wheels," Ellen said.
"Could you mix me up two martinis with double olives?" Kristy asked the bartender. "Well, looky here. The two little sweethearts of the dance. Bet they make y'all prom queen and king."
"Who's your friend?" Jane asked.
"That would be Kevin Felder. He's the brother of the man who owns a ranch up near Springer. Brother got invited. Kevin was visiting so he came along. He's from McKinney. Has a dry cleaning business down there."
"Well, tell Kevin Felder that I'm voting for you two to be prom celebrities. I got it back in high school and I don't think you can have the honors twice," Jane said.
"You come with him?" Slade asked.
"Of course not. I crashed the party. Marty and my uncle were at the feed store at the same time and Marty told him y'all were coming up here tonight, so I crashed it. I was going to tell everyone that you invited me but now I'll just let them think I came with Kevin, since I intend to go home with him as soon as we drink these martinis."
Jane threw her hand over her heart. "And miss getting the plastic crown? I'm shocked."
"Honey, what I intend to get will be much, much better." Kristy talked to Jane but looked Slade right in the eye. "And what he is going to get is going to make him the happiest little prom king in Texas."
"You going to get him over the state line before you buy him a candy bar?" Jane asked, all wide-eyed and innocent.
"Oh yes, all the way to that hotel in Gainesville and darlin', it'll be sweet and he can unwrap it, but it won't be chocolate," Kristy shot right back.
Slade crossed his arms and watched the cat fight. It was amusing, really, and Jane wasn't losing an inch of ground. He should be at least a little sad or jealous since he'd been dating Kristy for three months, but all he felt was relief.
"Have fun. Want to dance, Slade?" Jane quickly switched her attention from Kristy back to Slade.
"Think I'll sit this one out. How about we grab another beer and find a table?"
Jane nodded and followed him, leaving Kristy to wallow in happiness, since she felt she'd gotten the last word. They'd no more than sat down when Nellie and Ellen joined them.
"What did she say?" Nellie asked.
"She said she's going home with that fellow over there that is not so slick on his feet, that she crashed the party to make me mad and Slade jealous, and that she'll let everyone think she came with the other man," Jane said.
"Good," Nellie said. "Milli works hard on her parties and I wouldn't want any trouble."
"That mean I can't follow her outside and snatch her bald-headed?" Jane teased.
"That means you can, but bury her cold dead carcass and don't let anyone know what you did. Beau keeps a shovel in the tack room," Ellen said.
"You ever do that?" Jane asked.
"I'm layin' claim to middle-aged dementia. Can't remember what happened back in my heyday. 'Course it might have been that Jack Daniels fogged my memories a bit," Ellen answered.
"Middle-aged. Hummppph," Nellie snorted.
"I am middle-aged. Old age begins at seventy."
They began to banter back and forth. Slade and Jane finished their beers at the same time and he held out his hand. They disappeared in among the dancers and left the two ladies to discuss the finer points of aging.
*********
Jane tiptoed out to the deck and sat down on a lounge chair, tugging the bottom of her knit nightshirt down over her drawn-up knees. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun: the dancing, meeting new people who had no idea who she was or how much money she was worth, yet treated her with respect and kindness—even the cat fight with Kristy. The excitement kept her awake like afterglow following good sex.
Dark clouds drifted over the moon, giving it an eerie look. She wondered where John was in his search for her. Had he counted his losses and given up? Had
"Could you mix me up two martinis with double olives?" Kristy asked the bartender. "Well, looky here. The two little sweethearts of the dance. Bet they make y'all prom queen and king."
"Who's your friend?" Jane asked.
"That would be Kevin Felder. He's the brother of the man who owns a ranch up near Springer. Brother got invited. Kevin was visiting so he came along. He's from McKinney. Has a dry cleaning business down there."
"Well, tell Kevin Felder that I'm voting for you two to be prom celebrities. I got it back in high school and I don't think you can have the honors twice," Jane said.
"You come with him?" Slade asked.
"Of course not. I crashed the party. Marty and my uncle were at the feed store at the same time and Marty told him y'all were coming up here tonight, so I crashed it. I was going to tell everyone that you invited me but now I'll just let them think I came with Kevin, since I intend to go home with him as soon as we drink these martinis."
Jane threw her hand over her heart. "And miss getting the plastic crown? I'm shocked."
"Honey, what I intend to get will be much, much better." Kristy talked to Jane but looked Slade right in the eye. "And what he is going to get is going to make him the happiest little prom king in Texas."
"You going to get him over the state line before you buy him a candy bar?" Jane asked, all wide-eyed and innocent.
"Oh yes, all the way to that hotel in Gainesville and darlin', it'll be sweet and he can unwrap it, but it won't be chocolate," Kristy shot right back.
Slade crossed his arms and watched the cat fight. It was amusing, really, and Jane wasn't losing an inch of ground. He should be at least a little sad or jealous since he'd been dating Kristy for three months, but all he felt was relief.
"Have fun. Want to dance, Slade?" Jane quickly switched her attention from Kristy back to Slade.
"Think I'll sit this one out. How about we grab another beer and find a table?"
Jane nodded and followed him, leaving Kristy to wallow in happiness, since she felt she'd gotten the last word. They'd no more than sat down when Nellie and Ellen joined them.
"What did she say?" Nellie asked.
"She said she's going home with that fellow over there that is not so slick on his feet, that she crashed the party to make me mad and Slade jealous, and that she'll let everyone think she came with the other man," Jane said.
"Good," Nellie said. "Milli works hard on her parties and I wouldn't want any trouble."
"That mean I can't follow her outside and snatch her bald-headed?" Jane teased.
"That means you can, but bury her cold dead carcass and don't let anyone know what you did. Beau keeps a shovel in the tack room," Ellen said.
"You ever do that?" Jane asked.
"I'm layin' claim to middle-aged dementia. Can't remember what happened back in my heyday. 'Course it might have been that Jack Daniels fogged my memories a bit," Ellen answered.
"Middle-aged. Hummppph," Nellie snorted.
"I am middle-aged. Old age begins at seventy."
They began to banter back and forth. Slade and Jane finished their beers at the same time and he held out his hand. They disappeared in among the dancers and left the two ladies to discuss the finer points of aging.
*********
Jane tiptoed out to the deck and sat down on a lounge chair, tugging the bottom of her knit nightshirt down over her drawn-up knees. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun: the dancing, meeting new people who had no idea who she was or how much money she was worth, yet treated her with respect and kindness—even the cat fight with Kristy. The excitement kept her awake like afterglow following good sex.
Dark clouds drifted over the moon, giving it an eerie look. She wondered where John was in his search for her. Had he counted his losses and given up? Had
Similar Books
