wore starched and creased jeans and a plaid shirt with a Western-cut suede jacket over it. His black cowboy boots had been shined and his hat dusted off. He wouldn’t be anyone’s stereotypical idea of a doctor, but most people would think he was a rancher.
He ushered her across the lot with his hand on her lower back, and the whole family followed Pearl and Sonny down the center aisle. When they were about halfway to the third pew where the Ryan family always sat together, a young man stood and motioned toward Mia.
She peeled off to the right and sat down with Beau Martin—or that’s who Stevie assumed he was since that’s who would be coming to dinner with her after the services. He had auburn hair and a round face covered with freckles.
Pearl and Sonny sat down, and Addy and Jesse made their way to the middle of the row, leaving the last two places empty for Stevie and Cody. Stevie glanced across the aisle at the pew where she and her mother used to sit every Sunday morning. Nowadays, a middle-aged couple had taken up residence over there with their four daughters ranging in age from about ten to maybe sixteen.
The lady who played the piano hit a couple of chords, and everyone began to reach for the hymnals in the pockets on the backs of the pews in front of them. As luck would have it, there were only three hymnals: one for Pearl and Sonny to share, a second one for Addy and Jesse, and the one that Cody handed to her.
“Guess this means we’re the topic of the gossip vine this week,” he whispered.
“Or maybe folks are more interested in Mia and Beau than they are in us,” she told him.
“Double their rumor pleasure,” Cody said.
The man who led the singing at the church stepped up behind the lectern and said, “Good morning, everyone. It’s good to see that some of you have braved the weather and come on out to services this morning. Will you all please turn to number two hundred forty-seven? We’ll sing together ‘When We All Get to Heaven.’”
Cody had a wonderful singing voice, but what Stevie loved most was the way her insides warmed with the touch of his fingertips against hers as they shared the hymnal.
When they finished the song, the song leader said, “And now Betsy and Justine are going to do a special song for Betsy’s parents and Justine’s grandparents this morning. Sharon and Thomas Walters were married fifty years this past week, and they weren’t able to have much of a celebration what with the blizzard that we had, so they are singing this song for them today.”
Justine and her mother, Betsy, made their way from the back of the church. They both picked up a handheld microphone from the top of the piano, and Betsy said, “This is the song that Daddy sings to Mama, so we thought it would be appropriate for their fiftieth anniversary.”
“Happy Anniversary, Granny and Gramps.” Justine waved toward the second pew. “I love you both and appreciate all the support you’ve given me through the years.”
Betsy nodded at the pianist and she began to play “I Want to Stroll Over Heaven with You.”
Stevie recognized the melody long before Betsy began singing the first words that asked the King for one more blessing—he wanted to stroll over heaven with the love of his life.
She only meant to peek at Cody’s expression, but he was looking right at her, and they locked gazes. Was he wondering if heaven was big enough for the two of them, like she was? Or was he thinking of something altogether different? Everything around them suddenly seemed to disappear, and they were the only two people on earth. The moment couldn’t have lasted more than a split second, and then Stevie blinked, faced forward, and focused on Betsy and Justine.