“I was thinkingthat we’d put a little Texas twist on this year’s Christmas pageant.” Maisy Dawson smiled brightly, showing off the space between her front teeth. Cheyenne always thought the space made her smile look so open and friendly. And you couldn’t get friendlier than Maisy Dawson. Everyone in town loved the happy-go-lucky rodeo cowgirl. Especially after she married one of the Double Diamond bad boys.
Sawyer Dawson was one good-looking cowboy. He sat in the second row of the church working on his laptop and occasionally glancing up to exchange adoring looks with his wife.
Cheyenne could only hope a boy would look at her like that some day. She prayed that boy would be Joey Mac. He was the only reason she’d agreed to be in the pageant. Miss Gertie had told her Joey Mac attended church regularly with his family and would no doubt be at the rehearsal. But Joey was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the only teenage boy there was Nathan Riddell. He sat a few kids away on the steps that led to thealtar. From the scowl on his face, it was obvious that his mama, who was helping Maisy with the pageant, had forced him to be there.
“Texas twist?” Luanne’s heavily mascaraed eyes scrunched in confusion. “Is that like the Texas swing? What does country dancing have to do with baby Jesus’s birth?”
Maisy laughed. “I’m not talking about dancing. I’m talking about putting a little Texas flare to the pageant. Instead of three wise men, we’ll have three wise cattle ranchers. The Angels of the Lord can have wings, but also cute little gold glitter cowboy boots and hats with halos attached. Mary will wear a pretty dress and cowboy boots. And Joseph will wear a hat, jeans, and a western shirt. Or maybe a Texas flag t-shirt. The star of Bethlehem will be the big ol’ lone star from our great state.”
Luanne and her friend, Raynelle Coffman, stared at Maisy for a long moment. Cheyenne thought for sure that they were going to call the idea sacrilegious and veto it. Instead, they both released loud whoops that echoed off the high ceiling.
“This is going to be the best Christmas pageant ever!” Raynelle said. “Even better than the pageant where Lyle Sykes played that beautiful rendition of “O Holy Night” on his accordion.”
“That was a good pageant,” Luanne said. “I hated to see Lyle move away. But this idea is going to top him. And I know exactly who should be Joseph. My Nathan would be a perfect Texas Joseph and he already has a Texas flag t-shirt thatI bought him for his birthday last year.”
Nathan looked up from his depressed slouch and shook his head. “Oh, no. I’m not being Joseph, Mom. You said if I came, I’d just be helping get the little kids out on stage when it was their turn.”
Luanne sent him a stern look. “Now Nate, don’t backtalk your mama. Being Joseph will be a lot easier than having to deal with a bunch of snot-nosed kids. All you have to do is say a few lines and look adoringly at Mary and Jesus.”
“I’m not doing—”
“Of course you’re going to be Joseph,” Miss Gertie, who was sitting in the front row, cut in. “We need someone older and wiser to be Joseph and you’re the oldest boy here.” She looked right at Cheyenne. “And you’ll be a perfect Mary.”
Cheyenne wasn’t surprised Miss Gertie wanted her to be Mary. She’d mentioned it at the hardware store. But Cheyenne had envisioned being Mary to Joey Mac’s Joseph. She’d envisioned him looking at her adoringly as she held baby Jesus. She’d hoped to even get a kiss. Not on stage, but backstage. She did not want to be Nathan Riddell’s Mary.
Unfortunately, before she could think of an excuse for why she couldn’t do it, Miss Gertie continued with all the reasons for why she should.
“You and Nathan are a good match. You’re around the same age and you’re both good kids who aren’t more wrapped up in yourselves than you are in other people. I know Maisy can count on you both to show up for every rehearsal andbe the leaders. And if you’re not Mary, Cheyenne, I’m not letting Gray Dove be baby Jesus. I won’t have some irresponsible teenage girl dropping my grandniece on her head.”
Cheyenne knew how much Miss Gertie was looking forward to her niece being baby Jesus in the Christmas pageant. And so were Reba and Val. Since they all had been so hospitable to Cheyenne and her daddy after their trailer burned to the ground, she couldn’t disappoint them and refuse to be Mary.
“I’ll be Mary,” she mumbled.
Miss Gertie sent her a look of approval before she looked at Maisy. “Well don’t just stand there lookin’ stupid, Maisy Dawson. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Maisy laughed, and then started dividing the kids into groups while Raynelle handed out scripts. Luanne pulled Cheyenne and Nathan up the steps to the altar.
“You two are old enough to practice by yourselves.” She handed them each a script. “I have to keep the little angels from raising holy hell.”
Once she was gone, Nathan and Cheyenne went over their lines. They didn’t have that many so it didn’t take long. After going over them a few more times, they sat in some chairs behind the pulpit and watched Maisy, Raynelle, and Luanne try to corral the other kids.
“I understand now why we’re the only teenagers here,” she said. “Our friends knew better than to come.”
Nathan nodded. “Yeah. I should’ve used theexcuse that your dad needed me to stay late at the garage.”
“Do you like working at the garage? I know it can be kind of boring working for my dad. He doesn’t like to talk.”
“I don’t think he’s boring. He doesn’t talk much, but I don’t like to talk much either. And he’s teaching me a lot about cars. He even said that he’d help me fix up my old truck.”
The news made Cheyenne frown. “He won’t let me drive yet. I can’t even get a permit.”
Nathan nodded. “He is pretty protective of you. He made it clear that he expects me to stay away from you.”
She rolled her eyes. “He thinks all boys are after me.”
There was an awkward silence before Nathan spoke. “I know quite a few who are.”
Cheyenne glanced over at him with surprise. “What? Who?”
