A Baby for Dry Creek and A Dry Creek Christmas
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“I thought you were an angel,” Reno said simply.
Chrissy glanced up again and saw Reno looking back at her. Since she was in the back seat to be close to Justin, she and Reno had carried on long conversations through the mirror for two days now. Chrissy kind of liked the flirtatious way it made her feel.
“It was dark out.”
Reno grinned. “And you sparkled with all that glitter on your dress. It was an honest mistake. I didn’t think to check for wings.”
“Not many angels pull up in a sixteen-wheeler truck.”
“They do when your own truck is dead and it’s cold enough outside to freeze your toes off.” Reno paused. “I never thought of it, but I owe you for the ride that night.”
“Of course you don’t owe me,” Chrissy said a little more sharply than she’d intended. Justin moved in his sleep and lifted his fist up to his mouth.
“You keep saying you owe me for this trip we’re taking right now. If you owe me for this ride, then I owe you for that ride.”
“It’s not the same,” Chrissy said softly.
“You might have saved my life. It was cold enough that night for a man to freeze to death. So I owe you for more than just the ride. I owe you for—preventive medical services.”
“You would have found a way to keep warm.”
Chrissy blushed. She suddenly remembered the way Reno had kept them warm that night. He’d wrapped blankets around them both individually and then wrapped himself and his blankets spoon fashion around her on the small bed in the back of the cab of her cousin’s truck. Chrissy couldn’t ever remember feeling so warm and safe.
“Well, I’m willing to call it even between us if you are,” Reno said. “I won’t pay you for that trip and you won’t pay me for this one.”
“I can’t pay you anyway until I get my check or find a job,” Chrissy pointed out as she reached over to rub Justin’s back. He was starting to wake up, and she liked him to know she was there. “So until then we can call it even.”
Reno grunted as he turned the car’s wheel to the right. “We’ll call it even—period. I don’t want you giving your wages to me.”
As Reno made the wide turn, Chrissy saw the small town of Dry Creek come into view in the distance. “We’re almost there.”
The sky was partially cloudy, but there was no wind. She could tell because someone had white sheets hanging on a clothesline and they did not move. The snow flurries that had covered Dry Creek most of the time she was here last were gone. In their place were broad stretches of mud. Someone had put wooden planks around so people could walk without stepping in the puddles. She noticed two extra-wide planks in front of Mrs. Hargrove’s house. No doubt someone had put them there so the older woman would be able to walk more easily.
The planks were an act of kindness that touched Chrissy. Dry Creek wasn’t a dressed-up town like Las Vegas, but the people here cared about each other. Chrissy wondered if they could care about her and Justin, as well.
She didn’t want the trip to end. She’d been comfortable thinking about going to Dry Creek, but she wasn’t so sure she was comfortable actually arriving here.
Reno had entertained her with stories of what had been happening in Dry Creek since she’d been there last. She learned about his new calves and Mrs. Hargrove’s arthritis that was sometimes so bad she couldn’t peel potatoes. He told her about Lester dressing up as Elvis on April Fools’ day and the Friday sundae night at the café.
He even told her about going to church again and what that had meant to him. He talked about forgiving his mother for leaving the family all those years ago. He told her he’d never quite understood about grace when he’d been a young boy, but now that he was a man he felt humbled by it. He wasn’t so much forgiving his mother, he said, as trying to see her as she was, the way God might see her.
Chrissy didn’t quite understand what he was saying, but she couldn’t doubt his sincerity.
For the first time ever, Chrissy began to wonder if God could be real. She’d had people talk to her about God before, but never with the matter-of-fact directness Reno had. He talked of God as naturally as he would the sky or the mountains. Chrissy knew beyond a doubt that God was real for him, because Reno didn’t make a big deal of trying to convince her of anything. Reno talked about God with the same warmth he used when he talked about Mrs. Hargrove or his sister, Nicki.
As Reno was telling her about the different things that were happening, he’d pass along greetings to her from various people in Dry Creek. He said that Elmer had asked him to tell her he’d buy her a cup of coffee when she came to town. And Linda from the café had asked Reno to tell her she was looking forward to Chrissy coming to town.
During all the days when they talked, Reno had not indicated anyone had a negative thought about her coming to the area. But Dry Creek was a small, conservative town. She was sure she’d find her share of turned shoulders and unwilling welcomes. It had been just eighteen years since her mother had had a bad experience in a small town because she was an unmarried mother, and eighteen years wasn’t that long ago.
“I should comb my hair,” Chrissy said. As she recalled, churchwomen were big on combed hair. “Or roll it into a bun or something.”
“Your hair looks fine,” Reno said.
“You’re right. It’s this orange dress they’ll think is strange. No one wears an orange dress this bright. They’ll think I’m nuts.”
“They know about the fire. Nobody cares what you’re wearing. Besides, Linda wears those kinds of colors all the time.”
Chrissy reached for her purse anyway. A touch of light lipstick couldn’t hurt.
“We’re here.” Reno slowed the car to a crawl. “We might as well get something to eat at the café.”
Chrissy forced herself to look out the windows of the car and take a deep breath. The people of this town had been friendly to her when she’d been here last fall. If the fact that since then she’d had a baby without the benefit of marriage made any of them treat her any differently, then they were the losers, not her.
“There’s not as many houses as I remember.” Chrissy forced herself to concentrate. She could do this. “The town’s smaller than I thought.”
“Yeah,” Reno said curtly. “One café. One store. Seventeen houses. Seventeen and a half, if you count the Andersons’ basement. One church. That’s it. No growth expected. Not even a post office.”
Chrissy lifted her head. She’d taken on bigger challenges and done fine.
Reno watched Chrissy get ready to face Dry Creek and his heart sank. She looked as if she was getting ready to walk the plank. Was it really that bad to live in a small town like Dry Creek? “It’s not like you’ll need to be here forever.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, the lawyer is going to give up sooner or later. Then you can move back to Las Vegas.”
“Oh.”
“Or L.A. if that’s where you want to go,” Reno said as he parked the car in front of the café and took the keys out of the ignition.
“But I don’t have a job in L.A. anymore.” Chrissy reached over to unbuckle Justin from his car seat.
Speaking of jobs reminded Reno that he hadn’t called Mrs. Hargrove since he’d talked to her when they stopped in Las Vegas. He hoped she had remembered to put a notice on the bulletin board in the café asking for a live-in housekeeper.
Reno opened the back door for Chrissy. “Here, let me hold Justin while you get out. And he’ll need a blanket. It’s a little chilly out here.” Reno had held Justin many times over the past couple of days, but he continued to be surprised every time Chrissy handed him the baby at how small Justin really was. This time was no exception. Chrissy had assured Reno several times that Justin was a healthy weight for his young age, but Reno still wanted Dr. Norris to check Justin out.
“Remember, if you take a job, you need to ask for this Thursday off so we can take Justin to the doctor in Miles City.”
“I can’t ask for a day off the first week of the job.” Chrissy stepped out of the car and stretched. “We’ll have to postpone the doctor’s visit until the next week.”
“Well, we’ll wait and see.” Reno didn’t say that Mrs. Hargrove wouldn’t care what day Chrissy took off. After all, he wasn’t supposed to know about the job that was posted inside on the bulletin board.
“He sure is an agreeable little guy,” Reno said as he looked down at the baby. “Look at him smiling.”
“Babies that young don’t smile. Its just gas. It says so in the baby books.”
“Those books don’t know everything. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s smiling at me.” Reno hated to give the baby back to Chrissy. It suddenly hit him that this was probably the last time he would get to hold the little one. “He knows I’m the one who taught him how to make a fist.”
“I think that’s pretty natural. So he can suck his thumb.”
“Yeah, but I showed him how to hold his fingers so he can get a good grip on a baseball when he’s older.”
Chrissy smiled as she held out her arms for Justin. “He’ll appreciate that.”
Reno gave the baby to her. “If you ever need someone to watch him, let me know.”
Reno figured he was due some visitation rights. After all, he’d changed Justin’s diapers several times on the road. That should give him some rights.
“Thanks. I’ll remember that.”
Chrissy squared her shoulders as she cradled Justin to her. Reno figured she was preparing herself to face Dry Creek. He only hoped she would give the place a chance.
Chapter Six
Chrissy stepped through the door that Reno held open for her and entered the Dry Creek Café with her baby cradled in her arms. She took a deep breath. It was midmorning and she’d made it home. She remembered the smell of baking biscuits and coffee from when she’d been here before. And the black-and-white checked floor had been in her dreams on more than one night. Six or seven tables were scattered around the café like before.
But something was different. Three tables were pushed next to the large window overlooking the street. Lace half curtains covered the bottom of the large window and matched the white tablecloths covering each of the three tables. In the place where bottles of ketchup sat on the other tables, silver vases stood filled with pink silk flowers. Matching pink napkins were placed beside the silverware on those tables. A wide aisle separated the three tables from the rest of the more casual ones.
Chrissy nodded. That was clever. It made the place feel as if had two restaurants instead of just one.
“Linda thinks we need more class,” Reno said as he turned to leave the café again. “I’m going to bring in the diaper bag in case you need anything. I’ll be right back.”
A delighted shriek made Chrissy look toward the door that led to the kitchen, and she saw Linda stand still for a moment in the open doorway before she came rushing toward her. “You’re here!”
Chrissy felt her heart smile. It sounded as if she had one friend in Dry Creek besides Reno. With the two of them by her side, she’d be fine.
“Oh, I can’t wait to see the baby!” Linda whispered as she stopped about a yard from Chrissy and then tiptoed closer. Linda had a butterfly tattoo above one eye and a copper-red streak in her dark hair. “Is it sleeping?”
“No, he’s awake.”
“So it’s a boy.”
Chrissy nodded. She decided she had no reason to feel self-conscious about her orange dress here. Linda was wearing a purple velvet dress and a large pink apron.
Linda just stood grinning at her. “And you! How are you? You know, I meant to write, but I lost your address and then I forgot to ask Garrett for it again and, well—” She stopped to take a breath. “You’re here!”
“It’s good to be back,” Chrissy said. “I thought about writing you, too, but there was the baby and then I was working and—well, it’s good to see you.”
Chrissy knew Linda and her boyfriend, Duane “Jazz” Edison, were running the café to earn enough money to buy a farm of their own so they could get married. Unless Linda had had a birthday since Chrissy was here last, Linda was twenty.
“Now, sit down and tell me about the baby,” Linda said as she motioned to one of the tables with the flowers on them. “What does he like to do? Are you nursing him or is he on the bottle? I want to know everything. I love babies.”
The door to the café opened again, and Reno came in with the diaper bag.
“Well, Justin eats good, so he’ll be growing fast,” Chrissy reported.
“He’s going to be a baseball player someday,” Reno added as he set the diaper bag on the floor at Chrissy’s feet. “He’s got a good grip in his fingers. Don’t you, big fella?”
Chrissy watched as Reno ran his thumb softly over the smooth skin on Justin’s tiny hand. “I can feel him practicing his pitches already.”
Justin gurgled in response to Reno’s words.
“That’s right,” Reno murmured.
Chrissy’s throat went dry and she had to swallow. Where had she been for these past days? She hoped Justin wasn’t becoming too attached to Reno. Was it possible for a baby to even do that? Chrissy remembered how painful it had been for her when she was young and her mother’s boyfriends would leave. The first few times it happened, Chrissy didn’t understand and thought the men had disliked her for some reason. She didn’t want Justin to have that same hurt in his life.
“The baby seems to like you,” Linda said quietly to Reno.
“Yeah.” Reno grinned as though he’d been given a first-prize ribbon.
“Justin just likes the sound of men’s voices,” Chrissy added quickly. She was beginning to see just how complicated this all was.
She had more to worry about than whether Justin was becoming attached to the sight of Reno. She also had to worry about the hurt Justin could do to Reno.
Reno might not recognize the speculative look in Linda’s eyes, but Chrissy did. Linda was wondering if Reno was Justin’s father. Of all the things Chrissy had worried about in coming to Dry Creek, this was one that hadn’t occurred to her. Reno had told her about the letter that had come to the Dry Creek postmaster, but she didn’t believe anyone in Dry Creek would seriously believe Reno was the father of her baby.
“The baby’s father is still in Las Vegas, you know.” Chrissy would rather talk about almost anything than Jared, but she wanted the record to be straight in this small town. If she had to talk about her past with someone here, she’d rather it was Linda than anyone else.
“That’s got to be hard,” Linda said as she reached over to give Chrissy’s shoulder a squeeze. “So it was the guy you were engaged to…”
Chrissy nodded. “But it’s all right. We’ll be fine, Justin and I. Just as soon as I get a job.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Linda jumped up. “Getting a job won’t be a problem in Dry Creek. We have a bulletin board over here for jobs.”
“Really?” Chrissy asked as she turned to Reno. “Will you hold Justin for a little bit while I look at the ads?”
Reno nodded as he put out his arms and accepted the baby.
If he hadn’t been distracted by Justin, Reno would have noticed right away that something was odd. As it was, it took a few minutes of the excited chatter over at the bulletin board before it dawned on him that Mrs. Hargrove’s posting for a housekeeper wouldn’t generate that much enthusiasm.
Reno stood up and walked closer to the bulletin board that was on the west wall of the café. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There had to be a dozen notices scribbled on index cards and tacked to the board.
“Here’s one that looks interesting,” Chrissy was saying. “Dancing instructor wanted for gentleman. Twenty dollars an hour.”
Linda nodded. “Jacob put that up. He said he was thinking he’d like to be able to dance the next time someone has a wedding in that barn south of town.”
“We did line dancing at that wedding,” Reno interrupted. “There’s nothing to learn. You just put your foot where the caller tells you to put it. In. Out. Whatever.”
“Before you got there, we had waltzing,” Linda said.
“I can waltz.” Chrissy was still running her fingers down the cards lined up on the board. “Here’s one that calls for someone to do some mending.”
“Elmer swears he’s got a dozen shirts with no buttons on them,” Linda said. “He said he’s flexible on the timing of it, too. He’s lived without buttons for a while now. He just wears a sweater over everything. But with summer coming, he wanted some shirts to wear that don’t require a sweater.”
Reno looked at the cards in astonishment. Had everyone in town listed a job on the board? It sure looked like it. What were they doing? Everyone knew there were no jobs in Dry Creek.
“Ah, here’s one for a cook/housekeeper,” Chrissy said. “That sounds promising.”
Reno relaxed. Finally she was looking at Mrs. Hargrove’s notice.
“But where’s the Wilkerson place?”
“Lester’s?” Reno’s voice came out so loud it made Justin start to fuss. Without thinking, Reno started to slightly rock the baby where he stood.
“Now, now.” Chrissy turned and started to coo. “It’s all right.”
Reno wasn’t sure if Chrissy was cooing at him or Justin. “Why’s Lester advertising for a cook?”
“Well, he is alone out on his ranch all the time. He could probably use some help,” Linda said as she gave Reno a look that said he shouldn’t be making this so difficult.
Reno grunted, but didn’t back down. “The man eats from cans. All he does is heat it up. Hash. Chili. Soup. It’s all the same. A cook would be wasted on him.”
“I don’t know,” Chrissy said thoughtfully as she held out her arms for Justin. “He did seem to enjoy that pie at the big Thanksgiving dinner at the ranch last fall. I make a pretty good apple pie, and I think that’s his favorite.”
Reno frowned as he handed Justin to her. He didn’t like the thought of Chrissy making pies for Lester. “If he wants pie, he can come to the café.”
“We don’t serve pie,” Linda reminded him.
“And it’s a live-in position,” Chrissy said as she cradled Justin upright against her breast. “That way I wouldn’t have to pay rent anywhere, and Justin will have a place to play.”
“Justin can’t even walk yet. It’ll be a good six months before he needs a place to play,” Reno protested, and then thought a minute. “How long do you plan to work for Lester, anyway?”
Chrissy leaned in to see the card better. “I don’t know. It doesn’t say what the salary is. All it gives is a number to call.”
“I’ll call him,” Linda offered as she walked toward the kitchen. “You just keep looking.”
“There’s got to be a better job there,” Reno said as he started to scan the notices to find Mrs. Hargrove’s. “Something closer to town.”
“I don’t mind being out of town.”
“You say that now. But the wind blows something fierce out there on the ranches. And the solitude. Some days you don’t see another soul. Just horses, with a few chickens thrown in for excitement.”
“Well, I’d see Lester,” Chrissy reminded him as she rocked Justin against herself. “Three times a day at least for meals.”
Reno ground his teeth. “Lester doesn’t talk much, though. You’d be bored in no time. He doesn’t have a television. He doesn’t get any magazines except for the Farm Journal.”
Linda opened the door from the kitchen and came back into the room. “The job pays eighty-five dollars a week and room and board.”
“That’s not enough,” Reno said firmly as he went up close to the board and scanned the notices. When he found the one he was looking for, he put his finger right next to it. “There. That’s the job for you. A housekeeper for Mrs. Hargrove. Room and board included.”
Chrissy walked over to look up at the small, neatly penned notice that Mrs. Hargrove had tacked to the board. She Chrissy shifted Justin in her arms so she could read the announcement better. “But her job only pays seventy-five dollars a week plus room and board.”
“I’ll pay the extra ten,” Reno said. Lester must have read Mrs. Hargrove’s notice and decided to outbid her. “That way you won’t lose money by working for Mrs. Hargrove.”
Chrissy tipped her head up at him suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”
“Yeah, why would you do that?” Linda asked along with Chrissy.
“Ah.” Reno ran his hands over his hair. He was guessing Mrs. Hargrove hadn’t told Linda about their plan. “Because Mrs. Hargrove is an older lady and she needs the help more than Lester does.”
Reno hoped Mrs. Hargrove never heard about this conversation. She didn’t think of herself as old, and she’d snap at anyone who implied she was not able to take care of herself.
Chrissy was still looking at him funny.
“And I know Mrs. Hargrove can’t afford to pay you any more herself because she’s on Social Security, so I want to help.” Reno smiled. “She’s been good to me, and I want to do something for her.”
“I noticed the other day that her porch needs fixing,” Linda offered.
“Thanks. I’ll go take a look at it.” Reno gritted his teeth. Whose side was Linda on? “I should have checked the porch myself before I headed down to Los Angeles. Those old boards usually have problems about now.”
“She said you usually do it and don’t take any money for it,” Linda said.
“In the past we’ve settled it with her giving me a plate of her homemade chocolate chip cookies.”
“Well, of course, if all she has is Social Security, she can’t afford to pay anyone,” Chrissy said thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t feel right taking any money from her, and I don’t need cookies. I’m sure I can help her with what she needs when I’m not working at Lester’s.”
“But you can’t work at Lester’s,” Reno said. He could see the question in Chrissy’s eyes and knew it was on the tip of Linda’s tongue. He needed to focus. Ah, he had it. “He’s a single man, and it wouldn’t be proper for you to live in the same house with him alone.”
Chrissy’s face turned red. “I hope you’re not suggesting I would do anything but bake pies for the man.”
“No, I didn’t mean that at all.” It had to be about sixty degrees inside the café. There was no reason for Reno to be sweating. “I just mean you have to think of Justin.”
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of Justin,” Chrissy said coolly.
“Besides, you’re talking about Lester,” Linda said as though he’d suggested Chrissy was willing to date a troll.
Reno bowed his head in defeat. “I’ll pay you a hundred dollars a week plus room and board to work at the Redfern Ranch.”
“Doing what?”
“Well, I like pies, too—and there’s the house.”
“You don’t need a housekeeper. I can’t take a job that’s just charity.”
“I have the calves to feed.” Reno looked up and thanked God silently. Yes! That was it. “The poor things need someone to take care of them, and I’ll have to start plowing any day now. Who’s going to take care of them?”
“Don’t they have their mothers to take care of them?” Chrissy didn’t look convinced.
“Not these calves,” Reno said mournfully. “They’re all alone in the world. No mother. No father.”
Reno hoped his prize bull forgave him although it was true that the animal had never shown any interest in his offspring, so the calves actually had no father when it came to having someone care for them.
“Oh, the poor things,” Chrissy whispered as she glanced down at Justin, who was sleeping in her arms. “It’s bad enough not having a father, but not having a mother, too, would be just awful.”
Chrissy broke off with a stricken look at Reno. “I’m sorry, I forgot about your mother.”
Reno stopped the triumphant war whoop that wanted to come rushing out of his mouth and he managed to wince instead. “It is hard. Not everyone understands.”
“Of course they don’t,” Chrissy said soothingly.
“So you’ll take on the feeding of the calves?”
“Well, I suppose it is more important than baking pies for Lester,” she agreed. “Although his would have been more convenient, since it was room and board.”