by Carly Bloom
“I was super popular in high school,” Carmen said.
“Oh, that’s nice—”
“I’m lying. Holy shit, Alice. Look at me.”
Alice suddenly saw teenage Carmen. It didn’t matter that grown-up Carmen had her own TV show where she traveled to exotic places eating delicacies most folks had never even heard of or that she had three successful restaurants. Everyone carried the wounds of their childhood.
“I am looking at you. And you’re amazing and fantastic, and everyone in here is trying not to look at you, and it’s impossible. Because you’re magnetic.”
Carmen’s eyes actually teared up. She made a heart sign with her hands. “Back at you.”
Alice practically blushed. If only Carmen were around more, maybe she wouldn’t be so lonely.
“What did you do after high school? Where did you go to college?”
“I went to Rice for my undergrad studies—”
“Smarty-pants.”
“And Texas Woman’s University for grad school.” She took a sip of tea. “I came back to Big Verde because they needed a librarian—Eunice Pickles was let go quite suddenly—and I figured it would be good to get my feet wet in a small library before venturing on to bigger jobs.”
“And?”
“And then I just . . .” Goodness. It was like her lungs had suddenly run out of air. “Stayed.”
“Maybe you’re not really a small-town girl at heart. Like, maybe it’s just not your natural habitat.”
Alice bit her lip. “I’ve been invited to apply for a library management job in Austin,” she said quietly.
“Oh my God, Alice. You should apply! Austin is great. It’s amazing. Good music scene. Good food scene. And you’d still be in a library.”
“I don’t know . . .”
“What’s holding you back? At least apply. You don’t have to accept it if they offer it to you.”
Carmen was right. What could it hurt? There was absolutely zero commitment involved in simply applying.
Carmen’s eyes suddenly grew round and huge. “Oh my God.”
“What?”
“That kid you used to babysit just walked into the café looking way tastier than the lunch special.”
Beau wanted to turn right around and walk out. He should have known Alice would be here. He glanced at his brother, who suddenly didn’t look so hot, either. Something weird had happened between him and Carmen, but Bryce had never talked about it.
Beau raised an eyebrow. Want to head to the Dairy Dream instead?
Bryce nodded once. A burger sounds good.
“Montgomery boys!” Carmen hollered. “Over here! Come sit with us.”
“Oh God,” Bryce said under his breath. Beau snorted, even though he was experiencing a similar reaction.
Carmen moved to the other bench, next to Alice, who looked about as happy to see him as he was her. This was going to be a fun lunch.
“Let’s go,” he said to his brother. “No way out now.”
They nodded and said howdy to everyone as they made their way to the corner booth.
“I’ll bring you boys some menus,” Sally said.
“Don’t bother, Sally,” Beau said. “We know what we want.” They always ate the chicken-fried steak for lunch. Cowboying was hard work, and they’d usually done a good bit of it before most folks had even arrived at the office. This morning they’d castrated bull calves and assisted with vaccinations before coming into town on some errands. The afternoon would be spent in the blazing sun moving herds and checking levels at the various watering holes.
Lunch didn’t mean soups or salads for them.
“I’ll bring one anyway,” Sally said with a huge grin. “We have a new menu item.”
Beau sat first and scooted over to make room for his brother. “Thanks for inviting us to sit with you.”
“No problem,” Carmen said.
Sally came to the table and set down two glasses of tea and a pitcher for refills. Then she placed a menu in front of Beau and Bryce. Bryce tried to hand it back to her. “We’ll have the—”
“Chicken-fried steak. I know,” Sally said. “But here, look at this.”
She flipped the menu over to the breakfast side. “What do you think about that?” she asked, beaming. “Special number three.”
Beau stared at the menu, and all the letters started dancing. Twerking. Blending together. He glanced at Bryce, saw his grin, and tried to emulate it. Then Bryce laughed out loud, so Beau did, too.
“The Montgomery Special,” Bryce read. “Two identical pancakes, two identical eggs, two identical sausage links, and two identical buttermilk biscuits. If the Montgomery twins can gobble it up, you can, too!”
“Aw, that’s cool, Sally,” Beau said.
“It’s what you boys have been ordering for breakfast since you were kids. Two of everything, and you always eat every bite!”
“That’s pretty adorable,” Alice said, looking at the menu.
“We’re going to come up with some more items named after locals. Alice, how about Doc Martin’s Heart-Healthy Breakfast? I’m thinking a bowl of oatmeal, fruit, and those little chia seeds I keep special just for him.”
“Oh, Dad would love it!” Alice said.
“Order up!” Rusty shouted from the kitchen. “Two chicken-fried steaks.”
Rusty must have started it as soon as they walked through the door.
They all stared at each other while Sally got their plates and Alice chattered about chia seeds. Then they awkwardly ate, but not in silence, because Alice took that opportunity to fill them in on the origin of the chicken-fried steak, which it turned out was some guy in Lamesa, Texas. He’d misunderstood an order for fried chicken and a separate order for steak as “fried steak.” And the chicken-fried steak was born.
It was kind of funny. And definitely more interesting than noise ordinances or chia seeds.
“Well,” Alice said. “I’d better be getting back to the library.”
Carmen’s head snapped around, and she gave Alice some kind of look. Beau thought he detected activity beneath the table, too. As if maybe Carmen was kicking Alice. It was hard to tell, especially since Bryce was kicking him.
He narrowed his eyes at his brother. Stop it, dumb shit.
Bryce shrugged. I will when you ask her.
“I have some news,” Bryce suddenly announced.
“What is it?” Carmen asked.
“I’m going to be managing a herd at the Rockin’ H Ranch. And I might be moving there permanently.”
“Wow!” Alice said. “That’s close to Austin, isn’t it? I think that’s where Brittany is getting married.”
“They have a restaurant,” Carmen said. “I’ve eaten there.”
“It’s closed,” Bryce said.
“Good. It was the worst barbecue I ever had.”
“Are you going, too, Beau?” Alice asked.
“No. I’ll be staying on as foreman of Rancho Cañada Verde.”
“So . . .” Alice pointed at them. “Y’all will be, um, separated?”
She made it sound like something that required surgery.
Bryce laughed and stood. “Just by a few miles. Anyway, I need to be getting back to the ranch. It was nice having lunch with you ladies.”
Beau knew he was supposed to stay behind and ask Alice for help. But he was mortified by the idea. He’d already tried once today. Shouldn’t that be enough?
He raised an eyebrow. Do I have to?
Bryce gave a slight shrug. Suck it up, brother.
“I’ll be going, too,” Carmen said, standing up.
Alice began gathering her things . . . Shit. Shit. Shit. It was now or never. “Alice, do you have a few minutes?” he blurted.
Alice looked startled, and then she made a show of looking at her watch. “Just a few.”
He waited until Bryce and Carmen had started walking for the door. “I need your help with something.”
“I can’t imagine what it m
ight be.”
“Do you have any experience with dyslexia? In adults?”
“Yes. I’m trained in two different programs that address adult illiteracy, which is often the result of dyslexia.”
Beau winced at the word illiteracy.
“Two programs?”
“Often, it’s a bit of trial and error to find what works. Everybody’s different. Why?”
“Because, well . . .”
He could tell the moment she got it. First her eyebrows rose and her mouth opened in surprise. Then her face softened, and she folded her hands on the table. “Are you dealing with dyslexia?”
“I think dealing with it might be inaccurate. I’ve never really dealt with it.”
“I see. And Bryce is leaving.”
Okay. So, she really got it. “Yep. And I’m going to be the lone foreman. Ranching isn’t what it used to be. We’ve got a new software program and I really need to be able to . . .”
“Read?”
“I can read. I’m just real slow. And sometimes I get the details wrong.”
“We can definitely improve your fluency.”
She said that as if she had zero doubts. Typical Alice. “So how does this work?”
“We just need to coordinate our schedules and figure out a time for you to come by the library.”
“I’d rather not do this in the library, if you don’t mind.”
“Why on earth not?”
Beau shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Did Alice really not understand the crushing shame and embarrassment he felt over this?
“We’ll be discreet,” Alice said, finally catching on. “We can go into one of the private study rooms or even my office. We’ll have complete privacy.”
“Privacy? In Big Verde?”
Alice furrowed her brow. “You’re right. You’ll just have to come by my house, I guess.”
“That will work. When can we start?”
“I think I have something scheduled nearly every night this week. How about Saturday?”
Beau sighed, because that seemed like a long way off. But Alice was always busy running here, there, and everywhere. He was lucky she was making time for him at all. “Sounds good. How much do you charge?”
Alice put a hand up. “No way. Community education and literacy is part of the library’s mission.”
“But we’re not meeting at the library. We’re doing it after hours. In your home. And I doubt you get paid overtime. So, consider it a tip, because I’m not letting you do this for free.”
The last thing he needed was to owe Alice Martin anything.
Alice squirmed in her chair. She bit her lip. Picked at a cuticle. Examined an invisible spot on her blouse. Jesus, did his insistence on reimbursement make her that uncomfortable?
“I think we can barter,” she finally said.
“Barter?”
Alice sighed. “I’m not happy about this, but I need a plus-one for Brittany Fox’s wedding.”
Was she asking him to be her date? And if so, how did he feel about it? On the one hand, she was totally obnoxious. On the other, she was offering to help him out. Also, he remembered how her legs looked in those cutoffs.
“She tried to fix me up with her uncle,” she added.
“The one with the sweaty palms?”
“He’s found special medication for it, but yes. That’s the one.”
Beau shivered a bit at the thought of Brittany’s uncle putting his clammy paws on Alice. He leaned back in the booth and pretended to mull things over before reaching out a hand. “Deal.”
Relief flooded Alice’s face. She placed her hand in his. “Deal.” And then she actually smiled. At him.
A weird, fluttery feeling expanded in his chest. It was probably just heartburn.
Chapter
Eight
Beau got out of the shower and grabbed a towel off the rack. He ran it haphazardly across his body, wrapped it around his waist, and swiped at the fog on the mirror over the sink. He could probably use a shave, but why bother?
It was finally Saturday, and he was just going to Alice’s for a little tutoring. What grown man shaved before tutoring? For that matter, what grown man went to tutoring?
He sighed. There was so much about this that he wasn’t looking forward to. For one thing, whatever tricks Alice had up her sleeve probably weren’t going to work. It was hard to be optimistic.
He stared at his face in the mirror. How could he look so different than he felt? He appeared to be a grown man, identical to his smart and capable brother. But his unaddressed dyslexia made him feel like a little kid. And he hated it.
He pulled out his electric razor. Maybe he’d shave after all.
A few minutes later, he stood buck naked in front of his closet. What should he wear to a tutoring session? There were starched and pressed dress shirts that he wore out to dance halls and whatnot. And of course, there were a ton of work shirts. There weren’t a lot of in-between clothes, because all he did was work and play.
He didn’t want to wear a work shirt. Half of them were missing buttons or had stains or ripped pockets. That was the nature of ranch work. But he didn’t want to look like he was going out on the town, either.
He abandoned the closet altogether and headed for his dresser, where he grabbed a clean pair of Wranglers from the bottom drawer and a plain blue T-shirt from the middle. Surely that wouldn’t look like he was trying too hard.
Trying too hard to do what?
He stepped into a pair of black Ropers, brushed his teeth, and picked up a bottle of aftershave. Then he set it back down. Aw, hell. It wouldn’t hurt to splash a little on his cheeks. Next, he turned around and examined his ass in the mirror, because women always talked about cowboy butts in Wranglers. It looked like any old ass to him.
His black hat would look good, but would it be too coordinated and planned? Probably. So, he grabbed the straw Stetson.
A snort came from the doorway, and he saw his brother’s reflection in the mirror, smirking. “Somebody’s hot for teacher.”
“Shut up. I am not.”
“You’re primping and preening like a girl getting ready for the prom.”
Beau breezed past his brother. “You’re crazy.”
“And you’re wearing too much aftershave.”
Dammit.
He should probably eat something before he left for Alice’s. “Do we still have any of that brisket left in the fridge?”
“Not much. Maybe enough for a sandwich.”
That sounded perfect, so Beau set about making one while Bryce leaned against the counter and watched. “Did Alice tell you to bring anything with you?”
Beau clenched his jaw and slathered mayonnaise on a slice of bread. “She didn’t mention it.”
“So, how much are you paying her?”
Beau finished off his sandwich with some spicy mustard and a slice of bread on top. “I’m not paying her.”
“She’s doing it for free? That’s nice of her. Not surprising, though. She’s always been a sweetheart. I feel bad for all the shit we pulled when we were kids. You should probably get her a gift or—”
“I should clarify that I’m not paying her in money, but believe me, she’s being reimbursed.”
Beau took a bite of his sandwich and thought about what it was going to be like to take Allie to a wedding. It probably wouldn’t be too bad. He’d have to dance with her. Surely, she wouldn’t turn him down if he was her date? He shook his head. With Allie, who really knew? She was definitely going to talk his ear off, all while bouncing that ponytail for emphasis.
“When you say reimbursed, you’d better not be talking about what I think you are. Because, brother,” Bryce said with a sigh, “that is a horrible idea.”
“What do you think I’m talking about?”
“Sex.”
Beau nearly choked on his sandwich. His feelings were jumbled around like letters on a page, but one thing he knew for absolute certain was that he was not exchangi
ng sex for tutoring with Allie Cat Martin. The suggestion made him want to laugh hysterically, even though he was currently clenching his jaw and trying to swallow a wad of sandwich down his suddenly tight throat.
He forced the chunk of sandwich down and wiped his mouth on a napkin while avoiding eye contact with his brother.
He couldn’t have sex with Alice. For one thing, she wouldn’t want to. And for another, well, she wouldn’t want to. Even if he did make her blush now and then.
“I’m not having sex with Alice, Bryce. No need to concern yourself.”
Bryce slumped in relief. “Good. But if you change your mind, don’t do it before you’ve learned how to read. Because God knows you never hop in the same saddle twice.”
“I know how to read,” Beau said through clenched teeth.
“I know,” Bryce said. “I was just kidding.”
“And you’re a real knucklehead if you think I would have sex with Alice.”
“It was a logical assumption because you’re . . .”
Beau raised an eyebrow. “I’m what?”
“You.”
“It’s not logical to assume I’m going to bang the babysitter.”
Bryce laughed hysterically. “God. That sounds like a bad porno. And you have said absolutely nothing to dissuade my concerns, because you’re clearly still carrying that junior high hard-on.”
“I am not. And Alice wouldn’t want to have sex with me anyway.”
“You’re probably right about that,” Bryce said with a grin. “But if you’re a good boy, maybe she’ll let you stay up late to watch TV.”
Beau crammed the last of his sandwich in his mouth. “Ha-ha,” he said.
Bryce wiped his eyes. “So, what’s your deal, then? What does Alice get out of this?”
“Believe it or not, she needs a plus-one for Brittany Fox’s wedding. Otherwise Brittany is going to fix her up with her uncle.”
“The one with the wet hands?”
“Yep. Anyway, it’s just a wedding. One date.”