Life After Wife (Three Magic Words Trilogy, #3)(43)

“OK, let’s have a little bit of Anthony Smith singing ‘If That Ain’t Country.’”

Elijah took a deep breath and got ready for another fast song. Sophie backed up to him and put both arms up over her head and around his neck. When the guitars whined and the singer started singing about a girl growing up out in the sticks where the ginseng grows, Sophie flipped around, switched her skirts back and forth, and the dancing began. The singer said the girl had a Bible, she’d been born again, she had a shotgun, and she wasn’t afraid of sin.

By the time the dance ended, Elijah was laughing so hard he had trouble keeping in step, and Sophie was improvising, trying to throw him off his game. It ended with twanging guitars and drums and the guests didn’t have to be told again to applaud.

“Y’all come on out here on the dance floor now that our hosts have broken the ice and let’s have some fun,” the singer said.

In minutes the floor was packed with Theron and Fancy leading the stampede.

“I’m dying for a cold beer,” Sophie said.

“Oh, yeah!” he said.

“I do have a Bible and I do have a shotgun. You might do well to remember that,” she said as he led her to the open bar and ordered two longneck Coors.

“Yes, ma’am. And do you have a moonshine still out behind the shed?” Elijah asked.

“No. Not yet,” she teased.

He downed a whole glass of Dr Pepper and handed it back to the caterer for a refill. “That was more fun than I’ve had in years, Sophie. Thank you!”

“It warmed up the crowd. Look at that. Myrle even has someone out there with her,” she motioned with her bottle toward the floor.

“Not doin’ too bad but none of them can outdo us,” Elijah said.

“It’s been a good day and a wonderful party. To us.” She clinked her bottle with his.

“To us,” he repeated.

And for the first time, Elijah wanted more than a business relationship. He wanted much, much more and he wanted it with Sophie.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN


Sophie awoke slowly, opening her eyes, checking the clock to see that it was nine o’clock, hearing the noise of pots and pans in the kitchen, and smelling coffee and bacon. She stretched and then frowned. So many voices, all male, were coming from the kitchen. Was that Gus?

He didn’t come to the ranch on Sunday. That was his day off. Had something happened? Was there another fire? She was out of the bed in a flash and stomping her feet down into her boots. She didn’t have time to get dressed if there was another wildfire.

Boot heels on the hardwood floor in the hallway sounded like off-beat drum rolls, and she was out of breath when she reached the kitchen.

“Where’s the fire?” Gus asked.

“That’s what I was going to ask you.” Sophie panted.

“No fire around here and it’s raining. Can’t ask for no better news than a great sale, a good party, and then rain the next day,” Gus said.

Sophie melted into a kitchen chair across the table from Elijah. Hayden sat on one side of him, with Gus at one end of the table and Tanner at the other. They’d finished breakfast, but there was a big piece of paper stretched out on the table with diagrams and writing all over it.

Elijah pushed back his chair and ambled over to the cabinet, where he poured a cup of coffee for Sophie, then brought the pot to the table to refill everyone else’s cups.

“Thank you, Elijah. What’s going on? And why are you here?” Sophie looked at Gus.

“We’ve got a proposal to put before you,” Elijah said. “But don’t crawl up on that high horse of yours before you even hear us out. I didn’t want to mention it until after the sale because you had enough on your mind. You go first, Gus.”

Gus sipped his coffee and laid a hand on Sophie’s. “I’ll be eighty years old on my next birthday. It’s way past time for me to retire. Me and the wife want to do a little bit of traveling before I bite the dust. So yesterday was my last day, darlin’. The ranch don’t need me now that Elijah is here.”

Tears filled Sophie’s eyes. “The ranch will always need you.”

“Now that’s a right sweet thing for you to say. Miz Maud left me that right nice chunk of money in her will, and I want to spend some of it. You and Elijah are going to do right well here. That sale proved it to me, and I’d planned on leaving soon as she was gone, but I wanted to stick around until y’all got your ranchin’ legs down strong. You’ve done it, and it’s time for me to spend some time in my rockin’ chair,” Gus said.

“If you don’t work, you’ll get stiff with arthritis and die,” Sophie said.

Gus laughed. “I don’t reckon the wife is going to let that happen. She’s got a list of honey-dos lined up that’ll keep me from gettin’ arthritis for a hun’erd years. Now give this old man a hug, and then I’m goin’ to walk out of here. No tears. No big foo-rah. Just a wonderful day to go home and sit on my porch and enjoy a fine rainy mornin’.”

He and Sophie stood up at the same time and she hugged him fiercely.

Gus whispered softly in her ear, “Listen to these boys. They’re scared to death you’re goin’ to say no, and it’s a good plan. Your money ain’t doin’ you a bit of good drawin’ the interest in the bank.”