up.” He pulled up a three-legged milking stool and sat down.
The first milk made pinging noises as it hit the bucket, and whirls of steam arose until the bottom was covered. “Besides, I love to watch her paint. It’s soothing to a cowboy’s soul. Rye mentioned one of his cousins was looking for work. I met several of his family at his and Austin’s wedding reception. I can’t put names with faces, but if he’s an O’Donnell, you can bet that he knows ranchin’ and horses.”
The cow mooed.
“Sounds like a good idea, does it? I can clean up the bunkhouse and start with one hired hand this year and if the calf crop and the hay make good, I can maybe hire a second one next year.”
By the time the bucket was full, he’d envisioned more than one year into the future and every one of them involved Sage and the rings still hidden in his coat pocket.
“Well, shit! If Ada gets to snooping around in the closet, she’s liable to find the rings. That would be a disaster.”
He let the cow back out with the other cattle and carried the milk back to the house, dreading what lay ahead.
His eyes swept the kitchen first looking for Sage, but she wasn’t there. He peeked around the bar but she wasn’t working on the newest painting. Essie was doing something with pink yarn in front of the fireplace. Ada had just pulled a pan of spicy-smelling cookies from the oven.
She tossed oven mitts on the cabinet, poured two cups of coffee, and motioned for him to sit down. “I’ll strain the milk while you get out of those coveralls and we’ll talk.”
He unzipped his coveralls. “Where is Sage?”
“She’s out on the porch playing with her pets. I got to hand it to you, Creed Riley. I knew you was the cowboy I’d been waiting for when you knocked on my door. I could feel it in my bones but I never figured that you’d talk her into animals. That’s a pretty nice momma cat; kinda pretty with all that long fur and I can see Sage falling in love with her. But that ugly dog? God Almighty, that took a pure miracle.”
Creed didn’t want to talk about animals. He wanted to talk about the sale of the Rockin’ C. “Yes, ma’am, but Noel wormed her way into Sage’s heart real quick.”
He kicked his boots off and joined Ada at the table. A plate of fresh cookies sat between them and the coffee was still steaming.
Ada pushed the cookies his way. “Help yourself.”
He bit into the soft gingerbread and nodded. “Very good.”
“Christmas tradition around here. I like that y’all put the tree up and the lights around the barn and that you made sugar cookies and gingerbread. I had to make fresh for today though because this is an important day.”
It took two long gulps of hot coffee to swallow the gingerbread. “Yes, it is.”
“I’m going to sell you this ranch, Creed. I’m not backing out of the agreement. Are you?”
He shook his head. Had he heard her right? Would Sage be able to really live with the decision?
“Good.”
“Well, damn!” Essie said. “Now she’ll lord it over me that her damned old Indian sense is real.”
“Oh, hush. You want me to sell the ranch and you know it. Put that yarn down and tell Sage to come in here. We need to talk amongst the four of us because there are some conditions.”
Essie obeyed but she muttered something about her sister being too bossy.
Creed smiled at Sage when she came back into the house. Her nose was scarlet and her knit cap was set off to one side. No doubt Noel had been extra friendly.
She smiled back and winked.
The stone in his heart dissolved completely. She was okay with the sale and their relationship was fine.
“Okay, Sage, get out of that coat and pour some coffee for you and Essie. We’re going to lay out the terms of this sale amongst us.”
Sage stopped long enough to brush a kiss across Creed’s cheek. “Good morning.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her down onto his lap where he kissed her properly. “Good morning, darlin’. Your grandmother has not backed out of the sale.”
“I know. I chose eating my cake.”
A puzzled expression crossed his face.
Essie laughed out loud. “So did Ada, thank God.”
“I’m sure it’ll all make sense someday,” Creed said.
He would have preferred that Sage sit in his lap through the whole discussion of