Raining In My Heart (Book One of the McKay's) (8 page)

"All right, I suppose we should agree on something. Have any
other
relatives been notified?"
Julie
asked.
"We've got a
n
old aunt in Lufkin, and
a
few cousins and
a few scattered here and there."

"
Wade
said Dad had a list he wanted invited and
that
Cade
was taking care of it.
"

"
Cade
gets all the dirty work around her, it seems."
Julie
didn't realize she verbalized it aloud until all heads turned.
"Don't know why I never saw it before, but
Wade
gives the orders,
Cade
does the work."

"Never heard you defend Cade before." Letty
dripped with sarcasm
.

"Maybe I'm just now noticing who does what around her
e
since I haven't been here in a while.
And it appears Dad noticed too.
"

Wendy
rose
and looked at al
l her sisters
.
"Dad trusted them both
, and I think we should to
o
. After
all, whether we stay or go, they'll still be here.
"

"That's true…"

Julie
felt she
'd
lost another battle. She sipped her coffee thoughtfully.

"So what is everyone going to do?"
Wendy
asked
,
looking from one sister to another.

Letty threw her hands up in the air
.
"I have no idea.
I'm in the middle of law school right now.
And then there's my modeling career.
How am I going to just quit for a year?"

"You have a choice
. He left us that much.
Maybe you could see if you could continue online or something.
And as for the modeling
,
you could bring the photographer here, I guess if you wanted to.
"

"Yeah, some choice.
Law school online?
And what about you, Sandy, you were going to Vet school."

"I'll put it off another year. I don't see as we have a choice. I can't afford the tu
i
tion anyway alone
,
"
Sandy
exclaimed.
"I really need that money."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Letty huffed.
"But hey, none of us figured on
D
ad dying so soon either, so we wouldn't have had any money, had he lived."

Julie
shook her head
.
"
Wendy
, will you put off college
for
another year?"

"Sure, what the heck"
Wendy
nodded. "But what about you
,
Julie
?
Y
ou
'
r
e
engaged and all."

"Well, yes, I am, but there isn't a stipulation about us getting married or anything. He just wanted us here, that's all.
Although
,
being here might put a kink in my relationship.
"

"Will you
postpone
your engagement?"
Wendy
watched her reaction.

"I guess I'll have to, won't I?"
Julie
frowned. "I'm afraid my
fiancée
is
not going to like this…we…uh…were going to move in together."

"
Julie
?"
Sandy
shrieked.

"Oh don't be so shocked, we were going to get married in December, before Christmas
,
"
Julie
explained.
"Besides, I really needed to see more interaction between
Jim
and
Kellie
before I tie the knot. I thought moving in with us would help."

Chapter Four

"
There it is sweetie, you can check
them all. I've got some calls to make and then I'll come get you, okay
?
"
Cade
asked
,
staring into her blue eyes.

"Thanks
…
are you the boss around here?
"

"
Sort of a sub-boss. The big boss is my brother.
Now, you enjoy yourself and I'll be back.
"
Cade
twisted his head and stared at her for a long moment
, his eyes connecting with hers then he smiled
.

"Something wrong?" she asked when he stared too long.

"Uh
,
no…I'll be back soon."

"
You're starin' like you're my long lost daddy, or somethin'."
Kellie
frowned.

"What do you mean, long lost…?"
Cade
turned to look at her again.

"Well..
.
that's what I call him…my long lost.
"
Kellie
shrugged.

"Been a while since you seen him
?
"
Cade
smiled sadly at her.

"
Try never.
I don't think he
like
d
me
, and took off
."
Kellie
hung her head and said
,
"Mom won't say much about him except he was very handsome and a good guy."

"
As pretty as you are, that's not likely
that he'd just take off
.
"
Cade
stooped to look down into her watering eyes. "
Look, I got some work to do, but I'll b
e back soo
n, now go on, and check those horses
.
Be careful of the big black, he's still wild, and not ready to meet pretty young girls.
I'll be back before you know it.
"

"Thanks
,
for letting me
go by myself
.
"

"
No thanks needed.
Besides, I expect old
Caleb
is in there somewhere. He'll keep an eye on you so you don't get into any trouble.
"
Cade
winked. "I think I can trust you to be careful, not stand behind one of 'em."

Kellie
watched him head for the corral and turned her attention to the barn. She
was excited about seeing the horses.
She had always had a soft spot for horses.
Going to school in the city, didn't allow for such enjoyment, but now was her chance.

Cowboys
had
passed her on the way to
the barn, a
ll of them tipped their hats to her and smiled.

Kellie
could smell the leather from the saddles before she opened the barn door.
She glanced around
at first, to see if anyone was about.

When no one appeared, she entered the barn, slowly so as not to startle the horses.
She had read everything she could get her hands on abo
ut horses and knew that one day
she would have some of her own.

She saw a small office, a storage room s
he figured from the fact that
it
was locked and then
she spotted
the stalls. There must have been twenty.

Approaching the stall
,
she glanced inside at each horse with a smile.

But one particular horse caught her eye, it was almost solid black except fo
r its white around the hoof, a
stallion.
Magnificent, her mind decided as she went to lean against the gate of the door.

"You are
so
beautiful," she whispered. "Come here, come over here," she directed.

The horse eyed her and kept munching on the fresh hay.

"Aw
w
…please?"
S
he smiled.

"That's not a ho
rse you play with, kid," a crusty
-
voiced old man said from the doorway of the small office.

"It's not?" she countered
,
glancing at the cowman with interest.
He was older, with worn jeans and faded shirt and a flop hat. He had a scrubby beard that bristled when he talked too. Yet his brown eyes twinkled when he spoke
.

"Nope, he's not as tame as the others. Not one you should be interested in."

"But he's so-o pretty
…"

"I reckon he is. Now, who might you be?" he asked
,
looking right at her.

"I'm
Julie
McKay
's dau
ghter,
Kellie
. Who are you?"

"Oh well, I'm
Caleb
, just an old extra hand that works part time
,
"
h
e explained.
"
I usually curry the horses every
day.
That's part of my job.
"

"
Oh
g
ee, could I help you?"
Kellie
asked innocently.

"Well, now, I guess that might be al
l
right, if you do exactly as I tell you.
So you're
Julie
's kid, huh?"

"You know my Mom?"
Kellie
asked
,
looking back at the old man as he went to get the curry combs.

"I've met her once, I think. I guess she's up at the big house,
with the others?
" he questioned.

"I guess.
"
Kellie
hung her head for a minute.

"Hey, see here now,
why
so glum
?
I thought you were gonna help me curry the horses?" the old man asked.

"I can't help it…
my grandpa died, and I never got to see him.
I wish I could have met him.
Makes me sad.
This ranch is so big and beautiful. He must have been a pretty important man.
"

"You never…got to see him?
"

Kellie
shook her head.

"
Why not?"

"I don't know. Mom was always too busy to come out here. I don't think
they got along too well
,
"
Kellie
responded, pushing her hair from her eyes.

"Well, now, that's a downright shame, child.
Yes sir, that is a tough one. So…how come you are here now?" the old man asked.

"
'
Cause my grandpa died, I guess.
Mom said it was business
though
;
she's always got time for business. She works all the time."

"That must be hard on you.
You must not get to be with her much."

Kellie
glance
d at the old man
.
"N
ot much
.
At home, w
e have a teenager down the hall that stays with me when Mom has to work late,
which is all the time
.
Mom
keeps saying she's gonna take off some time, but she never does. What's your name…?
"

"
Caleb
Orton
. And yours?"

"
Kellie
McKay
."

The old man frowned.

"Have you ever told her how you feel?
I mean, I can see you don't like being left alone all the time. No one would.
"

"She wouldn't listen, she's too busy
. She has the
phone in
one
ear, her boyfriend on her arm, and she just so
rt of half listens to me
,
"
Kellie
said, her face a big
wad of
frown
s
now.
"'Cept when grandpa died. That was the first time I
ever
seen her cry.
I didn't even know she liked him enough to cry for him.
She's pretty sad.
"