Jane giggled.
"If you hear the bed springs on Thursday night you can put an extra plate on for Friday morning break fast. I'll be carvin' an extra notch on the bedpost," Ellen said.
Jane suppressed her laughter. She had no idea if the bickering had turned to arguing or if they were still teasing. She had certainly never encountered two elderly women who acted like Nellie and Ellen. Nellie, with her chaste gray hair cut in a short, stylish do that took very little upkeep, usually wore jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. Today she had on cute little blue capri-length pants with a matching knit shirt and sandals, but that was as dressed up as Jane had seen her.
Ellen's red hair had been ratted up into a big hairdo that took a ton of hair spray to keep in place. She wore bright red spandex capri pants with a loud, floral gauze shirt over a bright yellow tank top. Her yellow sandals laced around her thin legs and had neat little bows an inch below the hem of her pants.
"If I hear bed springs on Thursday night after we come home from the Silver Saddle, I'm not going to worry about it. They'll only be noisy five minutes, tops," Nellie finally said.
Jane bit the inside of her lip. Ellen had goaded her sister into admitting they were going to the Silver Saddle.
"Maybe so, but I'm damn good. In an hour they might squeak for another five minutes. What are you buying today to wear? Can I pick it out?"
"God, no. You are not going to start dressing me. I have a seeing problem, not Alzheimer's," Nellie said. "Turn right at the next street. It'll take you right back to the clinic and hospital."
"Then can I pick out your dance partners?" Ellen asked. "You might not see well enough to know which one is a homeless reject and which one is a rich oil man."
Jane had to admire the sister. She was digging in deeper and deeper until pretty soon Nellie would think the whole idea of going dancing at the Silver Saddle had been hers. Before it was all over, Nellie would probably let Ellen pick out a new outfit for the night. Jane parked the truck in a space close to the front door but before she could open the door for the ladies, they were already out and marching arm in arm toward the clinic—Nellie, the tall one in her conservative clothes; Ellen, a head shorter, in her Hollywood hooker outfit. Both of them giggled as they shared a story in whispers.
When they reached the door in the corridor, Nellie and Jane entered, while Ellen broke away and went to the ladies' room. Nellie went to the desk and checked in with the receptionist then joined Jane in the corner, where she'd chosen three seats.
"You're thinking I let her talk her way around Thursday night but just for the record, I didn't. Sometimes I let her win one just to keep things inter esting. Besides, I had to get her off onto something else so she wouldn't drive you crazy with questions about why you were in a bus stop and who you really are," Nellie said.
"You're really good."
"Lots of experience. One time a baby kitten came up to my back door. Wild as Saturday night sin. Bit the fire out of me when I tried to pick it up. Took me six weeks to tame that critter with food and love. She's the mother of those kittens out in the barn. A good mouser. Wonderful pet. Good addition to the Double L. Just took a little persuasion to get her to see things the right way."
Jane cocked her head to one side and frowned.
"Think about it. It'll come to you when you least expect it. Kind of like a Bible verse when you're thinkin' on stranglin' your sister."
"I don't have a sister," Jane said without thinking.
Nellie smiled and patted her hand.
Ellen swept inside the waiting room. It wasn't so much an entrance as a force entering the room. "They haven't called you to go back there yet?"
A nurse opened a door and peeked out into the nearly empty room. "Nellie Luckadeau?"
Nellie followed her and Ellen took her chair.
"I worked that real good, didn't I? She didn't even see it coming. Now we're going dancing on Thursday night. She doesn't get out enough. Cooks for the crew on the ranch and devotes her life to Slade. He was a good boy, just like his daddy. That Thomas couldn't be beat. Was so smart it was scary—and good-lookin'?" Ellen fanned her face to put out the imaginary flames.
"He looked just like his daddy, Lester. Now there was a man who could have gone out to California and give them men movie stars a run for their money. If I'd been a little older, Nellie wouldn't have gotten him. If she hadn't been my sister I would have seduced him just to see if he was as good in bed as I imagined. Only differ ence was, Lester was smart when it come to women. He married Nellie and adored her right up to the day he died of a heart attack before he was even sixty. She raised Slade from the time he was eight and his sorry momma dropped him in her front yard. His momma, Terra, sends Slade a card on his birthday and Christmas and drops in to see him for a day a couple of times a year. Never spends the night. Nellie says it's awkward. Slade doesn't know what to do with her and Nellie wants to shoot her and throw her out on the back forty for the coyotes."
Jane wondered why Ellen was telling her so much. Was she expecting Jane to open up to her and share her story?
"Anyway, Slade's daddy had some of my blood, because he married that woman. He should've just had an affair with her and went on to the next hot little girly. But oh no, he had to marry her. I can't say much. I've had to marry for love four times. At least when I left the feller each time I came out a little richer instead of poorer. Poor old Thomas was about to go to the bankrupt court by the time Terra finished with him. If he hadn't died in that car wreck, they'd have been living on the streets or back at the ranch with Nellie, and Thomas hated that ranch with a passion. So does his brother, Robert. Robert lives down in southern Texas. He's got two sons, both of them blonds like the Luckadeaus, but they're adopted kids. Turned out Robert couldn't have kids because of a late dose of mumps. Those boys both hate the country as much as their father. Always have. It's a chore for them to come home for a weekend once or twice a year. Now Tim, he liked it but that's another story. Tim got killed in Vietnam and we still don't mention him in front of Nellie. Slade's momma had enough insurance money to get her by for six months until she could twitch her tail and catch a rich man. Who, by the way, did not want an eight-year-old boy in his life."
"Oh my," Jane mumbled.
Nellie came out with her arm bent up to hold the cotton ball in place. "All done."
They met a young mother with four kids coming in as they were going out.
"Saved by the grace of God," Ellen said when they reached the pickup.
"Ellen!"
"Well, we were. He was good to us today."
"You don't like kids?" Jane asked.
"Love 'em. Wished I would've had a yard full of them. But since God saw that I was unfit and wouldn't let me have them, I don't want to look at other women with them and wish they were my grandkids."
Nellie fastened her seat belt. "You are full of shit."
"Yep, I am. God didn't think I was unfit, Jane. But He was wise in not giving me kids. First time I married I was too young to be a mother. Married and divorced before I could legally buy a bottle of Jack Daniels. Looking back, that's why I married him. So he could buy it for me. Second time around I was twenty-four…"
By the time they reached Saint Jo, Jane had heard the whole tale of the four marriages with commentary by Nellie. She felt as if she'd just watched a movie, complete with the gag reel at the end.
"If you'd turn here and go up to Illinois Bend, you'd find Griffin Luckadeau's ranch. Want to go visit him?" Ellen asked.
"We could blow off the whole shopping trip and run up there for a glass of cold tea," Nellie said.
"No, thank you. What would either of you wear to the Silver Spur on Thursday if we didn't shop?" Jane said.
"Silver Saddle," they said in unison.
"So didn't you find him handsome with that white shock in his hair? He does stand out amongst all those blond Greek gods, doesn't he?" Ellen asked.
"Very, very handsome, but I'm not in the market for a man,"
Jane said.
Ellen raised both eyebrows. "Now or ever?"
"I'm not gay. I've just come out of a very ugly rela tionship and right now I wouldn't trust anything that wore pants…" she thought about Ramona, "… or a skirt, either. Only people I trust in this world right now are you two."
She didn't see Nellie wink at Ellen or Ellen squeeze Nellie's leg. She had no idea that Nellie had just gotten the second bit of information from her. Number one: she had no sister. Number two: she'd had a bad relationship.
"Where to first?" she asked when they reached the mall.
"Burke's. I love that outlet store. They have the best prices," Ellen said.
It was the first time in her life that Jane had shopped in an outlet store. She bought two sundresses and two pair of sandals with the seventy dollars she'd won from Slade. Even though she was saddle sore and her hind end felt bruised, she considered the morning's work well worth it for the things she carried to the cashier's counter.
Ellen purchased a flowing, tiered silk skirt with huge yellow flowers on a turquoise background, and a white knit tunic with the same color flowers embroidered across the top. She chose a thin blue belt to rope it in to her still slim waistline and matching flat leather sandals.
"Used to dance in high heels but they hurt my feet. I'd rather dance more and look less sexy," Ellen said with a wink.
Nellie let Ellen talk her into a lovely full denim skirt with the frayed seams on the outside of each tier. She matched it up with a chambray shirt that had embroidery and fake jewels on the left side of the breast. They picked out a gold belt and gold sandals to match.
"So now you two are ready for a night at the Silver Saddle?" Jane asked.
"Yes, we are. And you'll be wearing that pink checked, halter-top sundress and those cute little white sandals, right?"
"Oh, am I going?"
"We got to have a driver," Ellen said.
Chapter 4
JANE'S HAIR NEEDED A TRIM AND SHE'D ONLY BROUGHT THE very basic makeup—the kit she carried in her purse, to be exact. She had a tiny spray bottle of perfume that was barely half full and she hadn't even thought about a curling iron or straightener when she fled from her murdering son-of-a-bitch fiancé.
"I don't expect many near-sighted men with artificial hips are going to be noticing that my hair isn't perfect or that my mascara is a little lumpy," she said to the reflection in the mirror. She did feel semi-pretty in the dress, the first she'd worn or had occasion to wear in two weeks, and was more than a little amazed that she was actually excited about going to the Silver Saddle with Nellie and Ellen.
Slade shaved, being careful not to nick the very slight dent in his chin. He combed his sun-streaked blond hair back and even used a touch of hair gel to keep it in place. He dressed in a white knit shirt with three buttons and heavy starched Wranglers. He pulled a tooled leather belt through the loops and fastened the big silver buckle engraved with the Double L brand. He shoved his feet down into black eel boots polished to a high shine.
He took one look at the finished product in the mirror and smiled rakishly.
That'll do for the ladies at the Silver Saddle. It'll please Granny and Aunt Ellen to walk in with me and then they'll go off in search of a distinguished gentleman to flirt with. I'll spend the whole evening at the bar nursing a long neck beer and watching whatever is on the television set. But they'll be happy. I could shake the liver out of Jane for insisting on an evening off. She was hired to drive Granny wherever she wanted to go.
They arrived in the den at the same time.
Jane had never seen him dressed up for an evening out on the town. He smelled wonderful and looked even better. She stood there staring as if he were some kind of movie star who would disappear if she blinked. No doubt about it. Kristy was flirting way out of her league. That man could have any woman on the face of the earth… except Ellacyn Jane Hayes.
Slade really did want to shake Jane when he saw her all dolled up for an evening away from the ranch. Just who was she going out with and when had she met him? A flush of green jealousy shot through his heart. She was lovely in that get-up and any man would be the envy of the whole party if they arrived with her on his arm. Was it his cousin, Griffin? Was that the man she was going out with? Griffin could at least have consulted him about asking her out before he did it.
As if on cue in a Broadway play, Nellie entered the room and gushed, "Well, what are you doing all dressed up?"
"Taking you to the Silver Saddle," Jane said.
Ellen made her entrance. "You got a date tonight with that Kristy witch?"
"No, I'm taking you two to the Silver Saddle. Remember, Granny, you said Jane needed a night off. It wasn't right to take up every waking minute for what you paid her and blah, blah, blah. You know what you told me, so I don't need to repeat it."
"Guess we got our wires crossed. Ellen asked Jane and I thought she might want a night off and insisted you drive us."
Ellen shrugged. "What's the big problem? You are both dressed and look mighty fine so we'll all go. It's no big deal."
"I'll stay home," Jane said.
Slade frowned. "No, I will. I can call the Kristy witch and see if she wants to go for ice cream without a big notice."
"Don't be silly. You both got prettied up and you're going," Nellie said.
Ellen shook her head. "Besides, the Kristy witch would need an hour or two to get all dolled up to match you. And honey, there ain't a woman alive who'd want to go for ice cream with something that looks like you and her lookin' like leftover oatmeal."
"Well, that's settled. Let's go. I don't want to miss any of the fun," Nellie said.
Neither had a choice if they didn't want more shenanigans. They stiffly and wordlessly headed toward the truck. Both women chattered about who might be there, who they'd dance with and who they wouldn't. It was as if they were going to a debutante party and they were the belles of the ball in their new finery.
Slade opened the doors for his grandmother and aunt and got them settled into the backseat, then started around to do the same for Jane, only to find her already in the passenger's seat. She looked as though she could chew up railroad ties and spit out Tinker Toys. It had been a simple mix-up; she didn't have to act as though she was going out with the scum of the earth. Damn it all, it wasn't a date. They were simply going to a senior citizen's dance and evening at a club. He'd sit at the bar nursing a beer, and she could find a corner and play nice.
The Silver Saddle was a hot spot on Friday and Saturday nights for the younger generation but the owners had agreed with the local senior citizen's groups to open the doors on Thursday nights for the oldsters to do a little bar hopping. It had started a month ago and Ellen had just talked Nellie into trying it. Slade didn't know how she managed to perform that trick but he was glad she had, because Nellie seldom ever got away from the ranch.
He fired up the engine and drove west. The club was located between Jolly and Wichita Falls, about half an hour away. Silence prevailed in the front seat. The party goers in the backseat kept right on with their discussion and paid no attention to Slade or Jane right up through the time he parked in the near empty lot.
"Looks like we might be the only ones here," Nellie said, disappointment in her voice.
"I don't think so. Folks our age are being driven and left like teenagers at the movies," Ellen whispered.
A burly guard in a three-piece suit stood beside the door outfitted with a red velvet rope complete with a golden clasp on the end. "I'll need ID, please," he said.
"From us?" Nellie asked.
"That's right sweetheart. No one under fifty-five goes through the velvet tonight and you ladies sure don't look fifty to me," he said.
"But—" Jane started to argue.
"Sorry darlin', I can see that you ain't nowhere near that age and you ain't either, sir. So you can come back at midnight and pick up the two Cinderellas, or you can wait in your pickup truck. Don't make me no never mind, but you ain't
goin' through the gate. This is for seniors only. Tomorrow night you can all four come back. We don't have an age limit then. If you're twenty-one, you can dance and drink. I have my doubts about you, young lady, so you better bring a license or ID."
Nellie's grin was a bit too big and fake when she turned to face Jane and Slade. "Sorry. See you at midnight. Go have some dinner and see a late movie. Ain't no need for you to sit in the parking lot all evening. You'll kill each other."
"Listen to that music," Ellen enthused. "Is that Elvis? God, I'm going to love this place. I may come to Ringgold every week on Thursday." Ellen pushed her sister on inside and left Slade and Jane standing speechless.
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