The Last Cowboy In Texas (13 page)

“Thanks, I guess. At any rate, if you’ll forgive me for not romancing you tonight, do you mind if we forego the show? I’d rather talk to you about our mutual friend.”

Missy smiled. “Which one?”

“Paige.”

“Oh. Okay,” she smiled, “but can we talk about Tom, too?”

“Sure. About Paige, I was hoping you could help me figure a way to make her understand I’m in love with her.”

“Have you told her?”

“Yes. I finally got up the nerve.”

“And?”

“She said she loves me, too.”

“She really does, you know.”

“I always thought so, but then she said to forget it, she’d made a mistake.”

Missy scowled. “Why would she tell a whopper like that? She’s always been crazy about you,
Troy
.”

“I don’t know why, but I need your help.”

“Have you ever sat down with her and talked, kind of like we’re doing tonight?”

“No.”

“Well, there’s a place to start.” She reached out and patted his hand across the table. “I feel so much better now that we’re talking like adults. I’m sure you and she would work things out in a heartbeat if you tried it.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

He thought about it. Could it be so simple? Had he not connected with Paige because he’d never given her a chance to see him except as a womanizer? Something to consider.

Meanwhile, he’d learned something about Missy. Her laid back style had made him think of her as a stereotypical blonde with her head full of mush. This gal was anything but that.

“Now, how about Tom?” he asked. “I can picture the two of you walking down the aisle together.”

“You can? Wow. I love him but he’s so, so-”

“Intellectual? Yes, he’s that, but you’re no slouch in the brains department.”

“You think so? Everyone else seems to think I’m just another dumb blonde.”

“Well then, you’ve managed to fool a lot of people. I remember you from school, Missy. You were always one of the top students. Right up there with Paige. And with Tom for that matter.”

“He doesn’t seem to worry about it. When we go out, we talk about lots of things, stuff I’ve never had the chance to discuss with anyone else.”

“That’s great. I’d say you two are off to a good start. I hope my taking you out tonight didn’t create a problem for you.”

“It won’t. He’s not the least bit jealous. Besides, I’ll just tell him I’ve been helping you work out your relationship with Paige.”

He reached out and took her hand. “And that would be the truth. Thanks, Missy, for a nice evening with a nice lady. And lots of good talk.”

She was about to respond when her eyes focused behind him, her face registering panic. A familiar voice wafted across the room, a very sarcastic one.

“Well, if it isn’t my two best friends in the world, stabbing me in the back.”

Troy
jumped up. “Hi, Paige. Fancy meeting you here.”

“And you, too. So tell me,
Troy
, is Missy your latest flavor of the day?”

“I don’t know what you mean by that. We were just having dinner and talking about relationships. I mean-”

“I can guess exactly what relationship you mean, Mister Roberts. It’s easy to see this is a team betrayal. As for you, Missy, I see now what you’ve had in mind all along.”

“You’ve got it all wrong, Paige.
Troy
and I were-”

“I don’t care what you and lover-boy were doing!” Paige stormed off before either of them could say a word.

Chapter Eight

Troy
and Missy stared helplessly after Paige as she disappeared. When they looked back at each other, Missy said, “I think she’s upset,
Troy
.”

“Upset doesn’t begin to describe it,” he groaned, adding, “and I don’t blame her. I had a feeling this was a mistake.”

“But if she could have heard what we were really talking about, she’d understand.”

“Well, she didn’t. Do you think there’s a chance she’ll take us at our word now?”

“I don’t know. Probably not. Oh,
Troy
, I’m so sorry. I feel responsible for this.”

“Why? I asked you out, didn’t I? It wasn’t your fault.”

“In a way, it was. Paige trusted me. She knew that I know how she feels about you. I should have turned you down.”

“That may be, but we wouldn’t have had a chance to talk things out. No, this is all for the better. I’ll just have to find a way to convince her we weren’t trying to hurt her.”

“Good luck. Maybe if we stay away from each other for awhile, she’ll get over this.”

“Maybe. In about a hundred years.”

* * *

Paige had returned to the dining area where her parents were seated. Her face was white as she took her place.

Cil said, “Whatever is the matter, dear? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“It’s nothing, Mom.”

Ozzie harrumphed. “Nothing? Paige, we could hear your angry voice clear in here. Who were you yelling at?”

She glared at her father. As usual, he stared back, neither smiling nor frowning. “
Troy
and Missy are having dinner in the other room.”

“Oh? That’s nice.”

“Nice?” she spat out. “Dad, you really don’t get it, do you? My two best friends dating behind my back and you say it’s nice!” She shot to her feet and headed for the restrooms.

“Well, Ozzie, you’ve put your foot in it good this time.”

“What did I say?”

Cil smiled softly. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

“Paige loves
Troy
. Missy is her best friend in the world. If she’s confessed her heart to anyone it would be Missy. Now
Troy
is dating Missy.”

Ozzie’s face went from puzzled to angry in a flash. “Oh. I see. What can we do about it?”

“Not a thing, dear. Except maybe be a little more careful what we say and how we say it. The youngsters will have to work their relationship out for themselves. Given a little time, I think it’ll be okay.”

“I hope so.” Ozzie smiled at his wife. “I happen to know
Troy
cares a whole lot for our daughter.”

“Is that so? Why then is he dating Missy?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

“I thought not. Now, can I count on you to keep your big mouth shut?”

“Yes, dear. I’ll butt out.”

Paige remained in the stall until her tears had dried up.
 
She felt stupid for letting a thing like this throw her. Better to know the truth than to wallow around in those silly dreams. After washing her face and regaining composure, she faced the prospect of returning to her parents’ table and acting as though nothing was amiss.

Well, it isn’t. Not anymore.

Fortunately, her folks paid no attention to her. The food had arrived so she dug in, heedless of the ache in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

The next month was all business for Paige, a
time flying by in a watch-your-fingernails-to-see-if-they’re-growing
kind of way. She worked with a vengeance, ignoring her dad’s attempts to be friendly. She’d do her job and do it well. Other than that, they had nothing to say to one another.

The environmental issue had dried up and blown away. With Aggie intent on becoming a bride and Steve staying as far away as
St. Louis
, the fishermen of
Stone
County
were spared from digging worms. As for the Gamies, they remained a normal part of life along the creeks.

Paige had refused to return any of Missy’s calls even though she knew Tom was still dating her former friend. She had nothing to say to her.

On the other hand,
Troy
had not called, which was probably just as well. She had plenty to say to him!

Although her personal life had tanked, it wasn’t all wasted time for her. For whatever reason, her writing had suddenly taken off with a bang. For the first time, she had a clear idea of where her latest story wanted to go and how to get it there. Night after night she pushed her pen over the pages, giving meaning to the relationship between her heroine and hero.

Sir Robert had rescued Lady Eve at sea in a battle where his ship had mistakenly destroyed a Spanish vessel thinking it to be a pirate ship. In (her) reality, the ship was taking the rightful heir to the Spanish throne to safety after her life had been threatened. Lady Eve would be Queen when her ailing father died.

As her plot thickened, Paige’s writing style smoothed and matured. At last, she had a grip on what might become a successful regency novel. And soon she’d have another completed manuscript to submit; one she could defend honestly, unlike her three previous attempts.

Thinking back on her collegiate career, she realized she’d left that institution with a smattering of misconceptions about fiction writing. Along with a debilitating attitude that whatever she put on paper had come straight from the gods above, pure as fresh-driven snow.

Other than her lit classes where she’d been introduced to an excellent array of classic authors’ work, nothing lit her creative fire. A voracious reader, she’d doubled the reading requirements of each of those classes; something that prepared her far better than all three of those so-called creative sessions.

* * *

On the Sunday before Independence Day, she fumed when Edgar and
Troy
drove up to the house to get Ozzie for their routine fishing expedition.
Troy
waved but she turned her back on him, in time to stare directly into Cil’s face.

“What’s wrong, Paige? Can’t you at least be friendly?”

“Give me one good reason for that.”

“This is not the end of the world as we know it, dear.”

“Maybe not, but Troy Roberts is not part of my world.”

“Darling, I think you and I need to have a talk.”

“What’s to talk about, Mom? He’s made his choice and so have I.”

“Sometimes men do stupid things, honey. For that matter, so do women but that’s not what we’re into now. I understand that
Troy
did something that really hurt you. If my experience in life tells me anything, he’s feeling twice the pain you are at this moment.”

“Great! I hope he hurts like hell.”

“Paige, please. Hear me out. And watch your language, young lady.”

“Okay, Mother, I’m sorry. It’s your scene.”

“My scene, huh? Well, I guess it is, at that. Do you really believe, inside where it counts, that
Troy
has serious feelings for Missy?”

“No more than any of the hundreds of other girls he’s despoiled.”

“Paige!”

“Well, he has!”

“Do you know for a fact that he’s done that?”

“Of course. Everyone knows
Troy
’s score-sheet.”