The Girls All Get Prettier

The trip was great though I don't know how much the guys enjoyed hanging 'round with two pregnant women. Tammy and I were both amazed that Jake and Hank were both proficient golfers. Hank had earned money as a caddy as a boy and Jake had been on his high school and college golf teams. Later he showed me some dusty trophies in a box that hadn't been opened for years.

I loved the house and having the housekeeper was a wonderful help as I waddled 'bout. The kids loved the space and Jake got a couple of ponies for them. He would walk them 'round the corral one at time. He was just getting them used to being near horses. I'd grown up riding horses from about five on so I trusted Jake to take care of them. Jake bought me a horse for Christmas – a pretty palomino mare. I couldn't wait to ride her.

The baby came a couple weeks early on Valentines Day of all things. Jake was with me in the delivery room and truth be told it was purdy easy. Certainly better than with the twins. It was a magical time for Jake. He was alternately flustered and enthralled. When he saw that chubby baby with her shock of red hair he had tears in his eyes. We wound up naming her Tammy Valentina – it got a little confusing when Tammy was 'bout so we took to callin' her Valentina. Most of the time we just called her Tina.

Two years later Little Jake was born and I knew from those bowed legs he was gonna be another cowboy. I loved nothing better that to catch Jake in his new easy chair with Little Jake asleep in his arms.

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The years have been good. We decided two boys and two girls were enough for us. Bobby is working as Jake's assistant. Jake was turning a lot of the everyday things over to him. Bobby is in his first year at Angelo State majoring in Beef Production and Range management.

Missy was in Houston. She won a scholarship to study art at Rice University. She really had talent. She loved to do both western landscapes and modern art. We missed her but Houston was not too far away.

Little Jake was up in Waco – he was just a sophomore but he was the captain for the high school rodeo team. He specialized in both team and individual roping. Jake wouldn't let him get near the bulls.

And why wasn't Jake with his son at the rodeo in Waco? Well, he was the living room talking with a nervous senior dressed in a tux with a carnation in his lapel and a corsage held in his shaking hands. Jake doesn't know how stern he looks when he gives his "take care of my girl and make sure she's home on time" speech.

But when Valentina walked slowly down the stairs, a vision with her long red hair and a white strapless gown, Jake shut up and stared. She walked over and gave her dad a hug and a kiss on the cheek ... and I could swear I heard a whispered "don't worry, dad."

She turned to her date, patiently waiting for him to pin the corsage on. Finally I had to whisper in his ear what she was waiting for. He turned red and looked to Valentina and me for help but we ignored him – we just smiled and waited. Finally he got it done and with a huge smile shook Jake's hand and gave me a hug. We looked out the window to see them leave – both of us with tears in our eyes.

And, no, it wasn't a limo they left in, it was a ranch truck. No way would we let a city boy take our girl to the prom!

All things considered, I guess my life had turned out a ten.