Mitch nodded.
The dancing amused Larissa even more than the mutton busting. The girls came out of the bathroom with their faces wet and glowing and handprints on their jeans where they’d used them to dry rather than the hand towel.
“Okay, first song is a slow one. Sorry Garnet, we’ll have to do that line dance later,” Henry said.
“We’ve only got four girls so you boys better get up your courage. Big old dudes like you that ain’t afraid of my bull or the sheep ought to be able to ask a girl to dance,” Henry said.
Bobby Dean was the first one on his feet. He crossed the yard from the chairs set up on the back to the porch and held out his hand to Ruby. “Miss Ruby Jane Torres, would you dance with me?”
She put her hand in his and he led her to the middle of the yard. Henry raced over to the CD player and pushed a button. Garth Brooks’ song “The Dance” played and Bobby put one hand on Ruby’s shoulder, pushed his glasses up on his nose with the other, and then slipped it around her waist. She put a hand on his shoulder and hooked her other one in a belt loop at his back like she’d seen her mother do when she danced with her father in the kitchen. It might not have been the best two-stepping Larissa had ever seen but it was the most animated. They didn’t listen to the music but barely moved their feet as they looked everywhere but at each other.
“I guess the rest of you boys are too tired to dance?” Henry called out. “Well, I guess me and Hank is about to beat y’all’s time with this group of pretty young fillies.”
Mitchell jumped up and held his hand out to Garnet. “May I have this dance?”
“You step on my toes and I’ll kick you in the shins,” she said.
Austin stepped up to ask Natalie and Joe shyly came forward to ask Brenda. The other four boys sighed in relief. When that song ended a fast one began and all twelve of them formed a line dance to the fast country music. They slapped their heels and the whole yard rang with their laughter.
“That’s what a ranch is supposed to sound like,” Henry said.
Larissa understood exactly what he meant and how lonely it must have been every year when Hank went back to Dallas. Henry was so good with the children that he should have had a whole yard full of ornery boys with a couple of girls tossed in just for fun.
The dance was over all too soon and the children yelled good-bye to Henry, Oma, Hank, and Larissa from the school bus windows until they couldn’t see the ranch house anymore.
Larissa stepped out of Hank’s embrace and said, “I’ve got to go too. Sharlene and I’ve got a bank statement to balance and the beer and pretzel guys both come by about five on Monday to restock.”
She didn’t want to leave. She’d rather sit in the dining room with Oma and the guys and talk about the fun they’d had with the children. She’d rather go out to the barn and make up with Hank for the minor spat they’d had about the schoolteacher. Anything but leave the ranch.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Hank said.
Oma poked Henry in the ribs and he winked at her.
He slipped her hand into his. “Someday I’ll take you to a real rodeo with real bulls, bronc riders, and barrel racers.”
“It wouldn’t be a bit more fun than this one. I loved it all.”
“Even the jealousy?” he asked.
“Even that.” She smiled. “You comin’ into town tonight?”
“Will you save me a dance?”
“Don’t dance with customers,” she said.
He kissed her forehead. “Think I’ll ever be more than that in the Honky Tonk?”
“Long as you don’t go to dinner at Miss Haley’s house you might have a fightin’ chance. But if you do I’m going to kick you in the shins.”
***
She parked in the lot at the Honky Tonk and was about to open the door when her cell phone rang. She didn’t even look at caller ID because she was sure it was Hank.
“Hello, cowboy,” she said.
“Well, hello to you, but I’m no cowboy. Who were you expecting?” Doreen asked.
“Hank. I just left a kiddy day rodeo at his ranch and…”
“Hank is back on the ranch? What happened? I know Victoria was angry with him but I didn’t know he’d gone to Henry’s. Tell me all about it and then I’ll tell you my news.”
“He came back. He wants to see me again. I’m not sure if he’ll stay because I’m afraid he’ll get bored. Your turn.”
“Oh, no! That’s not going to do. I’ve saved an hour for this phone call and my news takes five minutes. So talk and start at the beginning,” Doreen said.
“Okay, in the beginning God made dirt and Henry bought some of it,” Larissa said.
“You don’t have to go back that far. Start with when you got home from the benefit. How long until Hank was there?”
“Okay. Once upon a time a Honky Tonk angel was sleeping when she heard voices on her front porch,” Larissa went on to tell Doreen the whole story. “And now I’ve got to get to the Honky Tonk because the beer man is coming to restock. Your news?”
“Rupert and I got married this morning. His mother died last week and it wouldn’t be proper to have a big wedding so soon after a funeral. I would have called you but you didn’t know the lady. I’d only met her once. She was in a care facility and didn’t even know Rupert most days. Anyway, we just had a civil ceremony. However, I’m calling Martha and Victoria and telling them they can do a reception next month. None of you will have to fly over here after all. But you all know you are welcome any time you want to come see us. We’re going to honeymoon on an island that he owns for a couple of weeks and then do some sightseeing. After that we’ll be in Dallas for the week that you’d planned to be in Italy.”
“Wow! Congratulations, Mother. And tell Rupert I’m glad to have him in the family,” Larissa said.
“Thank you. I’ll make plans at the Hyatt for you. Would you like to bring your friend Sharlene? We could plan the reception on Sunday night so you could both be away from your beer joint.”
“Yes, I would and thank you for thinking of her. She’ll squeal and talk my ears deaf.”
“What?”
“Sharlene talks too much. Especially when she is nervous.”
Doreen laughed. “So does Victoria.”
“The great Victoria Radner has a fault?”
“Oh, yes, sweetheart. When you get to know her, you’ll be amazed at how many she has. I’m not telling you anymore though or she’ll tell you all about mine.”
“The great Doreen Lawson has a fault?” Larissa giggled.
“Lady Doreen Jovani now,” she said.
“Well, la-tee-damn-dah,” Larissa said.
“And Lady Doreen does have a fault or two that she’d just as soon her daughter didn’t know about,” Doreen said.
“Now you’ve got my curiosity piqued,” Larissa said.
“Does Lady Doreen’s daughter have anything she doesn’t want her mother to know about? That the tabloids in Italy or England might find amusing?”
“Aside from the fact that she owns and operates a beer joint down in Texas, United States of Wonderful America, I can’t think of a thing,” she said.
Doreen laughed. “I’ll see you in a few weeks. And don’t forget a single detail about what all happens with your cowboy.”
“You got it,” Larissa said and flipped the phone shut.
She went in the Honky Tonk door to find Sharlene mopping the floor. “Put that down and open us a beer. You’ve got to hear about my day.”
Chapter 19
The night air was brisk heralding the end of a long Texas summer and the beginning of fall. Larissa inhaled deeply several times from the garage to the Honky Tonk. Her cell phone vibrated in her hip pocket and she smiled. Hank had gotten into the habit of calling every night right before she opened the beer joint doors. Brisk air. Secrets out in the open. Nothing could possibly go wrong.
“Hello,” she said.
“How are you liking this football
weather?” he asked.
“Love it. Did you play in high school?”
“Not me. I was the computer geek.”
“You promised never to lie to me again,” she said.
“And I’m not.”
“I can’t even begin to picture you as a computer geek. You look like a football player. You coming into town tonight?”
“I’m too tired to drive to the end of the lane. Much as I’d love to see you, darlin’, I’d be a danger to anyone on the road including myself,” he answered.
“Then Sharlene and I’ll see you in Dallas tomorrow?”
“My pickup has plenty of room if you women don’t take your entire closets, we could all go together. There’ll be half the backseat to put luggage.”
“Then we’d be glad to go with you. We’ll be ready at noon.”
She heard him yawn. “Go snore in front of the television with Henry until bedtime.”
“Goodnight, Larissa.”
“Goodnight.”
She flipped the phone shut and went into the Honky Tonk to Jo Dee Messina’s voice coming from the jukebox declaring that her give a damn was busted. Sharlene was pouring pretzels and peanuts in bowls.
“You got a reason for playing this song?” Larissa asked.
“Yep, because my give a damn is busted. Not cracked. Busted wide open and there ain’t no pieces to fix it,” Sharlene said.
“Why’s that?” Larissa asked.
“I had this boyfriend up in Corn, Oklahoma. We dated in high school and then I went into the service and he stayed home to farm with his dad.”
“And?”
“He got married today. I just got off the phone with his sister.”
“If you loved the man, why didn’t you go to Corn and try to talk him out of marrying another woman?”
“I thought maybe someday he’d leave Corn and ride his white horse to find me and we’d ride off into the sunset. But it wouldn’t be to Corn. I don’t want to live there ever again. Visiting for holidays is fine. Living there is another matter.”
Larissa spaced the bowls of pretzels and peanuts down the bar. “You grew in different directions. He stayed and grew roots in farming. You’ve spread your wings. He couldn’t wait forever and he couldn’t fly.”
“Makes sense. And I don’t even know why it bothers me because if I’d loved him I’d be in Corn, not Mingus. It’s just like another door has closed and I wasn’t ready for it,” Sharlene said.
“Love shouldn’t be a backup plan, honey.”
Sharlene sighed. “I didn’t even realize that’s what it was until now. Is your give-a-damn coming around tonight?”
“No, but we are going to ride to Dallas with him tomorrow. You’ll be ready at noon?”
“I surely will. Maybe I’ll find a new backup plan amongst the rich and shameful,” she teased. Her smile returned and her green eyes sparkled. “Maybe that Whit you told me about. I like that name. It sounds like a man who’d be on the cover of a big thick romance book. I can picture him wearing nothing but a Scottish kilt, his broad chest rippling with muscles as he pulls a red-haired vixen to him.”
“Good lord, Sharlene. You really should write books.”
“Hello, ladies,” Luther said. “Parking lot is already filling up. Ten minutes until opening. Y’all ready for the stampede?” He made his way across the dance floor to the bar, picked up a red and white cooler, and shoved six cold Cokes in it and added a scoop of ice.
“How’s things with you and Tessa?” Sharlene asked.
Luther shook his big head and exhaled loudly. “I love that woman but God Himself don’t know why. She’s independent and a band of angels couldn’t change her mind once it’s made up.”
“And you are griping why?” Sharlene asked.
“Big old man like me likes to feel like his woman needs him.”
Sharlene reached over and patted him on the shoulder. “Honey, Tessa doesn’t need protection. She needs someone to love her for who she is. She can protect herself.” She opened the cash register and handed him a dollar. “Go get the band fired up so the folks will come in to music and get busy working up a thirst. Play something fast and twangy.”
Luther slid the cooler under his chair beside the door and fed the dollar into the jukebox. At exactly eight o’clock he opened the doors and let the customers file inside. In five minutes he’d counted one hundred. When the last song the house paid for finished the dance floor was full, tables were claimed, pool tables staked out, and he was past the second hundred on the count. Tessa was behind the bar drawing beers. Sharlene was taking care of mixed drinks. Larissa worked up and down the bar.
“Where’s Hank? Haven’t seen him all week. He’s usually here on Saturday night at least,” Tessa asked.
“He’s finding out that ranching isn’t a nine to five and then go home job,” Larissa said.
“You okay with that?”
“It’s who Hank is. Whether I’m okay with it or not doesn’t change the way it is.”
Sharlene filled six Mason jars with beer and set them on a tray. “Good answer, Larissa. I needed to hear that tonight.”
“Hey, lady. I’ll buy you a drink if you’ll dance with me,” Justin said from the end of the bar.
“Where did you come from? I haven’t seen you in months,” Larissa said.
“Hurt my back and they put me on the desk. I only got to make this run because they needed an emergency haul. Got a place out back I can call mine after hours tonight?”
“You got it. I’ll write you up for your same old space. Sorry about your back.”
“Me too. It kept me home and me and the girlfriend found out that we didn’t do so well on a twenty-four-seven basis. We did better when I was gone most of the week and there was always the drama of the parting and the joy of the homecoming. We broke up so now I’m free. You want to run away with me tonight and live in the big city of Houston?” he teased.
“Not me,” Larissa said.
“She’s got a feller. I might run away with you,” Sharlene said.
Justin looked her up and down. “You get serious about that, Red, and we’ll talk. But don’t tease a poor old crippled truck driver. Want to dance?”
“Don’t dance with customers,” Sharlene said.
“Lord, Larissa, do you have to train them all to be just like you?” Justin asked.
“Kinda happens that way,” Tessa said. “Don’t bother asking me. I can’t go. I’ve got my brand on the bouncer.”
Justin raised an eyebrow. “Luther?”
“That’s right.”
He looked from Tessa to Larissa. “And which one of these cowboys belong to you?”
“None of them.”
“Yet,” Sharlene laughed.
“Which one wants to belong to you?”
Sharlene swept her hand in a gesture to include the whole bar. “All of them, but Hank Wells is the one who could win the brass ring.”
Justin’s brow wrinkled as he thought. “That was the cowboy who came in here last time I was able to drive. The one you’d had a wreck with?”
Larissa nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Well, damn. My timing ain’t never right. You was ready and I had to go and hurt my back. Ain’t that the luck,” Justin grumbled.
“Stop your whining and go find someone else to dance with. There’s a whole beer joint full of women who’d love to run away with you,” Larissa said.
“Yeah, but the best one of the lot is already taken. I can see it in your eyes,” he said.
***
Larissa pulled on a silky dress in a color called liquid pewter that barely skimmed her knees. It had a scoop neckline and long fitted sleeves and she’d chosen silver high-heeled pumps, a silver necklace with a black onyx drop, and matching earrings. She was checking her reflection in the bathroom mirror when Sharlene knocked on her hotel room door.
When she slung it open Sharlene breezed inside. She wore a bronze dress that flowed from a fitted waistline wi
th a ruffled hemline. She’d chosen the same color shoes and jewelry and had scrunched her hair into a mass of shoulder-length curls.
“Whew! You look like a magazine cover.” She gave Larissa the toe-to-head inspection.
“Me? You’re the single girl who’s going to knock ’em dead this afternoon. I thought we weren’t supposed to outdo the bride. You might be in trouble.” Larissa picked up her purse and they headed toward the elevator doors just down the hallway.
“So have you heard from your mother?” Sharlene asked as they waited for the elevator.
“She called when they got to Victoria’s house last night. Nothing doing but they had to stay there rather than the hotel so that’s where they are. I’d rather sleep in an outhouse. That woman would poison me and declare I’d died of natural causes in my sleep.”
Sharlene shivered. “I’ll take crackers in my purse.”
“I’m surprised I’m even invited to the reception,” Larissa said.
Sharlene pursed her lips and frowned. “Seriously, what do you expect? You run the Honky Tonk, the very place that she hates, you refuse to sell it to her so she can burn it to the ground, and then you call her a bitch. And now you’ve stolen her son. She may be buying voodoo dolls with black hair, poking pins in them, and chanting ancient curses.”
“That sounds more like Martha. She’s the artistic, eccentric among the three.”
The elevator doors opened and there was Hank.
“Ladies,” he said.
“We didn’t expect you to come up to escort us down,” Sharlene said.
Larissa was glad that Sharlene was a talker because she wanted to look, not talk. He wore a black western cut suit, polished boots, white shirt and tie, and his hair cut and brushed back. The sparks became a blaze that only one thing could put out. And they couldn’t go back to the hotel room. They had a reception to attend.
Sharlene stepped inside the elevator and Larissa followed.
He pushed the button and the doors closed. “You ladies are both beautiful.”
“Well, you don’t look so shabby yourself,” Larissa said.
He reached across the few inches of space separating them and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you are going with me.”
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