The Nanny's Texas Christmas

“Now,” Bea said, “I want to talk to the both of you about the Christmas pageant.”

Lana couldn’t restrain a little hand clap. “I remember those from growing up around here. They were wonderful. You’re still doing them?”

“Well,” Bea said, “I hope so. The community loves it, the boys love it...” She waved an expressive arm back toward the rest of the ranch house. “We all love it. But with the move and all it entails, I just don’t have time to do the pageant justice, and it’s floundering for lack of leadership. We’re in a new venue, and we need new ideas. Lana, would you consider taking charge of it?”

“I...” Lana gulped. “When is it?”

“It’s in exactly ten days.” Bea sighed. “Next Friday night, which doesn’t give us much time. I have the scripts, and the parts are assigned, but I haven’t done much more than that. You can rehearse the boys over the weekend and after school, and once they’re off, they can rehearse all day if you want them to.”

“It sounds like you have it organized pretty well,” Lana temporized, wondering if she could possibly make the time to do it. “It’s true I did community theater when I was growing up.”

“Then you’ll do it?” Bea asked, smiling as if she already had Lana’s answer.

Lana felt overwhelmed, but she also wanted to help. “I’ll give it a try. Just show me where the materials are, and the scripts, and the assigned parts, and... I’ll take it from there.”

“Thank you!” Bea pulled her into a hug. “You’re such an asset to the ranch. Now, Flint.” She looked at the big rancher, who’d been standing off to the side in his quiet way. “I think it would be best to do the pageant in the storage barn. We’ll let some of the older boys off their regular chores to help clean it, and the Macks have agreed to supervise that, since several of their boys will be involved.” She turned to Lana. “The Macks—Eleanor and Edward—are our house parents in Wing One.”

Lana nodded. “I’ve met them.”

“Someone will need to build the sets.” Bea looked up at Flint. “I know you’re busy, but you helped last year, so you know what’s involved. Are you willing to spearhead that part?”

Lana’s stomach danced with some strange kind of butterflies. She was already going to be spending time with Flint, as Logan’s nanny. If he helped with the pageant, that would be even more togetherness. And the fact that she felt more excited than upset was bad news.

She did not need to get a crush on the ranch foreman. Anything remotely resembling love meant heartbreak. She’d seen that all too clearly. “I’m good with a hammer,” she offered, giving Flint a way out.

“I’m sure you are, dear,” Bea said, “and resourceful to boot. But you’ll have your hands full with the boys.”

“I’d like to help.” Flint spoke slowly. “But I’ve recently realized—” he glanced at Lana, then back at Bea “—that I’m not giving Logan the time he deserves. I hesitate to take on another commitment that would pull me away from him.”

“But that’s the beauty of this assignment.” Bea raised a hand for emphasis. “Logan has a part in the pageant, and I’d like all the boys to be participating in the set building when they’re not practicing their parts. The more skills we can give them, the better, and it’s a chance to develop their work ethic. So you’d actually be spending more time with your son.”

Flint chuckled and raised his hands like stop signs. “Okay, okay. Can’t say no to Miss Bea,” he said to Lana. “As long as I can spend time with Logan, I’ll help.”

From the direction of the ranch house’s kitchen, a crash sounded. A boy’s voice raised, then Marnie Binder’s exclamation, then another crash.

“I’d better see what that’s all about,” Bea said. “Thank you both, so much, for agreeing to help. Flint, could you show Lana the barn so she knows what she’s dealing with?”

“Uh, sure.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

Bea rushed off, and Lana leaned back against the study desk, propping her hands on either side of herself. “My head’s spinning,” she admitted to Flint. “Did I just get a new place to live and a second new job?” Then realization struck her, and her hand flew to her mouth. “I didn’t even think of how this could interfere with being Logan’s nanny. I’m sorry. I can turn it down.”

Again, the little half smile quirked Flint’s mouth. “No, you can’t,” he said. “Nobody turns Bea down for anything. And it’ll be fine for Logan, since he’s involved in the pageant.”

“You’re sure?”

He nodded. “And if you’re serious about staying out here, me and some of the guys can help you move in whatever things you need for the holidays. Tomorrow, if you’d like.”

“Whew.” She mentally cataloged the time remaining in the week. “Maybe Thursday evening would be better.”

“All right. Let’s take a look at the barn.” Without waiting for her, he led the way out of the ranch house.

Lana followed along behind him, her thoughts racing. Just last week, she’d been looking toward the holidays with dread, unable to muster the energy to decorate her bare little apartment. In fact... She stopped still.

Of course.

She’d prayed for God to get her through the holidays in good spirits, giving her a way to help others in order to escape her own loneliness. She’d envisioned God bestowing some sort of meditative peace where she didn’t feel the loneliness so badly. She’d hoped He’d block from her mind the fact that she was supposed to be celebrating her first Christmas as a newlywed, help her bear her solitude with grace.

She’d never considered that God would answer her prayers in a completely different way. A way so much better than giving her a quiet, calm peace. A way filled with fun and energy and kids and friends. A way exactly perfect for who she was.

Thank you, Father. She looked up at the blue sky and involuntarily lifted her hands in praise and thanksgiving.

When she started walking again, she saw Flint looking at her quizzically. “You okay?”

“I’m great,” she said, smiling and hurrying to catch up with him. Clearly, the Lord was guiding her through this Christmas season. And if He’d given her a cross to bear in the form of a very handsome cowboy, well, He was known for that sort of thing. With His help, it would all turn out okay.

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