Chief Cook and Bottle Washer by Rita Hestand Page A

tired
of being surrounded by nothing but men. We don't want her wandering
off because she's got no lady friends."
    "Good thinkin' son. I'm glad you asked her.
Although I'm a little surprised Clint or Jake didn't ask her to go
with them."
    "Yeah. When Clint overlooked the matter, I
felt it my responsibility to take her. Her being new here. Jake's
been too busy, and Clint still doesn't have his head on straight
about women, I guess. Well listen dad. I've got to make a run into
Sweetwater, and Emma needs a few things. Would you watch Sammie Jo
for her?"
    Cal bent his head in a quick smile then
glanced up at his son, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Be glad
to. Ya'll go on, we'll be just fine. And I'll watch her tonight,
too."
    "Don't you want to go to the dance?" Deke
held his breath.
    "We might go," Cal said at last, letting out
a little chuckle.
    "We?"
    "Yeah, me and Sammie Jo might go to the dance
together. At least that way, I'll have an excuse not to dance with
all the widows in the county."
    "I thought you kinda liked some of them.
Especially Bertha."
    "Let's just say I like to keep them
guessing."
    "I wouldn't wait too long, women tend to be a
little on the fickle side, Dad."
    Deke nodded and went to pull the truck around
front. Emma came out of the house with her purse on her shoulder
and Cal took Sammie Jo out of her arms. Sammie Jo was eager to go
with Cal, cause he promised to show her a real pig. And because of
the older man Sammie Jo was showing signs of saying some real
words. Pig was one of them.
    Funny, Deke smiled as he watched his father
with the little tyke. Cal Travers hadn't lit a cigarette in a week.
Emma and Sammie Jo fit in well with the Travers bunch.
    Emma got into the truck and hugged the door.
Deke noticed she wore a newer pair of jeans and she had on a nice
white blouse instead of a T-shirt. The blouse wasn't sexy like the
T-shirt, but Deke was beginning to realize that the more a woman
hid, the more curious a man seemed to get. He certainly was.
    Deke didn't say a word to her for a long
while. But the bumps and ruts in the road threw Emma much closer
and conversation seemed easier than the sudden electric
silence.
    "Emma, I realize your finances are pretty
low, and I don't want to embarrass you. So let me give you some
money for a nice dress and we'll call it payday."
    "I couldn't do that."
    "Okay, then let me give this back to you.
It's the money you threw at me the night you ran into me. I never
spent it. My insurance took care of it."
    Emma hesitated, staring at the money. "I
really shouldn't spend the money on me. Sammie Jo should come
first. I need to buy a highchair, and I had planned on getting her
some new shoes too." She looked directly at him. "Maybe I shouldn't
go."
    "Trying to stand me up."
    "No, of course not."
    Deke cast her a curious glance. "I feel the
same way sometimes Emma. I know the ranch needs supplies more than
I need anything, but sometimes you've got to be good to yourself.
That way, you can be good to others. Do you know what I mean?"
    Emma was silent a moment, then looked at him.
Her big eyes drew him in. "Yes, I think I understand. All right,
just this once. I'll give in."
    "Once is all it will take. And don't worry
about the shoes for Sammie Jo. I'll spring for that. She's walkin'
pretty good right now, so I'd say she needs something sturdier than
sandals. Somethin' like a pair of boots."
    "Boots?" Emma laughed, "But she's only . . .
."
    "I know, but the way that kid gets around the
yard and barn, she's gonna need something to keep the mud off her."
Deke chuckled.
    "You noticed?"
    "Couldn't help but notice, she was muddier
than a pig with an itch the other day. Must have took you an hour
to clean the tub after you bathed her."
    "It did. Okay you win. You're the boss." Emma
laughed.
    "You have a nice laugh Emma, you should do it
more often."
    Pink dotted her cheeks.
    "So, tell me, where's the baby's father? What
was his name, Charlie."
    "His name was Joel, and I have no