“Believe me, I spoke those words as the sincerest form of flattery,” Slade said.
“I believe you.” Trey smiled at Misty with a teasing glint in his eyes. “My cousin knows how to appreciate fine horseflesh.”
“Go ahead and keep this up,” Misty said with mock annoyance. “I bet there are other places in town to eat.”
Slade pasted a sincere look on his face. “I apologize if that’s what you want. But please don’t take your business elsewhere. Granny’ll have me washing dishes for the rest of my life.”
Misty laughed, shaking her head. She couldn’t help but like the outrageous cowboy. Slade made three graduates of what she could only imagine was the Wildcat Bluff School of Flirts. If there were more, she didn’t know how the cowgirls around here survived them. Unless, of course, the gals were just as ornery as the guys. Ruby might be a good example of that idea.
“Right now Granny’s still at the fire so I’m safe.” Slade drew his straight eyebrows together in a frown as he focused on Trey. “Granny and Mom keep treating me like a put-out-to-pasture gelding. I should’ve been fighting the fire instead of holding down the fort here.”
“Doctor’s orders. And you know it,” Trey said without giving an inch.
Slade growled before he turned back to Misty. “Might as well get this show on the road.” He changed to a sweet voice. “My name is Slade. I’ll be your server today. What would you care to drink?”
“Sweet tea,” Trey said, “for both of us.”
“What do you recommend?” Misty couldn’t resist needling Trey by playing up to the big guy.
Slade winked at her. “I’ve got a lot I could recommend, but maybe you’d better go with the tea.”
“What’s the special?” Trey interrupted the banter.
“Five-alarm chili. Made a batch myself this morning.”
“Ouch. That’ll take the lining off a gut.”
“That’s why I made the jalape?o cornbread. Cuts the fire.”
“Nothing you make cuts the fire,” Trey complained. “Don’t have it in you. That’s why you ride bulls.”
“Dang it. Why’d you have to go and bring up rodeo? Are you orderin’ a fist sandwich?”
“Sorry. Forgot.” Trey managed to look contrite and unrepentant at the same time.
“I’ll take the chili and cornbread.” Misty hoped her choice would help ease the unhappy look on Slade’s handsome face, but she also hoped supporting his cooking would ease him into opening up more about his life in Wildcat Bluff. If the cousins would sort of forget she was here, or accept that she was part of the group since she was with Trey, or continue showing off for her, she could learn a lot about folks in the town. She was in a perfect position to listen and learn.
“My usual,” Trey said. “I saw Sydney at the fire.”
“Bet she took that big whopping engine, hit the sirens and everything.”
“You know it. Kent had to settle for the booster.”
“Dang hothead.” Slade rolled his eyes. “We should’ve gotten her in line when we were kids.”
“Like we didn’t try.”
“What’re you gonna do with a six-foot-tall strawberry-blond cowgirl with a mind like a steel trap?”
Misty couldn’t help but chuckle at the image. She’d seen Sydney fighting the fire and the gal was impressive. She could tell how much the cousins loved Sydney by the way they talked about her. Misty hoped she’d get to meet the cowgirl soon.
“Or a six-foot-five cowboy?” Trey chuckled, gesturing toward Slade.
“Twins!” Slade complained. “You’d think I could’ve at least had a womb to myself. But no, I’ve had a banshee on my case my whole life.”
“Valkyrie, not banshee,” Trey corrected, “what with all that Viking blood.”
“Sydney’s slain enough hearts.” Slade gave a big, heavy sigh. “But I doubt she’s taken a single guy to Valhalla.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it.” Trey laughed hard, giving Misty a glance to include her in the humor.
She chuckled, imagining all the tricks and pranks Sydney must have played on her cousins over the years.
“Stop it!” Slade held up a hand in protest. “Remember. No rodeo. No Sydney love life.”
“My lips are sealed.” Trey grinned before he turned serious. “Ole Man Winston’s house bought it.”
“Bert around?”
“Nope.”
“Par for the course.”
“Granny and Aunt Maybelline ought to be back from the fire soon. I bet they’re making sure it doesn’t reignite, or they could just be shooting the breeze,” Trey said.
“All I can say is they better be back soon. I’ve got a hot date with a barrel racer.”
“When don’t you?”
Slade sighed, slumped, and rubbed his right hip.
“Sorry.” Trey looked sincere. “Gals won’t desert you.”