bones.”
“Ain’t nothin’ like an icy cold beer in the summer when the day’s work is done,” Grady
said.
Jack chuckled. “Or a bottle of cold watermelon wine chilled in a cold creek.”
“Guess there will be an open bar like always at the party?” Lucas asked.
“Oh, yes there will,” Jack said. “I even ordered a few bottles of watermelon wine
and a couple of strawberry wine just for you.”
“Tell me about this party,” Natalie whispered to Lucas.
“Dad, tell Natalie about the Christmas open house,” Lucas said loudly.
“We always have a little get-together for the neighbors and our business friends at
Christmas. You don’t have to do much. Caterers come in with the food, and the hired
help moves the furniture out of the living room and helps set up the tables and all.
Folks filter in and out from about six to midnight. Mostly they stay about an hour
and go on to the next party and then some more come in. Usually ain’t no more than
thirty or forty in here at one time. Y’all probably have something like it out there
in Silverton, right?” Jack asked.
She nodded. “Lawton Pierce has a big Christmas party down in the Palo Duro Canyon
every year. Last year it had to be postponed a couple of weeks because of that snowstorm
we got out there. We began to think it wasn’t going to stop until it filled the whole
canyon. Momma has a New Year’s party in the big sale barn and everyone in the whole
county is invited. Unless the weather is bad, we have a barn full.”
They’d finished the second roll of tinsel and the tree was beginning to look decorated.
Lucas stood back and eyed it, walking all the way around to the back before he nodded.
“I believe we’ve got it. It’s ready for the ornaments. You guys have to do those since
we did the hard part. And we get to sit in the chairs and boss you.”
“Josh here is nodding off. I’d better sit right here and hold him,” Jack said.
Natalie shook her head. “No, sir! It’s your turn, and besides, I’m thirsty. So I’m
going to hold Joshua and enjoy that glass of tea before it gets so watered down that
it’s tasteless.”
“Sassy bit of baggage, ain’t you?” Jack smiled.
“That’s the understatement of the whole year. I’m sassy. I’m bossy. I pitch fits.
And I’m more stubborn than a cross-eyed mule. I see the sun is trying to peek through
the clouds out there”—she pointed out the window—“which means it’ll be thawing in
a couple of days. You sure you want me to stay on until Hazel comes back?”
“Yes, he’s sure. I’m not about to eat his cookin’ for a whole month. I’d rather spend
eternity on the backside of hell sittin’ on a barbed wire fence. And honey, you got
a long, long way to go before you ever get as bossy as Hazel,” Henry said.
“Gramps!” Lucas said.
“Well, I would. Jack can barely make a pot of coffee. His momma never could teach
him the ways of the kitchen. I’m putting the ornaments in the middle. I’m too old
to bend and too mean to stretch,” Henry declared.
Jack handed Joshua off to Natalie, and the three old men talked about every ornament
they picked up. This one was from the first years that Henry was married to Ella Jo;
that one was what Lucas made in school in the second grade. It sounded like home,
which reminded her that she had to call her mother.
When every one of the ornaments was dangling from a tree branch, Henry stood back
like Lucas had earlier and cocked his head to one side. “It’s time to put the top
up there. Josh is the youngest, so he gets to do it.”
“Good grief! He’s two months old and he just learned to smile. There’s no way he can
put the top on the tree,” Natalie said.
“Sure he can if we help him. Lucas, you hold this and I’ll hold the baby up there.
Grady, you got the camera?”
“Right here,” Grady said.
Lucas reached up and set the angel on top of the tree and Jack
“Ain’t nothin’ like an icy cold beer in the summer when the day’s work is done,” Grady
said.
Jack chuckled. “Or a bottle of cold watermelon wine chilled in a cold creek.”
“Guess there will be an open bar like always at the party?” Lucas asked.
“Oh, yes there will,” Jack said. “I even ordered a few bottles of watermelon wine
and a couple of strawberry wine just for you.”
“Tell me about this party,” Natalie whispered to Lucas.
“Dad, tell Natalie about the Christmas open house,” Lucas said loudly.
“We always have a little get-together for the neighbors and our business friends at
Christmas. You don’t have to do much. Caterers come in with the food, and the hired
help moves the furniture out of the living room and helps set up the tables and all.
Folks filter in and out from about six to midnight. Mostly they stay about an hour
and go on to the next party and then some more come in. Usually ain’t no more than
thirty or forty in here at one time. Y’all probably have something like it out there
in Silverton, right?” Jack asked.
She nodded. “Lawton Pierce has a big Christmas party down in the Palo Duro Canyon
every year. Last year it had to be postponed a couple of weeks because of that snowstorm
we got out there. We began to think it wasn’t going to stop until it filled the whole
canyon. Momma has a New Year’s party in the big sale barn and everyone in the whole
county is invited. Unless the weather is bad, we have a barn full.”
They’d finished the second roll of tinsel and the tree was beginning to look decorated.
Lucas stood back and eyed it, walking all the way around to the back before he nodded.
“I believe we’ve got it. It’s ready for the ornaments. You guys have to do those since
we did the hard part. And we get to sit in the chairs and boss you.”
“Josh here is nodding off. I’d better sit right here and hold him,” Jack said.
Natalie shook her head. “No, sir! It’s your turn, and besides, I’m thirsty. So I’m
going to hold Joshua and enjoy that glass of tea before it gets so watered down that
it’s tasteless.”
“Sassy bit of baggage, ain’t you?” Jack smiled.
“That’s the understatement of the whole year. I’m sassy. I’m bossy. I pitch fits.
And I’m more stubborn than a cross-eyed mule. I see the sun is trying to peek through
the clouds out there”—she pointed out the window—“which means it’ll be thawing in
a couple of days. You sure you want me to stay on until Hazel comes back?”
“Yes, he’s sure. I’m not about to eat his cookin’ for a whole month. I’d rather spend
eternity on the backside of hell sittin’ on a barbed wire fence. And honey, you got
a long, long way to go before you ever get as bossy as Hazel,” Henry said.
“Gramps!” Lucas said.
“Well, I would. Jack can barely make a pot of coffee. His momma never could teach
him the ways of the kitchen. I’m putting the ornaments in the middle. I’m too old
to bend and too mean to stretch,” Henry declared.
Jack handed Joshua off to Natalie, and the three old men talked about every ornament
they picked up. This one was from the first years that Henry was married to Ella Jo;
that one was what Lucas made in school in the second grade. It sounded like home,
which reminded her that she had to call her mother.
When every one of the ornaments was dangling from a tree branch, Henry stood back
like Lucas had earlier and cocked his head to one side. “It’s time to put the top
up there. Josh is the youngest, so he gets to do it.”
“Good grief! He’s two months old and he just learned to smile. There’s no way he can
put the top on the tree,” Natalie said.
“Sure he can if we help him. Lucas, you hold this and I’ll hold the baby up there.
Grady, you got the camera?”
“Right here,” Grady said.
Lucas reached up and set the angel on top of the tree and Jack
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