is, I didn’t. All I did was work, work, work, and everything I thought I was working for was handed to someone else. I’ve lived more in these past few months than I have in a lifetime. And this beautiful man that God has graced me with, was there and willing to be there for a lifetime for a child that’s not even his on a dime. That says everything I need to know about Dexter Callahan. I’m sure.”
“Aren’t you nervous and scared, though, making a move like this?” Gail asked.
“I’m nervous, sure, but I am not afraid. And you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I feel God all around me.” Happy tears sprang from Cynthia’s eyes.
“Well if you’ve got the good Lord in your corner, you’re good to go,” Gail said, getting emotional as she felt God’s presence, remembering his hand guiding her through her own plight.
“So what’s this about a job?” Gail asked.
“Not a job, a career.”
“What?”
“When you finish your undergraduate, you should go on to law school. You were always the smarter of the two of us, Gail.”
“I don’t know, Cynthia.”
“Sure, why not. Even if it takes you a few extra years, because you have the boys, that time is going to pass anyway. I’ll be growing the practice and you can work next to me in the meantime, learning everything I know.”
“You think I can do this?”
“I know you can,” Cynthia said. “It’s a long-range plan, but why on earth not?”
Gail thought about it.
“Well if there are fine men like Dexter Callahan running around out there on the open range, I will seriously consider it,” Gail laughed.
“Good, but he may just be that needle in the haystack,” Cynthia chuckled. “Seriously though, just back-burner it, graduate, do what you have to do, and if you’re still open to the idea when it’s time, I’ll help you choose a school and get settled out here. The cost of living is palatable, and though Cattlewood is a tiny town, Billings is a nice, thriving city. There are some good schools for my nephews, and I think the change would do you well.”
“It would be nice to be near each other again,” Gail said.
“Yes, it would. I love you, big sis,” Cynthia said. “And I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you, too,” Gail said.
After they hung up, Cynthia drove the Jeep on toward Cattlewood.
Chapter 26
Apple Callahan’s truck pulled up into the yard about the same time as Cynthia returned from Billings.
Dexter smiled when he saw his fiancé, but a daunting feeling crept in when he saw Apple get out of her truck. He could tell she’d been drinking.
She was wearing a wide-brim straw cowboy hat to cover her pale skin and a pair of tight-fitting jeans with a too-tight t-shirt.
“Hey almost sister,” Apple chuckled at Cynthia as they walked toward the porch. “Congratulations. You’re getting a fine man in my brother,” she said.
“Thank you,” Cynthia said. “I know.”
“I hope you do honey because if it weren’t against the law to straddle kin, I would have taken advantage of Dex a long time ago.”
Apple’s joke startled Cynthia because part of her believed Apple meant what she said. “Well alrighty then,” was all Cynthia said, trying to make light of it.
Dexter just shot his big sister a disapproving glance while shaking his head. His heart dropped because he knew his sister pretty much had ‘a fuck the world’ outlook on life, and she more often than not did whatever she damn well pleased no matter what.
Apple waved a hand at him, dismissing his chastising. Her eyes zoomed in on Martin.
She’d missed him.
“Hey sugar,” she said to Martin,” ignoring Thelma sitting on the porch, too.
Martin shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
“Apple,” he nodded hello, feeling in his gut there was about to be some trouble.
“I thought you
“Aren’t you nervous and scared, though, making a move like this?” Gail asked.
“I’m nervous, sure, but I am not afraid. And you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I feel God all around me.” Happy tears sprang from Cynthia’s eyes.
“Well if you’ve got the good Lord in your corner, you’re good to go,” Gail said, getting emotional as she felt God’s presence, remembering his hand guiding her through her own plight.
“So what’s this about a job?” Gail asked.
“Not a job, a career.”
“What?”
“When you finish your undergraduate, you should go on to law school. You were always the smarter of the two of us, Gail.”
“I don’t know, Cynthia.”
“Sure, why not. Even if it takes you a few extra years, because you have the boys, that time is going to pass anyway. I’ll be growing the practice and you can work next to me in the meantime, learning everything I know.”
“You think I can do this?”
“I know you can,” Cynthia said. “It’s a long-range plan, but why on earth not?”
Gail thought about it.
“Well if there are fine men like Dexter Callahan running around out there on the open range, I will seriously consider it,” Gail laughed.
“Good, but he may just be that needle in the haystack,” Cynthia chuckled. “Seriously though, just back-burner it, graduate, do what you have to do, and if you’re still open to the idea when it’s time, I’ll help you choose a school and get settled out here. The cost of living is palatable, and though Cattlewood is a tiny town, Billings is a nice, thriving city. There are some good schools for my nephews, and I think the change would do you well.”
“It would be nice to be near each other again,” Gail said.
“Yes, it would. I love you, big sis,” Cynthia said. “And I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you, too,” Gail said.
After they hung up, Cynthia drove the Jeep on toward Cattlewood.
Chapter 26
Apple Callahan’s truck pulled up into the yard about the same time as Cynthia returned from Billings.
Dexter smiled when he saw his fiancé, but a daunting feeling crept in when he saw Apple get out of her truck. He could tell she’d been drinking.
She was wearing a wide-brim straw cowboy hat to cover her pale skin and a pair of tight-fitting jeans with a too-tight t-shirt.
“Hey almost sister,” Apple chuckled at Cynthia as they walked toward the porch. “Congratulations. You’re getting a fine man in my brother,” she said.
“Thank you,” Cynthia said. “I know.”
“I hope you do honey because if it weren’t against the law to straddle kin, I would have taken advantage of Dex a long time ago.”
Apple’s joke startled Cynthia because part of her believed Apple meant what she said. “Well alrighty then,” was all Cynthia said, trying to make light of it.
Dexter just shot his big sister a disapproving glance while shaking his head. His heart dropped because he knew his sister pretty much had ‘a fuck the world’ outlook on life, and she more often than not did whatever she damn well pleased no matter what.
Apple waved a hand at him, dismissing his chastising. Her eyes zoomed in on Martin.
She’d missed him.
“Hey sugar,” she said to Martin,” ignoring Thelma sitting on the porch, too.
Martin shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
“Apple,” he nodded hello, feeling in his gut there was about to be some trouble.
“I thought you
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