She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her sweatshirt sleeve and picked a sheet out of the dryer. “I can’t stay very long. I’ll need to be back by eight or so to rent rooms.”
“That’s doable.” He reached out to touch her shoulder.
“No, I don’t want to make you leave early. I’ll meet you there in an hour.” She dropped the sheet on the folding table and looked up but stopped at his lips.
“Sounds fine to me, but don’t back out. You know the way?”
She nodded.
“Turn south on 81 when you get to Ringgold. About two miles down the road you’ll see a sign that says McDonnell Horses, make a right and you’ll see the house from the road. Big white two-story with a porch that wraps around three sides. Lots of pecan trees.”
“I know how to get there.”
“Well, I was just repeating whatever directions Austin gave you. Women never get it right.”
“Be careful, cowboy. You might find yourself eating those words.”
He disappeared out into the cold air. She picked up another sheet but tossed it back on the table. There would be plenty of time to finish folding the next day. The rooms were ready; the laundry done except for one last load in the dryer and two loads of folding piled up on the table. And suddenly, Pearl wanted to be pretty when she arrived at the O’Donnells’ for supper.
She’d never gone so long in the fourteen years she’d been dating without some kind of social connection and felt plumb giddy at the idea of mingling among people her age, eating good food, and conversation about something other than the price of a hotel room.
***
Wil would have liked to race back to his ranch but as luck would have it a Henrietta policeman pulled out from the Dollar Store parking lot and fell in behind him. The squad car followed him all the way through town and even turned north when Wil did. He slapped the steering wheel, watched his speed, and kept an eye on the rearview mirror.
“Shit! I need to get home and get a shower if Red’s coming to the O’Donnells’. Raylen and Dewar and even Ace will be there all spiffed up and they’ll be sidling up next to Red the minute she walks in the door. Hell, I haven’t had a shower or shaved since yesterday and I look like the devil,” he fussed, but the policeman stayed two cars behind him.
When he turned right into his lane the policeman did a three-point turnaround and headed back to town. He pushed down on the gas pedal and raced to his ranch. He parked the truck in front of the house, ran inside and up the steps, ignoring poor old Digger. He shed his shirt on the way up the stairs and took the quickest shower in his history. When he finished running an electric razor over two days of black stubble, he splashed on shaving lotion and used a real comb on his hair.
He chose a pair of black jeans fresh from the cleaners and a black Western shirt: his Johnny Cash look. If only he could sing like Rye and play the guitar like Raylen, he’d really impress Red. What was it she said her name was anyway? Oh, yeah… Pearl! Hell, that name didn’t fit her. She was too full of piss and vinegar to have a name that feminine.
***
She took a quick shower, semi-dried her red hair with a dryer and scrunched mousse into it, applied makeup, and stood in front of her closet in her underpants and bra trying to decide what to wear. There was last year’s Christmas dress: a lovely green velvet that hugged every curve. She picked up the high-heeled velvet shoes embellished with red and white sparkling stones set across the toe. After moving all the hangers from one end to the other and back again, she decided on black dress slacks, a pair of high-heeled dress boots, and a red sweater designed with a Christmas tree on the front. Sequins and beads decorated the tree and velvet ribbons tied up the packages under it. She checked her reflection in the mirror and decided to change the boots for a pair of red high heels. After all, it was Christmas and she had a pseudo-date. She topped the ensemble off with a chunky silver bead necklace with a silver pendant of angel wings with crossed pistols. The pistol grips were black onyx and the angel wings were covered in pave diamonds. It had been a gift from her father the previous Christmas.
Even if Wil was a total bad boy and the date was leftovers at a friend’s house, she was calling it a real honest-to-god date. She picked up a small cut crystal vase that she wrapped for a co-worker two months before—back when she thought she’d be exchanging presents with the bank employees.
It would make a lovely hostess gift for Maddie O’Donnell. She loved flowers and Pearl could see red roses in the crystal vase or maybe a big bouquet of wildflowers in the spring. She set the gift down long enough to pull on her coat and pick up her purse. Hopefully, she wouldn’t lose too much business in the two hours she planned to be gone from the Longhorn. She made sure the lobby door was locked and went out the back way to the garage. She pushed a button on the garage door opener and backed the Caddy out of the garage, closed the door, and pulled out onto the highway. The wind whipped the bare mesquite tree branches around but the roads were clear. That’s the way it was in Texas. Ice storm in the night, melt off by noon, and sunshine the next day. But the wind always blew. At least until July Fourth, and then a person couldn’t buy, beg, or cuss up a breeze until after Labor Day weekend. That was according to Aunt Pearlita, who was only second to God in knowing everything about everything.
“Damn good thing it don’t blow during that time of year,” Aunt Pearlita had told her repeatedly in the summer. “If it did it would cook the flesh right off our bones. Hell is cool compared to Texas in July and August.”
Pearl giggled at her aunt’s description and turned south in Ringgold toward Bowie. A couple of miles down the highway she turned into a long lane and drove slowly, feeling more than a little nervous at being in the same social setting with Wil. If she could have turned the big yacht of a car around she might have, but it wasn’t possible on the narrow lane between rows of dormant pecan trees. The yard was full of vehicles so she parked at the end of a long row of trucks, pulled down the visor mirror and checked her hair and makeup one more time, picked up the present, and slung open the car door. Her heart did a flutter or two when she reached the porch. It was just a pretend date but it felt so good that she took a long, deep breath before she pushed the doorbell.
Maddie O’Donnell yelled from the other side of the living room, “Hey, Wil, get that door, will you? You’re the closest one to it.”
“Sure thing,” he said. He expected to see Pearl on the other side but he didn’t think she’d be all dolled up and fancy. His mouth went as dry as if he’d just brushed his teeth with Red River sand.
“Hello, Wil,” she said.
He stood to one side. “You look lovely.”
“Well, thank you, so do you,” she said and wished she could undo the words.
“Lovely?” The gold flecks in his eyes twinkled.
“You know what the hell I mean. You look sexy as hell in black.”
He grinned so big that she could have slapped him silly. Instead, she deliberately brushed against him on the way through the door. Yep, there it was again. That sizzling jolt of electricity that tied her tongue into knots and made her wish she’d tossed a couple of extra pairs of panties in her purse before she left. Why did he have to be so handsome and so nice? The two shouldn’t go together. Bad boys on this side of the fence. Good guys on that side. Now take your pick, ladies. It wasn’t fair to have bad boy sex appeal and good guy sensitivity. And it damn sure wasn’t fair for him to look that sexy and smell so good. And one more thing while she was bemoaning the fact that she was so drawn to him—how had he cleaned up so fast?
The quick graze of her against Wil created a quiver that he had to get under control fast or else he’d have to make an excuse to untuck his shirttail.
Austin crossed the room to hug her. “Pearl, I’m so glad you came.”
“Wil talked me into it. He made me feel guilty,” Pearl whispered.
“Be careful. He’ll talk you into a whole lot more than that,” Austin whispered back. She
looped her arm through Pearl’s and led her into the living room. “Everyone, meet my friend Pearl. She’s inherited the Longhorn Inn over in Henrietta. Her great-aunt, Pearlita Richland, and my Granny Lanier were best friends most of their lives. Now they are telling God how to run heaven, I’m sure. Pearl, these are my sisters-in-law.”
Pearl finished for her. “Gemma and Colleen and brothers-in-law, Raylen and Dewar. Hi, everyone. Colleen and I are friends from way back. I’ve been here before.”
Wil crossed his arms over his chest and glared. “That was mean. And when were you here and how come I never saw you?”
“You didn’t ask me if I knew these folks; you asked me if I knew how to get here and then disagreed with me when I said I did.”
“You could have been up-front and honest,” he said.
Ace came from across the room and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips for a long lingering kiss on each fingertip. “I’m Ace Riley. Don’t pay any attention to him getting even. Can I take you to dinner next week?”
Wil wanted to shoot his best friend.
Ace had lovely blue eyes and blond curly hair. Just exactly what Pearl had always been attracted to; however, not one tingling sensation traveled from his lips through her fingertips to set her on fire. It did not affect her nearly as much as a single brush in the doorway with Wil.
Austin laughed. “Come on in the kitchen and have some supper. Wil said he’d wait for you and he’s been bitchin’ and moanin’ like a little girl about being hungry.”
“Come on now! I wasn’t that bad.” Wil moved across the room and put a hand on Pearl’s back to lead her to the kitchen.
Gemma and Colleen followed them. Gemma was the shorter of the two sisters. She had black hair cut in short layers that framed an oval face, deep green eyes beneath arched dark eyebrows and heavy lashes, and a wide mouth. She took care of her short height with a pair of three-inch spike heels. She wore an olive green velvet skirt with three tiers and a white velvet peasant top with olive green edging.
Colleen’s hair was that strange burgundy color that usually comes out of a bottle. Her face was a little rounder than Gemma’s and her lips a wee bit wider. She was a little taller than her sister but Gemma’s high heels equaled the difference. Her cute designer jeans, Western cut denim shirt with red velvet trim, and red boots said she was definitely a cowgirl.
“How is it that all the times you were here you never met Wil?” Colleen asked.
“God was protecting me against that renegade,” Pearl answered.
And why hasn’t Wil made a play for one of Rye’s sisters? They’re both beautiful and have the same ranching background.
“More like He was protecting me.” Wil didn’t take his hand away from her back until they were in the kitchen.
“Are you children arguing?” Maddie joined them and set out the cranberry salad and other dishes that had been put back in the refrigerator.
Pearl handed Maddie the present. “This is for you.”
“You shouldn’t have and mustn’t do it again. At least not until next year,” Maddie talked as she tore into it. “Oh, I love it. You remembered how much I love cut flowers, didn’t you? Now get busy and make a plate. If Wil doesn’t eat soon I swear the boy is going to turn into an old bear. O’Donnells and Marshalls are both cranky as hell when they get hungry. And I hear that you worked him pretty hard all afternoon.”
“He owed me big-time. I saved his neck from the noose this morning,” Pearl said.
Maddie patted her arm. “I heard. I’m glad the electricity went out and he came to your motel.”
Austin picked up a dessert plate with poinsettias printed on it. “I’ll have another piece of pecan pie. If I don’t get one soon, Gemma is going to eat it all up from me.”
“I’ll have a beer with y’all while you eat,” Colleen said.
“When did you and Colleen meet?” Austin asked.
Colleen grinned. “We go back to when we were about eighteen. Pearl came to see her aunt and we wound up… well, we won’t talk about where we met or those two handsome cowboys that were there, will we? But I will say that this girl can out-party anyone I ever knew.”
“That’s all muddy water under the bridge, isn’t it?” Pearl smiled.
Wil had only known the woman a day and yet Colleen’s comment turned him green with jealousy. He picked up an oversized paper plate and began loading it full of turkey and dressing, candied yams, baked beans, and cranberry salad. “You hang back, you starve.”
Pearl picked up a plate and got in line behind him. “As long as I get a piece of pecan pie, I’m fine. How good is that pie?” Pearl asked Austin as she set her plate down across the table from Wil.
“Best this side of heaven,” Austin said. “I swear I’ve gained ten pounds since I married into this family. And I’m supposed to have Granny Lanier’s DNA and that means I don’t gain weight. But Maddie can sure test their powers.”
Pearl picked up her fork. “That better not be the last slice or I may fight you for it.”
“There’s one more in the pan.” Austin smiled.
One bite of the corn bread dressing and Pearl forgot about good guys, bad boys, and even motel rooms. Two bites made her forget everything but how good the food was. Three and she would have fought a full-grown coyote away from her plate with nothing but a long-handled teaspoon.
Austin, a tall brunette with eyes the color of a summer sky, grinned. The girl Austin had known as a child was brazen and foolhardy; the woman hadn’t changed a lot. She’d quit her job as a bank executive but took a firm hold on that old motel and ran it single-handedly without so much as a backward glance.
Pearl’s cell phone sent up a ringtone and Wil looked at Colleen.
“Don’t be lookin’ at me. Mine plays ‘Hello Darlin’.’”
“And mine plays ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’” Austin said.
“It’s mine,” Pearl said. “They’ll call back.”
Two minutes and three bites later, it rang again. She sighed and reached for her purse.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hi, darlin’. Thought I’d call early and invite you to the New Year’s Eve party at Billy Bob’s. Bunch of us are going down early and staying the whole weekend. I’ll pick you up at five,” Trent said.
Pearl smiled. “Can’t, sweetheart. I’d love to but I’ve got a motel to run. Maybe next year I’ll have things ironed out and some help. Don’t give up on me.”
Wil was sitting close enough he could hear every word of the conversation. Just how many men did she know, anyway?
“We’ll miss you. Party won’t be the same without you there.”
“Jasmine will take up the slack.” Pearl laughed.
“No way that’s possible. It’s a shame you have to work so hard, darlin’. Sure I can’t talk you into shutting down the motel for a couple of days?”
“I’m sure, Trent. Got to run, honey. Enjoy the party and think of me.” She smacked him a kiss over the phone and snapped it shut.
Austin giggled. “So the tribe misses the queen bee of the party girls, does it? How in the world are you surviving without a social life?” Austin asked.
Gemma pulled out a chair and sat down beside Austin. “Y’all hadn’t seen each other in a long time? Why? Sounds like you were good friends when you were kids.”
Pearl explained between bites. “My father sent me to Aunt Pearlita for two weeks every summer because she didn’t have any kids and she adored my daddy. Aunt Pearlita and Granny Lanier were best friends so they always had a few play days for us since Austin visited the same weeks I did. When we were about sixteen we got summer jobs so our trips ended and we drifted apart. We did see each other last spring at a rodeo down, remember? Besides, it was probably for the best that we drifted apart. She got me in trouble every time we were together.”
Austin pointed her fork at Pearl. “Me! You were born a hellion and grew up to be the party gal. I was the good kid who studied hard and never did a thing w
rong. Someday I’ll tell you stories about what a daredevil she was.”
Wil finished eating and went back to the kitchen for dessert. He grabbed the last piece of pecan pie and carried it to the table. “I believe you, Austin. Ever since I met this woman I’ve been in trouble.”
“You!” Pearl exclaimed. “I was minding my own business running a motel when you showed up. Cops had never come around beating on my door at the Longhorn until you rented a room. Don’t blame me.”
Austin turned her fork toward him. “I do believe that my friend had dibs on that piece of pie.”
Pearl shot a look that would have had a seasoned convict whimpering in his tracks and crossing his legs to keep from putting a wet stain on his orange jumpsuit. “I got you out of jail, drove you home, and you steal my pie. Is that the thanks I get?”
Wil had the audacity to shrug as if the look didn’t affect him one bit. “I cleaned rooms in your motel all afternoon to pay off that debt, so don’t use the old you-owe-me card. I don’t owe you jack shit and this don’t have your name on it, does it?”
Before he could blink she reached across the table, picked up the saucer, and licked the pie from crust to tip.
“It’s got my slobbers on it so I guess it’s mine.”
“I can’t believe you did that.” Austin knew flirting when she saw it. Had Pearl set her cap for Wil? God help the man! But then, Austin wasn’t even sure God had that much power.
Pearl shrugged. “A woman has got to protect her rights and I already said that pie was mine.”
Wil popped a piece in his mouth. “Darlin’, that’s just sugar on the top.”
“Ewww,” Gemma groaned.
“What?” Wil asked while he chewed.
“That’s gross.”
“Would it be gross if I’d kissed her?”
“That’s different?”
“Don’t get your hopes up, cowboy,” Pearl said.
“Darlin’, don’t you get your hopes up either,” Wil said.
Austin, Gemma, and Colleen burst out laughing.
Pearl gave them all an evil look.
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