Page 24 of Sweet Deal
“What the…” Carson was the first to mutter what the others were thinking.
It took Rachel a few long moments to register that the cute cottage equipped with a bright red door, black shutters, and flowers in the window boxes, was in exactly the same spot as the ancient foreman’s cabin. A cabin that had fallen into such disrepair, the family had stopped using it for storage over a decade ago.
“I don’t understand,” someone muttered.
“That makes two of us,” another voice agreed.
“Let’s go inside.” Not waiting for a response, their mother trotted to the front door, cutting off the driver and his associate, carrying the first piece into the house. “Straight ahead, gentlemen.”
With a nod, the two guys carrying a dresser strode up the two steps, into the house, and continued straight as directed.
Rachel couldn’t believe her eyes. They stood in the middle of a good-sized parlor with an old-fashioned stone fireplace. To their left, a small but efficient kitchen with white cabinets and butcher block counters. A table with two chairs was tucked into a cove off the kitchen.
Mouths slightly ajar, the family dispersed, one person looking out the living room window, another running their hand over the countertops, Jackie hurried down the hall after her ancestor’s furniture.
“How?” Carson asked no one in particular.
“I know you and Jess were married before Garret and Jackie, but this place just wouldn’t have been big enough for the three of you, but it’s perfect for two.”
Garret’s head whipped around. “This is for us?”
Again, their mom nodded enthusiastically.
“But how?” Carson repeated.
Clint came in with an old marble topped walnut washstand. “Where do you want this?”
Their mom looked to Jackie who had come from the bedroom, her eyes dewy with moisture. “I, I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you set it in the bath, maybe they can use it to store towels.”
With a nod, Clint continued down the short hall.
“Mom,” Carson said more forcefully.
“Yes. I know. How. It was really quite easy. I’d been talking with Jackie’s grandmother, and she knows that the ranch is going through a rough patch.”
Rachel had to bite her tongue not to point out what an understatement that was.
“But she had some money set aside for Jackie’s wedding that wasn’t needed so we agreed, if she could pay for materials, we would supply the labor.”
“We?” Sarah asked.
“Well, Clint did most of it. I helped where I could.”
“Don’t let her sell herself short.” Clint emerged from the hall bath. “This woman can wield a hammer and sander with the best of them.”
“It took longer than I’d thought, but at least we got it done before the truck arrived.” Alice Sweet turned to Clint. “What we discussed yesterday?”
“Right.” He nodded. “I piled the wedding gifts out of the way against the far wall in the bedroom.”
“Thank you,” Mom smiled. “I considered unpacking for you, but then thought better of it. Deciding where to put everything in your first home is most of the fun. Also, Aunt Vicki says if you want to use the old leather sofa from her game room until you shop for your own, it’s all yours. No one uses that room or sofa much since the boys moved away.”
“Tell Aunt Vicki we said thank you.” Jackie looked up at her husband, her smile so bright the woman could have lit the way for most of West Texas.
The ding of an incoming message sounded. Rachel would have ignored it if it hadn’t been followed by another ding and then another, almost on top of each other. Glancing down at her phone, she read the first message. From Jillian.Cat’s out of the bag. Though they are putting the cart before the horse. Bless every bleached blonde strand on Iris Hathaways head.
Reviewing emails, putting out a few embers before they became problematic fires, relishing in delegating major responsibility to his partners, Jim sipped his coffee at his parents’ kitchen table. His mother had gone to town for her weekly hair appointment, his father and brother were out checking fence lines, and the remodeling crew didn’t work weekends, leaving him with a rare moment of peaceful solitude to contemplate his future. His future with Rachel.
