house.
She passed a shiny , black Hummer and a cherry red Camaro parked in the driveway and walked up to the front door. She yanked on the sleeves of her blue cotton button-down shirt that she’d rolled up to her elbows before running her hands over her jeans. Odds weren’t great that it would actually be Hawk who answered the door but still...
She knocked and held he r breath. A few minutes later, the man with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes that she recognized from the garage, as well as the bar, opened the door.
“Tildy,” was all he said, a huge grin spreading across his face.
Tildy relaxed a little and smiled back. “Hi. Hawk invited me. I- I hope that’s okay.”
He nodded. “Oh, it’s just fine, darlin’.” Before he could move out of the way a tall redhead came up behind him.
“Tex?” she asked.
Tex glanced over his shoulder. “Tildy’s here,” he announced.
The redhead gave him a sharp look, pushed him to the side, and smiled at Tildy. But there was something more to the look the woman was giving her. And the look she now gave Tex. Tildy frowned, feeling not only like she wasn’t in the joke, but that there was a very good chance she was the joke. Maybe Hawk had forgotten he invited her and had brought someone else. Or maybe Hawk’s comments about Tildy’s family having money had put them off her.
She glanced at Abby’s spaghetti strap t op with the shirred body. Like Tildy, she was also wearing jeans. Tildy wasn’t really dressed any differently, except that her own shirt wasn’t quite as weather-appropriate as the other woman’s summer top. The woman also had a beautiful, gold necklace with rubies and diamonds arranged in a flower resting at the hollow of her throat. Tildy had seen enough of her mother’s jewelry to know that the necklace wasn’t cheap. Neither were the woman’s cowboy boots.
Tildy felt confident she could fit in here, if they gave her a chance.
“I’m Abby,” the redhead told her. “I didn’t get much of a chance to say hi last night.”
Tildy smiled at her. “I remember you.” She looked at Tex. “You’re together, right?”
Tex slid his arm around Abby’s waist.
“For now,” he replied.
Abby glared at him.
Tex raised his hands. “I’m not trying to manipulate you,” he told her. “But, baby, I don’t know if our relationship can withstand you voting for Slick’s chili over mine is all I’m saying.”
Abby crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I’ll vote any way I want to vote. You’ll just have to buy superglue for your shattered ego.”
“See!” he cried. “You’ve already made up your mind! It’s unfair. It’s biased. You haven’t even tried hers yet!”
Tildy giggled at the exchange. Hawk had indicated that there was some...strangeness... abou t Tex and Abby’s relationship, but Tildy couldn’t see it. They seemed normal to her.
Tex glowered. “They’ve turned on me, Tildy. They’re all traitors. Slick comes to town with her cookies and her sweet tea and setting things on fire and suddenly-”
Tildy’s eyes widened. “She set something on fire? That sounds like me. I can’t cook at all.”
Abby grinned. “Me neither. But I’m learnin g. Apparently, though, the fire thing was a dessert. It was supposed to be that way. I wasn’t around for that.”
“It was a f luke!” Tex yelled. “It’s all smoke and mirrors! She sets something on fire and the Neanderthals are all, ‘Oooooh! Fire! Fire good! Nom, nom, nom!’ And now she’s their favorite.”
The women laughed.
“You said you wanted Sarah to help you cook,” Abby reminded him.
“Yeah! But she’s not supposed to be better at it than I am!”
“Stop whining and get back to the kitchen,” Abby ordered.
Tildy wasn’t really sure who was spanking whom when the sun went down in this house. She blushed at the thought.
“Are you too warm, Tildy?” Abby asked. “That’s a heavy shirt.”
Tildy blushed harder , as though Abby had read her
She passed a shiny , black Hummer and a cherry red Camaro parked in the driveway and walked up to the front door. She yanked on the sleeves of her blue cotton button-down shirt that she’d rolled up to her elbows before running her hands over her jeans. Odds weren’t great that it would actually be Hawk who answered the door but still...
She knocked and held he r breath. A few minutes later, the man with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes that she recognized from the garage, as well as the bar, opened the door.
“Tildy,” was all he said, a huge grin spreading across his face.
Tildy relaxed a little and smiled back. “Hi. Hawk invited me. I- I hope that’s okay.”
He nodded. “Oh, it’s just fine, darlin’.” Before he could move out of the way a tall redhead came up behind him.
“Tex?” she asked.
Tex glanced over his shoulder. “Tildy’s here,” he announced.
The redhead gave him a sharp look, pushed him to the side, and smiled at Tildy. But there was something more to the look the woman was giving her. And the look she now gave Tex. Tildy frowned, feeling not only like she wasn’t in the joke, but that there was a very good chance she was the joke. Maybe Hawk had forgotten he invited her and had brought someone else. Or maybe Hawk’s comments about Tildy’s family having money had put them off her.
She glanced at Abby’s spaghetti strap t op with the shirred body. Like Tildy, she was also wearing jeans. Tildy wasn’t really dressed any differently, except that her own shirt wasn’t quite as weather-appropriate as the other woman’s summer top. The woman also had a beautiful, gold necklace with rubies and diamonds arranged in a flower resting at the hollow of her throat. Tildy had seen enough of her mother’s jewelry to know that the necklace wasn’t cheap. Neither were the woman’s cowboy boots.
Tildy felt confident she could fit in here, if they gave her a chance.
“I’m Abby,” the redhead told her. “I didn’t get much of a chance to say hi last night.”
Tildy smiled at her. “I remember you.” She looked at Tex. “You’re together, right?”
Tex slid his arm around Abby’s waist.
“For now,” he replied.
Abby glared at him.
Tex raised his hands. “I’m not trying to manipulate you,” he told her. “But, baby, I don’t know if our relationship can withstand you voting for Slick’s chili over mine is all I’m saying.”
Abby crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I’ll vote any way I want to vote. You’ll just have to buy superglue for your shattered ego.”
“See!” he cried. “You’ve already made up your mind! It’s unfair. It’s biased. You haven’t even tried hers yet!”
Tildy giggled at the exchange. Hawk had indicated that there was some...strangeness... abou t Tex and Abby’s relationship, but Tildy couldn’t see it. They seemed normal to her.
Tex glowered. “They’ve turned on me, Tildy. They’re all traitors. Slick comes to town with her cookies and her sweet tea and setting things on fire and suddenly-”
Tildy’s eyes widened. “She set something on fire? That sounds like me. I can’t cook at all.”
Abby grinned. “Me neither. But I’m learnin g. Apparently, though, the fire thing was a dessert. It was supposed to be that way. I wasn’t around for that.”
“It was a f luke!” Tex yelled. “It’s all smoke and mirrors! She sets something on fire and the Neanderthals are all, ‘Oooooh! Fire! Fire good! Nom, nom, nom!’ And now she’s their favorite.”
The women laughed.
“You said you wanted Sarah to help you cook,” Abby reminded him.
“Yeah! But she’s not supposed to be better at it than I am!”
“Stop whining and get back to the kitchen,” Abby ordered.
Tildy wasn’t really sure who was spanking whom when the sun went down in this house. She blushed at the thought.
“Are you too warm, Tildy?” Abby asked. “That’s a heavy shirt.”
Tildy blushed harder , as though Abby had read her
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