“Wow. I can imagine the big stink all this caused.”
“No, I think Grandma and Grandpa got it right. We’re the
youngest of all the grandkids and the least likely to inherit much, but
we’re also the only ones that are still unmarried. And yeah, Tillie was
pissed as hell. She thought for sure all the wedding bands would go to
the oldest grandchild, whether they were already married or not.”
Tillie was Allen’s much older, married sister. He held out the
weathered, plain man’s gold band to her.
“It’s not right that they should be split up, Juliana. I want you to
have it, as well.” Juliana was struck dumb by his selflessness.
“Besides, I have no immediate plans to marry,” he said softly as he
opened her shaking hand and placed it in her palm. She could hear the
regret in his voice.
She closed her hand and put her arms around his neck and
whispered, “I’m so sorry, Allen. I know how much you loved her.”
“I let her down. I had no idea what she was going through until
she was gone. I never told Teresa how I felt about her. She deserved
better than someone who couldn’t even put two intelligent words
Spurs and Heels
185
together in her presence. I kept thinking she’d come back. She looks
so happy with her men, and I think they’ll make fine fathers to
Michael.”
“Allen, the right woman is out there for you. Shouldn’t you hold
on to this for when she shows up?”
“No, I want the rings to stay together. And I’m happy knowing
you’ll have them. Plus, it’ll really piss Tillie off when I tell her that I
gave it to you,” Allen added with a dry laugh.
Juliana wiped tears from her cheeks as she snickered, “Well, you
know what they say? It’s better to be pissed off—”
“—than pissed on. Tell the man you love him. If you’ve learned anything from my wretched love life, it’s that you need to learn to
trust your feelings and go for it.”
“Yeah. There’s just one little hitch that’s presented itself to my
happily ever after,” she whispered so that there was no chance of
being overheard.
“Now what?”
“Ash is going to be a daddy.”
Allen looked down at her sitting beside him in the booth, smiled,
and kissed her forehead.
“I found out this morning.”
“You’re going to have to buy me dessert if you want me to not go
blabbing that news to your folks.”
“Don’t you dare. Not until after I talk to Ash and they have a
chance to meet him. I guess I have to go pay a visit to him after we
eat, huh?”
“Sooner, the better. When do you expect the new arrival?”
“Late September, early October. Plus, I have other changes to
make in my life. I think I’m ready to move on from my current
position.”
They talked while they ate then Allen grabbed the check off the
table before she could. He hugged her again after he paid the bill, and
they parted ways to go back to work.
186
Heather Rainier
Back at work, the break room was abuzz with plans for a going-
away party for an employee who was moving out of state. Her
husband was in the military and being reassigned to a base in North
Carolina. Several of the ladies had planned a surprise send-off for her
that night at The Dancing Pony.
When Evelyn asked her, Juliana allowed her to load all the
decorations and housewarming gifts for the young lady’s new home
into the trunk of her Camaro to take over there that evening.
Distracted, she tried out different lines to tell Ash the news. She
grew more and more regretful that the news that she truly loved him
had to come with the news she was also pregnant.
Juliana didn’t regret the baby at all. That surprised her because
she witnessed up close and personal what it was like for Teresa with
Michael.
She was grateful that she hadn’t had any morning sickness.
Although if she had, she might have tumbled to the fact that she was
pregnant a little sooner. She was already two and a half months along.
Her stomach twisted up in knots imagining all the scenarios and Ash’s
reaction to the news.
She finally gave up trying to concentrate on work. Finishing what
absolutely had to be done, she told Evelyn and the other employee
planning the going-away party that she’d see them at The Pony at the
appointed time that evening.
* * * *
Juliana took the opportunity to stop in and say hello to Teresa,
hoping to find some courage along the way. A little while later, three
of Teresa’s homemade tacos in hand, Juliana drove around to the first
red barn and pulled up near the door. There were ranch hands going