Raylen shook his head. “Mama wouldn’t sell Danny Boy for half the dirt in Texas. She raised him up from a colt. She’d sell Gemma before she would Danny Boy.”

Gemma slapped him on the shoulder. “No, she wouldn’t. I’m the baby daughter. She’d probably sell you though. You’re just a worthless old third son.”

Liz had started back to the kitchen when Raylen reached out and touched her arm. “What are you doin’ when you get off work?”

“I’m looking into more Christmas boxes, and making a list of what I’ve got and what I need to buy.”

Gemma clapped her hands. “Can I come to your house and play? I love Christmas. Do you have those old lights that are as big as jalapeno peppers?”

Liz nodded. “Yes, I do. Uncle Haskell told me that some of the ornaments belonged to my Aunt Sara’s grandma. She must’ve liked Christmas because there’s boxes and boxes that I haven’t even opened.”

“My last appointment is at three. I’ll be over soon as I get her out the door, if that’s all right with you,” Gemma said.

“Come right on,” Liz told her. “Soon as I take stock of what’s out there, I intend to start putting up the lights. I want it all done before Thanksgiving. Mama and Aunt Tressa are coming the week before because they’ve got a gig in Bowie. I’ll take all the help I can get. Raylen is coming too. We made a deal. He’s going to help me do the Christmas stuff and then I’m going to exercise horses as payback.” Liz fought the urge to rub the spot where Raylen’s hand had touched her arm just to see if it was as hot as it felt.

“What’s that?” Becca crossed the floor in long strides.

“I’m putting up Christmas before Thanksgiving. Want to come help?” Liz asked, even though she knew what the answer would be.

Becca ignored Liz and touched Raylen on the shoulder. “I’ve got better things to do and so do you, Raylen.”

Raylen shrugged off her hand. “Maybe so, but I’m going to help out my new neighbor and then the whole month of December she’s going to be exercising horses.”

Becca pulled out a chair to sit at their table. “You are an idiot, my friend.”

“Be careful. You might not want to be friends with an idiot,” Raylen teased.

Liz left them to their bantering and took their order to Jasmine.

“That hussy better not steal my help this afternoon,” Liz mumbled.

“Help with what?” Jasmine asked.

“Raylen said he’d help get my Christmas decorations put up, and Becca is calling him an idiot for being friends with me,” Liz answered.

Jasmine shook her head. “Don’t pay any attention to her, Liz. The show is all for Ellen and Nellie’s benefit. They’ll play cards on Friday night with her great-aunt from down in Chico, and tell that they saw her flirting with Raylen. Great-aunt will call Becca’s daddy and tell him. He’ll be happy that she’s not seriously interested in his new foreman, who is that guy out there with the dark hair and the come-hither-to-bed look in his eyes. And all will be good on Becca’s ranch. Meanwhile, back at the soap opera, she’ll be spending her nights in the bunkhouse with the hired help while Daddy entertains visions of merging two big ranches.”