Free The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Carolyn Brown Page B

little but plowed
     pasture and sky. But they always bring one home and then on Sunday we all are there
     to help decorate after church and dinner. Momma don’t abide excuses on that day. Her
     boys and their wives are expected to be home. Only sickness nigh unto death or maybe
     the birth of a grandchild is reason not to be home.”
    “We ain’t put up a real tree in years. Henry put up a fuss about it at first, but
     he still cuts a real one for the cabin and he’s finally accepted a fake one in this
     house,” Grady said. “But we got us the biggest, realest-looking fake one we could
     and Josh is going to love it. Christmas is always better if there’s a kid in the mix.”
    Natalie opened her mouth to say she was sure Hazel would be home by Christmas and
     that she wouldn’t even be there. Then a whoosh of cold air blew Henry into the kitchen
     before she could get anything out. He quickly kicked it shut with his boot and hung
     his black felt hat on a hook and his coat on the rack. His thick gray hair had a ring
     around it where his hat had set and his sharp nose was as red as Rudolph’s.
    “Got lonesome as hell down at my place and I’m tired of them damn things you put in
     a toaster in the morning. Where’s the baby? Good Lord, he’s done grown a foot since
     Jack took me home on Sunday. I’m waitin’, Lucas! You ain’t too big or too old to hug
     your Gramps. If Kuwait did that to you, I’ll buy the whole damn country, plow it under,
     and spread cow shit all over it.”
    Lucas met Henry halfway across the floor in a fierce hug. “Might be a good idea, but
     where would we put all those people?”
    “Texas is a big state.” Henry patted him on the shoulder. “Good mornin’, Miz Natalie.
     Looks like we’re havin’ omelets. I want onions in mine and a thin layer of picante.
     Rest of this crew ain’t got the stomach for jalapeño, but I like it. And I see the
     waffle iron too. Lord, I knew I was coming to the right place even if the path down
     to my place is slick as Jell-O on a glass doorknob.”
    His voice was gruff, but he had tears in his eyes when he hugged Lucas. “It’s an answer
     to an old man’s prayers to see you sittin’ in this kitchen. I prayed every day that
     God would bring you home safe. Grady says you’ve done your enlistment and you ain’t
     signin’ up for another one. Tell me that’s right.”
    “It’s right.” Lucas threw an arm around Henry’s shoulders and walked with him to the
     table.
    Henry looked up at the ceiling and said, “Thank you, sweet Jesus.”
    “You remind me of my grandpa,” Natalie said.
    Henry took the coffee that she poured for him. “Is that a good thing?”
    “Oh, yes,” she answered.
    Henry took one sip of coffee and set the mug on the table. “Then thank you. Now I
     need to see Josh. I like his name. It’s a good strong name like Lucas. Nowadays, girls
     are namin’ their kids such weird names it looks like they just throwed the whole alphabet
     up in the sky and whatever fell on the table, that’s what they named their kid.”
    He grabbed the back of a chair and dragged it to the swing. “Now me and you are going
     to visit. Won’t be long until you get some of them eggs with picante sauce on them
     and I betcha you like it as well as I do.”
    Natalie and Lucas exchanged a look across the tops of the three men’s various shades
     of gray hair. In a couple of easy strides he was in front of the refrigerator. He
     pushed things around and brought out a pint of picante sauce and set it on the cabinet
     beside the stove.
    “They’re having such a good time with a baby in the house. It’s like they’ve got a
     brand-new toy,” he whispered.
    She nodded. “They are happy, aren’t they?”
    “They like you and there are a couple of things that we haven’t discussed that I will
     pay you extra for.”
    “Cooking, cleaning, and what else?”
    “Couple of parties. One to arrange, but Hazel has notes. And one to