off at a run. Sure enough, Helga was busy with a towel, a sponge and a large bucket of water that steamed in the early-morning chill. “Mama, no! Stop!”
Helga straightened. “Why?”
“Because.” Kelly blushed. When she’d told her mother about the run-in with the deer last night, she hadn’t thought her mother would try to clean it up! The brothers had towed the car home, and she’d been too happy to ride to the ranch with Fannin. “It’s not necessary, Mama,” she said in German. “Archer’s going to take the truck to the car wash.”
“I’ll clean it.” Helga frowned and went back to scrubbing.
Of course she would think it was wasteful to take the car to a car wash when she could do the job herself. Kelly looked at her mother’s set face and her red, chapped hands and wanted to cry.
Before she realized what was happening, Fannin strode to her mother and gently removed the sponge from her fingers. He tossed it into the bucket, which he then emptied. “Go upstairs and change,” he told Helga. “Get Joy, and the three of you go shopping. Day off.”
“No. Not day off,” Helga said.
“It is now,” Fannin said with quiet determination. “Spend a day with your daughter, Helga. You deserve it.”
Kelly flashed him a grateful glance. “Yes, Mama. Come on. You deserve a holiday.”
“Christmas is next week,” Helga stated.
“Yes, but—” Kelly glanced around, her eyes lighting on a heavily pregnant woman walking across thefield toward the Jefferson house. That had to be Mimi, who she’d heard about from Julia. “But we need to go baby shopping, right, Mama? First Christmas for the baby.”
Helga saw Mimi and brightened instantly. “Yes.” She turned and walked into the house.
Kelly closed her eyes briefly with relief. When she opened them, Archer was getting into the car and Fannin was hosing out the bucket. Everything was going on as normal. There was just a little extra work for them to do because of Kelly and her mother…work that didn’t need to be added to her load at the ranch.
Fannin didn’t look her way.
Kelly’s heart constricted. So be it, she thought. I completely understand. “Thank you,” she said. “Mama will enjoy a day off.”
He grunted and tears came to Kelly’s eyes. They needed help—but they weren’t getting it. It was all wrong.
She went to find her mother.
M IMI WATCHED F ANNIN put away a bucket, sponge and hose. “Isn’t it cold to be washing a car?”
“Maybe. How are you doing, Mimi? Feeling good?”
She put a hand over her very large stomach. “I’m not supposed to be walking much, but I’m going stir-crazy. I wish I could get out. I’d like to ride. I’d like to do anything.”
“It’s not much longer,” he said, comforting her.
“I know. And I’m glad about the baby. You know that. It’s just inactivity has never been my thing.”
He grinned at her. “I know. How’s the sheriff?”
“Having one of his good days. That’s why I decided to get out and see the outdoors for a minute.”
Of course, what she really wanted was to see Mason, God help her. She was nervous as could be, more nervous than she’d ever been in her life. Her husband Brian was in Houston, working a big legislative case. He had to be gone; she understood that. Brian had said he’d be back in time for Christmas, in time for the baby’s birth. Nothing would keep him from her side, he’d said.
Mimi knew Brian meant it.
Still, she was nervous. “Where’s Mason?”
Fannin looked at her strangely. Was it pity she saw in his eyes?
She held her ground, staring right back. As if she had every right to ask where Mason was. There’d been a subtle shift in the Jefferson men’s behavior toward her, ever since she’d become pregnant. Almost as if they felt she shouldn’t hang around Mason. But they’d always been friends and they always would be.
“Mason’s…inside,” Fannin said after a moment.
“Thanks.” Mimi hated feeling as if she
Helga straightened. “Why?”
“Because.” Kelly blushed. When she’d told her mother about the run-in with the deer last night, she hadn’t thought her mother would try to clean it up! The brothers had towed the car home, and she’d been too happy to ride to the ranch with Fannin. “It’s not necessary, Mama,” she said in German. “Archer’s going to take the truck to the car wash.”
“I’ll clean it.” Helga frowned and went back to scrubbing.
Of course she would think it was wasteful to take the car to a car wash when she could do the job herself. Kelly looked at her mother’s set face and her red, chapped hands and wanted to cry.
Before she realized what was happening, Fannin strode to her mother and gently removed the sponge from her fingers. He tossed it into the bucket, which he then emptied. “Go upstairs and change,” he told Helga. “Get Joy, and the three of you go shopping. Day off.”
“No. Not day off,” Helga said.
“It is now,” Fannin said with quiet determination. “Spend a day with your daughter, Helga. You deserve it.”
Kelly flashed him a grateful glance. “Yes, Mama. Come on. You deserve a holiday.”
“Christmas is next week,” Helga stated.
“Yes, but—” Kelly glanced around, her eyes lighting on a heavily pregnant woman walking across thefield toward the Jefferson house. That had to be Mimi, who she’d heard about from Julia. “But we need to go baby shopping, right, Mama? First Christmas for the baby.”
Helga saw Mimi and brightened instantly. “Yes.” She turned and walked into the house.
Kelly closed her eyes briefly with relief. When she opened them, Archer was getting into the car and Fannin was hosing out the bucket. Everything was going on as normal. There was just a little extra work for them to do because of Kelly and her mother…work that didn’t need to be added to her load at the ranch.
Fannin didn’t look her way.
Kelly’s heart constricted. So be it, she thought. I completely understand. “Thank you,” she said. “Mama will enjoy a day off.”
He grunted and tears came to Kelly’s eyes. They needed help—but they weren’t getting it. It was all wrong.
She went to find her mother.
M IMI WATCHED F ANNIN put away a bucket, sponge and hose. “Isn’t it cold to be washing a car?”
“Maybe. How are you doing, Mimi? Feeling good?”
She put a hand over her very large stomach. “I’m not supposed to be walking much, but I’m going stir-crazy. I wish I could get out. I’d like to ride. I’d like to do anything.”
“It’s not much longer,” he said, comforting her.
“I know. And I’m glad about the baby. You know that. It’s just inactivity has never been my thing.”
He grinned at her. “I know. How’s the sheriff?”
“Having one of his good days. That’s why I decided to get out and see the outdoors for a minute.”
Of course, what she really wanted was to see Mason, God help her. She was nervous as could be, more nervous than she’d ever been in her life. Her husband Brian was in Houston, working a big legislative case. He had to be gone; she understood that. Brian had said he’d be back in time for Christmas, in time for the baby’s birth. Nothing would keep him from her side, he’d said.
Mimi knew Brian meant it.
Still, she was nervous. “Where’s Mason?”
Fannin looked at her strangely. Was it pity she saw in his eyes?
She held her ground, staring right back. As if she had every right to ask where Mason was. There’d been a subtle shift in the Jefferson men’s behavior toward her, ever since she’d become pregnant. Almost as if they felt she shouldn’t hang around Mason. But they’d always been friends and they always would be.
“Mason’s…inside,” Fannin said after a moment.
“Thanks.” Mimi hated feeling as if she
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