Healing the Cowboy (Christmas in Redemption Ridge)

17. Clint

17

CLINT

C lint watched droves of people from the churches in the community buzz around him like bees in a hive. He’d been confined to the camo folding chair with his foot propped on a bucket for hours.

Sure, he was doing his job. Frying turkeys required a lot of waiting and a little effort when the time was right. Plus, his dad was doing most of the work, and the whole situation was not to Clint’s liking. He lived his life on the philosophy that he could sleep when he was dead, and he’d done enough sitting around this week to last him the rest of his life.

Eventually, everyone went inside to pack up the Thanksgiving meals, and the only thing left to do was watch the fryer .

Caroline’s car rolled to a stop beside the side door of the church, and she hopped out.

Clint’s dad was already moving. “Are they in the trunk?”

“Back seat,” Caroline said as she opened the door, revealing pink boxes from The Cakery packed in the back.

Clint glared at his crutches propped against the wooden wall of the church. He’d been around the block on crutches, and he could move with the best of them. But carrying things and hobbling along just didn’t work.

Caroline and their dad walked past carrying stacks of boxed pastries.

“Don’t get up, Clint. We can handle it,” Caroline said with a taunting grin.

“Quit it, sis. You know I want to help.”

“Trust me, you’ve complained enough today. We all know,” his dad said.

Clint crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the frying pot. Thanksgiving meal prep for the soup kitchen was one of the biggest community events of the year, and he was griping about being a waste of space.

Caroline and their dad made a few more trips inside the church until her car was empty. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll be back later to finish packing up.”

“Be careful,” their dad said before patting the top of her car. He hadn’t even made it back to the fryer when Barry Reynolds' truck pulled up where Caroline’s car had been just moments ago.

The older man stepped out, and the other three doors opened as well. His wife, Connie, got out of the front seat, and his son, Zeke, and a woman got out of the back.

Clint waved. “It’s the green bean queen!”

Connie Reynolds rolled her eyes, but the woman had to know people in Redemption Ridge talked about her green beans as much as they talked about the weather.

“Do you need help carrying anything in?” Clint asked.

Connie’s brows furrowed as she pointed at Clint’s leg. “I don’t think you’ll be helping anyone.”

“Unfortunately, I’m stuck here, but Jordan is inside. I can call him to come help.”

“I got it,” Clint’s dad said as he headed toward the truck.

Zeke walked over to Clint and shook his hand. “Hey, man. I want you to meet someone. This is Kaitlyn.”

The woman stepped up beside Zeke and extended a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Are you the one to tame this grumpy cowboy?” Clint asked, barely containing a laugh.

Zeke hung his head. “You heard about the billboard. ”

“Oh, I heard all about the billboard. I sent the photos to the Redemption Chronicle.”

Zeke’s head snapped up. “That was you?”

“And the yard signs on Mesa Avenue,” Clint added. “Sorry I couldn’t make it to the wedding.”

Kaitlyn shook her head but tried to suppress a grin.

Zeke stepped to the side, and a little boy moved out of the shadows.

Clint jumped and grabbed his chest. “Good grief, boy. You scared me. I didn’t see you there.”

The boy chuckled. “I was standing right behind Zeke.”

“This is my son, Stetson,” Kaitlyn said.

Clint extended a hand to the boy who couldn’t have been more than six years old. “Well, it’s good to meet you, Stetson.”

“Good to meet you too. I was told there’d be cookies.”

A second later, Nora stepped outside. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and her sweater was stained with something brown.

Hopefully, it wasn’t the candied yams she hated so much.

“That’s the woman you want to see,” Clint said.

She was the woman he wanted to see too, but it was best if he left that little part out.

“Hey, Zeke. Who is this?” Nora asked.

Zeke made the introductions, and the three adults continued talking as they unloaded the truck, leaving Clint with Stetson.

“So, how do you like it here in Redemption Ridge?” Clint asked.

“It’s okay. I miss my friends.”

Clint couldn’t imagine having to leave friends like that. He’d never moved from his hometown, but he never met a stranger. He could make friends anywhere.

Stetson, however, did not look like the kind to put himself out there enough to make friends easily.

“I’ll be your friend. Do you like horses?”

“Yeah. Mr. Zeke is teaching me about them.”

“Good. What about woodworking? You ever built something?”

Stetson’s eyes widened. “No. I don’t think Mom would let me do that.”

Clint tilted his head from side to side. “You might be right, but if you ask her and she says yes, I can show you some of the things I’ve been working on.”

Kaitlyn came over and put her hand on Stetson’s shoulder. “You ready to go inside? Mrs. Reynolds has a special job for you.”

They said their goodbyes, and Clint was alone with the turkeys again. It wouldn’t be long until he was calling the featherless birds his friends too.

Clint’s dad walked back out and checked the time for the turkeys. “Not much longer.”

“How’s Nora doing in there?” Clint asked .

His dad shrugged. “I don’t know. Same as always.”

“Same as always like working hard, or same as always like overwhelmed?”

His dad considered the options with squinted eyes. “Both.”

It had been two days since she cried on his shoulder, and he hadn’t thought of much else. He wanted to tell her exactly how much she meant to him, but now he worried she’d think she owed him something.

Clint’s dad jerked his chin toward the door. “Go on. I’ll finish this up.”

Was it that obvious he wanted to see Nora? “You sure?”

“We both know this isn’t really a two-person job.”

True. They usually took turns going inside to help during the waiting periods. Today looked a little different with Clint confined to a seat. “Thanks.”

He stood and stretched his aching muscles. His leg was starting to throb. Waiting on this recovery was putting all his patience to the test.

Hobbling inside, he scanned the busy crowd for any sign of Nora. He finally spotted her in the middle of the assembly line. She scooped candied yams into a to-go plate and handed it to Kaitlyn beside her who put a wrapped-up dessert in another corner of the plate .

Nora looked up when he reached the table. Dark semicircles colored the spaces below her tired eyes, and her shoulders sagged.

“Hey. Everything okay outside?” she asked, turning right back to her work.

“Yeah. How are you feeling?” he asked.

She passed another plate to Kaitlyn. “Fine.”

She looked anything but fine. She’d worked a full shift, ran home to change out of her scrubs and take a shower, then come straight here. The woman hadn’t stopped since moving back to Redemption Ridge, and she wouldn’t unless he suggested it.

“My leg is starting to ache. Any chance you could give me a ride home?”

She looked up and gave him a once-over. “Oh, I’m sorry. I should have asked how you were doing. Let me just find someone who can take over my position.”

“I’ll handle it,” Kaitlyn said as she reached for the next plate.

“Are you sure?” Nora asked.

“Of course. Thanks for showing me what to do, but I think I can handle it now.”

Nora stepped back and pulled her gloves off. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

Kaitlyn just smiled. “It was really nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Nora said as she waved a hand over her head and started toward him .

Her determination and work ethic were some of the things he loved most about Nora, but it was his goal to make sure she was taking care of herself too.

Now, she’d get some time to rest, and he’d get some alone time with her. Every second he spent with Nora was a highlight of his life, and he didn’t intend to waste any of it.