Which had been badly, as she’d slapped his thigh in her frustration, then pushed him off her. He’d slept on the couch that night and many nights afterward, until she’d let him back in their bed because heaven forbid, what if the neighbors found out! Enough about Mona. He’d rather think about how sweet Clay was, how he made Austin feel good about himself. And of course, he’d rather think about Bea, who was holding her e-reader in both hands, totally focused on reading aloud to him.
“Is this the part where Becky leaves the pin cushion covered with old flannel?” he asked, having lost the train of the story.
“That’s right,” said Bea. “With the wordsMenny hapy returnswritten with straight pins in the flannel.”
Bea continued reading until Austin heard her voice get tired. Then he told her to close her e-reader, tucked her into bed, and left the light on in the bathroom, in case she got anxious about being in a new place.
In the morning, he’d see if the store had nightlights. And he’d make sure of Clay, make sure he was okay. That was as important, it seemed, as anything else.
All during the night, the wind moaned around the eaves of the small cabin, but it seemed to have done a good job of blowing the clouds away, for in the morning the sun was streaming through his newly curtained window, and beyond the sky shone like polished sapphires.
It might still be too wet to actually ride, but he’d show Bea around, make sure to acquire cowboy boots for a little girl, somehow. He also wanted to meet up with Clay, for he’d never said thank you for making the drive to and from Thornton with him. And then when he had to take Bea home again? He’d want Clay with him, for he didn’t know how he’d manage that journey without him.
They got ready, Bea laughing as she brushed her teeth, spraying toothpaste everywhere, him pretending he’d forgotten how to shave. All of this was feeling very much like the time Mona had gone for a girls’ weekend that had turned into a girls’ week, with Mona and her pals ending up in Vegas, and the credit card bill through the roof.
But he’d not minded, for he’d taken time off work and just spent time with Bea, at the park, taking her to the Denver Art MuseumandElitch Gardens. He’d held her hand as they discussed whether she was tall enough for Twister II, the ten-story high wooden roller coaster. When he’d sensed her fear, he shook his head sadly and told her she wasn’t, and that she should wait another year till she was taller. Her casual response that it was okay told him he’d done the very right thing.
In that regard, it would be likely that Bea’s first ride on the roller coaster would be with her friends. In the meantime, they had gone on the Blazin’ Buckaroo mini roller coaster, and rode the horses on the Carousel, and braved the DragonWing flyer, a kind of Harry Potter knockoff, and ate much more cotton candy and funnel cake than was good for either of them.
Now, though, as he took her hand and together they walked along the muddy path beneath the still-dripping trees to the main lodge, he felt this was going to be even better than that, for with nothing to distract them, he could show her all the reasons he’d fallen in love with the ranch.
A small breeze stirred around, bringing the scent of some kind of sweet flower, and she giggled a little bit, holding her hand over her head as if to block getting wet, without minding that it felt like it was still raining.
“Will they have pancakes, Dad?” she asked, half-skipping, pulling on him to hurry, in case someone else ate all the food before they got there.
“I do believe so,” he said with all the seriousness the question deserved. When you were nine, pancakes were of utmost importance. “They might, and I saymight, have chocolate chips in them.”
She squealed with delight and tugged even harder and by the time they reached the steps of the main lodge, she was pulling so hard she was at an angle, and he was leaning back to support her weight, so he was at an angle, and it was all so deliriously joyful that he laughed out loud.
“There’s Clay!” With an excited shriek, Bea let go of Austin and raced to the steps. “Clay, Clay, Clay!” she shouted to Clay, jumping on the step as he stood up with a box in his hands.
“Hey,” said Clay. He held out a box, which Austin could easily see held a small pair of cowboy boots of just the right size, or close enough, for a little girl of nine. “I went down to the store and made ‘em open up early, ‘cause I knew just the pair. They’re dark brown, an’ I think—” Clay paused and leaned down to hold the box out to Bea. “I think you’ll like them. They’re definitely not pink.”
Sensing perhaps Bea’s hesitation at taking the offering, he opened the lid and slid it beneath to reveal a pair of glossy brown boots with a diamond pattern in lighter brown stamped out, with red outlining each diamond.
“Oh!” Bea clasped her hands to her face.
“Everything all right, honeybee?” asked Austin, warm all through at the thought of Clay’s generosity, not just in the gift but in the act of it. Clay worked long hours and for him to get up even earlier than he already did to fetch a pair of boots for a little girl he’d only just met was beyond kind.
“They’re perfect,” she said with a sigh, reaching out to touch the pointed toe of one. “Can I put them on now, Dad? Can I?”
Clay looked at Austin, his eyes bright as new stars, and half-shrugged, smiling as if he meant to off-set any scolding Austin might deliver at having done all this without checking with him first.
“Yes, of course,” said Austin. “Quick as you can so we don’t keep Clay from his breakfast.”
That, of course, wasn’t the point, but he had to focus on helping Bea sit down to pull her sneakers off, tucking them in the box to hold them at his side while she tugged on the boots, the cuffs of her jeans all lopsided, and hopped up and down on the wooden step with great force.
“Lookit!” she said, her face flushed in her excitement and pleasure as she balanced on her heels and clicked her toes together exactly three times. “They’re so perfect, so pretty.”
Austin opened his mouth to remind her to say thank you, but Bea beat him to it, clung to Clay’s hand and as she hopped up and down, said, “Thank you, thank you so much!”
On the top step, she turned and held out her right booted foot for Austin to admire.
“I’m ready for my riding lesson now,” she said, smiling wide.
“We won’t forget,” said Austin. “I promise.”
“Shall we go to breakfast?” asked Clay as Austin climbed the steps and took Bea’s other hand. “I mean, can I eat with you?”
