For Alice

As they journeyed, he cast a sidelong glance at Katie, taking in her attire, and shook his head.

She caught his look and snapped, “What? Why are you looking at me like that and shaking your head? Is there an issue?”

“It’s your outfit and shoes,” he responded.

“And what about them?” she retorted, shooting him a glare.

He gave her a once-over before replying, “Your fancy clothes and shoes aren’t going to be much use on a ranch.”

Feeling her cheeks flush with anger, she bit back, “What I wear is none of your concern. And for your information, I have plenty of other clothes, ones that are more appropriate for ranch life.”

Ray smirked. “I couldn’t care less what you brought to wear.” A grin spread across his face. “You could go naked for all I care.”

His words made her blush, so she averted her gaze to avoid his eyes.

Upon reaching the ranch, Ray hopped out of the truck, unloaded her bags, and set them on the ground. He then unloaded the lumber and took it around back, leaving her standing there without offering to help her with her bags.

“Asshole,” she muttered under her breath as he walked away. She looked up at the house that was to be her home for the next year or two. It was massive, not modern, but well kept. But why wouldn’t it be? She had been told that Mr. Marshall was a wealthy rancher, one of the few in Fielding, Texas.

Katie surveyed her surroundings. There was a large building, presumably the stable, a few smaller ones, and a little farther from the house, some horses in a fenced-off area. She could have sworn they were staring right at her. It was an eerie feeling, especially with the black horse standing still, its eyes fixed on her. Shaking off the feeling, she began hauling her bags up the steps.

Katie knew her primary responsibility was to care for the owner’s daughter. The doctors had told her the child had a good chance of surviving another year, maybe two. She was also told that the child seemed to be happy and doing well, which was a relief considering her condition. What else was expected of her, she had no idea.

After dragging her bags up the steps, she knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer. It felt like an eternity before someone came to the door. The door opened, and an African-American woman stepped out. She was in her early sixties, with a round face, a strong woman who made it clear from the get-go that she wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked Katie over and then asked, “Yeah, what you want here, girl?”

“Hello, I’m Katie Harris. I was sent here to help out.”

“You’re late. You were supposed to be here this morning,” she said, crossing her arms over her ample bosom.

“I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the drive would be so long, and then my car broke down.”

“My, you sure have a lot of excuses, don’t you, girl? Well, come on in, I’ll make you some tea. Here, let me help you with your bags.”

Katie followed the woman inside. Despite its size, the place was spotless and had a warm, cozy feel to it. The aroma of homemade bread and cookies filled the air. They made their way to the kitchen, where the cookies were cooling on a tray. The delicious smell made her mouth water.

The woman began preparing the tea. “I’m Jimmy, by the way. Cook, housekeeper, among other things.”

Katie raised an eyebrow as she looked at the woman. “Your name is Jimmy?”

“Yup, my pa wanted a boy but got me instead, still named me Jimmy, though.” She laughed. “Say, if your car broke down how did you get here with all those bags?” she asked, pointing to the suitcases.

“The handyman gave me a ride. He’s the rudest man I’ve ever met.”

“Handyman, what handyman?” Jimmy asked, looking puzzled.

“The one out back, he said he was fixing the back steps,” Katie replied.

Jimmy went to the kitchen window and looked out. Spotting Ray, she burst into laughter.

Katie watched Jimmy laughing and wondered why. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

Wiping the tears of laughter from her face, she smiled at Katie. “Never mind that now. Sit, drink your tea, and I’ll fill you in.”

They took their tea to the table and sat down. “Now the girl’s name is Alice. She’s almost ten years old. But you already know that, and you know what’s wrong with her, so we don’t need to go over all that. But what you don’t know is never treat Alice like a sick person.”

Jimmy took a sip of her tea and offered Katie a freshly baked cookie. “If you show her pity or give her sad, knowing looks because of her condition, she will have you fired and sent packing.”

“Alice sounds like a tough little girl,” Katie said, taking a bite of the cookie that melted in her mouth. It was the most delicious cookie she had ever tasted, and she savored the flavor.

“Yes, she is. The girl is almost ten but acts like she’s thirty. She knows her time is limited. So don’t try to stop Alice from living, that would kill her faster than the disease.”

Katie started choking. Taking a sip of tea to help the tiny crumb of cookie go down, she looked wide-eyed at Jimmy. “My God, are you telling me she knows she’s dying? But she’s just a child.”

Jimmy tapped her fingers on the table. “We never told her. Alice knows things that she can’t possibly know, but somehow she does.”

“When do I get to meet her?” Katie asked.

Jimmy got up and took the dishes over to the sink. “You’ll meet her soon. One of the ranch hands took her out on Daisy.”

“What’s a Daisy?” she asked, wondering if it was some kind of ride.

“This is the country, girl. Daisy is a horse. Do you ride, girl?”

She shook her head. “Me, God no, I’m terrified of horses.”

“You’ll have to get over your fear, my dear. It will be one of your duties to go riding with Alice. I’ll have someone give you lessons.”

Taking her cup over to the sink, she looked at Jimmy. “What are my other duties?”

“Good Lord, girl, did they not tell you anything where you came from? Here, take this drink out to”—Jimmy laughed—“the handyman.”

The last thing Katie wanted was to see that man again, but she could tell that Jimmy was not someone she said no to. Taking the drink from her, Katie went to the back door. His back was to her, so she cleared her throat, trying to get his attention, but he didn’t respond.

“Excuse me.” Still no response. “Hello. Excuse me, I have a drink for you.” Still nothing. “God, are you deaf or just plain rude?”

Ray turned around, and the first thing he saw was a pair of legs in heels. Nice legs, he thought to himself. Then he saw the drink in her hand. Removing his hat, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “I hope you didn’t make it. You might have poisoned it. Why don’t you try some first?”

Grinding her teeth together, she moved a little closer. God, what a jerk, she thought to herself. “Well, if you don’t want to drink it, then maybe you would rather wear it.” With a wicked smile on her face, she poured the ice-cold drink over his head.

“What the hell,” he cursed as he got up and walked toward her. She backed up and found herself trapped between the railing and Ray. Eyes shooting daggers at her, he removed his shirt, his chest and stomach wet from the drink.

Katie’s pulse quickened at the sight of Ray’s muscular chest and arms. He was so close that his body brushed against hers, and she turned her head away. At first, she thought he was going to hit her, but instead, he walked past her and straight into the house.

“Hey, stop right there,” she yelled at him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

He turned back to look at her, growling, “Inside to clean up, thanks to you.”

Jimmy was watching from the window, clutching her side. It was aching from laughing so hard.

“Jimmy,” she called out. “Tell this man he can’t just walk in here, and why are you laughing?” Katie was appalled that he had the audacity to walk into someone’s home uninvited.

Jimmy wiped the tears from her face, trying to stop the laughter. “Oh Lord, girl. Katie Harris, meet Ray Marshall, your boss.” She turned to Ray and told him to go take a shower.

Katie’s eyes widened in sheer terror, her mouth falling open as she took in his appearance. As he sauntered past her, his eyes narrowed into a glare, and he nudged her aside, forcing her to take a step back.

Once he had exited the room, she spun around to face Jimmy, who was still suppressing her laughter.

“What the hell did I just do? I mistook him for the handyman. Why didn’t you warn me?” Katie’s voice trembled with anxiety.

Jimmy chuckled. “Are you kidding, Katie? That was the most entertaining thing I’ve witnessed in ages. Alice is going to be gutted she missed it.”

Katie slumped into a chair, burying her face in her hands. “He’s Alice’s father. I’d bolt out of here right now if I had my car, but even if I did, it’s not running.”

Jimmy gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s not the end of the world, Katie. Let’s get your bags to your room. You can freshen up before dinner.”