“She’s a fixture in Prosperous. She owns the E.Z. Diner.”
“Will I like her?”
Maggie nodded. “As long as you can look beyond the purple hair and green nail polish. She’s quite a character. But she has a heart of gold. She was my first friend in Wyoming. And when Chance and I were married, I asked her to be my witness.”
“Purple hair?” Erin’s eyes widened. “She sounds as if she’s really something.”
Maggie saw the laughter lurking in the three brothers’ eyes, and couldn’t help joining in. “She is something. Something special.”
“Come on, Mrs. Wilde.” Chance caught her hand. “Quit gabbing. There’s no time to waste. New York is waiting.”
“Yes. With all those shops. And all those wonderful restaurants.” She turned to Hazard. “If you get hungry, there’s plenty of food in the freezer.”
“I think we can manage.” He kissed her cheek. “Get out of here and have a good time. You deserve it. And buy something extravagant.”
She gave him a fierce hug, then hugged Ace, before allowing Chance to lead her out the door. It was clear that they were both eager to get away.
At the sound of the helicopter engines overhead, Ace picked up his briefcase. “Here’s my ride. Looks like you two are on your own. Try not to spend all your time in that lab, Doc. There really is a life beyond the microscope, you know.”
She smiled. “I’ll try to remember that, Ace.”
When the door closed behind Ace, Hazard picked up his parka. “I ought to have my chores finished by noon.”
Erin nodded. “That’ll give me just enough time to run a few more tests on those blood samples.”
She watched as he sauntered away. Then she glanced around the huge kitchen. It seemed strange to see it so empty. But there was no time to brood about it. She was already thinking about the trip to Prosperous. And the fact that she and Hazard would be alone for the first time since her arrival.
“I’m sure that after Boston this doesn’t seem like much of a town to you.” Hazard drove slowly, allowing Erin to study the row of buildings that made up the main street of Prosperous.
“Every town has its own character.”
“Not to mention its characters,” Hazard added with a laugh.
Erin was smiling as she studied the shops. There was the E.Z. Diner, which reflected its owner’s unusual taste. Painted bright pink, it sported apple-green shutters at the windows, and the shingles on the roof were lemon-yellow. A few doors down was the This N That Shop.
“What do they sell there?”
“Clothing.” Hazard slowed down.
“Men’s or women’s?”
“Clothes for the entire family.”
“And that?” She read the sign. “Wanda’s Bait and Party Shoppe.”
“Wanda sells gifts, party goods as well as fishing bait and tackle.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. At the end of the street is Korson’s Feed and Grain. They sell everything from oats to oatmeal. And there’s Clancy’s Pool Hall, where my brother Ace performs almost nightly. Down there is the movie theatre, and next door is Alice’s Ice Cream Shop. Alice sells hot chocolate in the winter, and cider and donuts in the autumn. Want to shop first?” Hazard asked.
Erin nodded. “I’ve been wearing Maggie’s jeans and sweater since I first came here. I think it’s time to buy my own.”
Hazard brought the truck to a stop outside the This N That Shop, and led the way inside, where he introduced Erin to Lucy Swan, the owner.
“Lucy, this is Dr. Erin Ryan.”
“A doctor? Somebody sick up at the Double W, Hazard?”
“No, ma’am.” He twirled his hat in his hand just the way Cody often did. A trait Erin found endearing.
“Dr. Ryan is here to help me with some lab work.”
“Well, isn’t that grand.” The old woman was looking Erin over very closely. It was the first time she could recall seeing Hazard Wilde bring a female into her shop.
“What can I help you with?” Lucy asked.
“I need quite a few things.” Erin walked to a display of denims and began sorting through them.
Soon she had filled the only fitting room with so many clothes, Lucy suggested she start trying them on. “If you need anything else, you just let me know, honey, and I’ll rummage around for your size.”
As soon as Erin disappeared into the fitting room, Hazard pointed to a dress hanging in the corner. “Lucy, do you think that would fit Erin?”
The older woman shrugged. “Ought to. It was made for a teenager, but that little lady’s so slender, she shouldn’t have any trouble wearing it.” She wrinkled her nose to show her disapproval. “But why would you want it, Hazard?”
He just gave her one of those famous Wilde smiles, that melted hearts from Laramie to Cheyenne. “It’s a secret, Lucy. But wrap it up before she sees it. Oh, and those shoes, too.”
“Are you sure?” She was studying him with a worried frown that said she thought he’d lost his mind.
“I’m sure, Lucy.”
The older woman did as she was told, then handed the package to Hazard, who stashed it in the truck and made a quick stop at Wanda’s Bait and Party Shoppe, adding another package to the stash before Erin walked out of the fitting room.
She proved to be a serious shopper. In slightly more than an hour she’d bought two pair of jeans, two sweaters, four simple T-shirts, hiking boots and a pair of pajamas, as well as an assortment of underthings, which she modestly tucked beneath her other purchases, much to Hazard’s delight.
He carried her packages to the truck, then caught her hand. “Come on. It’s time to meet Thelma.”
When they stepped into the E.Z. Diner, a woman with bright-orange hair and matching lipstick looked up from the counter, which she’d been polishing to a high shine. It occurred to Erin that Maggie had described Thelma’s hair as purple. Maybe, she thought, the woman changed the color as her mood dictated.
“Hazard Wilde.” Thelma opened her arms wide. “Where’ve you been hiding?”
Without regard to the few people in the diner, he hurried forward to hug her, taking care not to wrinkle the fancy handkerchief she wore pinned to the pocket of her uniform. “Been a little busy, Thel. But I finally decided to take a day off.”
“High time.” She turned to study the slender, young woman who had hung back. “Who’s your friend?”
“Thel, this is Dr. Erin Ryan. Erin, this is Thelma Banks.”
“Hello, Thelma.”
“Well. A doctor.” Thelma’s tobacco-roughened voice deepened an octave. “You sick, Hazard?”
He laughed. “That’s the same thing Lucy asked. Erin’s not a medical doctor. She’s a laboratory researcher.”
“Fancy title.” Thelma indicated the stools at the counter. “Park it and I’ll get you some coffee.” She started away, then turned back. “You do drink coffee, I hope.”
Erin nodded.
Thelma returned with two steaming cups. “Black for you, Hazard.” She peered at Erin. “How do you take yours?”
“A little cream.”
Thelma placed the pitcher in front of her, then pulled a pencil from behind her ear and leaned her hip against the counter. “Now, what’ll you two have?”
“I’m not hungry,” Hazard remarked. “I just wanted to see you.”
“Ah.” She leaned over to place a hand on his cheek and turned to Erin. “See why I love this boy?”
Erin laughed. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear Hazard was blushing just a little.
“Now,” Thelma said in a more serious tone. “Tell me why you’re not hungry. In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never said that before.”
He shrugged. “Maybe it’s Maggie’s good cooking.”
“Uh-huh.” The old woman studied him.
Then she turned to Erin, taking note of the serious, blue eyes behind the owlish glasses and the prim, perfect knot of hair. “So, Doctor, how lon
g have you been at the Double W?”
“Just a few days.”
“What do you think of it?”
“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It’s a little overwhelming. Everything’s so big. The house. The land. The herds.”
“Yeah. Not to mention the overwhelming Wilde brothers.” Thelma noticed the way Erin and Hazard were holding themselves so stiffly, not allowing any part of their bodies to touch. Not an easy task on these small stools.
Her eyes crinkled into a smile. “How long do you think you’ll be staying out at the ranch?”
Erin shrugged. “I’m not sure. It depends.”
“On what?”
Erin glanced at Hazard, then away.
He cleared his throat. “I’m having a little problem with some cattle. Erin’s giving me a hand with the research. I guess we’ll just have to see how we work it out.”
“I see.” Thelma could see a whole lot more. And she was enjoying it immensely. Her smile grew. “When are you two heading back to the ranch?”
“Right away, I guess. We just spent some time over at Lucy’s. Don’t want to be away too long, since Ace and Chance are both gone.”
“So, you two are alone tonight?”
“Yeah.” Hazard flushed.
“Well, why don’t I have Slocum make you up some food? He could fix you a pizza.”
“A pizza? You mean a real one? Not like that cardboard stuff they serve at Clancy’s?” He turned to Erin, who was smiling and nodding. “Yeah. That’d be great, Thel.”
“I’ll tell Slocum to undercook it, so all you’ll have to do is stick it in the oven for a few minutes, and it’ll be done.”
“Sounds easy enough.” Hazard laughed. “And it had better be easy. Erin and I aren’t ever going to be famous for our cooking.”
Thelma saw the way the two of them shared a knowing smile. “Well, there’s a whole lot more important things in life than cooking. I can tell you from my own experience.” She walked away and shouted their order to her cook, then returned, tucking the pencil behind her ear.
“How’re Maggie and Chance?”
“Still madly in love. They’re off to New York for a couple of days. They’re going to build a new house up on Tower Ridge.”
“A new house?” Thelma studied Chance. “How are you and Ace feeling about that?”
Hazard shrugged. “I can’t fault them. They deserve some privacy. I guess if I had a new wife, I’d want to have her all to myself, without my brothers always being around. With a place on Tower Ridge, they’ll have their own life, but they’ll still be close enough that we can see them often.” He gave her one of his famous grins. “And Maggie’s already promised to have us to dinner often.”
Thelma laughed. “Not to mention breakfast and lunch, if I know Maggie.”
“Yeah. She has certainly changed mornings at our place.” He turned to Erin. “Before Maggie came along, my brothers and I never used to see each other in the morning. We would each go to our own office in the house and drink gallons of Agnes’s muddy coffee. And that was it, until we’d come together in the evening, when we’d make do with chili or burgers.”
Thelma topped off their coffees. “Yep. I’ve got to hand it to Maggie. Inside of weeks, she took on that big, old rambling ranch house and turned it into a home. And she didn’t just win over Chance. She won the hearts of his two brothers, as well. And Cody and Agnes. No small task. Especially Agnes Tallfeather.” She looked from Hazard to Erin. “The right person has a way of doing that. All of a sudden things you’ve been doing for a lifetime take on a whole new meaning when that certain someone’s around. And people and places you’ve known forever look different when you see them through the other person’s eyes.”
“Yeah. Well.” Hazard drained his cup and got to his feet. “If Slocum has our pizza ready, we’d better get back.”
Thelma reached up to the pass-through and accepted a cardboard box from her cook.
Hazard dug some money out of his jeans and placed it on the counter, then accepted the box from Thelma.
Balancing the box in one hand he wrapped an arm around the old woman and gave her a warm hug. “See you soon, Thel.”
“You better. Or I’ll come out to the Double W looking for you.” She turned to Erin. “Nice meeting you, Dr. Ryan. Good luck with that research problem. And any other…problems you find out at the ranch.”
Erin saw the gleam in the older woman’s eyes and wondered about it. But she shrugged it aside and merely nodded. “Thanks, Thelma. It was really nice meeting you.”
Hazard held the door, then trailed Erin across the street to where the truck was parked. Thelma Banks stood at the counter of the E.Z. Diner, watching the young couple through the window.
“He’s done it,” she said to no one in particular. “He may not know it yet, but Hazard Wilde has fallen hide over tin cups for a female. And not just any female. A la-de-da lady with a fancy title. But fancy title or no, she’s as crazy about him as he is about her.” She was grinning as she went back to polishing the counters. She wondered how soon before Hazard and his lady love would come face-to-face with the truth.
Hazard drove the truck around to the back door of the ranch house and turned off the ignition.
As he held the door for Erin she paused, looking up into his eyes in that way that always had him catching his breath. “I suppose you’ll have to make up for all the chores you missed while we were in town.”
He shook his head. “I told Cody I’d be gone. He and the wranglers covered for me.” He led the way up the steps, balancing the pizza box in one hand. “I’ll put this in the refrigerator. Let me know when you’re hungry, and we’ll heat it up.”
“Okay.” She started toward the hallway. “I’ll put my packages in my room before I get started in the lab.”
As soon as she was gone, Hazard returned to the truck and removed his own packages.
At a knock on her bedroom door Erin looked up. Hazard was standing in the doorway, holding a large bag.
She gave him a smile. “I didn’t know you shopped, too.”
“Just something I picked up while you were trying on clothes in the fitting room.” He cleared his throat. “I’d like you to put this on.”
“It’s for me?”
He nodded.
“You bought me a gift?” She hadn’t moved. She didn’t seem to know quite what to do.
“Yeah. I’d…like you to wear it tonight. I thought we’d just forget about working in the lab.” He thrust it into her hands and turned on his heel.
Erin stood in front of the mirror, studying her reflection. The dress was just not her style. The fabric was some sort of silky chiffon in a pale sky-blue. It had a halter neckline that fastened at the back of the neck, leaving the arms completely bare. There was no way she could wear a bra beneath it. She felt…practically naked. And then there was the waist. It was tightly nipped. From there the fabric flowed in drifts to her ankles.
The strappy little sandals matched the dress. And were just as useless. She’d felt a bit silly just putting them on. Now, as she twirled in front of the mirror, she couldn’t suppress the laughter. What in the world had Hazard been thinking? Was this what he wanted in a woman? Some silly little nymph who was all fluff and no substance?
Her first thought was to take it all off and stuff it back in the bag. But she remembered the way he’d looked, so solemn and secretive as he’d handed it to her. All right, she thought, turning away. She would model it for him. And then she would change into something more suitable.
She made her way down the hall and paused outside the kitchen door, fighting back a sudden wave of annoyance. Was this some sort of hint? Was he saying he didn’t like her the way she was? That he wished she wasn’t so…conservative?
Determined to get this over with, she lifted her head and stepped inside.
The first thing she noticed was crepe paper streamers strung across the ceiling and a large ornamental ball of gold and silver
fastened at the center. In the background, the radio was playing oldies music. Billy Joel was singing about an uptown girl.
Hazard was standing across the room watching her. He’d showered. Beads of water still glistened in his dark hair. He was wearing fresh jeans and a starched white shirt. As he walked toward her, she noticed something in his hand. When he was close enough, she could see that it was a wrist corsage of white gardenias and deep-red roses.
“Hazard.” She couldn’t seem to get her bearings. “I don’t understand any of this.”
“I overheard you telling Maggie that you’d never gone to your prom. You were too busy studying. The truth is, I never did, either. I was too busy working the ranch. So I thought—” he held out the corsage “—I thought we’d have our prom tonight.”
She couldn’t speak. As he slipped the flowers on her wrist, she felt her eyes fill with tears.
“There wasn’t time to rent a tux. But I thought you wouldn’t mind.”
Mind? She was feeling all blubbery and teary-eyed. “If I…” She swallowed and tried again. “If I’d known, I would have taken more time. My hair…” She reached up to the knot, but his hands were there first.
“Let me, Erin.”
He pulled the pins from her hair and watched as it cascaded down around her shoulders in a mass of silken waves. The sight of it robbed him of breath.
Then he reached up and removed her glasses. “Can you see without these?”
“Some. Things that are too far away are a blur.”
“Then it’s no problem. I intend to stay close. Very close.”
He set the glasses on the counter, just as a voice on the radio announced, “We had a phone-in request. So here it is, folks. From Hazard to Erin. Kenny Rogers, singing “Lady.”
Hazard opened his arms. “May I have this dance?”
“Oh, Hazard.” It was all she could manage to whisper as she stepped into the circle of his arms and began to move with him to the music. Overcome with emotion, she rested her head on his shoulder and allowed him to lead her through the steps of the dance.
When she could finally trust herself to speak she said, “No one’s ever done anything like this for me. It’s just so special.”