“Feeling a little cleaner, honey?” Ma tousled Kyla’s still-damp hair.
Kyla chuckled. “You didn’t put anything about mud baths in the brochure. If I wake up with baby-soft skin, you might want to consider adding it.”
Ma was ladling soup into pottery bowls on a tray. “Think you could help me with this soup, honey?”
Kyla reached for the ladle, but Ma waved her away from it. Instead, she handed her a bottle of hot sauce. Kyla peered into the bowls, and it looked and smelled like a hearty, delicious chicken noodle. Hardly something she’d liberally sprinkle hot sauce into. “You want this in the soup? Really?”
Ma nodded. “Oh, I do. Yes, I do.” She pointed to the bowl in the corner of the tray. “This one here’s Cheryl’s. This one’s Theresa’s. I’m just saying.” Then she turned to the oven to pull out loaves of French bread.
Kyla slowly uncapped the bottle. Was Ma seriously suggesting what she thought she was suggesting?
“I can’t be looking the other way all night, missy,” Ma deadpanned. “Get sprinkling.”
* * *
“Here’s your soup! Eat up!” Ma urged as she delivered the bowls to the table. As she slid Cheryl’s bowl in front of her, she winked slyly at Kyla, then set Theresa’s down. “Chicken soup, ladies. Made it special for you. You deserve some nice, hot soup after the day you’ve had.”
Kyla barely controlled her giggle reflex as she waited for Cheryl and Theresa to scoop some soup into their mouths. She thought she’d been pretty liberal with the hot sauce, but Ma had frowned and given both bowls another few shakes after Kyla had set the bottle down. Everyone at the table dug in, and the only sounds for a few moments were the clinks of spoons on pottery.
Yet to taste her soup, Cheryl put on a fake smile and tilted her head. “You poor things. I can’t believe you got lost out there today. You had almost as bad a day as me.”
Kyla shrugged. “It happens. But we managed.” Try your soup, you lying little twit.
Theresa shook her head. “That storm was really something.”
Jess kicked Kyla under the table. “Oh, you have no idea. First it was freezing, and then it was really, really hot.”
Cheryl nodded as she dipped her spoon into her soup. “Well, all’s well that ends well, right? After all the commotion, I forgot to eat lunch. I’m starving!”
Kyla held her breath as she watched Cheryl bring the spoon to her mouth. As soon as the soup left the spoon, Cheryl’s eyes went as wide as golf balls, and she grabbed for her water. She looked around, obviously wondering why no one else was finding the soup unbearably spicy. Kyla smiled benignly as she spooned her own into her mouth, then watched as Theresa took her first mouthful. She shook her head and grabbed for her glass as well, sending silent messages to Cheryl with her eyes.
“Good soup, Ma.” Jess called into the kitchen.
Ma bustled out. “Eat it right up! Cheryl, especially you, honey. It’s just what you need for a poor, ailing ankle.” She paused as she walked behind Cheryl, who was pushing the chicken around her bowl. “Is there something wrong with the soup?”
Cheryl blanched. “No, Ma. Not at all. Just a little more, um, spicy than I thought it might be.”
“Is it now? Imagine that. Y’know, I suppose the Boston ladies were a little more … lost than they thought they might be earlier today.” Ma settled herself right between Cheryl and Theresa and pulled out her own spoon. “I’m still wondering how that could have happened. Course, I don’t want to wonder too hard, or I might have to send folks home if I find them responsible.”
She pulled out the map Kyla had given Decker and flattened it out right in the middle of the table. Then she smiled and spooned up her soup. “Now eat up, ladies. I’ll stay right here with you ’til you’re finished.”
* * *
“Are you sure we can’t just stay here and play Scrabble or something?” Kyla begged from the corner of the couch, where she sat huddled up, arms crossed over her knees. It was Friday night, and she was desperately trying to beg off from the evening’s planned activity in town. The thought of closed spaces, loud noise, and crowds was triggering her panic reflex before she even left the cabin.
“Scrabble, sweetie?” Jess was squinting into the bathroom mirror, putting on eyeliner.
“Or Yahtzee, maybe? I used to be really good at Yahtzee.”
“Wow. There’s something for the résumé,” Hayley emerged from her bedroom in tight blue jeans and a sparkly tank top.
“Oh, wow. You look gorgeous, Hayls.”
“Thank you, dahling.” Hayley preened in front of the couch, then put out her hand to help Kyla to her feet.
Shaking her head, Kyla grimaced. “It’s been a while since I’ve done the bar scene, okay? And seriously? A cowboy karaoke bar? Really? Isn’t there a nice little coffee shop or something? Why do you continually insist on pulling me out of my comfort zone?”
Hayley put her hands on her hips and glared playfully at Kyla. “One, you don’t drink coffee, so a coffee shop’s moot. And two, your comfort zone at present is so small that if you sneezed, you’d be outside it. It’ll be fun. And if it isn’t, we can just leave.”
“I don’t know, Hayley. I’m exhausted. Why don’t the two of you just go?”
“Not an option. We’re not leaving you here for the bears to munch on.”
“Please?” Kyla did her best puppy-dog face, but Hayley just shook her head. “Don’t we think one panic attack is enough this week? Seriously, I don’t know if I can handle this. Small spaces, loud music, way too much leather?”
Jess laughed. “It’s the leather that’ll get you every time. We’ll be right there with you, sweetie. If you need an escape pod, just signal and we’ll leave. But I think it’ll do you good. I really do.”
Kyla groaned. As much as she wanted to take a pass on dance night with the cowboys, she knew Hayley and Jess would bodily put her in the car and drag her along. She wished she could comfort herself with the thought that at least Decker would be there, but from what she could tell, it hardly seemed like his scene. Plus, he probably had plans with Malibu Barbie. It was a Friday night, after all. The man had to have a social life.
She pushed herself slowly up from the couch. “All right, you guys, but only because I’m pretty sure if I don’t agree to go, you’ll strap me to the roof and make me do it anyway.”
Hayley smiled. “Atta girl. Now come on. Jess, let’s show her what we brought.”
“Oh, goodie!” Jess ducked into her bedroom, coming out with a glittery purple bag. “One cowgirl, coming up!”
“Oh, no.” Kyla plopped back onto the couch. “What have you done?”
Hayley stood up and pointed at Jess. “Jessica, show the lovely lady her first item!”
Jess reached into the bag and with a flourish, pulled out a white Stetson with sparkles around the band. “It’s her very own cowgirl hat!” She stepped over to Kyla and placed it on her head. “And it fits perfectly!”
Kyla reached up to straighten the hat, smiling. “You didn’t.”
Hayley grinned. “Oh, we did. And that’s just a start. Jessica, show the lady her next item!”
Again Jess reached into the bag, and again pulled something out with a grand gesture. “It’s her very own … cowgirl shirt!” In her hand was a sparkly, barely-there top with spaghetti straps.
“Oh, wow. It’s … gorgeous. But where’s the rest of it? Don’t forget I’m Irish. Way too much pale skin. No way I could carry off that look.”
“Oh, yes, you will. Come see.” Hayley pulled her off the couch and over to the mirror. She held the jade-green top up under Kyla’s chin and stepped back. “It’s a perfect shade for you. Especially since you’ve actually picked up a little color in your cheeks this week.”
Jess came up behind her and removed the hat. “We’ll close our eyes. Take off that ridiculous sweatshirt and put this on.” With a groan, Kyla obliged, yanking off her sweatshirt and tank top and pulling the new top over her head. It sl
id over her with a silky swish, and her eyes widened as she saw her reflection in the mirror. The tiny straps draped over her collarbones, and there was just enough material to be decent, but also—wow—sexy.
“Can we open our eyes yet?” Hayley asked.
“Not yet.” Kyla took the hat from Jess’s hand and put it carefully back on her head. Huh. Who knew? She actually didn’t look as completely, utterly ridiculous as she’d thought she would. In fact, she looked almost borderline … good. And that was a far stretch from how she’d seen herself in any mirror for quite a long time now.
“Okay, open your eyes. But no laughing.”
Neither Hayley nor Jess responded. Kyla laughed as she caught their expressions in the mirror. Both had their mouths open, and their eyes were wide. Jess was the first to speak. “Oh, sweetie. You look just precious in that!” She put her hands on Kyla’s shoulders and looked in the mirror with her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were actually made to be a cowgirl.”
“You’re full of baloney, but thanks.”
Hayley shook her head as a wide smile enveloped her face. “Decker is not gonna be able to resist you tonight. That I guar-on-tee.” She turned to Jess. “Should we give her the last thing?”
“He won’t even be there, so don’t worry. And you better not have gotten me boots.”
Jess smiled as she backed up and reached for the purple bag. “Nope. No boots. Just a little something from both of us.” She pulled out a little velvet box that looked suspiciously like it had come from an upscale jewelry store where they loved to window-shop back in Boston. Kyla turned away from the mirror as Jess gently rocked the box from her left hand to her right. “I’m not going to do a big, sappy speech, because then we’d all cry and my mascara would run and then we’d be late and, well …”
“You’re babbling,” Hayley rolled her eyes, then gently took the box from Jess. “Kyla, first of all, we’re really pissed that we had to buy you this.”
Kyla startled. “What?!”
“We would have loved to have no reason at all to get you a special gift. But then you had to go and scare the bejeezus out of us and almost die, and then you had to discover that your fiancé wasn’t really your fiancé after all, and then you had to spend the last twelve months playing with balls and tripping over your crutches and staying awake all night …” She tapered off as her eyes got watery. She took an unsteady breath as she continued, “And though what we really wanted to do was take out a contract on Wes, jewelry turned out to be cheaper.”
“And no jail time,” Jess added.
Hayley opened the box, and Kyla caught the glint of gold, but it was wavery, as tears were filling her eyes. When Hayley didn’t continue, Jess took a deep breath. “We just want you to know how proud we are of you. And how much we love you.”
Jess took a string of gold from the box and turned Kyla back toward the mirror, securing the necklace around her neck. “We wanted something that represented courage and strength and endurance, because sweetie, you’ve got all those things, in spades.”
Kyla fingered the gorgeous gold pendant, looking in the mirror to see its detail. “It’s a turtle. It’s adorable.” She ran her fingers over the metal, feeling its ridges and hollows.
Hayley stepped close again and put a hand on Kyla’s shoulder. “It’s a Native American symbol for courage and perseverance. It’s also supposed to be able to defy death. We thought it was pretty fitting.”
“You guys.” Kyla’s eyes met theirs in the mirror. The necklace was stunning in its simplicity, more so in the love it represented. “How can I ever thank you? It’s just perfect and gorgeous.” She turned around to hug both of them at the same time. “I love you guys so much.”
Hayley sniffed and pulled away a smidge. “That’s not what you’ve been saying all week. Jess, should we warn her about the other thing it represents?”
Jess leaned back to grab a tissue from the box on the end table. As she wiped her nose delicately, she raised her eyebrows. “What other thing?” Then it apparently hit her. “Ohhh. Right. Yes. Um, be careful with that thing. It’s also a fertility symbol.”
* * *
The sounds of a twangy country song enveloped Kyla as she stepped out of Jess and Hayley’s cherry-red convertible. Jess said, “Wait a second, ladies. I have to put up the roof.”
Kyla shook her head. “Next time we travel, I get the flight with the supermodel who leaves the rental counter with a car like this.”
“Now, sweetie. Just because the rental agency had to come tow your lemon of a car from the ranch, don’t be bitter. And I am not a supermodel.”
“Hayley, did she wink at the counter guy? Did she? Hmm?”
Hayley laughed. “She didn’t even need to. He started swallowing hard the moment he spotted her coming. Bright red convertible was practically guaranteed.”
As they walked toward the door, Kyla’s steps slowed as her breath quickened. She stopped and turned back toward the car. “You guys, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Jess put her hands on Kyla’s shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. “Ms. Kyla Bennett, tonight you are not the rapidly aging ex-fiancé of a two-timing bastard.” Kyla blurted out a surprised laugh. “Tonight, pretend you are Kyla Bennett, famous starlet, undercover in a Montana cowboy town, just trying to pass the night away. But no one will be able to resist the magnetism that is you, especially one particular cowboy who’d better damn well be here after all the sparkles we dressed you up in.”
Kyla laughed again. “Rapidly aging?”
Jess sighed loudly. “All that? And that’s the part you heard?”
“Okay, okay. Starlet. Magnetism. Sparkles. Got it. I’m irresistible.” Kyla turned toward the club’s door and took a deep breath, fingering her new necklace.
“That’s the spirit, honey.” Jess gave her a gentle push. “Now get in there.”
With a cheeky smile, Hayley looped her arm through Kyla’s elbow and pushed open the door. Before she got three steps inside, though, she stopped and muttered, “Uh-oh.”
Chapter 14
Kyla edged closer to Hayley in the doorway. “What do you mean, uh-oh?”
Hayley pointed across the dark bar with her chin. Kyla squinted to see, but the place was a sea of blue jeans and cowboy hats. The wooden dance floor in the center of the room was packed with bodies, as was the bar to Kyla’s right. Small tables dotted the left side of the room, and she scanned them quickly, coming to an abrupt halt on the fifth one.
Dammit. Malibu Barbie was here. With a freakin’ entourage. It looked like a casting call for the latest reality TV show, what with the perfect hair, impossibly skinny thighs, and surgically-enhanced chests. They had to be enhanced, right? No one grew them like that naturally.
Her head started to prickle as she looked around, making sure she had a clear path to the door. Closed spaces and panic issues were already a bad mix, and adding loud music and blond bimbos to that equation was enough to bring on her newly honed fight-or-flight response. Jess pulled her toward the bar, where the line was three deep. “Don’t even think about her. She’s probably an empty-headed dippy with corn for brains.”
“Jess. Seriously. She and Decker could be engaged, for all we know. May I please remind you that we’re not here to find me a man?”
Jess and Hayley both shook their heads. Jess spoke first. “Sorry, darlin’. No can do. I am convinced Decker has eyes only for you, so we need to make sure you’re all he can see tonight. Let’s get a drink.”
Twenty minutes later, Hayley tapped her fingers on the high-top table, her margarita empty. “Ready to dance?”
Kyla frowned. “Y’know what? I’ll watch for a bit. You guys go ahead.” She pointed vaguely at her thigh.
Jess raised her eyebrows at Hayley. “I know how to get her to dance.”
“Ooh!” Hayley perked up. “The secret formula! I forgot! Be right back!” She jumped off her chair and started threading through the bodies toward the bar.<
br />
Kyla narrowed her eyes. “Secret formula? Jess?”
Jess shrugged innocently and sipped the last ice of her own margarita. “Drink up, sweetie. The dance floor’s waiting. Ooh! Check out the barstools, dead ahead.”
Kyla surreptitiously turned her head toward the bar, and immediately was snagged by Decker’s gaze. She tried to look away, but her eyes did that crazy-glue thing again and she couldn’t. He had a crisp, collared white shirt and dark blue jeans on, along with his Stetson, and oh, did he ever look delicious. It was dark in the bar, but she felt like she could almost see the blue of his irises across the room.
Trying to appear casual, she raised her fingers in a quick wave, then ripped her eyes away and turned back toward Jess. “Jess, I’ll kill you if you tell Hayley I said it, but good Lord that man could be in a catalog.” She felt like she’d swallowed a cup of grasshoppers.
“He is quite a specimen, isn’t he?” Jess sighed. “His brother’s not too bad, either.”
Hayley suddenly squeezed through the wall of bodies with three little paper cups, which she set on their teeny table. “Secret formula number nine, ladies!”
Kyla peered into the cups, then laughed out loud. “Jell-O shots? Are you serious?”
Hayley nodded as she sat back down. “Well, if anything’ll make you dance, it’s the magic combination of margaritas and Jell-O shots.”
“Oh, boy,” Jess muttered from Kyla’s left, pointing with the index finger still on her glass.
Kyla swiveled slowly around just in time to see Malibu Barbie slither up to Decker and thread her arm through his. Kyla’s shoulders fell as she bit her lower lip in frustration she wasn’t at all happy she was feeling. Dammit. Looked like the blonde did have a claim on Decker, and she wasn’t afraid to exercise it in public.
She ripped her eyes away and stared out at the dance floor, where the disco lights circled the crowd of gyrating bodies. The deejay switched seamlessly from one thumping song to the next, making the floor under Kyla’s feet vibrate. She turned to Jess and Hayley. “Who’s singing this?”
Accidental Cowgirl Page 11
