Crazy For the Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson Page B

possible.”
    â€œThen I hope y’all talk Vince out of that plan. Now come on back and I’ll show you where those mattresses are located.”
    â€œI might buy one, too,” Travis said.
    â€œOkay.” Anastasia didn’t seem to care one way or the other when it came to Travis’s potential purchases. She sashayed back to the camping aisle with a sway to her hips that Georgie had never seen. “Will you need a single mattress or a double?”
    â€œSingle, ma’am. It’s just me.”
    â€œGood. I mean, now I know which size to pull out.”
    Travis followed behind as if hoping Anastasia would include him in the discussion, but that looked like a lost cause. Once they’d rounded the end of the aisle, Georgie couldn’t see them anymore, but she could hear perfectly.
    Anastasia’s syrupy voice drifted from the camping aisle. “Do you sleep outside a lot, Mr. Foster?”
    â€œPlease call me Mac.”
    At his slightly deeper tone, Georgie rolled her eyes. Yep, he was flirting. He’d been quite a rogue in the past and undoubtedly hadn’t changed. But Anastasia might convince him to stay away from the Ghost, which would be a plus.
    If Mac had intended to be in town for longer than another twenty-four hours, then having him flirt with Anastasia might be cause for concern. But tomorrow he’d be headed back to wherever he’d come from. With luck, that was a long day’s drive from here.
    That left tonight, but Anastasia wasn’t the type to wander over to the saloon. She’d likely stay home and read as she usually did. Georgie had decided against having dinner at Sadie’s tonight, too. The less time either of them spent around these cowboys, the better.
    She’d fallen into the habit of eating over at Sadie’s because she avoided spending time with her stepmother. They couldn’t seem to spend two minutes together without arguing about money. The will had given Evelyn control of everything, and she spent money as fast as Georgie made it. The life insurance from George Bickford’s death was gone, which meant the store was the only source of income.
    It would support them, except that Evelyn sent large sums to Charmaine to finance her lifestyle in Dallas. Georgie figured that Evelyn had mortgaged the stately Victorian that had been in the Bickford family for more than a hundred years. The thought that they might lose that house made Georgie sick to her stomach.
    Evelyn could also mortgage the store if she wanted to. Georgie hoped to hell she hadn’t, but finding that out was impossible. Evelyn kept the key to George Bickford’s home office, and she never left the door unlocked.
    As Mac and Anastasia continued to flirt in the camping aisle, Georgie couldn’t help smiling. Evelyn would be horrified if she knew that her daughter was making eyes at a dirt-poor cowhand. Marrying off both daughters to wealthy men was her plan to get out of Bickford.
    Georgie wished Charmaine would hurry up and snag a rich husband, because then Evelyn would probably move to Dallas. Considered in that light, the money going to Charmaine for salon visits and designer clothes might be well spent if it worked to relocate Evelyn. Charmaine had a decent chance at success in her husband hunt. Her training as a model gave her poise, and her business degree made her a savvy personal shopper for the rich and famous.
    Georgie’s cell phone rang. She scooped it out from under the counter and checked the readout. “Hey, Ike. What’s up?”
    â€œJust so you know, those boys are riding out at dawn to find the Ghost. Vince told me, and when I mentioned that I would be reporting to you, he said he was counting on it.”
    â€œI see.” Georgie lowered her voice. “If my sister has her way, he might have to go alone. She’s trying to sweet-talk Mac and Travis out of it.”
    â€œShe is?”
    â€œSurprised the heck out