Page 10 of Sweet Deal (Honeysuckle, Texas #4)

Finished with her morning chores, Rachel stretched her tired muscles.

The rhythm of ranch life was a familiar comfort despite the underlying uncertainty churning within her.

Thoughts of soon marrying Jim Henderson sporadically sent flutters of panic tempered with something else she didn’t quite understand straight through her.

From the top of her head to the tip of her toes, every nerve ending was on high alert.

What she needed to cut the edge was a good warm cup of coffee. She rounded the corner of the barn, heading toward the house, when the rumble of a large engine caught her attention. A sizable truck made its way up the long drive, kicking up dust in its wake.

“What in the world?” she murmured, changing course to intercept the unexpected visitor. As she approached the front of the house, she spotted her mother standing on the porch, practically bouncing on her toes. Alice Sweet was many things, but a bouncer wasn’t usually one of them.

One by one, her brothers and their wives appeared. Garret and Preston coming around from the other side of the house, Carson and her sisters-in-law from inside. By the time the driver had hopped out of the cab of the truck, everyone home had gathered round, her mother’s eyes alight with mischief.

“Were you expecting a delivery?” Carson addressed his mother, his gaze on the driver circling the truck.

“I am.”

The driver approached the group, clipboard in hand, and scanned left to right. “Do you want this in the house?”

“No.” Their mom shook her head, her gaze darting off into the distance just as Clint drove up the old dirt road that led past the barns to the rest of Sweet family land.

“Sorry I’m late.” Clint nodded at their mother.

“No problem.” She smiled then turned to the driver. “Let’s get a look at what’s inside then Clint here will take you to where we’ll unload.”

The driver hit a lever, and the rear rose up and the tail gate lowered. Handing her the clipboard, he said, “You’ll see it’s all here.”

Taking minced steps, Jackie approached the truck. “Is that…?” Her hands flew to her mouth. “That’s my great-grandmother’s bedroom set.”

Their mom’s head nodded so quickly, Rachel was surprised it didn’t snap off. “Your grandmother mentioned at the wedding that she had several pieces she thought you’d enjoy. To remind you of home. Of happy days.”

Jackie nodded. “I used to sit at the vanity and play famous actress. Grams said it suited me.”

Already back in his truck, his arm out the window, Clint motioned for the driver to follow.

“Where’s he going?” Preston asked.

“There’s no room for the furniture here,” the family matriarch said with a smile. “Hop into the Suburban and I’ll show you.”

The siblings looked from one to the other, no one moving.

“All of you,” their mom called from the driver’s side. “And get the lead out.”

Suddenly scrambling like ants after their mound had been kicked over, everyone climbed into the vehicle. Rachel almost didn’t get the door closed behind her before her mom hit the gas.

At her side, Sarah leaned over and softly whispered, “Do you know what’s going on?”

Rachel shook her head. It wasn’t like her mom to be so secretive, but then again, nothing around the Sweet ranch was like it used to be.

The short drive took them about a mile from the main house. Clint and the delivery truck were stopped ahead past a low rising crop of mesquite trees. As their mom drove around the truck, a small blue cottage with white trim came into view.

“What the…” Carson was the first to mutter what the others were thinking.

It took Rachel a few long moments to register that the cute cottage equipped with a bright red door, black shutters, and flowers in the window boxes, was in exactly the same spot as the ancient foreman’s cabin.

A cabin that had fallen into such disrepair, the family had stopped using it for storage over a decade ago.

“I don’t understand,” someone muttered.

“That makes two of us,” another voice agreed.

“Let’s go inside.” Not waiting for a response, their mother trotted to the front door, cutting off the driver and his associate, carrying the first piece into the house. “Straight ahead, gentlemen.”

With a nod, the two guys carrying a dresser strode up the two steps, into the house, and continued straight as directed.

Rachel couldn’t believe her eyes. They stood in the middle of a good-sized parlor with an old-fashioned stone fireplace. To their left, a small but efficient kitchen with white cabinets and butcher block counters. A table with two chairs was tucked into a cove off the kitchen.

Mouths slightly ajar, the family dispersed, one person looking out the living room window, another running their hand over the countertops, Jackie hurried down the hall after her ancestor’s furniture.

“How?” Carson asked no one in particular.

“I know you and Jess were married before Garret and Jackie, but this place just wouldn’t have been big enough for the three of you, but it’s perfect for two.”

Garret’s head whipped around. “This is for us?”

Again, their mom nodded enthusiastically.

“But how?” Carson repeated.

Clint came in with an old marble topped walnut washstand. “Where do you want this?”

Their mom looked to Jackie who had come from the bedroom, her eyes dewy with moisture. “I, I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you set it in the bath, maybe they can use it to store towels.”

With a nod, Clint continued down the short hall.

“Mom,” Carson said more forcefully.

“Yes. I know. How. It was really quite easy. I’d been talking with Jackie’s grandmother, and she knows that the ranch is going through a rough patch.”

Rachel had to bite her tongue not to point out what an understatement that was.

“But she had some money set aside for Jackie’s wedding that wasn’t needed so we agreed, if she could pay for materials, we would supply the labor.”

“We?” Sarah asked.

“Well, Clint did most of it. I helped where I could.”

“Don’t let her sell herself short.” Clint emerged from the hall bath. “This woman can wield a hammer and sander with the best of them.”

“It took longer than I’d thought, but at least we got it done before the truck arrived.” Alice Sweet turned to Clint. “What we discussed yesterday?”

“Right.” He nodded. “I piled the wedding gifts out of the way against the far wall in the bedroom.”

“Thank you,” Mom smiled. “I considered unpacking for you, but then thought better of it. Deciding where to put everything in your first home is most of the fun. Also, Aunt Vicki says if you want to use the old leather sofa from her game room until you shop for your own, it’s all yours.

No one uses that room or sofa much since the boys moved away. ”

“Tell Aunt Vicki we said thank you.” Jackie looked up at her husband, her smile so bright the woman could have lit the way for most of West Texas.

The ding of an incoming message sounded.

Rachel would have ignored it if it hadn’t been followed by another ding and then another, almost on top of each other.

Glancing down at her phone, she read the first message.

From Jillian. Cat’s out of the bag. Though they are putting the cart before the horse.

Bless every bleached blonde strand on Iris Hathaways head.

Reviewing emails, putting out a few embers before they became problematic fires, relishing in delegating major responsibility to his partners, Jim sipped his coffee at his parents’ kitchen table.

His mother had gone to town for her weekly hair appointment, his father and brother were out checking fence lines, and the remodeling crew didn’t work weekends, leaving him with a rare moment of peaceful solitude to contemplate his future. His future with Rachel.

The word “wife” kept circling in his mind, attaching itself to her name despite his attempts to maintain some perspective.

This was a business arrangement, he reminded himself.

A mutual solution to a problem. Nothing more.

Interrupting his thoughts, his cell phone vibrated against the table, Rachel’s name lighting up the screen.

We need to talk… in person. Can you come over?

The undertone of urgency in her text sent a jolt of concern through him.

Just getting coffee, can come right now.

Her reply came immediately: Perfect. Meet me at the house.

His hair still damp from a shower and his coffee left sitting on the kitchen table, Jim pulled into the ranch driveway. The truck had barely rolled to a stop when Rachel came scurrying down the porch steps. His gut did a somersault; nothing good could come from the look on her face.

Slamming the car door behind him, he met her halfway to the house. “What’s going on?”

Rachel heaved in a deep breath and blew it out softly. “Apparently, we’re married.”

“We’re… what?”

“Sorry. They think we’re married.” Looking over his shoulder, she reached for his hand and tugged. “Let’s do this inside.”

Seated in the front room with most of her siblings, Rachel rambled on so quickly, he was only able to process every other word. The gist being after playfully calling her Mrs. Henderson at last night’s game, the gossip mill went to work.

The front door burst open and Jillian, the only missing sibling, rushed in, slightly out of breath.

“Got someone to cover the shop.” She dropped her purse on the side table.

“You two no longer have time to think this through. The whole town is buzzing and once Mom checks her phone, the circus will begin in earnest. This is either a gift from heaven or hell, and damned if I know which.”

“Wait, where is your mother?” Jim asked.

“She and Clint stayed behind with Garret and Jackie to help unload furniture,” Carson explained. “The rest of us headed back here when Rachel got the first text from Jillian.”

Jim blinked. “Do I want to know what furniture and where?”

“I’ll tell you later.” Rachel squeezed his hand. “We have to come up with a plan of how to proceed.”

“Okay. Let me see if I understand correctly. Someone overheard me call Rachel Mrs. Henderson at the game last night, and now the whole town thinks we secretly got married?”

Jillian nodded vigorously. “If there’s one person in Honeysuckle who can spread news faster than wildfire, it’s Iris Hathaway.”

“But she didn’t start it,” Preston added. “According to what I’ve pieced together, Mrs. Miller was the one who overheard you at the game and mentioned it this morning to Dot Wilkins at the pharmacy when Mrs. Miller picked up her blood pressure medication.”

“Then over coffee, Dot told Agnes at the café,” Carson continued, “where Iris Hathaway was having breakfast with half the Garden Club.”

“And once Iris knew…” Rachel threw up her hands.

“Exactly,” Jillian confirmed. “Iris rushed straight to Corn Hole Heaven to tell our aunts, then to the Bluebonnet Inn where the Ladies’ Auxiliary was setting up for next week’s fundraiser, and by noon today, I guarantee there won’t be a soul in the county who doesn’t think you two are hitched.”

Jillian was absolutely right. Whether or not this unexpected rumor was a blessing or a curse, he didn’t have a clue.