Boots and Twisters (14 page)

“That won’t stop me from filing charges.”

The deputy tucked his pad and pen into his shirt pocket. “You have that right, ma’am.”

“I’m calling my lawyer as soon as I get home.”

Trent stepped forward. “Mrs. Rutledge, be reasonable.”

The old woman turned on him. “Don’t ‘Mrs. Rutledge’ me.” She shook her finger at Trent now. “You could have my daughter, Stefanie, by just asking. Instead you and your no-account brother hire a woman to do who knows what out at the ranch. Why your father would be rolling over his grave, God rest his soul.”

Trent glared at the woman. “Ma’am, that was rude and uncalled for. Apologize to Miss Albright.”

“I’ll do no such thing. She’s nothing more than a tart, a tramp and a bad influence on the God-fearing citizens of this town.”

Lucky winced. Is that what folks thought? That she’d been hired on for other than ranch work? “I’m not a whore, Mrs. Rutledge, if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

“Whore, floozy, call it what it is. You’re being paid by these men.”

“To work the ranch.” Lucky stepped up to the woman. “Not for sexual favors.” Those, she’d given away freely.

“You have no right to attack Lucky like that,” Isaac said.

“Why not?” Mrs. Rutledge looked down her nose at Isaac. “
She
attacked
me.
”

The deputy stepped between the older woman and Lucky. “Mrs. Rutledge, let me take you home before this escalates further. I can give you a ride in the back of my car.”

“Darn right you will,” the older woman muttered, squeezing the excess water out of the hem of her blouse. “And when we get there, my husband will have words with you.”

“I’m sure he will.” The deputy nodded toward Lucky. “I wouldn’t go too far. I’m sure you’ll be called back into court.”

“Great. That would just make my day.” Lucky glared at Mrs. Rutledge, unwilling to back down when the woman had impugned her honor. “At least she didn’t kill the dog.”

“I’ll have that dog destroyed, first chance I get.” Mrs. Rutledge tapped the deputy’s arm. “I’ll be callin’ the sheriff as well.”

“Oh yes. The dog.” The deputy drew in a breath and let it out. “I’ll have a look around once I get Mrs. Rutledge home safely.”

“When you find it, you can put the mangy mutt down,” the cranky older woman said. “If you don’t, I will.”

Trent shook his head as the deputy walked Mrs. Rutledge around to the front of the house. “That woman has a mouth the size of Texas.”

Isaac touched Lucky’s arm. “Don’t let her get to you. They were only words.”

“But if she’s thinking them, who else is?”

“No one else that matters,” Isaac assured her.

If enough people thought the same, she’d be right back in Comfort, being shunned and run out of town for something she never did. Her hope to start over had taken a bad turn, and just when she’d begun to like Temptation.

The hound dog that had started the commotion slinked out from under a bush.

“There he is,” Lucky whispered.

“Here, boy.” Isaac inched toward the dog.

Lucky called out softly, “Don’t scare him and don’t let Mrs. Rutledge hear you.”

“Got it.” Isaac squatted on his haunches and held out his hand. “Come here, boy. You don’t want that mean old lady to find you first.”

Lucky grinned. Isaac waited patiently for the dog to come to him.

After several long moments, the animal crawled on his belly to touch Isaac’s hand with his nose.

Isaac moved carefully, slipping his hand along the dog’s snout to scratch his ears.

The hound rolled over, exposing his belly for a rub.

“Such a vicious creature, aren’t you? I can see why Mrs. Rutledge took a dislike to you.” Isaac scratched the proffered tummy. “This your dog, Judge Stephens?”

The older man shook his head. “Not mine.”

“Want him?” Trent asked.

“I’m away too often,” the older gentleman said. “I couldn’t spend the time with him.”

“What are we supposed to do with him?” Trent asked.

“He needs a good home where he can get lots of exercise. A big yard to play in.” Lucky’s lips twisted.

“Oh no. You’re not bringing that dog back to the ranch. I’m trying to
limit
the number of animals. And we don’t know if he’ll try to eat the ones we already have.”

“It’s that or have him euthanized.” Lucky ran her hand along the animal’s bony rib cage. “Which would be better than starving to death, but…”

The dog licked Isaac’s face with a long, wet tongue.

Isaac looked into the dog’s face. “You don’t hold any punches, do you?” He glanced up at his brother.

“No. Not no, but hell no. He’s not living at the ranch. He’d chase the cows, eat the chickens and terrorize the horses. No.”

Lucky’s mouth pressed into a tight line. “He’s hungry. Nobody wants him and he has nowhere else to go.” Kind of like she’d been yesterday. The correlation too close to home. Her heart squeezed hard in her chest. She couldn’t ignore the dog’s situation. Everyone deserved a home and to be loved. This dog was no different. She looked to Trent. “Please.”

When Lucky looked at him like that, with those big gray eyes and all the hurt and sadness rolled up into that one word, Trent’s automatic
no
froze on his lips. He stalled, asking, “Why us?”

“You have a perfect place for him,” Lucky explained.

Trent crossed his arms. “Yeah, and what happens to that dog if we sell that place?”

Lucky shot a glance between Isaac and Trent, her brow furrowing. “Are you really selling?”

Isaac tipped his head toward his brother. “He wants to, but I have to agree to sell, or it’s not happening. I’m not selling.”

“We’ll see,” Trent said, though he’d been leaning the other way the more time he spent with Lucky. The image of her naked body, seared into his memory, still made his blood burn.

Isaac scratched the hound’s belly. “How can you put a dog down that rolls over for a tummy rub? He reminds me of that stray you brought home when I was ten. Whatever happened to that dog?”

“Dad took him for a long walk with his shotgun.” Trent’s gaze rested on the malnourished canine, his jaw so tight a muscle twitched. “He’s dirty, he smells and he probably has fleas.”

“I’ll give him a bath as soon as we get back to the ranch,” Lucky promised.

“You still have to work at the Ugly Stick. What are you going to do with him while you do?”

“Maybe Audrey will let him stay in the storeroom. Or he can stay in the cab of my truck after sunset.”

After a long pause, Trent sighed. He’d always wanted a dog, but his father never let him have one. And it did remind him of the stray he’d brought home when he was twelve. That dog had never had a chance with his father. This dog didn’t have to meet the same fate. “Fine. We’ll take him home. But the first time he eats a chicken, he’s gone.”

“He won’t eat a chicken if we feed him properly.” Lucky flung her arms around Trent’s neck and hugged him, pressing her body against his. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”

His hand resting around her waist, he stared down into Lucky’s shining eyes, his heart skipping several beats when the thought struck him. She felt right in his embrace and her happiness made him feel better. Better about
what
, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was that her happiness rubbed off on him.

“Come on, dog, you have a new home.” Isaac lifted the dog and carried him toward the hedge. “He needs a name. Trent, you call it.”

“I don’t care.”

“Oh, come on. Every dog needs a name.”

He thought back to the name he’d given the stray, not knowing his dad would take him out and shoot him later. “Otis.”

Lucky nodded. “I like it. Otis it is.”

With Lucky in the driver’s seat and Otis sitting all over Isaac’s lap in the center, Trent could just imagine what they looked like driving down Main Street in Temptation. Since he’d left Temptation, he’d worked hard at polishing his image, pulling himself out of the country-boy upbringing. Driving around town in a beat-up truck with a mangy hound dog didn’t fit the image he strove to display. Still, he couldn’t help the smile.

Otis turned to him and swiped his face with a long, wet tongue.

Trent didn’t even mind that.

Too bad Old Lady Rutledge hadn’t witnessed it. She’d have had a conniption fit. Trent hid a grin at the thought. He’d seen the hurt in Lucky’s eyes when Mrs. Rutledge had called her a whore and had felt a stab of guilt for coming on to her in the pool, though he couldn’t begin to regret it.

She’d woken in him something he thought long dead.

Need. Hunger. Desire. A fresh view of the world. Coming home had been a dark pall in his life.

Lucky was making him see it differently.

She’d only been in his life for a day. A single day. Having appeared out of seemingly nowhere, he was almost afraid she’d disappear as easily. And suddenly, he realized he didn’t want her to.

Chapter Eight

Despite her side trip to rescue a stray, Lucky managed to arrive as the Ugly Stick Saloon opened. The Jameson brothers entered through the front door while Lucky parked her truck in the back. Otis seemed content to sleep on the seat. As soon as she found an old bowl, she’d bring him some water.

The night before had been Ladies Night. With it being Friday night, the bar was already filling up with cowboys getting off work and ladies looking for fun. The sun had set, the band was tuning up and it looked as if it would be a good night for sales.

“I’m so glad you came back.” Audrey carried a box of full whiskey bottles to the bar and placed them one at a time on the shelf. “Two of my waitresses called in sick, so I’m short staffed.”

“I’ve never waited tables, but I’m willing to give it a shot.”

Audrey eyed Lucky’s jeans, cowboy boots and chambray shirt. “Normally my waitresses wear cut-offs and tight tank tops. It’s part of the draw to the Ugly Stick Saloon. The cowboys expect it.”

Lucky glanced down at her jeans. “These are my best jeans, I can’t cut them off.”

“I think I might have something in the prop room that’ll fit you. Come with me.” Audrey led the way to the backstage area where Lucky had run into Cory McBride, one of the strippers from the night before. The room was empty, the costumes and props neatly shelved or hung on racks.

Audrey sorted through one of the racks and pulled out a dark leather vest. She set it aside and found a pair of faded blue jean cutoffs and held them up to Lucky. “These might fit. Try them on.”

“Here? Is there a changing room?”

Audrey laughed. “Honey, this is the changing room. And believe me when I say, you don’t have anything different than I’ve already seen. I bought this saloon on money I earned stripping.”

Lucky gulped. “I’ve never stripped in front of…”

“A woman?”

“I was going to say a stranger.” Lucky fiddled with the button on her jeans. “But other than my female doctor, I’ve never stripped in front of a woman either.”

“If it helps, I’ll turn my back.” Audrey spun toward another rack. “Go on. We need to get out there before the cowboys start hollerin’ for their drinks.”

Quickly, Lucky toed off her boots and dropped her jeans, glad she’d worn a decent pair of bikini panties, her one concession to her feminine side. As quickly as she’d shucked her jeans, she slipped on the pair of cutoffs.

Lucky buttoned and zipped. “They’re tight and really short.”

Audrey turned back holding a bright, red-white-and blue bikini top. When she spied Lucky, her face lit up. “Well, look what was hiding behind men’s blue jeans.”

Lucky’s face heated and she covered her ass with her hands. “I can’t go out there in these. My butt is showing.”

“Honey, all my waitresses’ butts are showing just a little. You’ll get used to it.”

“I don’t know.”

“Trust me, they look good.” Audrey handed her the bikini top and vest. “Now take off your blouse and bra and put these on.”

Lucky crossed her hands over her breasts. “I can’t.”

Audrey shook her head. “You’re working to pay off your debt right?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Don’t you want to earn a little more cash to tide you over?”

Lucky nodded.

“You’ll work off your debt by waiting the tables. Your tips are yours.” She held up the red-white-and-blue bikini top and the dark vest. “You’ll get more tips if you wear these.”

“Are you sure?” Lucky took the items and answered her own question. “Of course you’re sure. You’ve been in this business long enough you should know.”

“So what are you waiting on? The sooner you get out there and wait tables, the sooner you’ll get tips. Go, go, go!” Audrey headed for the door. “Wear the boots with the outfit. When you’re done dressing, I’ll show you the ropes.”

Left alone, Lucky hurried out of her shirt and bra and dressed in the bikini top and vest. The top was tight, pushing her breasts up and out, giving her cleavage that made her face heat.