“Who?” Liz asked.

“The new lady at your house.” Raylen could breathe a little easier now that he knew Liz wasn’t leaving Ringgold.

“Wilma. She has put up with years of mental abuse, but she’s a sweet lady and says that’s behind her now and she wants to go on with her life. She’s so grateful for this job, and I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

Raylen took off his hat and slapped the dust out of it on his leg. “How can you afford that?”

“I’m going to pay her with what I make working for you.” She should tell him about her financial situation, but she wasn’t quite ready. “The only time we’ll even see her is when we go home at noon. For now, we’d better get busy if we want to be finished before dark. I’m a horse woman now, not a carnie. I can’t sleep until noon. So, what are my orders?”

“Kiss me and then exercise horses until dark.” He continued to grin.

Chapter 28

Christmas Eve wasn’t exceptionally cold, but it was nippy. The O’Donnell family had decided to have their dinner and gift exchange that day, and then on Christmas day, Austin and Rye could take Rachel to Tulsa to spend the day with the other side of the family. Liz and Raylen and Blaze and Colleen could all go to Claude.

“Got to be accommodatin’ to the other folks,” Cash had said.

Liz awoke in a state of excitement. She’d already wrapped ten presents for Raylen and hid them in a spare bedroom. She had at least one present for everyone in the O’Donnell family and one for Blaze, and now all she had to do was wait for Raylen to come pick her up and help take the gifts out to his truck.

Raylen was running a little late that morning. A mare was down in the horse barn trying to deliver a foal too early and he’d called the vet in for an opinion.

“Merry Christmas Eve,” he said with a sweet kiss. “You ready?”

“Once we get all these presents out to the truck.”

“That’s a lot of gifts,” he said.

“Buying them was so much fun. I love shopping and I got to buy so many this year. Usually, it’s one for Mama, one for Aunt Tressa, for Poppa and Uncle Haskell, and for Blaze. I love Ringgold,” she said.

“Did you buy something for everyone in town?” he asked as she stacked presents in his arms.

“I would have if they were coming to Christmas at your folks,” she answered.

Colleen met them at the door and helped Liz unload the presents from Raylen’s arms and arrange them under the tree.

“So how are things between you and Raylen?” she whispered.

“First, tell me about you and Blaze,” Liz said.

“I’m in love.”

“Me too,” Liz said.

Dinner was loud and noisy just like all affairs at the ranch. Afterwards when everyone opened gifts, the room was covered in paper and ribbons and more noise and laughter.