A Little Country Christmas - Carolyn Brown Page 0,24
said.
Levi nodded. “Best way to sort things out is with hard work.”
“That’s what my old ranchin’ friend used to tell me,” Landon said.
“We’re both lucky to have had good advice.” Levi stopped the truck in front of a gate leading into a pasture, and Landon hopped out to open it. Mesquite tree branches sounded like shotgun blasts as they broke with the weight of the ice. Cows bawled and made their way toward the feed bins. A cottontail rabbit darted so close to his foot that he could have touched it with the toe of his boot. Cold permeated his coveralls, and yet he was so happy that he couldn’t imagine being anywhere but on a ranch—and he was happier right here in Sunset than he’d ever been anywhere else.
When Levi dropped him off at the bunkhouse after chores, Landon discovered that he was the first one to get back, but he didn’t linger long. Since he wasn’t on the list for kitchen duty that day, he got into his truck and headed back to the barn. The tack room was a mess, so he skipped lunch and spent the rest of the day putting it to rights. Then right before suppertime, Levi picked him up for the evening feeding.
“Looks good in here,” Levi said. “Matter of fact, I don’t think this place has ever been this clean. You want to call it a day and go on into Sunset to see your girlfriend?”
“A future ranch foreman wouldn’t do that now, would he?” Landon said. “And Dixie isn’t my girlfriend.”
“Is she going to be?” Levi asked.
“Don’t know yet. She’d have to agree to that,” Landon answered.
“Won’t know unless you ask her. She’s as valuable to Claire as you are to me. Claire would sell the shop tomorrow if she didn’t have Dixie to run it for her.” Levi headed out of the tack room toward his truck.
“Oh, really?” Landon followed him and helped load a couple more bags of feed.
“Dixie will have a job as long as she wants it, and Claire will still make quilts to ship out to her customers, but she’ll be doing her part at home,” Levi explained.
They repeated what they’d done that morning, and when they were finished, Levi dropped Landon back at the barn. He got into his truck and didn’t even stop at the bunkhouse. He was already running an hour behind, and he didn’t want to miss another minute of the time he could spend with Dixie.
* * *
Dixie had just pulled the second sheet of sugar cookies from the oven when she heard the familiar rat-a-tat-tat on the front door. She knew by the knock that it was him, but he was earlier than she’d expected. She hadn’t even had time to take her hair down from the usual ponytail, and she was barefoot, but she couldn’t leave him standing out there in the cold, so she opened the door.
She smiled. “Come right on in.”
“Hello, gorgeous,” he said as he stepped inside the house and brushed something from the tip of her nose before he removed his coat and hat. “Little flour on your nose. You must’ve already started the cookies.”
If this was the way a ranching wife felt, then Dixie liked it. “I figured y’all would have extra work today and you might not get to come into town.” She hurried back to the kitchen, set the cookies on a cooling rack, and peeked around the corner.
Landon picked up Sally, and she laid her little head on his shoulder. Oh, yes sir, she did like this contented feeling more than a little.
“Feeding took longer than it does in better weather,” he said, “but I wouldn’t miss decorating cookies for anything. Is that pot roast I smell? Have y’all already eaten? Should I put the baby in her chair, and help feed her?”
“We had supper,” Dixie answered, “but I’m sure Sally would love to eat a little something with you. She’s been sayin’ your name all day.”
“Well, I’ve been thinking your name and hers, too, so we’re even.” Landon settled the baby into her high chair. “Is it all right if I give her bites of one of those warm sugar cookies to nibble on while I eat?”
“Sure you don’t want me to fix her an i-c-e c-r-e-a-m instead?” she teased.
“Shhh!” Landon put a finger over Dixie’s lips. “She’s so smart she can probably already spell that word. And the answer is no, thank you very much.”