Christmas in Cowboy Country

Christmas in Cowboy Country Read Free

Book: Christmas in Cowboy Country Read Free
Author: Janet Dailey
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Cilla?”
    â€œSame sweet tooth. Jelly Jam had those wonderful crumb-top muffins just out of the oven, so we ordered some and started talking. We kind of forgot about the time.”
    â€œDad didn’t.”
    â€œHe had nothing to worry about.” Lou rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I get into town that often. Anyway, Cilla is coping fairly well, under the circumstances.”
    Annie gave her mother a questioning look over the rim of her mug. “What’s up?”
    â€œWell, you know she took in her cousin Bree’s girls,” Lou began.
    â€œYou mentioned that.” Annie dunked a cookie and ate it. “How old are they again?”
    â€œThree and six. Full of fun, but so mischievous. They turn her house upside down. Cilla loves them to pieces, but there are days when she feels a little upside down herself. She and Ed never had children, so of course she’s not used to it.”
    Annie let her mother ramble on about her best friend, whose kind heart meant people sometimes took advantage of her.
    â€œBree is divorced, right?”
    â€œYes. Her ex is totally out of the picture. He doesn’t see the kids and doesn’t pay a nickel of child support. Right now Bree is making good money, but she earns it the hard way.” Lou shook her head. “Fourteen-hour shifts at an oil field camp in North Dakota, cooking for hundreds of roughnecks. That’s a tough job.”
    â€œYikes. I bet.” Annie had helped her mother cook for the ranch hands at haying time while she was growing up. But they were courteous and appreciative, and there had never been more than six or seven of them.
    â€œCilla says a camp like that is no place for children.”
    â€œI’m sure she’s right.”
    â€œSo she has the girls until January. Then their mom comes back. Bree’s saving every penny so they can start a new life, just the three of them.” True to her nature, Lou finished the story with a happy ending.
    Annie hoped it came true. “Good for her. And good for Cilla.”
    â€œJust so long as she doesn’t lose her mind,” Lou said wryly. “Of course, Ed helps. He got dinner on the table by five and Cilla took home a pie for dessert. So she got a break.”
    â€œI’m glad you both escaped.”
    Lou Bennett’s blue eyes sparkled as she smoothed her pixie cut. “The hairdresser’s next. That salon is full of runaway women.”
    Annie laughed as she finished her tea, then took the mug to the sink, washing it and the few dishes that had been left from lunch. Her mother got busy with some paperwork she’d left on the kitchen table.
    â€œOh, here’s my Christmas card list,” Lou said absently. “Shoot. I’m going to need at least two boxes this year. I like to get them mailed by December first.”
    â€œThat’s four weeks away.” Annie concentrated on her task. “You could send out e-cards,” she said.
    â€œI just can’t. It’s not the same. Some of the animated ones are cute, though. Hmm. Maybe I’ll send e-cards to the kids and real cards to the grown-ups.”
    Lou paused as Annie racked the plates in the dish drainer.
    â€œI hope Sam and Zach come home for Christmas,” Lou said softly. “With them here plus Nicole and Paula, the house will be filled to bursting. Just thinking about it makes me happy.”
    Annie suppressed a smile. “Wait until grandchildren are in the works. You might feel differently then.”
    â€œI’d be even happier. But don’t tell those four I said so. They’re still newlyweds, after all. Well, Zach and Paula are. Not Sam and Nicole. They’ve been married for two years. Imagine that.”
    Annie didn’t respond. It was a lot harder to imagine herself in a relationship, let alone being married.
    Her mother reached into her tote bag for a file folder. “Oh, no,” Lou groaned.
    Annie turned,

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