“Then you shouldn’t get married to Mitch. Which is more important to you? Marrying a man who’s going to expect you to be this little submissive wife who bows to his every command, or having Granny lucid?” Allie shot right back at her.
“I’m marryin’ Mitch whether you like him or not.” Lizzy tilted her head like she used to do when they were kids and she knew she was wrong but all the angels in heaven couldn’t get her to admit it.
One of Allie’s worst fears was realized in that moment. Lizzy was arguing too hard for Mitch. She had always been levelheaded when it came to business and relationships, seeing opportunities in business, knowing when a relationship was headed in the wrong direction. Her sister was marrying that snake-in-the-grass because she wanted to be married and any man would do—even a self-righteous prick who would make her life miserable in the end.
“And I’m going to work at the ranch next door,” Allie said. “So I guess Granny is going to have lots of bad days.”
Allie was on Blake’s mind that Friday evening as dusk settled on the Lucky Penny. He was in one of the spare bedrooms gazing at more unopened boxes, when someone rapped hard on the front door. Hoping that Toby had decided to surprise him by showing up that weekend, he turned around so fast that he had to catch himself on the wall to keep from falling over Shooter.
Shooter raced him to the door but he wagged his tail when Blake threw it open to find Deke.
“Come right in. What’s going on?”
Deke was dressed in creased jeans and a pearl snap plaid shirt, and his boots were shined. “Let’s slip up over the county line and go have some barbecue.” He winked.
“There’s food in the house. We don’t have to go out and buy more.”
Deke chuckled. “Frankie’s is way back in the woods and it’s more than barbecue, but in order to get a drink, which is illegal as hell right there, you have to buy some food.”
“A bar! Hot damn! How far is it from here?”
“Maybe nine miles. Got to warn you, it’s not a country bar. How fast can you be ready?”
“Give me ten minutes. Does it serve beer?” Blake was already on the move toward his bedroom at the end of the hallway.
“Yes, they serve beer but you’ll want to try Frankie’s special brew and have some barbecue before you start lookin’ at the ladies.” The crunch of tires on the gravel outside brought Shooter’s hackles back up for the second time. “Go on. I’ll get the door. It’s most likely Herman asking how early he can be here tomorrow morning. He was up around Archer City all day cuttin’ wood or he would have been around sooner. He’s real interested in getting all the mesquite he can to sell at his wood yard.”
“He could have called. I put my number on the flyer.” Blake’s excitement level jacked up from the bottom of the barrel to cloud level in the time it took him to find a decent pair of jeans, dust off his boots, and change shirts.
Blake was on his way to the living room when Deke opened the door and said, “Come on in here out of the cold. Blake and I are about to take a ride. Want to go with us?”
“No thanks,” Allie answered. “I came to do some measuring for supplies if that’s okay,” she said. “I can do it tomorrow though if y’all are going out.”
“You’re running away from family.” Deke chuckled.
“Maybe…But I do need to measure the rooms to get an idea of how much drywall to buy.”
“You might as well go with us if you are running from family.” Blake grinned.
“And maybe Grady and Lizzy will get the message if they figure out you’d rather be with us as with them.” Deke chuckled.
“I didn’t come over here to crash y’all’s party,” she said.
He’d always seen her in cargo pants and paint-splattered knit shirts, but tonight she wore skinny jeans, cowboy boots, and a knit top that stretched over her breasts and cinched in a tiny waist above well-rounded hips. Her hair, usually worn in two dark braids with a stocking hat stuffed down over them or a ponytail, hung to her shoulders in soft waves.
“I’m not taking no for an answer. You can measure tomorrow morning. We’re going for a ride. Besides you’re dressed up. Be a shame to waste all that beauty.” Deke placed his hands on her shoulders and ushered her out onto the porch. “I’ll drive, Blake, since I know the way.”
In minutes Allie found herself wedged between two big cowboys in the front seat of Deke’s truck, heading north out of town. The sun was dropping quickly behind the gently rolling hills and the moon had already made its appearance. Stars would be popping out soon, but right then that lazy part of the evening called dusk had settled in and she didn’t care where they were going as long as it took her away from Grady.