Jolene Navarro - Lone Star Holiday

“Maggie was nice enough to take us in when we had nowhere to go.” John adjusted the frozen bag on Rachel’s leg. “Dub gave us the old homestead to live in, but it needed to be gutted and made livable, so we are here until I can get that finished.”

Lorrie Ann hurried past him. “Oh, Maggie said to make sure you ate dinner.”

In the kitchen, she started making beeping noises with the microwave.

He’d grown accustomed to women trying to feed him, but it was a first for one to take over his kitchen.

“You don’t need to heat that up for me.”

“Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“Well, then, you’re getting a warm meal. I promised Aunt Maggie.”

Dub chuckled and John shot him a glare. Dub’s bushy gray brows shot up but he remained silent.

Celeste’s head jerked and her eyes popped open.

“Thank you for taking care of Celeste.” John watched his baby girl fight sleep and smiled.

Dub stood. “She can be a handful. That’s for sure.” With those words, he laid Celeste in the wingback chair. “Well, I just wanted to see the little bits and make sure they were okay.” He moved to the entryway and paused. “If you need anything, John, call me. I’m heading to Houston tomorrow, but I can cancel.”

“Dub, go on to Houston. We’re fine.” He pushed Rachel’s hair back from her face.

“Nice seeing you again, Mr. Childress.” Lorrie Ann had moved to the sink and started running water.

“Please call me Dub. And welcome back. I know your aunt must sure be happy.”

“Lorrie Ann, you’re not washing the dishes.” John tried to make his voice sound firm.

“Um...yes, I am.”

Dub chuckled again and headed out the door.

“Really, Lorrie Ann, you don’t have to do the dishes.”

The microwave went off, and she turned to get the food out. Setting the plate on the counter, she dug around for some silverware.

“The girls are asleep. Come eat or Aunt Maggie will get mad at both of us.”

He sat and attempted to give her a smile, but it felt more like a halfhearted contortion.

“Anything else I can do for you tonight?” She looked around the small kitchen.

“No, we’re good, and you can report back that I ate.” He saluted her with his fork before taking a bite.

After a few more mouthfuls, he set the fork down and made sure he had solid eye contact with Lorrie Ann before saying anything else. “Again, I want to thank you for keeping Celeste. She can be a bit high-strung, and some people find her energy level overwhelming.”

“I deal with musicians and agents on a daily basis. Handling high energy and mood swings is my specialty.”

Her sweet smile was at odds with the image he had of a music-industry insider from California. As she walked out of the cabin, John followed her. “You must be exhausted driving in from California today. Have you spoken to your mother yet?”

She stopped at the steps with her hand on the railing, turning back to him. “My mother? How do you know Sonia? I haven’t heard from her in over three years.”

“Oh.” He didn’t know what to say. Sonia had wanted to be sure of her sobriety before talking to Lorrie Ann. She should have contacted her by now. If she hadn’t, he had just opened a nasty can of night crawlers. “She visits Maggie.”

Lorrie Ann’s eyes went wide. “Really? Do you know where she’s living?”

“Have you asked Maggie?” He needed to talk to Maggie and find out what was going on. He had promised Sonia to keep their talks private. Did that include her daughter? He knew she struggled with guilt over her past with Lorrie Ann, and guilt did weird things to people, led to bad decisions. Was she still avoiding Lorrie Ann?

“I’ll do that.” She paused for a minute, her lips tight. Glancing down, she broke eye contact.

John waited, and when she brought her gaze back to his, she smiled and whispered, “Good night, Pastor Levi.”

“Please, call me John.”

He watched as she made her way back to the ranch house. An unfamiliar loss at her departure settled softly in his chest.

He wanted to spend more time with her, hear her laughter and watch her smile. He shook his head and turned back to the cabin.

It had been thirteen years since he had asked someone out on a date, and he had ended up married to her.

He stopped. Where had that thought come from? Unwanted memories surfaced, and John closed and locked the door, both physically and mentally. Even contemplating a relationship with Lorrie Ann needed to stop.

He felt confident in his work for God and tried hard to be a good father, but he had made a lousy husband. He wished he could close the door on the hurt in Carol’s eyes as he locked the door behind Lorrie Ann.

His wife had deserved a better husband, but by the time he’d realized that, it had been too late.

Chapter Five

Tuesday slipped by quietly into Wednesday morning. The sun slid through Lorrie Ann’s window, and she just lay there. A slow smile eased across her face when she realized she had nowhere to be, no appointment to make and no people to mollify or manipulate. She could lie in bed all day if she wanted.

Her forehead creased. She did have one thing she needed to do. Quick thumbs and the text to Melissa, the lead singer of the band, was sent. With a satisfying thump, she closed the drawer with the cell phone inside. She had a few weeks to hide.

Shoving the guilt aside, Lorrie Ann reminded herself that everyone deserved a holiday, and hers would be in the Lone Star State this year.

She sighed. What she really needed was a new job. There was no way she and Brent could work together. If her boss, Melissa, had to pick between the talented but troubled drummer and the band’s manager, Lorrie Ann figured she would be the one to go.

Once dressed, she headed outside. Bible in hand, her other hand trailed over the smooth worn cedar railing of the zigzag stairs leading to the river below the cabins. The cool October breeze ruffled her hair as she made her way to the edge of the Frio. The flow of the river had changed since she’d left.

With her hand on one of the large cypress trees, she slipped off her shoes and stepped into cold, clear water. In California, she’d been so focused on being successful she’d misplaced her love for the outdoors.

“Miss Lorrie Ann, Miss Lorrie Ann. Hello!” Celeste’s excited voice drifted down from the top of the cliff.

Lorrie Ann cupped her hand over her eyes to block the sun as she turned to find the six-year-old hanging over the edge of their balcony. “Hi to you, Celeste. Hear you’re coming over today for a visit.”

“Daddy has to take Rachel in to get casted. Can we cut some more grapes?”

“Sure. Thought we could make some cookies, too.”

The little girl started to jump up and down. “Yeah! We can take some to Amy.” Celeste leaned over the railing, suspended over the cliff.

“Celeste Rebecca Levi, put your feet on the floor right now!” John’s stern voice came from the cabin door behind Celeste.

She looked back to the cabin and pointed down to the river. “Sorry, Daddy. Miss Lorrie Ann’s in the river.”

A few seconds later he appeared next to his daughter, one arm wrapped around the precocious six-year-old. “Hey there, Lorrie Ann. Hope you’re well rested.” His mussed hair fell across his forehead as he looked down at her. “Isn’t the river cold?” The sun emphasized the highlights streaked in his dark blond hair. She knew men who paid hundreds of dollars to get coloring like his. Without a doubt, nature created his color.

“Maybe, but it feels good.” She shrugged and smiled up at them, placing her hand over her heart. “I believe I should be reciting from Romeo and Juliet.”