his mother. “But she puts stuff on them to make them disappear because she’s a girl. But we’re men, and we don’t wear makeup. Right, Mr. Howdy?”
“Right,” he answered, so glad he hadn’t gotten that goop after all. He offered Tommy a high five enthusiastically accepted.
“Corazon says lunch is ready. Are you two coming? You can sit next to me, Mr. Howdy, and maybe after you can help me with my kicking.”
“Sure,” he said, carefully sliding his boot down the pillar in order not to go pitching forward. His calf muscle had gone to sleep, and he limped after mother and child.
Cassie tossed a venomous glance over her shoulder. “Don’t you have stock to see about in the barn?”
“I will after we eat. Maybe Tommy can help me muck out those stalls so we can get down to kicking practice earlier. That was the rule at my grandpa’s ranch.”
Tommy held out the hand not being gripped by his mother. Howdy took it, and like a happy family, they went into have lunch.
EIGHT
“I’m sorry,” Joe said.
Nell moved her eyes from the view of falling snow that covered the entire Grand Canyon like an opaque white bed sheet hung out to dry. Nothing could be seen beyond it. They had a rim cabin possessing a funky sort of fake adobe charm at Bright Angel Lodge. Plain furnishings, a double bed, small private bath, and a television made up the amenities. The wood in the fireplace popped merrily making the room cozy and bright if by no means as luxurious as the bedroom they shared at home. Their vast Jacuzzi overhung with a crystal chandelier back at Lorena Ranch would have overflowed the space allotted for bathing here.
Nell smiled slightly at the thought. She and Joe had broken up while he built his pseudo-ante-bellum mansion at the ranch, and his often questionable taste in furnishings had come into play in the bathroom. Really, what woman wanted a thousand watts of light illuminating her when she lay naked in the tub? And he’d put in another bidet, never used, but a great spot to raise African violets. Oh, Joe, how she did love him, bad taste and all.
“There, I saw that smile! This place isn’t so bad. I mean not nearly as nice as our suite at the Sheraton in Phoenix, but kinda cute, huh? I didn’t know about the weather. It’s like spring in the south of Arizona and here we got snow. Who would have thunk it?” He poked at the logs in the fireplace and sent sparks spiraling up the chimney.
“It does get cold at this elevation. I guess we should have expected some snow.”
“Some! We can’t see a damned thing out that window. We could get lost and fall right off the rim on our way to the lodge for dinner. Don’t think they have room service for the cabins.”
“Most likely not. Really, I don’t care.” Nell sighed and returned to watching snow fall.
“Since we’re snowed in, how about some sex—anyway you want it? A few more days, and we’ll have to hold off until we’re sure the babies are settled. We can watch the Super Bowl tomorrow and have a drunken orgy. Last call for alcohol before you get pregnant.”
“That’s your idea of fun, not mine. Besides, I doubt alcohol is such a good idea with all the drugs in my system right now.”
“So. No sex?” He gave her that pitiful puppy dog look he could pull off so well with his large, dark eyes.
“I didn’t say that. It’s just I thought we’d be taking pictures of the canyon and e-mailing them to the children, not sitting around in a whiteout.”
Joe stopped aggravating the fire and moved closer to his wife to attempt stirring up another kind of spark. He wrapped one big arm around her and drew her to the bed. The mattress wasn’t the best but after a while, they wouldn’t notice.
“Ah, ah, ah! My choice.” Nell pulled him to the fireplace and gestured to the probably faux Navajo rug in front of the hearth. “Take off your clothes and lie down.”
Joe did a mini-striptease for her, taking one button at a time,
“Right,” he answered, so glad he hadn’t gotten that goop after all. He offered Tommy a high five enthusiastically accepted.
“Corazon says lunch is ready. Are you two coming? You can sit next to me, Mr. Howdy, and maybe after you can help me with my kicking.”
“Sure,” he said, carefully sliding his boot down the pillar in order not to go pitching forward. His calf muscle had gone to sleep, and he limped after mother and child.
Cassie tossed a venomous glance over her shoulder. “Don’t you have stock to see about in the barn?”
“I will after we eat. Maybe Tommy can help me muck out those stalls so we can get down to kicking practice earlier. That was the rule at my grandpa’s ranch.”
Tommy held out the hand not being gripped by his mother. Howdy took it, and like a happy family, they went into have lunch.
EIGHT
“I’m sorry,” Joe said.
Nell moved her eyes from the view of falling snow that covered the entire Grand Canyon like an opaque white bed sheet hung out to dry. Nothing could be seen beyond it. They had a rim cabin possessing a funky sort of fake adobe charm at Bright Angel Lodge. Plain furnishings, a double bed, small private bath, and a television made up the amenities. The wood in the fireplace popped merrily making the room cozy and bright if by no means as luxurious as the bedroom they shared at home. Their vast Jacuzzi overhung with a crystal chandelier back at Lorena Ranch would have overflowed the space allotted for bathing here.
Nell smiled slightly at the thought. She and Joe had broken up while he built his pseudo-ante-bellum mansion at the ranch, and his often questionable taste in furnishings had come into play in the bathroom. Really, what woman wanted a thousand watts of light illuminating her when she lay naked in the tub? And he’d put in another bidet, never used, but a great spot to raise African violets. Oh, Joe, how she did love him, bad taste and all.
“There, I saw that smile! This place isn’t so bad. I mean not nearly as nice as our suite at the Sheraton in Phoenix, but kinda cute, huh? I didn’t know about the weather. It’s like spring in the south of Arizona and here we got snow. Who would have thunk it?” He poked at the logs in the fireplace and sent sparks spiraling up the chimney.
“It does get cold at this elevation. I guess we should have expected some snow.”
“Some! We can’t see a damned thing out that window. We could get lost and fall right off the rim on our way to the lodge for dinner. Don’t think they have room service for the cabins.”
“Most likely not. Really, I don’t care.” Nell sighed and returned to watching snow fall.
“Since we’re snowed in, how about some sex—anyway you want it? A few more days, and we’ll have to hold off until we’re sure the babies are settled. We can watch the Super Bowl tomorrow and have a drunken orgy. Last call for alcohol before you get pregnant.”
“That’s your idea of fun, not mine. Besides, I doubt alcohol is such a good idea with all the drugs in my system right now.”
“So. No sex?” He gave her that pitiful puppy dog look he could pull off so well with his large, dark eyes.
“I didn’t say that. It’s just I thought we’d be taking pictures of the canyon and e-mailing them to the children, not sitting around in a whiteout.”
Joe stopped aggravating the fire and moved closer to his wife to attempt stirring up another kind of spark. He wrapped one big arm around her and drew her to the bed. The mattress wasn’t the best but after a while, they wouldn’t notice.
“Ah, ah, ah! My choice.” Nell pulled him to the fireplace and gestured to the probably faux Navajo rug in front of the hearth. “Take off your clothes and lie down.”
Joe did a mini-striptease for her, taking one button at a time,
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