Page 27 of A Ranger for Christmas
Their faces split into grins when they saw Lucas and they dove into his arms. He gave them a bear hug and lifted all of them up off the floor. They laughed and kicked and tried to wrestle free, but Lucas held tight until he set all three on the floor.
She couldn’t imagine her brothers jumping and yelling like this. They were more subdued. That was one of the reasons she’d taken her stepmother’s suggestion and bought the trucks.
“That’s Billy,” Lucas said, pointing to the boy on the right. “The other wranglers are Nate and Zeke. Where’s your mom?”
“In the kitchen.” They turned, each yelling“Mom”as they scrambled around a corner.
The house smelled of cookies and bread and cinnamon, and drew Marisa in like a welcoming embrace. The large, open room had a vaulted ceiling made of roughly hewn beams. Thefurniture was large, overstuffed, and looked as if it had been well used. She imagined the boys plopping on the sofa, eating a snack while they watched television or diving into a pillow fight with the cushions. The walls were filled with family photos. Most featured the boys, but she saw a few that featured a young Lucas. She resisted the urge to study each more closely.
Lucas pulled off his hat and tossed it on a table. “Sherry!”
“Lucas!” A woman appeared. Tall, she wore an apron over well-worn jeans and a T-shirt. Her raven hair was pulled up in a loose topknot. Wisps framed an oval face. Faint crow’s-feet feathered out from her eyes, a sign she smiled often.
She hugged Lucas. “Boy, I didn’t think we were going to see you this year.”
“I wasn’t sure myself.” He pulled away and angled his body toward Marisa. “I’d like you to meet Marisa Thompson. She’s helping me with a case.”
Sherry wiped a floured hand on her apron and extended it. “Well, I’m pleased to meet you. Lucas told me he was on the trail of an expert to help him.”
“It’s great to meet you.” Sherry’s soft welcoming energy melted some of Marisa’s nerves.
“You must have been the gal in the car accident.”
Marisa touched her bruised cheek with her fingertips. “I was. But I’m on the mend.”
Sherry studied the dark bruise on Marisa’s cheek. “Well, give me your coat and let’s get you both into the kitchen. Looks to me like you could use some real TLC.”
“That cookies I smell in the kitchen?” Lucas asked.
“It is, but I’m going to serve you two up some stew first. I made a big pot, hoping you could make it, Lucas.”
“Bill working late?”
“He is so he can have the holidays off. I’m keeping dinner simple tonight. Hope that’s all right.”
“Smells great,” Lucas said.
Marisa’s stomach rumbled. Lucas had been right. The fruit cup had not cut it.
The kitchen was a large open room. To the left was a huge island, complete with a stove and sink. Beyond the island stood a double refrigerator covered with pictures and art projects. The granite counter behind Sherry was covered with cooling racks filled with cookies. A loaf of bread cooled on the counter.
To the right stood a long rustic table flanked by two long benches and capped by two chairs at the ends.
“Sit,” Sherry ordered. “I’ll grab you two a couple of bowls. You do eat meat, don’t you, Marisa?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Never know these days. I can always whip up a grilled cheese sandwich.”
“No, stew is perfect.”
Lucas pulled out the chair at the end of the table and she sat, not relaxed enough to ease back. No one had cooked for her since her mother had died, and those meals had been haphazard at best. Her mother, like her, preferred to work rather than cook. Lucas shrugged off his jacket, the muscles in his wide shoulders flexing under his shirt as he hung it on the back of the chair next to her. He unfastened his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, revealing muscled forearms.
Sherry quickly appeared with a tray that held two heaping bowls of stew, silverware, and glasses of lemonade. She set the tray on the table and served a bowl to Marisa and Lucas. “Go ahead and eat. I’m going to grab a coffee. Marisa, I know Lucas will take a cup, what about you?”
“That would be great.”
Marisa took a bite of stew and marveled at the rich tastes of beef, potatoes, and rosemary. For several minutes, she andLucas sat in silence. With each bite she could feel her headache ease.
