The Pretty Lady and the Cowboy (Songs from the Heart)

by Lee, Dana

  “This is so freaking unfair I can hardly stand it,” she said. “You’re just being mean to me because I have a life and all you have is your lousy store. I have real dates with real guys and you’ve got some pathetic fantasy relationship with a guy who’ll be gone by next week.”

  She knew how to hit below the belt. I had to take a deep breath to keep myself from escalating the argument. “Take some time to think about this when you’re not hung over, and I think you’ll see that it’s for your own good.”

  She grabbed the paper I’d given her, stuffed it into her purse, and then opened the car door and got out. “Dad would never have done something like this to me,” she shouted. The whole car shook as she slammed the door shut.

  I watched Ally as she stalked off to the bus stop, then I walked slowly back to the store, thinking. Was she right? Would Dad have handled this differently? Or better? It didn’t matter. I had to try to save Ally from herself and I had to do it my own way.

  But it was her comment about my love life that hurt the most. Was she right about my relationship with Levi? For that matter, was there a relationship? Was I capable of a deep connection with a real guy that would last for more than a few days or a few weeks?

  Too many hard questions! I had done a pretty good job of maintaining a calm and authoritative exterior with Ally, but inside, I was a wreck. I hate arguing, especially with Ally. I was learning the hard way that being her guardian wasn’t all girl talk and pedicures.

  I needed chocolate. A lot of chocolate. There are times when a turkey sandwich on whole wheat just isn’t going to cut it, and this was definitely one of those times. I headed to the drug store, bought a giant Hershey bar, and ate the whole thing instead of lunch. I didn’t even feel sick.

  Jess cornered me immediately when I got back to the store. “So how goes it with the wayward younger sibling?” she asked.

  I apologized to her for being such a crab the previous night and then I filled her in on the new rules I’d set down. “I think I made it pretty clear. This time, it’s my way or the highway,” I said.

  Jess patted me on the back. “I’ll keep rooting for you,” she said as she dashed off to take care of a customer.

  # # # # #

  The local paper arrived mid-afternoon, and I gave a small yell when I saw the front page of the B section. “Jess, Dan, look at this!”

  A couple of months ago, a reporter had interviewed us and had asked for some names of clients that they might contact. We talked to a few people who didn’t mind being interviewed and passed their names along. That was that. We didn’t think any more about it. Now, suddenly, here was a fantastic article about the store, complete with photos of us and some of our customers.

  The headline of the article was: LIVES ARE CHANGED AT THE FINISH LINE. One 40-something woman who trained with us for a while spoke about how she could barely walk a couple of blocks when she first came in to get fitted for shoes. But over the course of a year, with our encouragement, she dropped nearly thirty pounds and completed her first 5K race. An older man said we’d given him the impetus he’d needed to enter the Senior Olympics and though he hadn’t won, just entering had made him feel like a champion. There was even a story about how we’d fitted the members of the local high school cross country team with shoes better suited to them; the team captain said we’d help them win at regionals.

  Wow—you can’t buy publicity like that! I spent the next few hours on a crazy good sugar high, talking shop, selling shoes, refusing to rethink my argument with Ally. And all the time I was counting first the hours, then the minutes, until I would see Levi and feel his arms around me and his lips on mine.

  Chapter 13

  I left The Finish Line a little early so I could stop at the store and pick up some extra carrots and apples, just in case I was running low at home. And I also got a baguette and a couple of kinds of cheeses so we’d have a little something to munch on, though eating wasn’t exactly all I was hoping to do with Levi this afternoon.

  Usually my apartment is pretty tidy, not because I’m a naturally neat person, but more because I’m so busy at the store that I don’t spend a lot of time there. This would be Levi’s first visit to my apartment, though, so I took a few minutes to do some straightening and plumped up the cushions on the couch. I put the apples and carrots through the juicer and then filled two wine glasses with the juice. I cut the baguette and cheeses and arranged them on a plate, then carried it and the juice out to the living room and put it on my coffee table. I changed the sheets on the bed… just in case… feeling my cheeks grow warm as my imagination went wild.

  And then I forced myself to stop thinking about what it might be like to be in bed with Levi. And let me tell you, this was not easy. My mind was going full-steam-ahead with delicious fantasies. I closed my eyes to try to refocus and then went to my closet to figure out what to wear. Tonight I wanted to look pretty for Levi. I put on my favorite black lace strapless bra and matching panties and then pulled on a knit turquoise maxi dress. On impulse, I decided to slip into my Jimmy Choos

  I was just running a quick comb through my hair when I heard footsteps on the stairs, followed by a knock on my door. I opened the door, heart pounding. And there stood Levi, his cowboy hat in one hand, a giant sunflower in the other.

  “I thought about getting you some roses, but this reminded me more of you, all sunshiny and happy.” He took my hand and spun me around. “You are looking absolutely gorgeous!”

  I actually blushed. He handed me the sunflower with a small bow.

  I said, “Come on in and make yourself at home. I’ve been slaving over a hot juicer all afternoon.”

  He tossed his hat onto the couch as I walked into the kitchen. I filled the tallest vase I could find with some tepid water and put the sunflower into it. I was glad to have something to do with my hands. I carried the vase into the living room and put it on my desk.

  “Nice place,” he said, following along behind me. “Feels like home.”

  I was about to tell him that I’d grown up with most of the furniture in the apartment, but he put his arms around me and our lips met and I forgot everything I was going to say.

  There was something about the way he held me that afternoon that felt different, more intense. Something about the way he held me so long and so close, and then something about the way his hands lingered as we finally drew apart.

  “Missed you, Miss Kitty,” he finally said.

  “I missed you, too,” I said.

  He looked deep into my eyes for a long moment, and then we were in each other’s arms again. We kissed for a blissful eternity before Levi’s lips trailed kisses down my cheek, then my neck. I could hardly breathe. No one had ever held me this way before, kissed me so lovingly before.

  Then, almost as if in a dream, we drifted to my room, and as we tumbled onto the bed together, I kicked off my princess shoes. The soft thud they made as they landed on the deep pile of the rug was the last thing I heard before the world disappeared and there was only Levi, Levi, Levi.

  # # # # #

  It seemed an eternity later that I heard his voice saying, “Brought you some tickets for the Saturday night show. Can you still make it?” He had one arm around me and my head was nestled against his shoulder.

  I was barely able to speak, still reeling from the intensity of his lovemaking. I kissed his cheek and nodded.

  “Promise me you’ll wear those princess shoes?” he asked.

  I nodded again, smiling, remembering how it had felt to be strolling toward the bedroom with Levi wearing my sparkly high heels.

  But somewhere, deep down, I could feel myself beginning to worry. My whole world had been shifted, rocked, turned upside down this afternoon. But for Levi it seemed easy to move on to the next item on his agenda. Was the passion I’d felt in his arms all in my imagination?

  For me, Saturday meant one thing: the end of Levi’s run at the casino. What did it mean for him? The end of a pleasant interlude where he
could pretend to be a regular guy with a local Connecticut “pretty lady?”

  And then he jumped to yet another topic.

  “How’d it go with Ally?” he asked as he buttoned his shirt. How could he shift so quickly and easily from passion to—what? Practical, maybe?

  A sudden, frightening thought popped into my head: maybe he’s had a lot of practice. I tried to banish the thought but it got stuck somewhere in the back of my mind.

  I grabbed my dress and pulled it on over my head. If he was moving on, I had to force myself to move on, too.

  “She made me feel like a drill sergeant, but I think I’ve got the situation under control,” I said. I told Levi about the new rules I had given her as I watched him dress. What wouldn’t I give to help him undress again right then?

  “And if these rules don’t straighten her out?” he asked.

  “They will,” I said. “They just have to.”

  “Let me know if you need help,” he said. We had settled side by side on the couch and Levi pulled me close as he spoke.

  “You made me that offer once before,” I said, sitting back and looking up at him. “I’m not really sure what sort of help you have in mind.”

  “Kitty, let’s set that one aside for the moment and just assume you’ve got everything under control,” he said. A worried look briefly crossed his face. And then he abruptly changed the subject.

  “Is everything good at the store?” he asked.

  It felt perfectly natural to be sitting here talking about ordinary, everyday things with him. But again I felt a nagging worry. He seemed to be speaking to me as a good friend. Was that all I was? Even now? Even after the passion we’d shared? Maybe friendship was all he needed from me. But my heart was aching with the desire to be more than that to him.

  I did my best to ignore my worries. I told myself that grabbing the brass ring with Levi might have to be enough.

  My mind was reeling, but I forced myself to think about the store, about something solid, something I knew was real. But I didn’t say any of that out loud. Instead, I told him about the article in the local paper and how proud it had made me feel to know that I had changed lives. “Because that’s my goal. I really want to make a difference in the world and helping runners achieve their own goals gives me that opportunity.”

  “Why do I get the feeling there’s a ‘but’ coming on?” Levi asked.

  “How did you know?” I asked. He was more than just a good listener; he was a really sensitive listener.

  “I can read it in those beautiful blue eyes of yours,” he said. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. “So what’s up?”

  I took a deep breath and told him about the new terms of the lease.

  “Do you want a few suggestions? I know you’ve got some pretty strict notions about doing everything yourself,” Levi said.

  I never knew a man before who asked permission to help me solve something. All the ones I’d ever known, starting with my dad, had just jumped right in and pretty much dictated what they thought I should do. This was something new for me! I stalled for a few minutes, taking a sip of the carrot apple juice that until now had been sitting on the coffee table forgotten.

  “Thanks for asking that,” I said. “It means a lot to me. And yes, I guess I could use some suggestions.”

  He nodded to show that he knew what I meant when I thanked him. And then he got right to it. “Okay, first off, you need to call your real estate broker or your attorney and have them negotiate the new terms of the lease. If you’ve been a good tenant, the landlord should be willing to bargain some.”

  “That makes good sense. I should have thought of that,” I said.

  “There you go getting hard on yourself if you don’t think of every last thing yourself. Ease up!” He reached for my hand and held it, softly stroking the back of it with his thumb.

  I smiled at the gentleness of his advice and his touch.

  He continued, “Next, talk with Jess about it.” I started to protest and he said, “I know, I know, you want to take this all on your own shoulders and spare Jess the worry and yaddah yaddah. But she might have some good ideas.”

  This was a tough one. It was hard for me to imagine consulting someone else about the fate of the store. My store. But I promised I’d think about it. We were both quiet for a few minutes.

  “And this last thought just popped into my head.” Levi said. “I think some endorsements would do you good. You could start with the ones in the paper. I’d give you one, if it would help you out. I’m thinking some quote about the nice pink running shoes I got from The Finish Line would just about do the job.” His blue eyes twinkled with mischief.

  I grabbed his hat and gave him a playful swat with it. “Very funny!” I said. “But I think the endorsements are a fabulous idea. Maybe I could devote one wall in the store to the people whose lives the store has helped change.”

  “You, bet,” Levi said. “You could call it The Wall of Heroes or something like that and post pictures and stories and awards.”

  We lost track of time as we chatted.

  “How can I thank you?” I finally said to him.

  He gave me a long, lingering kiss that had me tingling from head to toe. “I could think of more than a few ways,” he said. But then he looked at his watch and reluctantly said, “I guess I’m going to have to postpone being properly thanked, though.”

  I could hear the desire in his voice. My mind raced with all the delicious ways I could think of thanking him.

  “Jim’s going to jump out of his skin if I’m not back in the limo in the next couple of minutes.”

  “One last kiss?” I asked. I didn’t want this to end. I wanted to memorize his every touch.

  “Twist my guitar-strumming right arm,” he said, grinning.

  As it turned out, I didn’t have to.

  # # # # #

  I was wildly excited about our idea for a wall dedicated to runners’ stories. I sketched out some ideas for it and made up my mind to talk to Jess about the lease issue the next day.

  And then the thought occurred to me: When he had asked about getting together this afternoon, Levi had said he wanted to chat. What had been on his mind, I wondered? Or was “chat” a country western euphemism for our other extremely pleasurable activity this afternoon?

  # # # # #

  from Levi McCrory’s song notebook

  “When It’s Right”—verse 3

  Oh, but when I met you, baby, I could feel it right away

  that we two should be together heart to heart.

  And when I kissed your pretty lips and held you in my arms

  then I knew that there was just one way to start.

  So I took my time with loving, little bit by little bit,

  made sure everything about our love would shine,

  And I’m pretty sure, my darlin’, that you feel the same way too

  and I’m hoping someday you’ll say that you’re mine.

  Chorus:

  This is right (clap clap) and I know it—

  I can feel it in my heart and in my soul!

  There’s no need to overthink it ’cause I know it and I feel it:

  (4 guitar chords or claps)

  I have found the other half who makes me whole.

  Chapter 14

  Last night I’d texted Jess that I’d like her to come in to the store a bit early today. I didn’t want to phone her and have her ask me why; I just wanted to spring this on her and get her honest reaction to my proposal. I planned to ask her to become my partner. And truthfully, I wanted to sleep on the idea overnight. The thought of not only asking for help but also sharing my dream with another person was frightening. Even when Jess showed up, I wasn’t sure I was ready.

  “I hope I’m not getting fired this morning,” Jess said as she walked in. “I really need this week’s paycheck.”

  “You and me both,” I said. I drew a paycheck just like everyone else so I wasn’t tempted to live above my means.
>
  “And Ally is safe, sound, and sober back in her dorm?” she asked.

  “That is my fond hope,” I said.

  “Okay, those were probably my two biggest worries. Now you can hit me with anything.” We were both standing near the front of the store. I guess she wanted to be on her feet when I gave her whatever news I was going to give her.

  I briefly told her about the terms of the lease and filled her in on some of the ideas for the store that Levi and I had talked about. Then I sprang it on her.

  “Jess,” I said, “I want you to be my partner.”

  “This is so sudden,” she said. “We’re not even engaged.” She clasped her hands and rolled her eyes heavenward. She was just teasing me to make me spell it all out. But I heard the italics creeping into her speech, so I knew she was getting excited.

  “Not that kind of partner, you dope.” I put my hands on her shoulders. “You’ve worked your buns off side by side with me since this place opened. I’m beginning to see that I can’t give The Finish Line the fighting chance it deserves without some help, and I’m hoping you’re the person to give me that help. I want you to become my business partner and help me grow this business.”

  “And I’ll still get a paycheck?” she asked.

  “Nope, sorry, the one stipulation is that you’ll have to give up eating. Oh, yeah, and no more sleeping indoors.”

  She knew I was kidding. She threw her arms around me. “Kitty, I can’t tell you how much this means to me.” She flopped down on the couch and fanned her face with the latest edition of Runner’s World. “I didn’t say anything to you about this, but I was starting to look around and try to figure out what my options are. I love working here, but I’m reaching a point in my life where I really need a career and not just a job.”