Daddy's Game by Normandie Alleman Page A

Carmen.” Carmen nodded and Nellie embraced her, giving Carmen a firm squeeze before releasing her.
    Carmen nodded. She couldn’t help but stare at the girl. Nellie’s flawless makeup and ultra-smooth skin made her seem more like a doll than real. Nellie wore a red western-style blouse with shiny red pearl snaps up the front and painted-on jeans. Her hair reminded Carmen of a Dolly Parton wig, but she had a feeling it was Nellie’s actual hair under all that hairspray.
    “So you’re Natron’s little girl?” Nellie’s blue eyes sparkled.
    Carmen nodded, “And your boyfriend is his financial advisor?”
    Nellie beamed. “Mason. I’m so glad he told me about you. I can’t wait for you to meet the other girls. They’re going to be tickled pink.” She linked arms with Carmen and they went into the arena.
    Apparently Kimberly, who was the leader of the group, had arranged for tickets and Nellie led them to their seats. Once there, she introduced Carmen to the other girls. First there was Kimberly, a striking brunette with coffee-colored eyes. “Welcome to the group, Carmen. We’re so happy you could join us.”
    Sloane stood on the other side of Kimberly. She was a tall, thin girl with a long, sleek curtain of blond hair. Her eyes were so dark they were almost black, and she reminded Carmen of Cher, only with white-blond hair. “Nice to meet you,” Sloane said in a no-nonsense voice.
    At the far end of the row was Lucinda. Carmen had read about her in the arts section of the Dallas Morning News. A child prodigy, Lucinda Lake was one of the most famous concert pianists of their generation. Lucinda Lake had a daddy? That got her curiosity bubbling, and Carmen couldn’t wait to learn more about that. Lucinda waved, and Carmen waved back trying not to act too star-struck. She’d never heard Lucinda play, but she’d always wanted to.
    “Where is Charmaine?” Nellie asked.
    Sloane scowled. “Late as always. I should give that girl a watch for her birthday, not that it would do any good.”
    “Maybe somebody should show her how to set an alarm on her phone,” Kimberly said.
    “She knows how to do that, she just chooses not to,” Sloane huffed. “She’s consistently disrespectful of other people’s time.”
    “She’s on island time,” Lucinda offered.
    “Yeah, that’s her,” Nellie agreed.
    They all stood for ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ Looking around, Carmen saw most people covering their hearts with their hands so she did the same. She’d never been to the rodeo before, which was strange because she hadn’t grown up too far from here, but her family had never been into that sort of stuff.
    It was exciting, the lights, the sounds, the announcer on the loudspeaker, and yes, the sexy cowboys waiting their turn to ride one of the top bulls in the nation. The place smelled of livestock, more like the smell of a barn freshly stocked with hay than of manure. It reminded Carmen of the country and visiting her grandparents’ farm.
    Just as the bull-riding contest was about to start, a girl walked up the stands like she owned the place. She was gorgeous, with blond-and-brown striped hair, shocking blue eyes, and a sexy little figure. She wore skinny black jeans, stylish cowboy boots, and a beige suede jacket with fringe swaying from it.
    It only took a minute for Carmen to recognize her. Charmaine Bainbridge was the talk of Dallas. She was what you might call a celebutante—a debutante with a great deal of celebrity. Her father was the wealthiest man in Texas, and when he’d divorced her mother when she was six years old, the local media had dubbed her ‘the poor little rich girl’ and documented her every move since. Charmaine turned into a wild child, her name in the headlines sold newspapers, and she became a household name in the Lone Star state.
    Once she got to their row, she had to push past several people to get to the empty seat next to Carmen. Just as she plopped down into it, flashbulbs