Chapter 27

Maggie had avoided going out of the house all morning. Instead she hauled all the Christmas decorations into the living room and began hanging the ornaments on the tree. Trying to get herself into the holiday spirit and out of her depression, she put on a CD of Christmas carols and made herself sing along with them in her off-key voice. It took her most of the morning but by noon when she stepped back to look at it, the tree looked as close to what she was used to as she could make it. When she plugged in the lights she felt tears threaten again but deliberately forced them back. She didn't intend to spend the entire holiday season like a watering pot. She'd already done that enough yesterday and what a disaster that had been.
But when she found the three stockings in a box and hung them up on the fireplace mantle, she couldn't hold back the tears. She just stood staring at the remnants of her youth and letting the tears roll unheeded down her cheeks. Finally she dug a tissue out of her pocket, wiped her face and blew her nose and squared her shoulders. Enough, already.
As she was making herself a sandwich for lunch she realized she still hadn't unpacked the rest of her stuff from her SUV but she decided to wait until it was dark. Until Zach Brennan was safely in the foreman's house and not likely to come around offering to help. She didn't need his help. She didn't need anything from him.
Unfortunately she took that moment to look out the window that faced the closest pasture and there he was, astride his big Appaloosa. There was no mistaking either him or the horse. He sat the saddle, as her daddy would have said, "as if he had suction cups on his ass," he and the horse moving as one.
Heat flashed through her and every nerve in her body went on full alert.
Damn him!
Why did he still have that power over her. She needed to take a cure, or something.
Deliberately turning away, she finished her sandwich and began putting out the rest of the decorations. Liza would have to help her with the outside lights but she could get everything else done.
That finished, she got out some of the things she'd bought at the market and began mixing the dough for cinnamon rolls. She'd have something yummy for Liza to eat when she got there.
At some point in the afternoon she heard the engine of the ranch pickup turn over and tires crunch on the driveway. She refused to see who it was. Maybe Zach was going somewhere overnight. Good riddance.
The afternoon was nearly gone when she heard another vehicle coming down the driveway but this one had a different sound. A door slammed. Tentatively she peeked through the window and saw Liza's slim form, the wind whipping her soft blonde hair back from her face, heels tapping on the concrete apron to the porch.
Wiping her hands on her jeans she threw open the door and stretched out her arms. Liza was here. Thank God. Maybe she could handle this thing with Ty and the sale of the ranch.
* * * * *
"I'm sorry I'm not more help honey," Liza said, licking the last piece of cinnamon roll from her finger. "I'm just not sure I agree with your decision. Maddie, you can't just take over the ranch and run it. And where will the money come from? You've got until spring before you can sell off any stock to market. And after Daddy spent all that money on the Santa Gertrudis bull, I don't think he made any arrangements to breed him and collect stud fees."
Maddie ran her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. "I know there's some cash in the bank. Ty told us that in the email, remember? And I can probably borrow the rest using the ranch as collateral."
"Oh, honey." Liza sat back, dismay written across her face. "That's such a big undertaking. And to tell you the truth, I was counting on the money from the sale. I'll bet Jenna is too."
"I can buy you out." Maddie set her jaw stubbornly. "If that's what you want, I'll find a way to do it."
"I'll figure something out. My mind's made up. I burned my bridges, Liza and I'm not going to try rebuilding them. And that's that." Impulsively she hugged her sister. "Let's not fight, okay?"
Liza sighed. "All right. But before I call Ty tomorrow, we need to have a heart to heart. Understood?"
Maddie sighed. "Yeah. Okay. I got it."
Just then they heard the truck returning, the sound of the heavy tires unmistakable. Liza peeked out the front window.
"Isn't that - "
"Zach Brennan. Already settling in."
Liza turned to look at her. "Settling in?"
"Yes. A new wrinkle to deal with. Your old boyfriend sent him out here to run things until the estate is probated and the ranch sold. He wants to buy it."
Liza's jaw dropped. "Zach Brennan wants to buy the Flying W? Since when? What happened to the bright lights of the rodeo circuit?"
Maddie shrugged. "Ask Ty. He made all the arrangements."
"If that's so, it might solve a lot of problems."
Maddie picked up their coffee mugs and carried them to the sink. "Over my dead body."
"By the way, the tree looks fabulous. I almost cried when I looked in the window and saw it."
"I almost cried when I was decorating it."
"And those stockings. I'm so glad you found them."
"Now that's when I did cry. I kept remembering all those other Christmases..." Her eyes started to fill again.
Liza pulled her into a hug. "It'll be just fine, Maddie Mae. I can feel it. Everything will work out."