The Last Crawford Bachelor

“Don’t worry,” Abby said. “It’s to improve the house’s value.”

He knew better, but he thanked her as if he believed her. What a family! They reminded him a great deal of his own. That was why he enjoyed living here.

Within an hour, they were all working hard. He was taking out some old fixtures when a car pulled into the drive. He recognized it at once. Dani Langston’s.

“What’s she doing here?” he asked Logan.

“Abby invited her,” he said, giving his brother a sharp look. “Is that a problem?”

“No, of course not.” What could he say when they were doing all the work for his comfort?

He noticed Dani was dressed casually, also, though she didn’t have paint stains on her clothes. As she went past him, with Abby leading the way, she gave him a cool nod of recognition. Nothing more.

He didn’t see her for almost an hour until he stuck his head in the kitchen. She and Abby were laying a new linoleum floor.

“Whoa! That looks great!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t know you were going to all this trouble.”

“We’re having a good time.” Abby looked at Dani, who nodded in agreement.

“Well,” Michael said, not sure what to say. But then he remembered why he was there. “Logan said to tell you he’s getting hungry. Hard to believe after that big breakfast, but he insisted I tell you that.”

“Oh, wonderful! Come on, Dani. I’ll explain.” Abby jumped to her feet and caught Dani’s arm, pulling her after her.

Michael stood there, his hands on his hips, wondering what that was all about. Then he admired the floor. The old flooring had been nothing but thin sheets of linoleum dating back to the original structure from thirty years ago.

He heard a car honking and wandered back to the living room where he and Logan had been painting. He suddenly understood the message Logan had sent. The entire Crawford family had descended upon the Circle K.

Though it was only a two-hour drive from the Crawford ranch near Lawton, Oklahoma, Michael hadn’t considered that his family might come down for the day. Abby, however, had called and made arrangements. Now she was organizing picnic tables under several shade trees. He could see his mother and sister and his sisters-in-law carrying big bowls and plates into the house.

The door to the ranch house burst open again, and this time a herd of kids, led by Mirabelle, ran out screaming and cheering. The group swelled as his nieces and nephews joined them.

“Abby planned all this?” Michael asked Logan as they joined their brothers, father and Michael’s sister Lindsay’s husband, Gil, and his manager, who had married the mother-in-law of brother Pete. They never bothered with the exact relationship. They were all family.

Suddenly he saw his mother talking to Dani. He recognized immediately what the result of that talk would be. “Uh, Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Caleb Crawford was a big man, robust and active though he was approaching sixty. “Sure. Anything wrong?”

“I want you to warn Mom,” he whispered as they walked away from the others.

“Warn Mom? Why? Is someone going to hurt her?” Caleb was instantly on the defensive. His family was his main business, and his job was to protect them.

“No, Dad, nothing like that, but…Abby is introducing Dani Langston to her. We’re both A.D.A.s at the office and Mom’s going to think she’s here because of me.” Michael rubbed the back of his neck. “But it’s really because Abby thinks she might be kin to them. I have nothing to do with her. Will you tell Mom that?”

Caleb raised one eyebrow. “You sure about that? After all, you work together.”

“Not really. She’s working with…another group in the office. Just explain it to Mom. Otherwise she’ll think—Well, you know what she’ll think.”

Caleb grinned. “Well, of five sons and one daughter you are the only one not married. She doesn’t have anyone else to concentrate on.”

“I need to build my reputation as an attorney before I take on that job. Wives take a lot of work in our family.”

“Shame on you, Michael, saying such a thing about your sisters-in-law.”

Joe, his oldest brother, must’ve caught his father’s words. “Is little brother complaining about our wives?”

“No, Joe, not at all. I just said wives take a lot of time, and I work long hours.” Michael grinned at him, but he kept his eye on Joe. He didn’t want his brother angry with him.

Joe grinned in return. “Go ahead and fight it as much as you want. Mom’s not going to rest until she’s found you a wife.”

“That one looks pretty good,” Pete said. “The one talking to Mom now.”

“No! She won’t do!” Michael turned to face his brothers.

The knowing smiles on their faces alarmed him even more. “You tell Mom it’s too soon. I’m not even thirty yet. Joe, you were past thirty-five before you married, remember?”

“I remember, little brother,” Joe said. “It’s Mom you need to convince, not me.”

“I think it’s so nice that Mike has a friend at work. Sometimes he works long hours. At least he can let off a little steam with someone he knows.”

Dani couldn’t hold back a grin. Michael would be furious if he could hear his mother. Too bad they really weren’t good friends. She could use one.

“Well, I think it’s so nice that all of your family came today just to help Michael get settled.”

“Your family didn’t help you?” Carol Crawford asked, sympathy in her voice.

Dani smiled. “No. I don’t have any family. I managed on my own.”

“Michael will have to bring you home for Thanksgiving. And Christmas. I’ll go talk to him about it right now.”

“No!” Dani exclaimed. She’d been thinking about Michael’s reaction and enjoying those devilish thoughts. But Mrs. Crawford was serious. “No, Carol, you can’t. You see, Michael and I really aren’t friends. It’s because I came to Abby’s house to find out about my grandmother and then we accidentally discovered we both worked at the D.A.’s office. That’s all. Nothing more.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t come for Thanksgiving or Christmas. You certainly wouldn’t be the first woman Michael has brought home. I know that doesn’t mean he’ll marry you. But I say—”

“What’s up, Carol?” Abby asked as she approached them.

“I want to have Mike invite Dani to Thanksgiving and Christmas. She doesn’t have any family at all. I know it doesn’t mean they’ll marry, but she shouldn’t be alone.”

Abby looked at Dani’s anxious expression. “I think Mike makes Dani uncomfortable, Carol. Besides, she won’t be alone. She’ll be celebrating here with us.”

Dani hadn’t expected that turn of events. She almost burst into tears. She hurriedly rushed to the kitchen, under the guise of helping Ellen.

“Oh, my,” Carol whispered. “Did I upset her?”

“No,” Abby said with a sigh. “I think I did. I hadn’t discussed holidays with her. But the more I think about it, I think she may be telling the truth about Beulah. I’m going to visit some of the older members of the community and see what they have to say.”

“And she and Michael?” Carol asked anxiously.

“They aren’t really at ease with each other.” Abby ducked her head and then smiled at her mother-in-law. “I’d like for them to get together, but it can’t be forced.”