Meeting Her Match

by Debra Clopton

  This was not a posse dictatorship!

  That’s why before she could think her plan through all the way she opened her big fat mouth and rammed her boot straight in.

  “Well, girls, what can I say? Y’all are just a tad too late,” she said. “See, I’m taking Pace on a little excursion tonight. Sorry to bust your bubbles, but what’s done is done.”

  Pace was walking out of the barn when Sheri came whipping into the yard. The woman drove that Jeep like it only had one speed. Fast.

  “Hey, Pace. What do you have going on right now?”

  Looking at the way she was smiling at him, it was hard to remember the way she’d looked up on that roof frozen with fear on Saturday.

  He took his hat off and slapped it on his thigh, trying not to think about how glad he was to see her smiling again. “The same as usual. I’m about to pull a fresh horse to work.”

  “Nope. You’re coming with me.” She played a drumroll on her steering wheel with her palms.

  “I am?”

  “Yep. I need to repay you for—well you know, saving me from my stupidity on Saturday.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for that. Especially since I’ve been waiting for you to get back to normal so I could tan your hide. What were you thinking getting on that roof when you knew you’d freeze up? You could have been hurt.”

  He’d been planning to go over and have a talk with her tonight. The woman needed someone to put her to rights when her brain went south. He figured the Lord had put him in her path for a reason. Not to mention that he couldn’t deny he was curious about finding out more about her.

  “I do have to thank you. So hop in. Besides, except for Church on Sunday, I haven’t seen your truck pass my place all weekend. All work and no play makes Pace a dull boy.”

  He had been working hard. He’d hardly been off a horse long enough to sleep. He had a fresh batch of horses coming in at the end of the next week and he needed to make certain he was ready for them. “I have a lot to get done. A man doesn’t have to go into town every day.”

  “That’s not going to fly with me. You don’t live in the wilderness anymore, Mr. Gentry. You can’t just hole up back here and expect no one to notice. Plus, I owe you.”

  She held up a hand when he started to speak. “Don’t say another word. Just hop in.”

  He was torn between actually wanting to spend time with her and his responsibilities. “I really need to work—”

  “I’m not taking no for an answer. Don’t make me climb on the church roof again. Believe me, I will.”

  Sheri Marsh could be extremely irritating and persuasive at the same time. With her gleaming wind-tossed hair and glowing complexion, he felt himself drawn to her—probably like many other cowboys. He gave one last look toward the corral then gave up the fight, strode around to the passenger side and climbed in beside her.

  “You know I’ve been on a horse all day.”

  She looked over at him and scrunched her nose. “Then it’s a good thing the top is off my Jeep.”

  He chuckled. The ladies had been telling the truth the day they’d ambushed him outside Pete’s feed store. A man would never get bored with Sheri around. “So, where are you taking me?”

  “It’s a surprise!” She glanced at her watch then pressed the gas pedal. “But we have to hurry.”

  “Well, of course we do.” The woman had a lead foot and loved to spin gravel. Pace had never cared much for surprises and his expression must have shown it because when she glanced at him through the sheet of hair blowing around her face she laughed. When they made it to the county road she whipped the Jeep forward, heading away from Mule Hollow.

  “What are we doing?” he asked again. He’d assumed they were going to get a bite to eat at the diner. There wasn’t much else happening on Tuesday night in Mule Hollow. Who was he kidding? There wasn’t much going on any night in Mule Hollow. Not that he was complaining.

  “Sit back and relax. Tonight you’re getting treated to a Sheri Marsh dating experience. I figure we need to clear up a few facts you have mixed up about me.”

  “A date?” Pace met her laughing gaze with a mixture of suspicion and interest.

  “Oh yeah,” she chuckled. “Did I forget to mention that I was taking you on a date?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sheri loved first dates.

  They ranked right up there with first kisses. Of course, on the long drive to the drive-in theater she kept having to remind herself that this wasn’t really a first date. This was her plan: she had to have a date with Pace so the posse would start connecting them as a couple.

  The fact that Pace had actually agreed to come out with her had pleased her very much. Of course there was the fact that he thought this was a real date. While she knew she should feel terrible about that she was having so much fun teasing him and talking to him that she was pushing that detail into the back of her mind. It wasn’t really important after all. He wasn’t going to get hurt by this. Neither was she. The man had no interest in finding a significant other so what did it matter if they had a few dates?

  It wasn’t like he was going to fall madly in love with her—that notion was so totally off the wall she almost laughed. Fact was, she couldn’t envision Pace married. He was like those mustangs, a free spirit that didn’t need to be tamed.

  Knowing all of this, she decided to let herself enjoy the date. She hadn’t been out in over two months. Not since J.P. had taken her to the dreaded wedding reception and had the nerve to fall in love with someone else. Besides, she really did owe Pace for saving her hide up on that roof. Despite his moodiness and the bad foot they’d started out on, she was finding that she really did enjoy his company. As the miles passed they talked about his dad, how he’d raised him after his mother passed away. She’d been surprised that he’d given her a peek into his past. But it wasn’t hard to see that he took after his father. She could also tell as he talked how much he’d enjoyed his life. It was like his eyes lit when he talked about the beauty of the Great Basin. And as he talked of the land she realized she could listen to his voice forever. Though he didn’t chatter her ear off, the man who’d seemed so distant had a gift for bringing stories to life. Yes, there was no doubt about it, she loved first dates.

  “Okay, close your eyes,” she said when they pulled into town.

  “Close my eyes?”

  The man was sooo predictable. She lifted an eyebrow and repeated her command. “Come on, close your eyes.”

  “I don’t like surprises,” he said, but there was a smile in his warning.

  “Listen, cowboy, this is my date so do as I say and close your eyes. And nooo peeking. It’s your turn to trust me. Fair is fair.” That garnered her a long-suffering look, but he did as she asked while she tried to concentrate on what she was doing rather than on how cute he looked with his eyes closed. She was learning quickly that Pace Gentry’s bark was far worse than his bite. Watching him she almost ran off the road and had to jerk the wheel at the last minute to stay out of the ditch.

  “Whoa! Sorry about that,” she yelped, meeting his open-eyed glare with an apologetic grimace. “Close them again, I promise I’ll get you there in one piece. That was just a blooper.”

  Pace shut his eyes once more. He complied just in the nick of time, too, as the drive-in movie theater came into view half a second later. Sheri smiled when she saw the marquee. She loved this place.

  Not long after she’d moved to Mule Hollow she’d heard about the drive-in from one of her clients, and she’d fallen in love with it. Though it was a three-hour round-trip drive it was time well spent for a girl who enjoyed old movies. With a good date along for the ride there wasn’t anything better than kicking back with a bag of popcorn….

  This week they were showing a classic Western with Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda. It was an all-time favorite of hers, and she had a gut feeling that Pace was going to enjoy himself. She hoped so.

  Pulling up to the ticket booth she place
d a finger to her lips then held up two fingers of her other hand. Peg, the older woman working the window smiled and passed her the tickets. Taking them Sheri glanced at Pace to make sure he wasn’t cheating. “Keep those eyeballs hidden just a little longer, mister.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, and she couldn’t miss the hint of humor. She liked that he’d loosened up with her. If it had taken sacrificing her pride up on that roof, then so be it. She was game.

  Getting the okay to move on, Sheri drove along the rutted path lined with cedar trees and hedges. They practically hid the place from view they were so overgrown, probably planted years and years ago when the theater first opened. Once she was inside the drive-in’s circular interior, she parked in her favorite spot, center space, three rows back. Looking up at the huge white screen she smiled. This was going to be perfect.

  “Okay, you can look now.” She cut the engine and faced him.

  “Are you sure?” he drawled, cocking his head to the side, his eyes still closed tightly.

  Studying his dark lashes against his sun-kissed skin, she enjoyed looking at him a moment more. For a second, she fought the sudden urge to trace her fingers along his jaw. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  When he opened his eyes pleasure bloomed across his face.

  “This is great,” he said, meeting her eyes.

  “Cool, huh? I love it here. It’s one of the oldest in Texas. One of the only originals left. You know there’s a revival of drive-ins going on right now and several new ones are being built, but this—” she opened her arms “—this one is authentic. Come on. We have to get hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy.”

  “Obviously, you come here often.”

  “Aren’t you the perceptive one?” she tossed over her shoulder as she hopped from the Jeep and headed toward the red-and-white concession stand in the middle of the parking area. When he held back she turned and waved for him to follow. “Come on.”

  He unfolded his long legs and stepped out of the Jeep. When he reached her she fell into step beside him. As they walked their arms brushed each other and she found she walked a little closer to him as they drew near the flat-roofed concession stand. Sheri couldn’t really explain it, but there was just something about being near Pace that made her feel different. It wasn’t something she wanted to waste time analyzing, but it was there. Because of it she had a good feeling that this trip to the movies was going to be her all-time favorite.

  There was a medium-sized crowd snaking out the doorway of the cramped building, and the scent of popcorn and hot dogs and sugar permeated the area. Sheri was more than happy to step into the line.

  “Don’t you just love the smell of a concession stand?” she asked, inhaling deeply. When Pace didn’t say anything she turned to look at him, only then realizing that he looked uncomfortable. Instead of joining her in line he was standing off to the side. “Is there something wrong?” she asked, immediately giving up her spot to join him.

  He bent close to her ear. “I smell like a horse. You didn’t let me clean up, remember?”

  “You don’t stink,” she said, leaning close and sniffing. “And if I’d told you I was taking you out tonight you wouldn’t have come. Now would you?”

  He took a deep breath and rubbed his chin and the late-afternoon stubble that accentuated his square jaw. “No,” he said at last. “You’re right. I wouldn’t have come.”

  Smiling, she looped her arm through his and tugged him through the doorway. “See? I had to do it this way. Besides—” she leaned close again and inhaled “—you smell like leather and horse and sunshine. Nothing wrong with that. Look at all the envious looks I’m getting because I’m on a date with an honest-to-goodness, one hundred percent authentic cowboy.” He blinked blankly at her. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’re a hit.”

  The line fanned out into two separate rows and they both took a step forward at the same time. She tilted her chin up and found him looking down at her. Right then and there she was thinking about that kiss again, drawn to him as if there was an invisible thread connecting them. Pace was feeling it, too. She could tell these things. What girl couldn’t? He hadn’t broken eye contact as they moved forward, and his gray eyes had turned almost smoky…. Sheri sighed, swaying toward him.

  “Popcorn?”

  Sheri blinked as the girl behind the counter asked for their order in a bright tone.

  “Or soda?” she said, grinning.

  Sheri’s imaginary bubble of contentment dissipated, and she came back to earth with a plop.

  “Yes,” she said, as she rattled off her usual list of junk food. One look at Pace and she knew that hot dogs and popcorn were the last things on her mind. Even though she dearly loved popcorn.

  “I’ll pump the gas,” Pace said as Sheri swung the Jeep into the convenience store parking lot. It was eleven o’clock and they had over an hour’s drive ahead of them. Even though it was late and he started his days before sunup, he wasn’t complaining. He hadn’t been to a movie in years. He hadn’t been to a drive-in since he was about six when he and his dad happened to pass by one on a trip from Texas to Montana.

  “I’ll grab us something to drink,” Sheri said. “Do you want coffee or a soft drink?”

  Pace unscrewed the gas cap watching Sheri walk backward across the nearly deserted parking lot while she smiled at him and waited on his answer. “Coffee sounds good.”

  She beamed. “A man after my own heart. One large coffee coming up.”

  He watched her twirl around and jog the rest of the way to the store then disappear inside. She’d surprised him again, springing an impromptu date on him. On first sight he’d labeled her a modern woman. The last thing he’d expected was for her to love black-and-white movies and the nostalgia of watching them played on the tall white outdoor screen of an old-time drive-in theater.

  More than that he was amazed by how much he’d enjoyed being with her. She was a barrel of laughs, tossing popcorn at him when he didn’t laugh, making jokes all through the show when the main characters were about to do something stupid and get themselves into trouble. Her running commentary was more interesting than the movie. She wasn’t just putting on an act for him. You couldn’t quote entire lines from a movie if you hadn’t seen it many times. The woman was full of surprises…nice surprises.

  Still, throughout the evening he kept looking for the woman he’d seen up on that roof. He wanted to be mad at her for climbing up there when she’d known she was afraid, yet he actually liked that she’d pushed herself to try. There was something to be said for a person who tried to overcome their fears. There was more to Sheri than met the eye, and he’d realized tonight that he wanted to get a deeper glimpse into who she really was.

  The moon was high and the night was warm and balmy. The coyotes were singing a lonesome serenade while the fireflies danced their little hearts out, flitting from tree to tree and seemingly star to star. Sheri and Pace had arrived home after a quiet drive. They’d talked some, asking questions every once in a while. But much of the ride had been in silence. A comfortable silence that she’d enjoyed sharing with him.

  Though Sheri forced herself in many ways to be an extrovert, she remained an introvert at heart. With Pace, for the first time in a long time she didn’t feel the need to push herself to be gregarious, to entertain. It was nice….

  Like a gentleman he’d insisted on following her back to her house after they’d arrived at his place. He’d checked her doors making certain everything was locked up tight so that when she went in for the night she’d be safe. Sheri was touched by his care. She had to admit that Pace made her feel delicate, vulnerable. She wasn’t totally certain about that feeling. She’d fought long and hard to become a strong person. She wanted to be invincible…or at least to appear invincible. He’d seen her make a fool of herself and hadn’t once ridiculed her about it. Instead, he’d seemed to relax around her because of it. She didn’t want to take steps backward, but there was something about Pace Gentry that wa
s so appealing to that part of her wanting to feel delicate and cherished. It was a scary feeling for a woman like Sheri. The thought of letting her guard down even for a moment was hard. Pace had seen her frozen to the roof like a Popsicle, so she relaxed and tried to be herself with him. That was something she never did, not even with her best friend, Lacy.

  Looking at him now, she had to wonder about that. They were sitting on the tailgate of his truck watching the stars and listening to the sounds of the night. It was late, but to her surprise he hadn’t been in any hurry to leave. Looking at him, her curiosity turned to wondering more about what made him tick. Maybe if she could understand that, she could understand why she was so drawn to him.

  “You miss it terribly, don’t you? Your life back there.”

  He didn’t respond at first. Instead, he let the question settle in around him, which was the answer to her question, before he finally nodded. “Most people wouldn’t understand. But out there, you’re stripped down to the bare bones. There’s no pretense, no pressure to be anything but who you are.”

  Sheri thought about that and could immediately relate. “Didn’t you get lonely?”

  “A man has to be comfortable with himself.”

  A woman, too, she thought. “But did you get lonely, wish for family?” It was something she found she really wanted to know.

  “We made it through the evening without getting into a fight, and here you go getting pushy again.” He smiled at her, bumping her shoulder with his, making her pulse jump.

  Sheri pushed back, feeling playful. “Don’t avoid the question, cowboy. Do you ever plan to have a family?”

  “I don’t know.”

  It wasn’t exactly what she’d thought he would say. Why had she assumed he’d say he had no plans to marry and have a family? Pace would make a great father, not to mention husband. If he met the right match…. Suddenly she had an insight into what drove the posse to do what they did. She pushed it away faster than the speed of light. A person had a right to choose her own life, without interference from anyone. She quirked an eyebrow at him. “So, you’re just going to be an old grouchy bachelor? You’re not going to start playing checkers and challenging Applegate and Stanley down at the diner, I hope.”