Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch #2)(67)

“Hell, no!” Truman said as he joined them. “I wouldn’t even sit with Deke today. He probably knows that Lizzy broke up with Mitch because of you. Was she the one who told you about the Lucky Penny?”

Toby smiled. “Deke is our good friend and for your information Lizzy was making a joke when she told the waitress that story. Don’t punish Deke because you don’t like us.”

“Guilty by association,” Dora June said.

“We’ll take him in anytime. Y’all sure I can’t buy you dinner?” Toby asked.

“Come on, Dora June. I don’t want folks to see us talking to these people,” Truman said.

They left in a huff and Toby chuckled.

“What?” Lizzy asked.

“Small world, isn’t it? The waitress is her niece. Reminds me of the lyrics in that old song that says he’s everywhere and he’s watching you.”

“I believe that was Santa Claus, not Dora June.” Lizzy pulled her hands free so the waitress could set the fried green tomatoes and sweet tea on the table. “Thank goodness there’s only a handful of people in Dry Creek who are hoping that the Lucky Penny fails again. The rest of the folks are really great.”

“Ain’t that the truth? What is it about four women and Truman who’ve got a burr up their butts?”

Lizzy smiled. “Five out of a whole town isn’t a bad number. I imagine they’re upset because Truman wanted to buy the ranch and waited too long.”

“Waited?” Toby dipped a fried green tomato into the sauce and popped it in his mouth.

“Folks didn’t think it would ever sell with the reputation it has, so those who were interested sat back and waited for the price to hit rock bottom. Y’all swooped in before that happened and bought it. Truman was most likely the top dog on that list and now he thinks if he can make life miserable for y’all, then you’ll leave and he’ll buy it with all y’all’s improvements already made on it.”

“Is that rumor or truth?”

“Neither. It’s my own theory. He wasn’t ever a happy person, but he turned really sour when he found out the Lucky Penny had sold to y’all. He’s fighting a losing battle, Toby. Folks love you and Blake and what you are doing to the ranch.”

“Truman nor his posse of self-righteous women are going to run us off.” Toby picked up a slice of fried tomato, dipped it in the sauce, and fed it to her.

“Good. I don’t want you to leave.”





Chapter Eighteen



Dark clouds had begun to gather when they left the restaurant. Lightning streaked through the sky in long spiky strips with thunder following on its heels. The wind whipped around from the south to the north and blasted and shook the tree limbs as the temperature dropped ten degrees in as many minutes. The first big drops of rain sizzled against the hot sidewalk as Lizzy and Toby ran from the truck to the care facility where her grandmother lived.

“Looks like we beat it,” Toby said as they rushed inside.

She shook the rainwater from her dark brown knee-length skirt. “Just when I was beginning to think that our luck had run out.”

Toby ran a hand over her shoulders, brushing the few drops that had settled on her light tan lacy blouse. “Have I told you that you look beautiful in shades of brown? Or that I’m real partial to lace?”

“Well, well, well! Look what I found, Laney.” A tall blonde with steely blue eyes glued herself to Toby and locked lips with him in a kiss that lasted only three days short of eternity.

“I’ll be damned. I thought you went back to the hinterlands. We ain’t seen you or Deke since last winter.” Another one, just like the one with her body still stuck to Toby’s, rounded the corner of the hallway. God must have surely had a sense of humor when he made two just alike.

“Hey, did I hear someone call my name?” Deke stepped in out of the rain and removed his cowboy hat.

“It’s a party!” The second woman clapped her hands.

Toby wiped a hand across his lips. “Laney and Lisa, please meet my girlfriend, Lizzy Logan.”

Deke poked her on the arm. “Nobody will ever know, Lizzy. You’re not going to hold him back are you?”

What in the hell was happening?

It was pretty evident that Deke and Toby knew those two bimbos dressed in shorts so tight that nothing was left to the imagination. Lizzy’s eyes traveled upward from the hooker shorts to halter tops that showed cute little belly button rings with a pink arrow pointing downward. They had to be twins and they were six feet tall in those bright red high-heeled shoes. So this was his type—the women that he partied with. No wonder he had second thoughts about a mousey woman with dirty blond hair and brown eyes.

“Not today, Deke,” Toby said.

Deke already had an arm around Lisa. “Why not? I thought I’d drop by to see Irene since Katy is gone this weekend, but I can come back anytime. Let’s go grab a six-pack.”

Laney ran a forefinger down Toby’s jawline. “We’ll take you to our house. It’s not far from here and we can pick up where we left off last time.”

Toby stepped away from Laney and tucked Lizzy’s arm into his, patting her hand the whole time. “Lizzy and I are going to see her grandmother. Y’all have a wonderful time and I’ll see you tomorrow, Deke.”