Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Clara had no doubt that Trevor would tell her he would support any choice she made where her career was concerned, but it would be nice to talk the whole decision over with him. Trevor loved Mama Lizzy, and he always liked going to the hotel for dinner when they could carve out a few hours every month or two. The two of them would go over all the pros and cons—after they spent some time in bed together, she thought and smiled. The faint scent of Youth Dew perfume lingered with her, like an omen, as she drove from the hotel out to the ranch. She inhaled deeply and thought about how she could personalize that little office. Maybe put up some old pictures of her great-grandparents, who’d built the place, then add some of Mama Lizzy’s folks, and even her favorite one of Sophia that her grandmother had taken last year at Christmas. The legacy would be on the walls to remind her that she was carrying on by doing her part.

So, you’ve basically made your decision?the voice in her head asked.

“I guess I have,” she whispered with a smile as she turned into the lane that led up to the small trailer where Trevor would live until their wedding night. Cowboys were hurrying from one place to another, but she didn’t see Trevor among them. He was probably out plowing a field or doing something with cattle that she could never quite understand.

She parked in front of the trailer, got out of her vehicle, and went inside. Trevor’s dress boots were sitting beside his recliner and his breakfast dishes were in the kitchen sink. She carried her tote bag to the bedroom and dropped it beside the unmade bed. Clara had always been a neat freak, but then, she’d been raised that way. She could hear Mama Lizzy’s voice in her head. Make your bed when you get out of it. Do the dishes as you dirty them. Keep your bathroom spotless. And that was when she was barely four years old.

She straightened the bed, moved on to the bathroom, picked up towels from the floor and took them to the kitchen, tossed them in the washing machine—after moving a load over to the dryer. Then she went to the kitchen and washed up the dishes. When she finished that she sat down in the living area and picked up a ranching magazine from the end table. Not one thing in it interested her, so she turned on the television and surfed through channels until she found one of her favorite old movies just starting, Steel Magnolias. The women in the movie were strong, and even if they were married, they made their own decisions and held on to their independence—just as her grandmother Lizzy had done.

Tears were streaming down her face at the end of the movie. When Trevor poked his head in the door she was sobbing. He hurried to her side, dropped down on his knees, and wrapped her up in a hug. “What’s the matter? Is it your grandmother?”

She pointed at the television. “No, I always cry at the . . .” she hiccupped, “the . . .” she stammered as she tried to get control, “the end of that movie.”

Trevor stood up and handed her a tissue from the box on the end table.

“Can’t help it.” Another hiccup as she wiped her eyes.

“Let’s go up to the ranch house and have some lunch. My mother has made plenty, and good food and company will take your mind off the movie,” Trevor said.

“Let’s make a sandwich here and talk—just the two of us,” she said.

“All of us boys have lunch at the ranch house every day,” he reminded her. “The daughters-in-law join us when they can, but we brothers have always gone home for the noon meal. Then we all have supper in our own houses, except for me.” Trevor extended a hand and pulled her up from the chair. “I still eat with Mama and Daddy at the end of the workday. I’m looking forward to changing that.”

“What’s going on after lunch?” she asked.

“Work, and then supper with the folks,” he answered as he led her toward the door. “But pretty soon we’ll be in our own house, and . . .” he tipped up her chin and kissed her, “I found out what the surprise is. I overheard two of my brothers talking about it, but you have to act surprised.” He took a step toward the door.

“I’m not going with you to lunch,” she said. “I want to hear about the surprise, but I’m going to burst if I don’t tell you what’s happened.”

“Oh, yes, you are.” Trevor tugged on her hand. “Mama will think something is wrong if I don’t show up. This is the way things are done here on the ranch. I’ve told you before that I always eat with my folks.”

Clara pulled her hand free and took her phone from the hip pocket of her jeans, scrolled down, and called her future mother-in-law.

“Hello, Clara,” Donna said. “Trevor isn’t here yet, but I’m expecting him any minute. What can I help you with?”

“I’m at the trailer, and we’re having a sandwich here,” Clara said.

Trevor took the phone from her and said, “She’s jokin’, Mama. We’ll be down there in a few minutes. Don’t wait for me, though. My brothers will string me up if that happens.” He handed the phone back to her. “I do not appreciate that.”

Clara had never seen Trevor angry and she didn’t like it. She put aside her own feelings and said, “We are going to talk right now,” and she went on to tell him about Sophia and Hunter losing their jobs, and about Mama Lizzy’s offer. “We’re going to think about it for a couple of days, but I’m leaning toward saying yes so we can keep the hotel legacy going.”

Trevor let go of her hand and raked his fingers through his hair. “No.”

“No? What do you mean by such a cryptic answer?” Clara asked. “I didn’t ask you for permission. I just wanted us to talk about the pros and cons of me switching jobs. I’m pretty sure I’m going to do it if Sophia agrees.”

Trevor’s expression was set in stone and his mouth barely moved when he said, “Women on this ranch do not work outside. My sisters-in-law all take care of their homes, raise their children, and have things they do to help out here.”

“You’ve known from our first date that I’m not a ranching woman like your sisters-in-law. They all came from that kind of background, but I didn’t, and you know it. I want to be your wife, not a slave to this place.” Her tone sounded chilly in her own ears.

“They consider themselves lucky, not slaves,” he snapped. “Besides, you can’t get along with your sister. Never have been able to, and you’d be miserable working in that hotel with her every day.”

“My job would be five days a week and I would be working the same hours I’m working now, so what difference does it . . .” She clamped a hand over her mouth for a moment. “You are expecting me to quit my job when we have children, aren’t you? Well, honey, I was raised in that hotel and I turned out well enough for you to fall in love with me, so I expect that I can take our kids to work with me until they’re old enough to go to school.”

“No,” he said again. “The surprise is that my folks will up my salary, just like they did all my brothers’ wages, so that you don’t have to work at all. You’ll learn on Sunday that you can give your notice at the bank, and after the wedding you won’t be going to a job anywhere but on the ranch. Mama said she could use some help with the books for a couple of hours every day.”

Clara was stunned. Evidently, she had only thought she knew Trevor. “I have no intention of not working outside. I appreciate your folks’ generous offer, but you and I are partners in this marriage and . . .”

Trevor opened the door. “I thought we were, and that you would be excited. You know my family and how we do things. I haven’t kept anything a secret from you. We want four kids and we want them to be raised on this ranch, not bottled up every day in a hotel.”

Clara propped her hands on her hips and walked outside ahead of him. “Then when they are old enough to walk and get around, you can take care of them while I work. I’m too angry right now to talk about this anymore. My mind is made up about the hotel and I’m not changing it. You go on up to the ranch house and have lunch with your family. I’m going home. Maybe we should have talked all this through before we planned a wedding.”

He followed her out and slammed the screen door. “I thought we had. Are you really going to break up with me over something this small?”

“This is not small, Trevor.” She opened the door to her car and slid in behind the wheel. “It’s huge. You are making decisions for me and trying to control me. I need some breathing space away from you right now.”

“Then, by all means, go get whatever you need,” he snapped, then stormed off the porch, got into his truck, and slung gravel all over the front of the trailer when he spun out.