girls squealing on the front porch, or that tonight those same little girls were playing and singing for their daddy in the living room. The girls were giddy with the preparations and had changed clothes a dozen times, traipsing up and down the stairs for her opinion on what they should wear for their first concert.
She had planned on a one-song show after only a week of fiddle playing and singing. But that had stretched to two numbers, and now it was up to three songs, one with fiddle accompaniment, and two with the karaoke machine providing background music.
Supper involved more wiggling, whispering, and squirming than it did eating. The show was to start at seven o’clock, and it was already after six, so the excitement was mounting fast.
“Do I need to get out my tux or will my Sunday suit do for this show?” Mason teased.
“Oh, Daddy, it’s a country music concert. You can wear your jeans and shirt, and Mama-Nanny can wear jeans too. But y’all have to clap even if we miss a note, and at the end of the summer we might even get matching T-shirts for us all, like at the Miranda concerts,” Gabby said.
“I’m very good at applause. I took that class in college,” Annie Rose teased.
Mason caught her eye above the girls’ heads and smiled. “Did you pass it?”
“Made a hundred on every test,” she said. “Did you take it too?”
“No, I’m self-taught. Trained in how to clap my hands by two little girls when I taught them to play patty-cake,” he answered.
“Daddy!” Lily exclaimed. “Don’t laugh at us. We’re going to knock your socks off.”
“I’m sure you are, but right now could we finish supper? I’m really hungry, and you don’t want my growling stomach to be louder than your music. Have you forgotten that tomorrow is the Angus Association picnic and the next Saturday is the trip to The Pink Pistol? And speaking of rodeos, the Saturday after that, let’s take the girls to the Resistol Rodeo down in Mesquite.” Mason made plans as he ate the rest of his supper.
Lily threw a hand over her forehead. “One thing at a time, Daddy. We have to concentrate on our concert right now, then all three of us girls will plan out what we’ll wear to the picnic.”
“Picnic? Tomorrow?” Annie Rose asked. Surely the nanny didn’t attend every one of those affairs, and if she did, what was she going to wear?
“It’s the one family affair that we have each year. We alternate ranches where we have it. This year it’s Lucas Allen’s turn. His ranch is up near Savoy, not far from here. He supplies the brisket. We all bring a covered dish. There’s a cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory in the freezer. That’s what I always take,” Mason said.
“We’re done. May we be excused, Mama-Nanny?” Gabby asked.
“Of course, and we’ll use the dishwasher because you two are concert stars not ranchin’ women tonight.” Annie Rose’s head was in a spin. A picnic and she only had two outfits and a dirty wedding gown. If only the dates had been reversed, she might have found something decent at The Pink Pistol store.
“We’ll be ready in fifteen minutes, Daddy. You best get in line at the door, or you’ll miss the first number.” Lily tossed back her hair on the way out of the kitchen.
“I dread it when they’re sixteen,” he said.
“You have every right to dread their teenage years. Am I really supposed to go to all those places you mentioned? I’m the nanny. I can stay home.”
“Yes, ma’am, you are going. A nanny could take the day off, but since you are the mama, you have to go.”
“How far is it into Whitewright?” she asked.
“Five minutes, tops. Why?”
“Because I have two pair of jeans and a torn, dirty wedding dress. If I’m going somewhere with you and the girls, I’d like to look decent,” she answered.
“The keys to my truck are hanging on the rack beside the back door. They’re the set on the keychain that says World’s Best Dad. Don’t have to
She had planned on a one-song show after only a week of fiddle playing and singing. But that had stretched to two numbers, and now it was up to three songs, one with fiddle accompaniment, and two with the karaoke machine providing background music.
Supper involved more wiggling, whispering, and squirming than it did eating. The show was to start at seven o’clock, and it was already after six, so the excitement was mounting fast.
“Do I need to get out my tux or will my Sunday suit do for this show?” Mason teased.
“Oh, Daddy, it’s a country music concert. You can wear your jeans and shirt, and Mama-Nanny can wear jeans too. But y’all have to clap even if we miss a note, and at the end of the summer we might even get matching T-shirts for us all, like at the Miranda concerts,” Gabby said.
“I’m very good at applause. I took that class in college,” Annie Rose teased.
Mason caught her eye above the girls’ heads and smiled. “Did you pass it?”
“Made a hundred on every test,” she said. “Did you take it too?”
“No, I’m self-taught. Trained in how to clap my hands by two little girls when I taught them to play patty-cake,” he answered.
“Daddy!” Lily exclaimed. “Don’t laugh at us. We’re going to knock your socks off.”
“I’m sure you are, but right now could we finish supper? I’m really hungry, and you don’t want my growling stomach to be louder than your music. Have you forgotten that tomorrow is the Angus Association picnic and the next Saturday is the trip to The Pink Pistol? And speaking of rodeos, the Saturday after that, let’s take the girls to the Resistol Rodeo down in Mesquite.” Mason made plans as he ate the rest of his supper.
Lily threw a hand over her forehead. “One thing at a time, Daddy. We have to concentrate on our concert right now, then all three of us girls will plan out what we’ll wear to the picnic.”
“Picnic? Tomorrow?” Annie Rose asked. Surely the nanny didn’t attend every one of those affairs, and if she did, what was she going to wear?
“It’s the one family affair that we have each year. We alternate ranches where we have it. This year it’s Lucas Allen’s turn. His ranch is up near Savoy, not far from here. He supplies the brisket. We all bring a covered dish. There’s a cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory in the freezer. That’s what I always take,” Mason said.
“We’re done. May we be excused, Mama-Nanny?” Gabby asked.
“Of course, and we’ll use the dishwasher because you two are concert stars not ranchin’ women tonight.” Annie Rose’s head was in a spin. A picnic and she only had two outfits and a dirty wedding gown. If only the dates had been reversed, she might have found something decent at The Pink Pistol store.
“We’ll be ready in fifteen minutes, Daddy. You best get in line at the door, or you’ll miss the first number.” Lily tossed back her hair on the way out of the kitchen.
“I dread it when they’re sixteen,” he said.
“You have every right to dread their teenage years. Am I really supposed to go to all those places you mentioned? I’m the nanny. I can stay home.”
“Yes, ma’am, you are going. A nanny could take the day off, but since you are the mama, you have to go.”
“How far is it into Whitewright?” she asked.
“Five minutes, tops. Why?”
“Because I have two pair of jeans and a torn, dirty wedding dress. If I’m going somewhere with you and the girls, I’d like to look decent,” she answered.
“The keys to my truck are hanging on the rack beside the back door. They’re the set on the keychain that says World’s Best Dad. Don’t have to
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