Lone Star Christmas

Max sighed. “This is all I need. Squatter squirrels and a house that has to have all the wiring redone.”

Sammi’s boot appeared on the top of the ladder. “It’s not the whole house, but I do suggest you get a licensed electrician to check it out.” She hopped off the last step and turned to face them. “Hi, I’m Sammi Bergmann.” She held out her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Ethan had come up behind Max. “Really? You know we’re Delgados, right?” Bitterness laced his words.

Sammi chuckled. “That’s okay. My last name might be Bergmann but everyone around here, including my family, refers to my mother as—” she lifted her hand to make air quotes “—‘that other woman.’ Or ‘the mistake.’”

Jackie gasped. “No one blames you or loves you any less because of what your mother did to Daddy. She left you, too.”

“Right. I know that. I’m just saying I don’t blame people for things that happened in the past or what other people did. Unfortunately, for the most part small towns don’t follow that train of thought. I think it’s from the lack of real entertainment.” She turned back to Max and Ethan with a smile. “How long are y’all in town?”

“Until Christmas. Or sooner. Depends on when the boys’ aunt can pick them up, and how long it takes to get the ranch ready for the market.”

Her eyes went wide. “You’re selling this place? Hasn’t it been in your family like, forever?”

“Yes. But my uncle wants the ranch gone. He and my father argued all the time. Now that my father’s dead, there’s nothing to stop my uncle Rigo from cleaning house and getting rid of any properties not contributing to the family coffers.”

“Sorry to hear about your father. So close to the holidays, too.”

“Thanks.”

Jackie leaned on the edge of the old washer. “You’re a Delgado. Don’t you have as much say as your uncle? You know, donating the buildings would be a great Christmas gift to the town. I just don’t understand why your uncle is so set against retaining Clear Water’s history.”

Ethan snorted. “Our uncle hated our dad.” He looked at Max. “Can we go see the buildings? There have to be some creepy stories in an old abandoned town. I’m going to put that on my list of fun stuff to do. Maybe someone would want to open a dude ranch in a ghost town.”

Sammi chuckled and headed into the kitchen. “That sounds entertaining, but I need to get back to the lumberyard. Sorry I wasn’t more help.”

They followed her into the large kitchen. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small pad of yellow paper. With a pencil, she wrote something out. “Here’s the name and number of a guy that can help you with the wiring. I’ve also added Danica’s number. She does animal rescue, so she’ll know the best way to move the family in the attic.” Handing him the paper, she tucked the pad back into her pocket. “With the house in this shape, I don’t think you’ll be in before the holidays. With it only being five days away, it’ll be hard to find people to come out. What are your plans for Thanksgiving? It’ll be a hard one. The first family holiday without your father.”

Max shook his head. “I don’t remember ever spending Thanksgiving with my father, but I’m worried about Tomas and Isaac. They’re little and haven’t had time to be ignored by him yet.” He looked at Ethan. “What do y’all normally do?”

Leaning on the counter, the teenager frowned. “I don’t know what they do. I was three when my parents divorced, and I’ve never been invited to spend it with the Delgados.”

Sammi laid her hand over her heart. “Oh, no! That’s not right. My family might be a little rough around the edges, but we’re always together for the holidays. You should join us. Our nieces are about the age of the boys. No one should be alone for Thanksgiving. Jackie, they should come over, shouldn’t they?”

Jackie’s heart picked up speed. Max couldn’t come to her house. But not a single good reason came to mind and just saying no made her sound petty.

The corner of Max’s mouth went up. “She’s trying to think of a polite way to not invite us. Thanks, Sammi, but I’m pretty sure your father would barricade us from your home.”

“Daddy can seem pretty grumpy, but we have an open-door policy.” Sammi smiled at Ethan. “My father can’t hold what your uncle and father did against you, and he would never deny kids a real Thanksgiving. We have all the trimmings and always twice as much food as we need.”

All the problems formed a wall in Jackie’s brain. And they weren’t entirely about upsetting her father: Joaquin would be there. “Sammi, what about Joaquin?” Jackie couldn’t believe her sister would put her best friend in such an awkward situation on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone in town knew Rigo Delgado was Joaquin’s biological father, even if the man refused to acknowledge it. As far as she knew, he was still married with two daughters about the same age as Joaquin. And that man had the nerve to hold a grudge against Clear Water. No one in town would welcome him.

Sammi’s eyes went wide. “Oh.” She glanced at Max.

“Joaquin? Someone I know?” he asked.

Her sister’s features stiffened, but she shook her head at Max and answered her sister. “He’s actually a big fan of Max’s. He’s followed his career.” She turned back to Max. “Joaquin Villarreal. Do you know who he is?”

Jackie watched his expression. He didn’t react.

“Is he PBR, too?” Max had a look of total confusion on his face.

Jackie glared at her little sister. “He’s a family friend who works for our dad when he’s not riding the circuit. He’s a PRCA cowboy,” she glanced at Ethan. “That’s Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association, but he hasn’t made it into the top twenty.”

“Yet.” Now Sammi sent a hostile look back at her sister. “He’s been close.”

“Does he ride bulls? I need to get some practice in. Maybe we could join up.” Max cleared his throat. “I feel there is something I should know. What am I missing?”

Should I tell him? She sighed. It was Joaquin’s business, but it was just one more reason her father didn’t like the Delgado family.

Instead of answering him, Jackie moved to the living room, where the little boys were curled up under her blankets. “Do you need any help getting a cabin at The Pecan Farm?”

He was right behind her. “If you can give me a number, I’ll call. I have a few more things to do around here, then we’ll head out.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Thanks for the invite, Sammi, but I think we’ll stick to a quiet dinner.”

Jackie tried to hide her relief, but from the twist of Max’s mouth she might not have been as successful as she hoped. She hated being rude, but having Max there would bring up too many raw emotions for too many people.

Then again, the idea of them eating sandwiches in a lonely cabin tore at her heart.

Max moved closer, less than six inches from her. The scent of leather, denim and autumn surrounded her. He even smelled like a man without trying.

Lifting her chin, she met his stare. “You can bring the boys over if you think they would enjoy a big family Thanksgiving.”

“I doubt they’ve ever had an experience like that.”

“Ohh.” Heavy sadness dripped from Sammi’s one word. “You have to bring them.”

He moved away from Jackie and went to the living room. Bending over the sofa, he checked the boys. “We came out here to spend time getting to know each other. A simple dinner is perfect for us. It’s just another day in the scheme of things.” Facing the sisters, Max rested on the back of the couch and crossed his ankles. “Thanks for the help, Sammi. I’ll make sure to call those numbers.”

She grabbed her coat. “Anytime. And if you need anything, don’t think twice about calling me. You can find whatever you need at the lumberyard. If we don’t have it, we can order it.”

Jackie wanted to stay but didn’t have one single reason she should.

She looked at the old fireplace. Without a fire it was cold and empty. “You might want to find some wood if you stay much longer. It’s too cold in here for the boys. A fire would warm it up nicely. I saw some on the back porch.”

He grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay then.” She tightened her scarf. “Please let me know what your uncle says about the buildings. If there is anything I can do to change his mind, you know I’ll do it.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything. There was a gleam in his eyes, as if he knew she was confused by him.

She stood over the boys. Tomas had kicked the blanket off his feet. She tucked him back in. “Do you want me to bring lunch after church tomorrow?”

The right corner of his mouth went up. “No. I promise I’ll feed them.”

“Of course. I could still bring out some lunch, and maybe I can go see the site of the old town?”

“Jackie, without talking to my uncle I can’t promise you’ll be able to have the buildings. He might still want me to take them down.”