Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch #2)(16)

“Hello, Wanda.” Lizzy took three steps but didn’t let go of Toby’s hand. “I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Toby Dawson. You may have heard that on Valentine’s Day his brother Blake and my sister Allie were married.”

“Oh, I do remember Valentine’s Day very well. Poor Mitch was distraught but I told him he had to listen to God. I’m very sorry for the way things turned out with you two, but God knows best and I’m sure that you would have never been happy outside of Dry Creek, Elizabeth. And likewise, Mitch could have never ever lived or reached his potential in that ghost town. Besides that, I’m quite sure you understand that he needs a wife without a questionable background.”

Wanda’s pasted-on smile annoyed Lizzy so badly that she wanted to slap the shit out of the woman and then slap her again for calling her Elizabeth.

Wanda held out a limp hand bedecked with diamond rings on three fingers and nails that had been freshly done in a pale pink polish. “It’s so nice to meet you. Was that Blake or Toby?”

He shook her hand and then dropped it. “Toby, ma’am. My pleasure. Now if you will excuse us, we’re going to share a banana split to celebrate this lovely spring day.”

“I’ll tell Mitch that I saw you and met your new boyfriend, Elizabeth. I can’t wait for him and his new bride to come home this summer. We’re planning a big shower at the church for them. They’ve rented a lovely villa and they need things for it.” Wanda waved as they walked away.

Lizzy wiggled her fingers in acknowledgment but didn’t look back. “I bet his mother rented that villa and I bet she’s soliciting churches for sponsorship for his mission work. And I bet dollars to cow patties that he will live like a king.”

“Jealous?”

“No, I am not. I’ve got my store and the sexiest cowboy in the whole area for a boyfriend tonight.” She smiled.

“Hey, Lizzy, where you been, girl?” the lady behind the counter asked. “I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“Been busy. I want a banana split with whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on the top of each dip,” she said.

“And two spoons.” Mitch reached for his wallet.

“Are you going to introduce me or just let me stand here drooling?” the cashier asked.

“I’m sorry. Wanda rattled me,” Lizzy said honestly. “Toby, darlin’, this is Cricket and, Cricket, this is my boyfriend, Toby.” It was amazing how slick that word rolled off her tongue the second time she said it.

“Well, you lucky dog.” Cricket smiled. “Y’all go on to that back booth and I’ll bring the ice cream to you. That way Wanda can’t even see you.”

“Oh, no!” Toby laid his money on the counter. “We are going to sit right there by the window so we can watch the cars go by while we eat.” He motioned to one not six feet from Wanda and her three friends.

“Brave soul!” Cricket giggled. “Brave, sexy, and smart. I like him, Lizzy. I’ll have this ready in a few minutes.”

Toby slid into the booth across from Lizzy and laid his cowboy hat beside him. When she was settled, he reached across the table, took both her hands in his, and gazed into her eyes. She leaned forward slightly and he could see two inches of cleavage along with the lacy edge of a black bra. “You are so beautiful tonight, but not as sexy as you were the last time I was in the store and you reached up on that high shelf. I bet you didn’t know that your shirt rides up when you do that and shows an inch of your lower back.”

“What are you doing?” Lizzy whispered.

He moved from his side of the booth to sit beside her. “This is much better and it will make sharing a banana split so much easier.” He pushed her hair back behind her ear and kissed her on the earlobe as he murmured, “I’m making a believer out of that woman.”

“Well, I’m sure glad that you think my bare skin is sexy.” She giggled softly and played along. “What else do you like?”

“I like an independent woman who knows how to do something other than fry meat and raise kids.”

Lizzy bit the inside of her lip to contain the laughter. “Well, thank you, Toby. I don’t think anyone has ever said romantic things like that to me before.”

“Then you’ve been dating idiots,” he said bluntly.

Lizzy could practically hear Wanda’s heart palpitations. If the woman had a cardiac arrest and rolled out onto the floor, would it be a sin to wait until Lizzy finished her banana split to call 911?

Toby eased his arm around Lizzy’s shoulders. “We’ve been doing some rough designs on the house I want to build on the Lucky Penny. Allie says she can take care of it for me. What she doesn’t do, she’ll contract out. If you were building a house, what would you want?”

Lizzy noticed that Toby had pitched his voice just loudly enough for anyone to hear.

Cricket brought their banana split, set it down, handed them each a plastic spoon, and then crossed the short distance to Wanda’s table to ask if they needed refills on their coffee. All four nodded so she went back to get a full pot.

Toby picked up a cherry and held it out to Lizzy. She bit it from the stem and returned the favor by feeding him one of hers. Then they both dipped into the ice cream and started to eat.

“I would never want another house with a second floor if I was building.” She raised her voice just enough that the old gals didn’t have to fall out of the booth when they leaned over to hear what she said. “And the simpler the better, because I hate cleaning. I do like to cook and I don’t mind laundry, but keeping things all beautifully neat is not my thing.”