by Jill Sanders
She leaned back and felt like throwing the little spade she’d bought at the local hardware store across the yard. “Ugh!” she screamed. “I can do this.” She got up and dusted off her shorts.
“Problems?”
She turned to see Holly standing at the back gate, her arms crossed over her chest. She was wearing a pair of bright pink running shorts and a black tank top with pin stripes down the side. Even her running shoes matched the outfit. Her long red hair was tied up in a ponytail.
“No.” She turned and glared at her yard. “Yes.” She threw the spade down on the brown ground. “I can’t seem to get anything to grow.”
Holly chuckled. “I know it might be obvious, but have you tried watering?” Holly asked, opening the gate and stepping into the terror that was Melissa’s back yard.
“Of course I’ve watered it. The sprinklers are set to go off every night.” She motioned towards the small box at the back of the house.
“Let’s have a look.” Holly walked over and opened the box and then turned back to her and laughed. “These are set to go off once a week.” She turned a knob and made a tsking noise. “It was set to winter mode. In this spring heat they’ll need to go off at least every other day and, by the looks of it”—she glanced back at the brown yard—“every night might be even better.” She punched some buttons and the sprinklers started spraying water over the crisp yard.
“I don’t know how you do it.” She stood next to her friend and frowned. “You know something about everything.”
Holly turned to her and laughed. “It helps when you’re stuck inside a bookstore eight hours a day, five days a week.”
Melissa shrugged. “Still.”
They moved aside and stood on the wide back deck when the sprinklers turned their way.
“I was just jogging by and heard you scream.” Her friend sat in one of the deck chairs.
“Want some tea?” Melissa opened the back sliding door.
“I’d love some. I’m trying to keep my New Year’s resolution by jogging every week.”
Melissa took the tea out of the fridge and grabbed two glasses. “How’s that going?”
Holly rolled her eyes. “It would be better if it wasn’t getting so hot.” Her friend took a large drink of the tea. “And if I didn’t have treats in my store every day.” She leaned forward and whispered, “Got any treats?”
Melissa chuckled. “I was going to make some lunch after I had fixed my flowers.” She looked at her yard, which was still getting soaked by the sprinklers. “But, since you helped, I think I owe you more than lunch.”
Holly leaned back. “More is good.” She took a sip of her tea.
“I’ve been wanting to make some carrot cake. I got a new recipe online.” She stood up, and Holly followed her into the house.
“This is such a cute place,” her friend said, sitting at the little bar area. “There’s one major problem with living in the same building you work in.” Her friend frowned. “You can never get away.”
“You could always find another apartment,” she said, taking out her recipe and gathering the items she would need.
“You know…” Holly leaned her elbows on the countertop and watched her. “I’ve been thinking about moving everything.”
Melissa almost dropped the eggs as she spun around and looked at her friend. “You mean, out of town?”
“Oh, god, no.” Holly sat back up. “I’m not crazy. I love Fairplay. It’s where I want to get married, raise a family, and grow old.” She smiled. “I’m talking about finding another building downtown that could house what I have in mind. Something I can expand to a small coffee shop. Mama’s is a great diner, but I think Fairplay could stand a more upscale sort of thing. A place not only to get books, but someplace they could come and sit down and read those books and enjoy. You know, a place to get away for a while. Maybe even have wine in the afternoons.”
Melissa thought about it. “Holly’s Coffeehouse and Wine Bar?”
“Sure, I like the sound of that. But, it will remain a bookstore at heart.”
“Holly’s Bookstore, Coffeehouse, and Wine Bar.” She smiled when Holly laughed. “Are you sure you’re not taking on too much?”
Holly snickered. “What else is there in my life, right now? It’s not like I have a tall, handsome, cowboy knocking down my door. Like you.” She added after a moment of silence.
Melissa turned and smiled at her. “He is handsome.” Her friend leaned forward again.
“So, spill. I want to know all the details. Don’t leave anything out.”
When Melissa just looked at her, Holly shrugged her shoulders. “What? If roles were reversed, you’d be knocking down my door, wanting to know everything. Besides, it’s been almost a year since I went out on a date.”
“A year?” Melissa was shocked.
Holly shrugged her shoulders again. “It’s hard to find a good man in a town of three thousand.”
She turned to her friend. “Maybe we can do something about that.”
Chapter Nine
Reece stood in the corner and tried to act like he fit in. Hell, to look at him, he did fit in. Every man in the place was cut from the same mold. They all had on crisp Levi’s, boots that had been spit shined, and cotton button-up shirts that had been either starched or ironed. To top off the appearance, every man in the dim place wore a ten-gallon hat on his head.
The difference was, everyone else was having a grand ol’ time, while Reece stood in the back and tried to be invisible. He hated bars, always had. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that nothing good had ever come out of his father visiting one. Maybe it was the fact that he’d avoided them while on the circuit. Whatever the matter, he wondered why he’d allowed Haley and Alex to talk him into coming that night.
Thursday nights were karaoke nights at the Rusty Rail and they both had promised he’d have fun. They’d strong-armed him into going and supporting them while they each got up on stage and sang.
Alex and Haley were swaying on the dance floor with their husbands. They had all been chatting at the small round table he stood behind until a slow song started floating through the speakers. Then they had disappeared on him, leaving him alone in the darkened corner. He didn’t mind, actually; he was wishing he’d thought to call Melissa and invite her along, but it had had been so last minute, he hadn’t had time.
He was taking another swig of beer, when he watched the two girls walk in the front door. They looked like they were inseparable. Their arms were linked and they were laughing as they scanned the room.
When Missy’s eyes locked with his, her smile brightened even more. She nodded and said something to Holly who immediately looked over towards his corner with a large smile on her face.
They started walking his way, and his night instantly got better.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Holly said, walking over and sitting on one of the bar stools. She looked at her friend and nodded. “I ran into Melissa earlier, and we decided a night out was in order.”
He nodded and pulled Missy closer to him. “I’m here with them.” He nodded to his cousins who were now dancing faster on the old wood floor with their husbands.
“They look good together,” Holly said. He thought he heard a hint of jealousy in her voice, but he didn’t know her well enough to tell.
“You clean up well,” Missy said.
He smiled. “So do you.” He leaned down and kissed the red lips he’d been staring at since she walked in the door. She was wearing a flowered cotton sundress covered with little red roses. Her red boots matched her lips and the little red purse she had strapped over her shoulder. He couldn’t stop touching her.
“I’ll go grab us a pitcher,” Holly said, quickly retreating towards the bar.
“I’m glad you came,” he said, running his hands up and down her back.
“Me, too. Holly stopped by and we got to talking, and then we decided to come here and try to find her a man.” He chuckled.
“Her? Not you?” He smiled.
She shook her head. “I’ve already got a good man.”
He nodded. “I don’t suppose you’d like to dance with your man?” He nodded to where his cousins and a half-a-dozen couples were swaying around the dance floor.
“I’d love to.” She took his hand and followed him to the floor.
When they began to slowly move around, using the moves most Texan’s are raised from birth to know, he smiled at her. “You know, I normally wouldn’t be caught dead in a bar.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”
Nodding, he continued. “I never could stand them. Crowded, loud, smoky.”
“Fairplay has been smoke free for three years.” She nodded towards dark room. He could tell. When he’d walked in, it was the first thing he’d noticed.
“I like it. My father smoked. Never could stand the smell.”
“Oh, I don’t know. My father and uncle smoke cigars on special occasions. I’m quite taken with the smell of those.” Her arms felt good wrapped around him. Pulling her closer, he felt her heart skip a beat next to his.
“So, tell me what your friend is looking for in a man,” he asked playfully.
“Why?” She laughed. “Know anyone in particular?”
He thought about it. “Local?” When she nodded, he thought harder. “Can’t think of anyone.”
“That’s the problem around here. Good men are hard to come by.”
“Oh?” he said, twirling them towards a dark corner. “Is that why you were so eager to go out with me?’
She laughed. “Point taken. I was a fool.”
Just looking at her smile made him smile. He stole that moment and leaned down to place a kiss on her lips.
“Are we still set for tomorrow night?” she asked when he pulled away and they started walking back towards the table. He didn’t know why he was trying to avoid dinner with her parents. He’d met them at Alex’s wedding and they had seemed very nice. Hell, he’d probably run into them in town several times since coming into town. It wasn’t as if they were mean people. Actually, that’s one of the reasons he had wanted to settle down in Fairplay in the first place. There wasn’t one person in town he could think of that he didn’t like.
“Yeah. I’ll pick you up at seven?”
She nodded and smiled at the group sitting around the table.
“Look who I found.” He pulled Missy closer to his side, showing everyone his interest in her.
“It’s good you guys came alone. We were getting tired of trying to convince Reece to look like he was having a good time,” Alex said as she playfully punched her cousin’s arm.
“Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m gonna have to steal one of your men soon. I’m wearing my dancing boots and I’m desperate,” Holly said, swaying to the song that was playing.
“Take mine,” Haley said, holding her sides. “Since having the twins, I need to sit down every other song.”
Wes leaned down and kissed his wife’s cheek then held out his arm for Holly. “I’m all yours, for now.”
“He won’t admit it, but he loves to dance,” Haley said watching Wes and Holly swing across the floor.
“Look who’s back in town,” Alex said, nodding towards the bar. “I heard she was in Houston getting another boob job.”
Reece almost choked on the sip of beer he’d just taken.
“Sorry,” Alex cringed.
He shook his head to let her know it was okay. He’d never had sisters around, but he knew how open his cousins were.
When he finally got around to glancing towards the bar, he was surprised to see Savannah standing at the bar, staring at the group. When she noticed him looking at her, she smiled and stuck her chest out a little farther.
He remembered their run-in at the Grocery Stop the week he’d arrived in town. His eyes dropped to his beer and he tried not to look her way again, as the group continued to talk about her.
“I heard it was a nose job this time,” Haley whispered.
“No, she had one of those when she turned eighteen.” Alex waved her sister off. “But there is something different about her.”
“Maybe she was visiting Travis. Wherever he disappeared to,” Haley suggested. “Well, whatever the reason for her almost month long disappearance, she’s back in town and our problem now.”
“Is she really that bad?” he asked, taking another sip of his beer.
“Worse,” Alex said, glaring towards the bar. “I guess in a way I have her to thank for my marriage, though.” His cousin blinked a few times and her eyes softened as she looked over at her husband.
At that moment, Reece realized that his strongest desire was for someone to look at him just like that. At least once in his life.
“Can you believe our luck?” Holly said, leaning against the porcelain sink. Melissa was reapplying her red lipstick, which she was very happy Holly had talked her into wearing that night.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, it’s wonderful that Reece was here.” She nudged her. “By the way, Haley and Wes agreed to take me home tonight.” Holly winked at her, and she couldn’t help smiling.
“You’re a dork.”
“Yes, sadly, I’m a dork that will be going back to an empty apartment.” She faked a frown and gave her sad eyes, blinking a few times.
“There are plenty of good-looking men out there.” She nodded towards the bathroom door.
Holly laughed. “Right.”
“What about…” Melissa tried to think of a few guys they had gone to school with that were still single.
“Ha! Can’t think of any, can you?” Her friend pointed at her.
“Joey.”
“Joey? Joey Briggs?” Holly held her arms out and made her face chubby.
“Okay, so he’s gained a few pounds since school.”
“Ha, he’s no quarterback anymore, that’s for sure.” Her friend teetered on the sink and Melissa reached out to steady her.
“Maybe you should see about having Haley and Wes take you home soon.”
Her friend waved her aside. “I’m not toast yet.”
Melissa laughed and helped her off the sink just as Savannah walked in.
“Well, well. Look who got lucky.”
If Savannah’s dress were any tighter, Melissa was sure it would have broken several laws of physics. Her breasts did look bigger and she wondered if what Alex had said was true.
“Hello, Savannah.” Melissa turned towards the other woman, still holding Holly steady. Now her friend was leaning a little more on her shoulder.
“Wow, how big can they get?” Holly asked, earning her a pinch on the arm from Melissa.
Savannah gave Holly a look that said everything. It was obvious that Holly didn’t even warrant a response from her.
“Well, Melissa, it’s very lucky for you that I had to leave for a very important meeting for daddy’s business in New York.”
Savannah crossed her arms over her chest and continued to block the only exit from the small room.
“Oh? Why is that?” she asked, taking the bait. She knew better, but for some reason, she was dying to know what Savannah was up to.
“Well, before I had to leave, Reece and I had started something that would have, no doubt, ended up being much more than what you have.” She smiled and looked down at her perfectly manicured fingernails. “But I’m sure it won’t be long before he becomes bored with you.” She sighed and looked up at her, her eyes raking over her simple cotton dress. Then she chuckled. “I’ll be sure to have him tested, first.”
It happened so fast, Melissa didn’t have time to respond. Holly wiggled out of her grip and before Melissa knew what was happening, there was blood splattered over the three of them.
When it was over, Holly stood over the crumpled and much larger Savannah. Savannah had fallen to her knees and was holding a very broken nose in both of her hands, screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Don�
�t ever talk like that about someone I love.” Holly shook her fists. “Everyone in town knows that the only one carrying any STDs in this town is you. Besides, you couldn’t get a hold of a good man like Reece. Even if you roped and hog-tied him. Everyone knows that all you care about is stealing everyone else’s men.”
When Holly finally stepped back and Melissa could see the actual damaged her friend’s tiny fists had done, her nursing instincts kicked in. She may be small, standing at only five-three, but Holly Bridles could punch like a pro boxer. It was rumored that her father had been quite the pro back in his Navy days.
Melissa would have laughed, except for the amount of blood that was streaming from Savannah’s face. Then the bathroom door swung open and Carl, one of the bouncers for the Rusty Rail, rushed in demanding to know what had happened.
By then, Melissa had a clean towel covering Savannah’s nose as the woman continued to scream. Holly stood with her back against the wall, staring at the scene with a frown on her face.
Savannah’s friends rushed into the bathroom and gathered her up so they could drive her to the clinic, while Carl grabbed her and Holly by the arms and rushed them to the manager’s office. Reece and Melissa’s brother were right behind them, followed by everyone else from their table.
“What’s going on here?” Reece demanded.
“I’m holding these two until the sheriff gets here,” Carl said, motioning for them to sit on the couch in the manager’s office.
“That doesn’t answer his question.” Her brother crossed his arms over his chest.
“One of these two broke Savannah’s nose in the ladies restroom. I’m too busy right now, so I’ll leave it up to the sheriff to get more details from them,” he said, as he picked up the phone and dialed.
Reece looked at her, and she saw his face pale. Then she noticed everyone else was looking at her too. Glancing down, she realized why they would think she had punched Savannah. Her dress was completely covered in Savannah’s blood. She looked up and shook her head and then looked over at Holly, who had her arms crossed over her chest and a determined look on her face.
