“Yes, ma’am.” Her smile was infectious, and he returned it.
She held the door wide, inviting them in. “That would make you Parker. I’m Abigail. Please, come in.”
When they stepped inside, she closed the door behind them. “I’m married to Carson and Michael, Kate’s two younger sons. I know I’m more than a week late, but welcome to Lusty. We’re all so glad you’re here. This way, please. We’re gathered in the great room for a before-supper drink.”
The house on the outside had been more than he expected, and he’d understood the moment he saw it why all the cousins called it the Big House. Inside was just as impressive.
The Benedicts of Montana weren’t slouches in the money-making department. They all seemed to have been born with that particular ability.
Standing inside the entrance hall of the Big House, Dale reckoned that skill truly had been in the genes, and it had begun right here in Lusty, Texas, with their great-great grandparents.
They’d taken their ball caps off when they’d entered and kept them that way as Abigail Benedict—Aunt Abigail he mentally corrected—introduced them around.
They shook hands with Carson and Michael and then Caleb, Jonathan, and Bernice. Jackson had told him that Uncle Jonathan had been a rancher and that Uncle Caleb had been a Texas Ranger—the cop kind, not the ball-playing kind.
Grandma Kate looked the same as she had when he’d been ten. She got to her feet, and because she was Grandma Kate, he gave her a gentle hug.
The one she gave him back was much stronger than he’d expected. He stepped back and let Parker have the same revelation.
Carson offered them a drink, and soon he was sitting comfortably, a Shiner in his hand, starting to get to know these aunts and uncles who were already different from the ones in Montana.
“That was a good thing that you boys did,” Kate said. “I understand it made things rough for you back home.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dale sat forward. “We were sorry for that. Parker was the one on the ball that day. He started recording on his cell phone as soon as we realized what Norah was saying.”
“We never had another thought except to give Jackson and Cord a heads-up.” Parker’s expression was serious. “When they all asked us to post that video, it didn’t occur to us to say no, even though we knew the family wouldn’t be happy about it.”
“We came down here because Jackson invited us. We thought it would be a good idea to let the family in Montana have time to cool down,” Dale said.
“Doing the right thing shouldn’t ever be penalized,” Caleb said.
“No, sir, it shouldn’t. But things often happen in life that shouldn’t,” Parker said.
“That’s a sad truth.” Michael nodded and took a sip of his beer.
“We’ve only been here just over a week.” Dale looked at his brother. Parker nodded. He turned back to the Texan Benedicts. “Only a week, and already we see the difference. We love our family. That will never change. But we don’t love the way they behave sometimes.”
“We’re glad you’re here,” Bernice said. Her smile made Dale feel good. “I understand you’re helping your cousins out?”
“They offered us jobs,” Parker said. “We’re workers and have always worked hard. In fact, we were looking for a new opportunity when all this happened. Even so, we can’t commit right away to long term. We promised Jackson and Cord three months,” Parker said.
Jonathan nodded. “Under the circumstances, I don’t blame you a bit. I reckon working with family hasn’t been a good experience for you up to now.”
“No, sir, it hasn’t. We’re really hoping that changes.” Dale didn’t feel they were on the hot seat or being judged. In fact, he couldn’t ever recall being this comfortable in the presence of any of his extended family back home. He was comfortable here, and judging by Parker’s body language, his brother felt the same way.
The men smiled. “I’m sure it will,” Michael said. “Those boys—our sons Chase and Brian, as well as your cousins—they’re building something special together. I must confess they’ve surprised us all.”
Grandma Kate cleared her throat.
Michael chuckled. “Let me amend that. They’ve surprised all of us except Mother.”
Dale and Parker both chuckled. Just then, it was easy to see how Grandma Kate was considered the head of the combined families.
“Their business looks to be something that will really do well,” Parker said. “We were quite impressed.”
“We like how they’ve got all the bases covered, and we know how talented Trace and Lucas are in training rodeo stock because they were darn good on the circuit,” Dale said.
“That’s not something the two of you have ever done, is it?” Grandma Kate asked.
“No, ma’am.” Parker grinned. “The most adventurous thing we’ve ever done—before coming down here—was to go to U of M. We stayed close to campus the first year and then commuted for the rest of our time there. We’re both ranchers down to the bone and believed we’d only do a better job with some solid learning to go with the experience we’d already racked up.”
Jonathan sat forward. “That’s the way I saw it, too. I attended college and got degrees in animal husbandry and ranch management. I wanted to do the best job I could do. Our son, Steven, did the same. He runs the first Benedict ranch now.”
Abigail and Bernice got to their feet, and Dale and Parker both did the same, as did the older men in the room.
“Gentlemen, sit. Supper will be ready, shortly. We’ll just get it finished up.”
Dale already knew another difference between the family here and the one up north. Both his aunts Norah and Mary coveted household help year-round. That was one thing his mother never seemed to care overmuch about. She understood that the ranch came first—simply because it was the foundation that supported them all.
Norah had been especially bitter about Uncle George’s refusal to
