Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch #2)(5)

“That’s a crock of horse crap. Maybe the folks who didn’t stick with it would have if they’d have had some support. And you’re still mad because you wanted to buy that place but you wanted it for nothing,” Lucy said.

“Well,” Truman huffed. “If they’d have kept their money in their pockets, I could have got that ranch for what I was willin’ to give. I’m not about to support them and I’m not helping anyone who does.”

“That’s your choice, but I think you are a dang fool.” Lucy carried several more orange jackets to the counter. “Lizzy, put these on my ticket. Herman and our sons will need new ones come fall for huntin’ season, and this is a right good price.”

“Can I help you with something, Truman?” Lizzy called out.

“I come to pay my last month’s bill.” He whipped out a roll of bills and removed the rubber band from them. “If there was another place to buy my feed, I wouldn’t do business with you anymore, not since your sister married Blake Dawson.”

“Truman O’Dell!” Lucy slapped him on the arm hard enough that he flinched. “Listen to your stupid mouth spoutin’ off like that. God almighty, your daddy did business here with Lizzy’s grandpa. Get that bug out of your butt before it eats holes in your gut and kills you graveyard dead.”

Lizzy seethed inside but kept a sweet smile on her face. At least she hoped it was sweet because it sure felt like more of a grimace. “Let me ring up Lucy’s purchases and then we’ll square up your bill.”

“That wasn’t nice to hit me,” Truman growled. “If you wasn’t a woman, you wouldn’t get away with that.”

Lucy popped her veined hands on her skinny hip bones. “Truman O’Dell, if you want to hit me back you go right ahead, but I promise I will mop up Lizzy’s floor with you if you do. I’m strong and I’m mean and Herman don’t even cross me, so you ought to watch your mouth.”

Lord, please let me grow up to be just like her. Lizzy sent up a silent prayer as she figured up Lucy’s bill and laid out a ticket for her to sign. “I was going to knock those jackets down another twenty-five percent come Monday so I gave you a better price.”

“Well, bless your heart, darlin’. See there, Truman, that’s why you do business with the folks you know. They won’t cheat you out of your boxer shorts.” Lucy signed the ticket and carried her purchases outside. She headed off to the left instead of getting into her truck, which was parked in front of the feed and seed store. That meant she was going to Nadine’s for a cup of coffee and to tell anyone who would listen about the argument she had with Truman.

Lizzy turned to Truman. “Now, let’s see about that bill.”

“Add a twenty-pound bag of seed potatoes to it. I always plant a later crop so we have potatoes up into the fall,” he said.

She picked up the shoe box from under the counter, pulled out all his yellow copies, and added them up. The old folks didn’t like the idea of a computerized bill and it made double work for her, but it made them happy. “Looks like you owe six hundred thirty dollars and fifty-five cents. I’ll add in the seed potatoes now.” She poked in several numbers on the cash register, fighting back the urge to charge double for the potatoes after what he said about Allie. “And that brings your total to six hundred forty-eight dollars and ninety cents.”

He peeled seven hundred-dollar bills from the roll and laid them on the counter. “Your granddaddy would have thrown a fit about Allie marryin’ up with that boy.”

“My granddaddy has been dead for a long time,” Lizzy said. “And Allie is my sister, so be careful what you say about her.”

“Are you going to hit me, too?” Truman taunted.

“No, sir. My mama trained me up right. I wouldn’t hit an elderly gentleman. But if you say too much about my sister, I might have to take the pistol out from under this counter and shoot an old fart in the leg.” She laid his change on the counter. “There’s fifty-one dollars and a dime and, Truman, if you don’t want to do business with me, then don’t.”

He picked it up and marched out of the store without saying another word. Lizzy went back to her office and started to work on her computer. She’d barely gotten two bills entered when the phone rang, and since it was an old corded phone beside the cash register, she had to hustle to get to it.

“Hello,” she said, wishing for caller ID.

“Lizzy Logan, did you threaten to shoot Truman?” Lucy asked.

“Yes, ma’am, I did. He was saying mean things about my sister,” Lizzy answered. “How do you know that? He just left here five minutes ago.”

“Bobby Ray is cutting wood out on the Lucky Penny today, so Truman called him and asked to speak to Herman to tattle on me and you both. Herman hates cell phones to begin with and he and Truman are crossways over everything, so he put him straight. Then Bobby Ray called Nadine to tell her and I’m sittin’ right here in Nadine’s café,” Lucy said.

“It don’t take things long to get around, does it? Maybe I shouldn’t have said I’d shoot him, but I was really mad and he got all cocky and asked if I was going to hit him like you did,” Lizzy said.

Lucy chuckled. “Hell, honey, only thing you did wrong was in givin’ him a warnin’. Next time shoot first and ask questions later. I’ll help you bury the body where not even the buzzards can find him.”