Judy Christenberry - The Last Crawford Bachelor

Abby changed the subject. “Dani, have you lived in Amarillo all your life?”

“Except when I went to school. I moved to Lubbock for my education.”

“Texas Tech?” Abby asked, naming the large university located in Lubbock.

“Yes.”

“That’s a good school,” Logan said. He added with a grin, “My family all went to OU, but we try to keep that quiet around here.” OU was Oklahoma University, a fierce rival of the University of Texas on the football field.

That remark even drew a smile from Dani. But still she said nothing.

They continued with casual conversation throughout the meal. Dani answered any questions addressed to her, but she volunteered nothing about her life.

Michael realized all they knew about her was where she lived and where she went to school. He wanted to know a lot more.

When the meal was over, Ellen began clearing the table. Abby jumped up to help her. Dani, too, began picking up plates and carrying them to the counter next to the dishwasher. Michael picked up his dishes and followed suit. His brother was cleaning up Scotty so he could get down from his high chair. Then he took Mirabelle to the bathroom to wash up.

“Are your sisters bringing the little ones?” Logan asked as he came back into the kitchen with his daughter.

“No, I don’t think so,” Abby said over her shoulder as she rinsed a platter.

“Okay, then, come on, Mirabelle. I’ll go put on a video, and you and Scotty can watch it while you have some ice cream.”

“Chocolate,” Mirabelle insisted.

“Sure.” Logan got out the ice cream and dished up two bowls of it. Then he grabbed a couple of towels and told the children to follow him.

Michael figured it was the ice cream, Scotty’s favorite treat, that had the little boy chasing after his dad. He followed the trio, figuring Logan might need some help. Besides, he wasn’t sure he should stay for the dessert party.

After both children were settled in front of the TV, towels tied around their necks, eating their ice cream, he asked Logan if the rest of the evening was just family.

“What if it is? You’re family.”

“Not Beulah’s family.”

“I’m not Beulah’s family, either.” Logan clapped his brother on the back. “Come on. The dessert Ellen’s making is great. You’ll love it.”

They both headed back to the kitchen.

There’d never been a Crawford brother who could resist cake.

Helping clear the table made Dani feel less awkward. She liked Abby and Ellen. In fact, everyone had been very welcoming, except perhaps Logan’s brother. Sure, he was handsome, dark and muscular. And he’d been nice, but his eyes gave him away. She glanced up at him, and yet again he was looking at her, gauging her. She knew he didn’t think she was being truthful.

It didn’t matter what he thought, she told herself. She just wanted to know something about her grandmother. That was all she wanted.

A knock on the screen door interrupted her thoughts. Abby hurried over and opened it, and a young woman looking much like Abby came in, followed by a good-looking, strapping man. Abby turned to Dani.

“This is my youngest sister, Beth, and her husband, Jed.”

Dani stepped forward and shook their hands cordially, but she said nothing. She really didn’t know if any of them would talk to her about Beulah at all, since they didn’t believe Beulah had had any children.

“Oh, here’s my other sister, Melissa, and her husband, Rob. Which means we’re all here. Come sit down, everyone.” They all took seats around the kitchen table, Dani sitting next to Abby.

“Dani told me she thinks Aunt Beulah was her grandmother,” Abby said.

Dani suspected she’d already told her sisters, because neither they nor their husbands showed any surprise.

Only the youngest sister, Beth, questioned her. “Why do you think that?”

“I found some papers that indicated she was my mother’s mother. She gave my mother up for adoption when she was born.” Dani felt awkward revealing that information.

“When was your mother born?” Beth asked.

“In 1939,” Dani said. “I was born when she was forty, sort of a late surprise, I guess.”

“So you’re twenty-five?” Michael asked.

“Yes.”

Abby gave her the family history. “Aunt Beulah married our great uncle in 1942. We thought she’d never had a child. Even though our great uncle died in 1970, Beulah took us in when our parents died in a car wreck about twenty years ago.”

“I see. Was she…nice?”

Dani was taken aback when the youngest sister laughed. The other two smiled.

“She was wonderful,” Beth said. “A tough old bird.”

“Beth!” Abby protested.

“She was, Abby, and you know it. But she loved us.”

“What Beth means is Beulah believed it was best to work for everything. She trained us to do the work on the ranch. She said it would be good for us to earn our keep.”

“Oh. So she was mean to you?”

“Never,” Abby said emphatically. “She made sure we didn’t think we were a burden to her. We got over our misery and sadness fairly quickly because we were too tired when we went to bed to lie awake and think.”

Dani closed her eyes, thinking about what Abby said. Memories of her own past assailed her, and she shook herself free. “I see.”

“I hope you do,” Abby said. “Beulah believed hard work was good for you. And we do, too.” She smiled at Dani. “Though maybe not to the extreme she did.”

“Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’ve been…curious about my family.”

“So you really think Beulah was your grandmother?” Beth prodded.

“Yes,” she said simply, and finally. Then she stood and eyed the sisters. “I appreciate your talking to me. And thank you, Abby, for inviting me to dinner. It was a delight to meet all of you. But now I should leave.”

“But you haven’t eaten your cake,” Ellen pointed out.

“It looks delicious, Ellen, but I think I’d better go.” She slipped out onto the porch before anyone could say anything.

Abby jumped up and hurried after her. “Dani? We were shocked by your appearance, but we may be wrong. If Beulah had a child before she married, it’s not surprising that she would give the baby up for adoption. Those were different times back then.”

“Of course. I don’t blame her. I just wanted to know something about her. And in spite of what you said about Beulah, I think you all loved her very much. And she loved you, obviously. I appreciate knowing that.”

“Why?”

Dani smiled and leaned over to kiss Abby’s cheek. “Never mind. Thanks for inviting me in.”

Then she hurried to her car, afraid she’d burst into tears in front of everyone.

Michael was up early the next morning, but he didn’t awaken anyone. The entire household was at the breakfast table when he came down from his temporary room.

Floyd poured him a cup of hot coffee and set it at his place, and soon after, Ellen handed him a plate filled with all his favorites—scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits.

“Mercy, I’m getting spoiled,” he complained with a smile. “This is a great way to start my day.”

“Since it’s your first day at a new job, that’s a good thing,” Logan said.

“Yeah. I’ve heard the caseload is heavy in this office.”

He had taken the job of assistant district attorney in Wichita Falls, the nearest large town in the area.

“You know you love it, brother,” Logan said. “That’s why you started looking around. You didn’t have enough to do in Norman.” Michael had been an A.D.A. in Norman, the town where OU was located, for several years.

“True. With two new attorneys starting today, we can make a dent in the caseload. I don’t think the other A.D.A. is as experienced, but he’ll be another pair of hands.”