“You talk funny.”
“That’s because I’m from Texas.”
“Are you going back there? Soon?” she asked hopefully.
Tanna laughed. “’Fraid not. I’m here for a while.”
Ellie made a disgusted noise. “Mama said it’s time to eat and I’m supposed to invite you to supper.”
“Both of us?” Fletch prompted.
“Yes. But you are sitting by me.” She stormed off.
“That was Ellie of the marriage proposal?”
Fletch grinned. “Yes. But she’s already warned me there won’t be any of that mushy kissin’ stuff when we get married.”
“She’s adorable.”
“Let’s hope she’s on her best behavior tonight. The last assistant I brought out here ended up with a frog down her shirt.”
Tanna shuddered. “Maybe I just oughta go wait in the truck.”
“You? Running scared from an eight-year-old? That doesn’t sound like the kickin’ ass, takin’ names, shootin’ tequila Tanna I’ve heard about.”
“Maybe because I’ve had my ass kicked today. And I don’t know these people . . .”
Fletch cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Do you want to leave? We can.”
“These are some of your best clients, aren’t they?”
“Yeah. But they’ll—”
Then Tanna’s mouth was on his. Too briefly, but she’d kissed him first nonetheless. “We’ll stay. Ignore me. I’m hungry and out of sorts.”
“Food will help.”
“Probably.”
The shadows remained in her eyes. “What’s up?”
“How are you gonna introduce me?”
“Tanna Barker, the woman who rocked my world from the first time I met her?”
“You are such a sweet-talker.”
Fletch liked the way her face and her entire body softened toward him. “How about we stick with the truth?”
“That I’m a washed-up former barrel racer?”
“Stop.” Fletch rested his forehead to hers. “That’s not true. And that’s not all you ever were even if it was true.”
Tanna didn’t jerk away. She seemed to absorb a little resolve. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He stepped back. “And if you ask my future wife really nicely, she’ll probably let you play with her little lambs after supper.”
“I’m disappointed her name isn’t Mary.”
“I think the Ludlows have heard that crack as often as I get asked What’s up, Doc?”
“I hear ya. I tell guys I’m from Texas and they ask if all my exes live in Texas.”
A dinner bell clanged.
Ellie stood at the base of the driveway and shouted, “Come on. I saved you a seat.”
After eating, and chatting, and sneaking a peek at the baby lambs, Fletch took Tanna home.
She paused for a minute before she bailed out of his truck. “Thanks for today, Fletch. It’s been a great surprise and exactly what I needed.”
It was exactly what he needed too.
Chapter Twelve
Tanna had just printed Harper’s instructions for pricing the two new boxes of merchandise when the doorbell jangled. She looked up as five women, varying in age from sixty on up, surrounded the sales desk.
“Can I help you?”
“So you’re Tanna, huh?”
The woman who spoke was seventy if she was a day. She’d dressed in a one-piece romper, patterned with sunflowers, and black high-topped Converse sneakers.
“I’m Garnet. We’re shareholders in the Split Rock.”
Tanna masked her surprise. “Really?”
“Yep. We’re good friends of Harper. And Tierney. And Celia. We’ve heard that you’d fit right in with us, beings you’re a little wild. But you look kinda tame to me.”
“What Garnet meant to say,” a stylish redhead interjected, “is Celia mentioned you. We wanted to welcome you to Muddy Gap.” She smiled and offered her perfectly manicured hand. “I’m Vivien.”
“Nice to meet y’all.”
“Oh, isn’t her accent just the cutest thing?” a tiny, birdlike woman trilled. “I went steady with a guy from Oklahoma. And I just melted when he talked all soft and slow and sweet.”
A stout woman next to her harrumphed. “I swear, Tilda, your tall tales keep getting more outlandish. You got married when you were what? Seventeen? When did you date anyone but Robert?”
Tilda smoothed a hand over her thinning pure white hair. “I dated before Robert, smarty-pants. I met my Southern boy Ray at church camp.”
Tanna didn’t know which woman to pay attention to, since they all started talking and arguing at once. A shrill whistle rent the air.
They all looked at the fourth woman who hadn’t gotten a word in yet. Dressed in a mix of khaki and camouflage, including a slouch hat, she looked ready for a safari. Or war. “You all are cackling and pecking at each other worse than the hens in my henhouse.” She smiled at Tanna. “I’m Pearl. You met Garnet, Viv and Tilda. Maybelle, why don’t you introduce yourself?”
The stout woman held out her hand. “I’m Maybelle Linburg. Most the young folks call me Miz Maybelle. I’m the society reporter for the Muddy Gap Gazette. I’d love to do a feature on you.”
“Sure. I mean, yes, ma’am. That would be kind.”
“So, what did Celia tell you about us?” Garnet demanded. “Because she’s full of hooey if she blamed us for the raid by the fire department. We weren’t the only ones shooting tequila that night and we had the flames under control.”
Flames?
“And we sure wouldn’t have wasted empty bottles by throwing them into the fire,” Pearl added.
“We recycle our empty alcohol bottles properly,” Tilda sniffed. “We use them for target practice.”
“We’re all pretty good shots now,” Miz Maybelle admitted with pride.
Pearl pointed at Vivien. “Don’t ever piss her off when she’s carrying. The woman is a deadeye.”
Vivien blew on her nails and buffed them on her shirt.
Tanna laughed. “So, ladies, now that we’ve been properly introduced and I know who not to challenge to a gunfight at the Split Rock Corrals, what can I do for you today?”
“We’re having a shareholders meeting after regular bar hours Sunday night.” Miz Maybelle rested her forearms on the counter. “We pooled our money and bought shares in the resort. We call ourselves the Mud Lilies. We wear a piece of clothing or an article of jewelry to show solidarity at the meetings, but retain our individuality, so we want a theme.”
“A theme. For a meeting?”
“We need six pieces, including one for Bernice, who couldn’t come today. So wow us with your expertise, honey,” Vivien added. “Harper always comes up with something cool.”
No pressure.
Tanna stepped from behind the sales desk and wandered through the clothing racks. Too many unique pieces here. The first accessories rack had a bunch of different scarves, but nothing that could be pulled together as a theme. Except if they all wore hats, she could come up with a hat band for each one.
Nah.
As she headed toward a belt rack between the men’s and women’s departments, she remembered seeing a funky pair of suspenders. Pawing through the belts and ties, she found the stretchy wide strap, shot through with gold and silver thread. She unhooked it and spun around. Now she just had to sell her idea.
“Is that a bungee cord?” Garnet asked. “Looks like it came from a disco.”
“No, it’s a pair of suspenders. But it’s got a really cool pattern. And it’s stretchy.” Tanna pulled on each end. “See?”
“How were you thinking of using them?” Miz Maybelle asked skeptically.
“As bracelets. You could cut each one to fit and sew it up the backside. Then on the front, you could attach a little something that personalizes each one. Like Pearl’s could be pearl themed. Garnet’s could be garnet themed. Miz Maybelle’s could be bell themed. Til
da’s could be dance themed for—”
“Waltzing Matilda!” Tilda clapped her hands. “Those are great ideas, Tanna. What could we do for Vivien’s?”
Vivien tapped her fingers on the counter. “My middle name is Rose. So I could fit that in the name theme.”
“Perfect. Now did you ladies want to look around some more, or did you want me to wrap this up?”
Pearl said, “Oh, no, sweetheart. You’re not close to done. You have to help us fancy those bracelets up.”
“I sure hope you’re good with superglue, because they won’t let me work with it no more,” Garnet grumbled.
Tilda patted her hand. “It shouldn’t take more than five hours to get this finished. You’re not busy, are you?”
Tanna stared at them, frozen to the spot. She had zero talent with crafts. And she had a shit ton to get done today—she didn’t have time to cut and paste with the senior set.
“Sugar? Is everything all right?” Vivien asked.
“Ah. Well. Here’s the thing . . .”
The ladies burst out laughing. “You should see the look on your face. Pure panic.”
“Bet you thought you were gonna get roped into arts and crafts time with assisted-living escapees, huh?” Garnet asked.
Tanna laughed. Then she snapped Garnet and Vivien in the butt with the suspenders, since they were closest. “Mean, ornery cusses, every cotton-pickin’ one of you.”
More laughter.
“So what would you have done if I’d said yes to helping you?” Tanna challenged.
“We would’ve had us an old-timey, quilting-bee-type thing.”
“Except we’d have booze. And we’d be talking about sex,” Garnet said.
“Garnet is all talk, since she’s not getting any sex right now,” Miz Maybelle whispered.
“I heard that, Maybelle, and I’d like to point out you ain’t getting any either,” Garnet retorted.
“None of us are,” Tilda complained.
Vivien nodded. “Which is why we drink.”
“And shoot stuff.”
“I’ll bet she’s getting some,” Pearl said, pointing at Tanna.
“To hell with some, I bet she’s getting a lot,” Garnet said, giving her a once-over. “When was the last time you rode the hobbyhorse?”
Tanna offered a cheeky grin. “Now, all y’all will need to buy me a couple drinks before I kiss and tell.”
“Are you busy tonight?”
“Nope.”
“Good. ’Cause all the other girls around these parts are pregnant. They’re worthless as drinking buddies,” Pearl complained.
“But great as designated drivers,” Tanna said.
“That’s Tobin’s job,” Garnet pointed out. “And whoever else he can rope into it, like Max, Ike, Fletch and Hugh.”
Tanna felt her cheeks heat at the mention of Fletch’s name.
She turned away as the ladies chattered, her thoughts scrolling to the too-sexy vet she’d been thinking about nonstop.
After the evening she’d spent with Fletch at Ludlows’, he’d dropped her off without even attempting to kiss her good night. She’d been oddly disappointed. Watching him in action as August Fletcher, DVM, gave her an entirely different perspective on the man. He had near hero worship status with the entire Ludlow family and he’d downplayed it, acting embarrassed, but it was apparent not only did he love his job, he was damn good at it.
Little Miss Ellie had given her what for immediately after supper. Demanding details on how Tanna knew Fletch. Asking all sorts of questions about Tanna’s experience with animals. She’d become marginally more friendly upon learning Tanna had been a world champion barrel racer. But Miss Ellie had kept an eagle eye on them when Tanna and Fletch were interacting. Tanna had been tempted to whisper in the young girl’s ear that she enjoyed the mushy kissing stuff with Fletch. A lot.
Her mind replayed the following night’s events in detail. He’d shown up after nine p.m. with popcorn and candy and they’d watched a movie. An action movie where cars blew up, the walls rattled from the constant on-screen gunfire and bodies littered the ground.
There hadn’t been much in the way of conversation. Fletch had stretched his big body out on the couch completely, leaving her the recliner. He hadn’t invaded her space and compulsively touched her. He hadn’t made one suggestive comment. Tanna had no idea how much she liked their verbal foreplay and his sexual teasing until she hadn’t had it.
It’d been like hanging out with her brother. Especially when she heard Fletch snoring.
Normally she’d get pissy about such rude male behavior. But she reminded herself it wasn’t an actual date. Just two friends hanging out. The good doc had worked a long day. The man was clearly exhausted.
At midnight Tanna perched on the edge of the couch, not sure if she should wake him or rearrange him so he didn’t end up with a crick in his neck. She’d reached over and brushed the section of untamed hair from where it’d fallen across his forehead.
Fletch’s eyes immediately opened. Took a couple of seconds for them to focus. He didn’t bestow a dazzling smile and she’d felt a pang of disappointment.
“Shit. I fell asleep, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry. What time is it?”
“Midnight.”
He groaned. “I’ve got a forty-five-minute drive home.”
“You don’t have to go. You could stay here tonight.”
His gaze had roved over her face, down her neck to her cleavage and back up to meet her eyes. The heat level in his was set to smolder, not burn, but she knew it wouldn’t take much to ignite. “I can’t.”
She said, “Why not?” even when she’d known the answer.
“Because there’s no way in hell I could stay out of your bed,” he’d said with a low, warning rasp. He paused and kept watching her. “It’d violate the friendship rules.”
She opened her mouth to say “fuck the stupid rules” when his front shirt pocket started to vibrate.
Fletch tore his gaze away, muttering about piss-poor timing. Then he sat up with the buzzing phone in his hand. “This is Dr. Fletcher. Yeah. No, go ahead and connect me with the number.” He pushed his hair away from his face. Then he tapped his fingers on his knee as he held the line.
Tanna picked up the popcorn bowls and took them to the kitchen.
“Randy? Hey, it’s Fletch. No, that’s all right. It’s why I have an answering service. What’s up with Bluebell? Uh-huh. Uh-huh.” He listened. “If you’ve tried all that and it hasn’t helped then I’d better come take a look. It’ll be forty-five minutes. Tell Annabeth to put on a pot of coffee.” He hung up and sighed.
If this were a relationship, Tanna would run her hands up his back and curl her arms around his neck. Instead she said, “Duty calls, huh?”
“Yep.”
“How often does this happen?”
He stood. “Depends on the time of year. Calls have dropped off in the last three weeks. The place I’m goin’ tonight . . . the guy’s daughter competes in cutting horse competitions. The daughter is easily panicked. Her daddy calls me. Usually it’s nothin’ major. But there’s always that first time.”
“I know a little something about being panicked around horses lately.”
Fletch stared at her. “You ever gonna tell me what happened at Eli’s?”
“I already did. I don’t know what good it’ll do to rehash it.”
“Guess you’d never know unless you tried.” He ran his hands through his hair and snagged his ball cap off the coffee table. At the door he turned and gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry I fell asleep.”
“Blame it on the company.”