He paused in his tracks as he recalled that sly smile of Glen’s when he’d asked about Ellie’s cooking.
Then it hit him like the proverbial bolt of lightning. Ellie had invited him all right, but no one had said anything about her doing any cooking. His brand-new sister-in-law intended to set him up with one of her girl friends. She was fixing to play matchmaker.
It’d be a cold day in hell before Cal would sit still for that.
CHAPTER 2
JANE WAS ASTOUNDED—AND DELIGHTED. Only two days home from her honeymoon, and Ellie Frasier Patterson had already dropped in to visit her. Jane was between patient appointments, so she and Ellie spent a few minutes catching up on news. Then Ellie announced that Jane would be joining her and Glen for dinner that Friday night.
“But—”
“You don’t have an option here,” Ellie said with a grin. “You need a Texas education and you’re going to get it.”
Jane took half a second to think it over. “I’ll be there.” She’d asked for help. Why turn it down when it was offered?
“Be at the Chili Pepper at seven Friday night,” Ellie instructed on her way out the door.
Jane made a note in her weekly planner, then sat back in her chair with a triumphant smile. Finally, after spending six months in this town, she was making progress. This would be her first night out with people her own age, and she looked forward to it.
On Friday night she arrived at the restaurant precisely at seven. The place was packed. She glanced around and then saw Ellie wave her arm to get her attention. Ellie, her husband, Glen, and a man Jane recognized as Glen’s brother were sitting in a booth in a far corner. Jane waved back and wove her way between the tables toward them.
“Hello,” she said, raising her voice to be heard above the country-and-western tunes blaring from the jukebox.
“You remember Glen,” Ellie said indicating the man sitting next to her. “And my brother-in-law, Cal.”
“It’s good to see you both again,” Jane said, smiling brightly.
The rancher stood—reluctantly, Jane thought—to allow her to slide into the booth next to the wall, opposite Ellie. It concerned her a little that Ellie hadn’t said anything about this being a double date; Jane wondered if Ellie’s brother-in-law had been kept equally in the dark. Probably, or he wouldn’t be here. She’d seen him around before, and although she hadn’t known his name until now, she thought Cal Patterson was one of the rudest un friendliest men she’d ever not met.
He was good-looking, or could be if he bothered to smile. Tall and lean, he had that rough-and-tumble cowboy appeal.
One glance from Cal gave her the answer she’d suspected. He, too, had been duped, but judging by his fierce scowl, he thought she was in cahoots with Ellie.
Jane’s high hopes for the evening died a sudden and painful death.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Ellie said and handed Jane a menu. Cal sat next to her as stiff as new rope and about as welcoming.
The waitress brought over a pitcher of beer and four mugs. Willie Nelson’s plaintive voice rolled from the jukebox just then, and Jane’s mouth gaped in astonishment as the entire restaurant began to sing along with him. She would’ve joined them had she known the words.
“If you’re going to live in Texas you gotta love Willie Nelson,” Ellie informed her when the tune was finished.
“Not just Willie, either,” Glen added, “but country music in general.”
“I like Garth Brooks,” Jane told them, although she was familiar with only a couple of his songs. “And Johnny Cash.”
“That’s a good start,” Glen said, giving her a friendly smile. He lifted a mug to his lips, having waited for the froth to settle, and Jane reached for her own. She wasn’t much of a beer drinker, prefer ring white wine, but when in Rome…
Cal sampled his beer, too. “If you’re serious about living in Texas, then you’ll need at least one button on your car radio set to a country-and-western station.”
Jane was surprised by his remark. “I am serious,” she told him. Other than an awkward greeting, this was the first time he’d spoken directly to her.
“She wasn’t born here,” Ellie said, smiling, “but she came as soon as she could.”
Everyone laughed.
The waitress returned for their order—barbecued ribs, baked beans and coleslaw all around—and soon afterward brought a second pitcher of beer. Jane had yet to finish her first glass, but both men were ready for another.
“What else do I need to do?” Jane asked. “If I want to become a Texan, I mean.”
“Clothes are important,” Ellie said, “but I can help you with that later.”
Jane smoothed her skirt. She’d already learned that lesson the hard way. She’d worn a business suit to a party soon after her arrival and had been sadly over dressed for the occasion. Most everyone else had been in jeans and tank tops. A couple of months later, she’d attended a dance and had dressed casually only to discover it was a formal affair. She’d felt like a fool and stayed no more than a few minutes, feeling completely out of place.
“That’s where I’ve seen you,” Cal said. “You were at the party Richard Weston threw for himself, weren’t you?”
Jane nodded. She’d only been in town a few days when she’d met a handsome con genial rancher who’d invited her to a party. She hadn’t known a soul in Promise, and his was the first friendly face she’d seen. Richard had stopped her on the street and insisted that anyone as beautiful as she was had to come to his party. She’d arrived terribly over dressed and hung around feeling unwelcomed and uncomfortable for more than an hour.
“Whatever happened to Richard?” Jane asked. “I saw him around town a few times, but not recently.”
The other three went strangely silent and then exchanged looks as if they weren’t sure how much to tell her.
Jane stared at them. “Did I ask something I shouldn’t have?” Without knowing it, she’d apparently entered forbidden territory. She couldn’t prevent a small sigh from escaping. It’d been this way from the beginning—like being in an alien culture, with no one to guide her or tell her the rules. Or explain the native customs, she thought wryly.
“It’s just that Richard Weston is…a sad case.”
“Sad?” she echoed dutifully.
“He’s all foam and no beer,” Glen said. “He’s hurt a lot of good people and, worse yet, the ones he’s abused most have been his own family.”
“Richard arrived back in town after being away six years,” Cal muttered. “He made a nuisance of himself and caused a lot of trouble for Grady and Savannah before he disappeared.”
“I…I didn’t know,” Jane said. She’d talked to Richard briefly a couple of times. Their first meeting, when he’d invited her to the party, had been pleasant enough, but the sub sequent encounter had left her with the distinct impression that the man was frivolous and irresponsible; apparently her assessment hadn’t been far off. She frowned, thinking through the relationships. Okay, Richard was the younger brother of Grady and Savannah, and Savannah was married to…Austin? No, Laredo Smith. Grady had recently become engaged to Caroline Daniels. Even after several months, Jane had a hard time keeping track of all the connections.
“Yeah. Richard disappeared not long ago,” Ellie said.
“With Grady’s truck,” Cal added. “That’s Richard for you.” He shook his head as though the mere mention of the other man’s name disgusted him.
“He stole his own brother’s truck?”
“And a lot more.” This from Cal, too.
“I don’t think we need to worry about him coming back, though,” Glen said, sounding sure of himself. “He’s gone for good, and all I can say is good riddance.”
The others nodded in agreement. A moment of silence followed.
“Do you know about the Bubbas?” Ellie asked, abruptly changing the subject. “Have you met any?”
“Just a couple of the youngsters I’ve examined w
ho have that nickname.”
“There’s much more to being a Bubba than a name,” Glen told her, grinning once more. “You don’t have to be called Bubba to be one. There’s your basic Bubba, and then there are your different variations, according to what state you live in.”
Jane was quickly getting lost. “Perhaps it’d be best if you defined what a Bubba is. A Texas Bubba,” she qualified, not wanting to be confused by any other Southern Bubba-types.
“Well,” Glen drawled, “that’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“Sure it is,” Cal said. “He drives a beat-up truck with a rifle or fishing pole in the gun rack.”
“And carries a fifty-pound sack of dog food in the bed of his truck,” Ellie said, “which he probably bought from me.”
“He’s got a case or two of empty beer and soda cans rolling around on the floor on the passenger side of the cab.”
“Is he one of those guys who wears a monster belt buckle?” Jane asked eagerly.
Glen and Cal glanced at each other. “All Texans wear giant belt buckles,” Glen informed her kindly.
“Yes, I know, but Bubba buckles are smaller and their bellies are bigger.”
“You got it!” Ellie and Glen chorused.
Ellie took a swallow of her beer. “So, Jane, you need a bumper sticker. It’s not just a Bubba thing. Everyone in Texas has at least one. Three or four are better.”
“Okay.” This didn’t sound difficult. “What should it say?”
“Touch my truck and you die,” Cal suggested.
“I don’t drive a truck,” Jane said with a smile. “I could buy one, though, if I need to.”
He grinned, too, and Jane was surprised by the way it transformed his features. Gratified, too. It made him as attractive as she’d guessed it would. “Buying a truck won’t be necessary,” he told her.
“Insured by Smith and Wesson,” Glen said next.
Jane rolled her eyes. “I don’t think so.”
“Don’t mess with Texas,” Cal continued.
“I’d better start taking notes,” Jane said in a mock-serious voice, reaching for her purse. This was fun, especially now that Cal seemed to have loosened up some. Was it the beer—or the company?
“She needs a hat,” Ellie announced just as their dinner was served.
“A hat?”
“A lady Stetson,” Glen tossed in and picked up a dripping barbecued rib with both hands.
“A hat doesn’t mean a damn thing if she doesn’t ride,” Cal said as he offered the platter of ribs to Jane.
She helped herself to one, then carefully wiped her fingers on the rather in adequate paper napkin.
“Ride? As in horse?” She looked from Glen to Cal and then to Ellie.
“You’re right, Cal,” Ellie said, frowning thoughtfully. She nodded in Jane’s direction. “You’re gonna have to learn to ride.”
Jane bit into the pungent smoky-tasting rib, enjoying it more than she would ever have believed. “You’re sure about this?” she asked. “I have to ride?”
“Positive.”
“Okay,” Jane said with some reluctance. “Do you know of anyone who gives lessons?”
“Lessons?” Glen asked, and the three burst into spontaneous laughter.
Jane didn’t know what she’d said that was so funny.
“Everyone around here grows up with horses,” Ellie explained apologetically. “Most of us were sitting in a saddle before we could walk.”
“Then what does someone like me do?”
The question appeared to give them pause. “I don’t know,” Glen replied at last. “Laredo Smith’s raising quarter horses. He might agree to give you lessons.”
“I doubt he has the time,” Cal inserted. “Laredo and Savannah are building a house, and Laredo’s trying to do as much of the work as he can himself. Last I saw they had a good start on it.”
“Well, we need to come up with someone who can teach you to ride,” Ellie said. She looked sharply at Cal, but Jane noticed that Ellie’s brother-in-law was ignoring her. She had a feeling Ellie hoped Cal would jump in and volunteer. Cal didn’t, and Jane suspected he wanted nothing more to do with her. It was a pity because she would’ve liked to know him better.
CAL HADN’T BEEN KEEN on this evening from the moment he’d realized Ellie wasn’t cooking dinner at her own house—and even more so when he figured out she was matching him up with the town doctor. He would’ve put an end to her less-than-clever method of throwing Dr. Texas in his face if he hadn’t worried about annoying his new sister-in-law. He’d known Ellie for years, but the relationship was different now, and he had to respect that. When the evening was over, he’d make sure Ellie understood he didn’t appreciate her matchmaking attempts.
When Jane had first shown up at the restaurant, he’d been prepared to remain close mouthed and un friendly. The last thing he’d wanted was to give the impression that he was interested in dating some city slicker. Far from it. But soon the beer had loosened his inhibitions and he’d begun to enjoy the light hearted conversation. He considered Jane’s eagerness to adapt to Texas down right charming. When she’d offered to buy a truck to go along with his suggestion for a bumper sticker, he found himself almost taken with her. Damn it, he liked her attitude. Despite appearances, she knew how to have a good time, and as for turning Texan, she was obviously willing to try.
The bill arrived for their dinner and Glen reached for it. “We’ll split it,” Cal said.
“How much do I owe?” Jane asked, bending down for her purse.
Cal placed his hand on her arm. “It’s taken care of.”
Ellie beamed him a smile dazzling enough to blind him. He wasn’t sure what had made him offer to pay for Jane’s dinner. This wasn’t a date, wasn’t even close to one. But hell, he figured he owed the woman that much after the un friendly way he’d started off the evening.
“What do you want to do now?” Glen asked his wife.
“How about bingo?” Ellie suggested, looking at the others.
“Bingo?” Jane repeated.
“Sure. There’s a game every Friday night in the room above the bowling alley,” Ellie said. “You’ll love it. Just consider it part of your Texas education.”
“I…don’t think I’ve ever played,” Jane confessed. “But if you think I should…”
“Don’t you worry,” Cal said, impressed once more with her willingness to fit in. “It’s not difficult to learn.”
Since the bowling alley was only a couple of blocks away, they decided to walk. Cal wasn’t sure why he tagged along. His intent had been to beg off after dinner and join his friends at Billy D’s, the local watering hole. Of course Glen wouldn’t be around, and probably not Grady, either. Jimmy Morris and Lyle White house would be shooting the breeze as usual—not that Cal was a big fan of Lyle’s. The guy was far too ready to take offense and want to settle things with his fists. Anyway, Cal realized that, when it came right down to it, he was enjoying himself with his brother and Ellie. Doc Texas wasn’t bad, either, although he was determined to make sure she realized this wasn’t a real date.
The upstairs room of the bowling alley was set up with tables and chairs for the twice-weekly bingo sessions. A concession stand in the back of the room sold cold drinks, popcorn and hot dogs. Lloyd Bonney, a retired rancher who’d moved into town a couple of years ago, called out the numbers from his position at the front.
They purchased three bingo cards each and were heading for a table near the electronic bingo board when Cal saw his parents. He groaned inwardly. It would be just like his mother to read far more into their little foursome than was warranted. Mary Patterson refused to accept that her oldest son wasn’t interested in marriage. She kept insisting she wanted grand children and it was his duty to provide them. Cal was convinced Ellie and his brother would be more than happy to handle that task; he only wished she’d stop harassing him about it.
“You want to sit by Mom and Dad?” Glen asked after they’d waved to t
heir parents. Cal growled his reply and his brother laughed. “That’s what I thought.”
They located some space at one of the long tables, and the two women ended up sitting between the brothers, which was fine, Cal supposed—although to the casual observer it might look as if Jane was with him. He wasn’t much of a talker and felt grateful that Ellie and Jane carried on a nonstop conversation. Cal shook his head, amused at the way women could chatter. He never did understand how they could have so much to say to each other.
Lloyd flipped a switch and the electronic board lit up. The air machine bounced the light weight balls bearing the bingo letters and corresponding numbers.
Because Jane was new to this, Cal watched her cards for her during the first game, checking to be sure she caught the number on each of them.
“B-fifteen,” Lloyd called.
Cal checked his own card and closed off the appropriate box. The other two didn’t have fifteen in the B row. Once again he glanced over at Jane’s row of cards and saw that she’d missed one. He pointed it out to her.
“Oh, thanks,” she said and smiled her appreciation.
A smile. Just a smile, and yet it warmed his heart. He was startled by his reaction. It was so…unexpected. Damn it, something must be wrong with him to take a smile, a simple expression of thanks, and make more of it than was war ranted. Obviously he’d had one too many beers.
The evening wore on, and while Cal didn’t have any luck, Glen bingoed once for a twenty-five-dollar purse. The last game was the grand finale, Blackout Bingo, where every number on the card had to be closed in order to win the two-hundred-dollar grand prize.
As he had all evening, Cal glanced over at Jane’s cards after he’d checked his own numbers. Other than that one time, she hadn’t missed any. Lloyd had called out forty-five numbers or so when he noticed that one of Jane’s cards was nearly filled. She had four blank spaces compared to his best one, which showed at least ten. The next two numbers Lloyd called were both on Jane’s card.