He hoisted the box into his arms as if it was a tiny matchbox. “Not a chance, sweetheart.”
She grunted and reached behind him to hold the door for him. It wasn’t enough that the man had a slow, easy drawl that sent her insides into a riot. He had to be chivalrous, too. And he had a nice sense of humor…. She caught Lacy and Haley looking up at her, and checked her thoughts when she saw the smiles they were sporting. When she followed Ross inside, Sheri was smiling the same smile.
“Gorgeous,” Sugar mouthed silently, behind his back, then headed down the stairs again to get another box. Of course, thinking he was good-looking was where it stopped for her. Jittery nerves and an overactive imagination be hanged, she hadn’t come here to date. Her goal was going to take every spare minute and ounce of focus she had, if she was going to accomplish it.
Sugar wasn’t really worried about Haley and her new friends getting ideas. They’d learn soon enough that she was very single-minded when it came to making it as an actress. It was the dream she’d had since childhood. The dream that had helped her make it through difficult days as a little girl too sick to play outside with her friends. Too sick to have friends…It was a dream she knew was supposed to come true, and she would not give it up.
Emptying the station wagon took no time at all with everyone helping. They’d all gone back downstairs and were standing around talking, but once Ross saw that there were no more boxes or suitcases to carry, he tipped his hat and started to leave.
He’d only taken a step before turning back. “I’m in the book. If you need anything else, just give me a holler. And if you just happen to come up with any other challenges you want to issue, I’m only a phone call away.” His words held a cockiness and teasing. His eyes, however, were completely sincere.
Sugar watched him head down the street and disappear inside the feed store. Only then did she fully relax. His departure was a relief. Despite her determination not to let herself be interested in him, she’d kept getting distracted every time those green eyes of his met hers. The man had a way of gazing at her that made her feel she was the only person around. It was a little unnerving. She wondered if every woman he looked at felt that way. That might come in handy when she talked him into trying out for her show. Those piercing eyes would be able to connect with an audience, one-on-one.
“It is really great to have you here,” Lacy said, dragging Sugar’s head out of the clouds. “It’s just totally exciting! When Haley announced you were an actress and wanted to start a theater in town, I got goose bumps. I really did. We do plays periodically and I’m seeing good things in here—” she tapped her temple “—with you at center of our productions. I can’t wait to get together and toss ideas around.”
Not knowing how much Haley had explained or even how much Haley understood about her plans, Sugar just said, “That’d be great.”
Just then, a car pulled into a slot across the street in front of the salon. “That’s my three-o’clock cut,” Lacy said. “But we’ll talk soon. I do love people with big ideas, especially ones that are going to help Mule Hollow grow. Catch you later.” She spun and jogged off to greet her customer.
Sheri started to follow her, but paused. “Hey, are you looking for a husband?”
“Not at the moment. Why?” Sugar wasn’t sure what to make of Sheri.
“If that’s so, then when you meet the posse, you might want to hide those sparks flying between you and Ross. That is, unless you’re prepared for a little help in the romance department.” She widened her eyes in an exaggerated look of warning.
“Hey, the guy is drop-dead gorgeous, and I’m not blind. But aside from the fact that I’m totally focused on my career, I’m not here to stay. Surely once the matchmakers know that, then sparks or no sparks, they’ll not get any ideas.”
Sheri sent her a wry glance. “None of that will matter, believe me. Ross Denton isn’t just a pretty face. Oh, no. He’s a true-blue, all-around great guy. He’s ready to settle down and believe me, if they see the way he’s gawking at you—well, I’ve got two words for you. Look. Out.” She turned, then strode down the stairs.
Sheri implied this could be trouble. Sugar watched her until she disappeared into the salon. Naaa. Good luck to any matchmakers who thought they could hook her up without her consent. If they saw her as a target, they were going to find they might as well be shooting blanks when it came to Cupid’s arrow.
Not that she wasn’t going to be looking…eventually. Down the road, around the bend a few times, over the hill and through the dale, whatever in the world that meant. But it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
An hour later, Sugar entered Sam’s Diner escorted by Haley and the infamous matchmaking posse. They were a bunch of really delightful ladies—sort of Miss Bea meets Lucy and the Golden Girls. She was enjoying her chat with them as she walked into the place when suddenly she looked around and the reality of her situation set in with blunt clarity. She was a city girl. She loved being a city girl, and took the things that entailed for granted. She was talking about coffee. Not just any coffee, but sweet, creamy mocha and cinnamon, caramel. She loved her Starbucks, and if she’d had any ideas about her favorite latte while in Mule Hollow—well, that misconception melted the instant she walked into Sam’s. She screeched to a halt, and the heavy wooden door almost hit her in the backside as it swung shut behind her. She was so shook up, she hardly noticed. Old wood tables, plank floors and weathered wood walls greeted her. No sir, she wasn’t getting a caramel-mocha latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon here, that was for certain. A craving for her favorite drink grabbed hold of her and she bit back a groan, realizing she’d be lucky if Sam offered skim milk with her coffee. For certain she’d have to kiss whipped cream goodbye. By the looks of this place he might even cook his coffee out back over a campfire!
Oh dear, it really felt as if she’d stepped back in time, and for a girl who loved the modern-day conveniences associated with the city, “back in time” didn’t sound so good.
“What do you think?” Haley asked, eyeing her curiously.
“Wow. It’s…it’s very rustic.”
Haley nodded. “It is wonderful, isn’t it? As long as I can remember, it has always been the same. Sam bought it from the previous owner and didn’t change anything, except to put in the jukebox.”
Esther Mae Wilcox shot a scowl at the jukebox as fiery as her red hair. “Much to our sorrow,” she harrumphed.
Norma Sue Jenkins, a robust woman with curly gray hair and a smile that took up her entire face, grinned at her friend. “You know you’d miss it if it died completely.”
Esther Mae glared at her. “I’d dance on its grave. If we’re going to have to listen to it, the least Sam could do is shake things up a bit. Or you, since you’re the one who always works on the thing. Change some songs. Give me some of those new cutie patooties to listen to. Like that sweet little Oakie, oh, what’s his name…You know, he sings about the beach and he married that darling little movie star Renée Zil-something-or-other.”
Sugar chuckled. “Renée Zellweger and Kenny Chesney.”
Esther Mae’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, that’s who I’m talking about.” She shook her head. “I exercise to his sweet voice in the mornings on my mini trampoline.”
Sugar got a visual, which wasn’t hard, since Esther Mae had on a cantaloupe-colored jogging suit with big red strawberries splashed everywhere.
When she and Norma Sue continued their animated discussion about the jukebox, Sugar realized this was an ongoing debate. They were a hoot. Life wasn’t going to be boring with them around.
Adela, seemingly oblivious to her friends’ argument, slipped into a nearby booth and patted the seat beside her. Sugar kept her eyes and ears on the floor show as she sat down.
Their movements brought Esther Mae up short, and she shook her red head. “Sorry, we tend to lock horns about that jukebox, but don’t pay us any mind.” She slid into the seat across from Sugar, and Norma Sue did the same. “We
’re more interested in hearing all about you. Everything.”
Adela smiled. Sugar knew from the papers that she was Sam’s wife, and the one who’d originally come up with this unusual way to save her dying town. She was a doll, with electric-blue eyes made brighter by the pixie-cut, snow-white hair that perfectly framed her face. She was elegant and serene, and a complete contrast to her friends. Not that she was shy; Sugar didn’t get that impression at all. Just composed, and unruffled.
She patted Sugar’s arm with a delicate hand. “Don’t look so worried, dear, we’re not going to give you the third degree,” she said, a gentle smile creasing her face. “Are we, girls?”
Norma Sue and Esther Mae didn’t look to be in total agreement on that, but they nodded.
Haley had pulled up a chair at the end of the booth, but didn’t seem interested in adding to the conversation. She was clearly content just watching them. Her eyes twinkled and Sugar studied her with interest. The real-estate office where they’d worked before had been very stressful. With so many properties to be handled, and with so much money at stake, that was to be expected. Sugar knew it had been one of the factors that sent Haley running back to Mule Hollow. She’d told Sugar the people there were good, genuine folks who cared about each other like they were family. Then there were those newspaper articles by Molly. They, too, painted the town in a positive light.
Sugar hadn’t really believed them. Haley and Molly lived here and loved it, so Sugar had figured their information was probably a little biased. It had to be.
Still, as she let her gaze roam around the table and thought about the other women who’d welcomed her, she suddenly wasn’t so sure whether there was a bias or not.
Could Mule Hollow really be as nice as it seemed?
She was still pondering that when Sam came out of the back. A spry man with a brisk, bowlegged gait, he looked as if he might have been a jockey in his younger days. He held out his hand right away. “How do.”
Sugar slipped hers into his and almost flinched. What a strong grip! “How. Do. You. Do,” she managed to reply.
Grinning, he released her hand and rammed his fists on his apron-covered hips. “What can I bring ya?”
How about an ice pack? she wanted to say, but ordered a glass of ice water with lemon instead. Everyone else ordered tea and coffee.
“So, give us the scoop. Haley here already told us you’re an aspiring actress,” Norma Sue said.
“Technically, she already is an actress,” Haley clarified.
“In anything we would know?” Esther Mae leaned forward on one elbow. “I just love the movies.”
Sugar hesitated, thinking of all the films she’d almost had a recognizable part in. Or the ones she’d had a decent part in, only to have her scenes end up on the cutting-room floor. God had put this dream in her heart, but it hadn’t been easily attainable. “Well, I’ve actually done more commercials than movies you might recognize. I did a Folgers commercial and—”
Esther Mae slapped the table and her eyes went wide. “You did an insurance commercial—the one where the gal fell out of the hot-air balloon! That was you, wasn’t it?”
Here it went. “Yes, ma’am, it was me.”
The redhead slapped the table again. “I knew it. That was a funny commercial. Why, the way you sort of flipped and dived out of that basket…” She was overcome with chuckles, and began to wave her hand in front of her face as she tried to get ahold of herself. “I still nearly split a gut, thinking about the way you looked. Your face was stretched back by the wind, sort of flapping—”
“That was you?” Norma Sue shrieked.
Sugar nodded. She hated that insurance commercial. Hated knowing that was all anyone knew her from. That after all of her hard work, it was her most memorable moment. At least in the coffee commercial she’d done some real acting, and not just physical comedy. It was depressing. But that was going to change. It was. And besides, actors got their start in commercials—even stupid commercials—every day.
“I’ve seen that ad. You were funny,” Adela said, as Sam returned with a tray of drinks.
“So tell us about your plans,” Norma Sue urged. “Haley said you want to start an actual acting troupe. A theater of some sort.”
“Yes.” Sugar sat up, energy surging through her just from thinking about it. “I want to do a summer stock–type production. I think it would be great to have both acting and singing in it. Have you ever been to Branson, Missouri? I’m thinking more along the lines of a play, but those shows inspire me to think some singing cowboys would be great. Haley told me about the wonderful community center you have, and I thought it would be the perfect place to start a show. I want something that runs week after week. One that could draw attention to the town and to me. I need some great reviews that Hollywood will pay attention to. You know, so I can get that breakout part I so desperately need in order to succeed.”
Norma Sue looked thoughtful.
“You came to the right spot. We have some very talented cowboys in our town!” Esther Mae exclaimed. “Bob Jacobs, Molly’s husband, sounds like Tim McGraw. He’s just fabulous. And there’s more, too.”
Norma Sue and Adela shot a look at each other. “Is something bothering you?” Sugar asked.
“We have some folks here who don’t want anything to do with getting on stage,” Norma stated. “We leave them alone.”
Okay, Sugar thought, wondering about the odd statement. Suddenly, Haley set her tea down, drawing all eyes to her. “I just realized we might have a problem. This show would run every weekend, right?”
Sugar nodded. “To get a buzz going that could draw some major attention, I need to do at least three shows a weekend. If I could get it together by the first week of August and carry it on through October or maybe November, that would be a good run.”
Norma Sue frowned. “This is a problem.”
“Oh, dear,” Esther Mae said. “It certainly is.”
Okay, they’d successfully put a fireball in the pit of her stomach. Sugar looked at Haley, then back at the ladies, waiting for someone to tell her what this problem was.
“You see, dear—” Adela looked at her kindly “—our community center is used for much more than just plays. We have wedding receptions there and various other town activities. For instance, Pete’s Feed and Seed hosted a one-day seminar there last Saturday for all the ranchers. One of the big feed companies was introducing a new grain or something. So if we have your show going on there every weekend, it would displace all the activities we might otherwise schedule.”
Talk about a kink in a good plan. “I hadn’t thought about that.” Sugar’s mind whirled as she contemplated this obstacle. “I should have, though. I just got so carried away with the idea,” she groaned.
“Now, now, don’t give up.” Esther Mae turned serious. “There has to be a way.”
Think, Sugar. Think. “A barn!” she exclaimed, instantly pushing the gloom back into the shadows. “They called summer stock ‘strawhat’ because most of them were performed in adapted barns. So all I need is a barn. And then some cowboys.”
The table erupted with rapid-fire exclamations of relief and agreement. Discussion ensued about what attributes this barn should have. Everyone agreed it needed to be big and close to town. And most important, it couldn’t be one that the owner was using.
“Plus the rent would have to be dirt cheap,” Sugar added. She had to be frugal. “At least until we see how it takes off.” She was going for broke, praying that God was going to work this out for her. She was stepping out in faith, trusting that this was where she was supposed to be. “Better yet maybe I could talk the owner into some kind of partnership.”
Norma Sue frowned. “There aren’t that many barns close to town. The only one I can think of not being used is Ross Denton’s. And that’s not good.”
Esther Mae’s smile faded. “It sure isn’t.”
“Why not? If he’s not using it, then what’s the problem?” Despit
e their frowns, Sugar felt providence kicking in again. It had to be, because Ross was the only cowboy she’d met so far and just look how he was working into her plan. That couldn’t be a coincidence. It was amazing, actually. But even Haley appeared hesitant. “What?”
“Ross doesn’t want anything to do with entertainment,” Esther Mae said.
“And we let him be.”
More than a little confused, Sugar glanced at Norma Sue. “I don’t understand. He seemed more than pleasant today when I met him.” She thought about the cowboy’s flirting. “Besides, he told me that if there was anything he could do for me, to just call.”
The ladies didn’t seem convinced.
“Haley, what’s up?” Sugar asked.
“I really don’t know everything. He didn’t live here when I was a child. I’d actually forgotten all about his ties to Branson.”
“Ties to Branson!” Sugar exclaimed. “This is just getting better and better.” Why, if he had ties to Branson, he might be able to help her with more than just letting her use his barn.
“But he came here because he was burned out from being in the spotlight,” Adela said, immediately getting Sugar’s attention. “His family on his mother’s side still has a successful show there. Ross was part of that. But you see, he gave it all up six years ago and came here to the ranch his father’s family left him.”
Norma Sue nodded. “He came here wanting nothing to do with singing or performing. All that boy wants to do is ranch, and find a good woman to build a quiet life with here in Mule Hollow. We’ve respected his wishes all these years.”
“That’s right,” Esther Mae interjected. “We feel kind of protective of him.”
Despite what they were saying, Sugar’s adrenaline had started pumping. Two weeks ago, she’d received a rejection for a role in a movie that her agent had thought she was a shoo-in for. It had been the worst day of her life. All the optimism that kept her going had gone up in smoke. The horrible self-defeating voice in the back of her head that she’d been trying to ignore had started up again telling her to lay her dreams down. Lay them down? How could she? And then Haley had called and asked her to take a break and come out to Mule Hollow. At that very moment Sugar had been drowning her sorrows in a bucket of ice cream and watching Paul Newman’s story on the Biography Channel. He’d got noticed by Hollywood while he was in a summer-stock production. Inspiration had hit, and Sugar realized that the tiny Texas town might be just the place God was leading her to go. That it wasn’t God’s voice in her head telling her to forget her dreams. And now here she was, with even more proof that providence had led her here. She smiled from her heart. “Ladies, don’t worry about anything. Just tell me where this perfect barn is and I’ll take care of the rest.”
The Cowboy Takes a Bride Page 2