Lazy Days (56 page)

Two
days later, Sarah felt really good. She was even walking short distances without
the crutches, although she didn't let Sage see her progress because of ensuing
lectures.

During
lunch, he told her he was treating his guests to steaks at a popular restaurant
and then showing them a good time at the local hot spot. Sarah knew it was part
of the package deal the dude ranch advertised.

He
glanced at her wrapped foot. "So, do you feel up to going? You won't have
to crutch much; just to and from the restaurant and club. Seeing the locals in
action would be great research."

Sarah
didn't have to think twice. "I'd love to go."

"Great.
We leave at five. The teenagers will join us for supper and then Newt's taking
them to a local video arcade. After supper, the adults can kick back with a few
beers, do some line dancing, and enjoy the cowboy way." He winked and
added, "Since Beaner and I are the designated drivers, we don't get to
drink."

After
Sage gathered their trays and left, Sarah opened her laptop and typed a note
for revising one of her chapters—
Gage Introduces Tarah to the Wild Side.

* * *

By
four o'clock, Sarah had tried on several outfits. She had no idea which one to
choose. Should she wear her denim skirt, her Levi jeans, a fancy shirtdress, or
something else? There was a knock on her door. Maybe it was Julie and she could
help her decide.

"Who
is it?" she called.

"It's
me, Julie. Can I come in?"

"Oh
yes, please."

Julie
opened the door and glanced at the mound of clothing on the bed.

Sarah
motioned her forward. "Julie, I'm so glad you're here. I need help in
deciding what to wear. I bought cowboy boots in Los Angeles, but what should I
wear with them? "

Without
hesitation, Julie picked up the denim skirt, a pretty peasant top, and a denim
vest. "This would look really nice."

Sarah
accepted the clothes and heaved a sigh. "Thank you, honey. I don't want to
stand out like a sore thumb."

"Mims…I
mean Sarah, you're gonna look like a regular cowgirl."

Sarah
ignored Julie's slip up because she really didn't care at this point.

Julie
continued, "Dad said you're riding with us in his truck."

"Okay.
Should I wear dangling earrings, too?"

Julie
grinned. "Yeah, they'll add a great touch."

In
a spontaneous gesture Sarah hugged Julie. "Thank you."

Several
minutes before five, Sarah sat nervously on the couch with her hands tucked
under her knees. She hadn't felt this anxious in a long time.
You'd think I
was going on a date.

She
glanced from her wrapped foot to the other one in her fancy cowboy boot,
wishing she could have worn both of them. Hearing a door close at the back of
the house, she waited for Sage to enter from the kitchen. When he walked into
the room, she couldn't breathe. He looked like he'd just stepped off the cover
of Cowboy Vogue with his longish mahogany hair brushed back and golden
highlights visible even inside the house. He wore an off-white Chambray shirt
tucked into faded low-riding Levis. An intricately tooled deep-chocolate
leather vest complimented his tan. The inevitable leather belt and silver
buckle encrusted with semiprecious stones completed the look.

Sarah
realized she was staring and quickly looked down at his brown and beige ostrich
boots.

"Ready
to go, Sarah?" If he'd noticed her gaping, at least he was polite enough
to act like he hadn't.

"Ah,
yes." She reached for her crutches while he opened the front door. On the
porch, she asked, "Where's Julie?"

He
pointed toward the dorm where Julie was talking to a teenage boy in front of
Newt's truck. The rest of the guests were loading into the van. Sage helped
Sarah down the porch steps and then opened the truck's door. Julie rushed over
and Sarah waited for her to enter first.

Sage
said, "No, Sarah, you first. You'll be able to stretch your leg out
better." To her chagrin, he took her crutches and put them in the truck
bed, then bent to catch her under the knees and lift her into the cab. Julie
waited for her to scoot to the center of the seat and Sage hopped in on the
driver's side. Although she tried to keep from rubbing shoulders with him,
there was no help for it. Every time the truck hit a bump, she was forced
against him. He smelled like pine trees and fresh air.

* * *

Sage
held the door open to Big Bertha's Steak House for all the dudes, Newt, and
Beaner to enter. The hostess knew the routine and led them to a reserved area
at the back of the restaurant. Three tables had been pushed together end-to-end
and two servers descended to take drink orders as soon as everyone was seated.
More servers distributed menus. Sage sat at one end of the table and Newt at
the other. Jacob and Julie sat next to each other about halfway down, with
Sarah beside Julie and Beaner beside Jacob. Mr. and Mrs. Tully were on either
side of Newt and the Hackstetters were next to them. Mr. Hackstetter pulled out
his cell phone and started texting. Obviously, he now had cell phone service.
He ignored his wife's glare. Sage watched him glance at her and mouth the
words, "What! What!" She blinked rapidly and look down,
surreptitiously swiping at her eyes. Sage looked back at her husband.
Asshole.

The
M and M twins had maneuvered themselves to either side of Sage and he
frequently felt the brush of a slender leg. He sighed. Newt was recounting one
of his stories about the Wild West that Sage had heard at least a hundred
times. He turned his attention to Sarah.

If
ever there was a greenhorn trying to look country, she was it. She stood out
like a sore thumb. He lifted his napkin to his mouth to hide a smile. She
looked cute as hell! At the moment, he couldn't remember why he'd ever
considered her plain. He had to stifle a laugh. Somehow, Sarah—alias Mims—was
the only woman he knew who personified the words prudish but feisty. She
glanced at him and he held her gaze. She looked away first and turned pink. She
was looking cuter by the second.

He
turned his attention to his guests and talked the same old bullshit he did at
every dudes' dinner, except this one was more fun.

After
a dinner of juicy steaks, country fries, homemade rolls, corn-on-the-cob, green
salad, and peach pie for dessert, Newt took the teenagers to Archie's Video
Depot so the adults could enjoy a rip-roarin' time at Boot Bustin' Barn. Sarah
rode with Sage while Beaner drove everyone else in the van. At the club, he
came around to open her door and laughed at her wide-eyed expression. The
"Barn" did have certain flair with its gigantic bull statue in the
parking lot lit by neon lights. Every few minutes, the monster made itself
known.

Sage
helped Sarah out of the truck and when he reached for her crutches, the bull
mooed and bucked and the lights flashed. Sarah shrieked and grabbed his
shoulder. Immediately, she jerked back. "Oh, jeez, I'm so sorry. That
thing caught me by surprise. I didn't expect it to talk and move."

Sage
almost couldn't stop laughing. "Hey, you're not the first person taken by
surprise." He handed her crutches to her. "Tonight will be great
research for your book. Did you bring a tablet?" He was only joking, but
when she patted her purse and nodded, he choked and pretended to cough so she
wouldn't think he was making fun of her.

Inside,
he was greeted by the Barn crew, who knew him well because of all the dudes he
brought. Sally, a leggy waitress in skin tight Levis and a push up bra under a
black tank top, the uniform of all the waitresses, led them to their reserved
tables draped with red and white checkered plastic tablecloths. Their spot was
in the farthest corner from the stage because it afforded a good view of the
band, the bar, the pool table, the dance floor, but also allowed for a
semblance of conversation. Sage pulled out a chair for Sarah. Of course, the
twins flanked him again. In their skin fitting black jeans, red stiletto boots
and red satin cowboy shirts unbuttoned far enough to allow an excellent show of
cleavage, every cowboy in close proximity was moseying over to check out the
view.

"What'll
ya'll have?" Sally drawled and winked at Sage. They had gone to high
school together and Sally had been one of Marylou's bridesmaids. Although he
knew the town speculated as to whether he and Sally had ever had a
"thing" after Marylou's death, they never had. Sally was a good friend.
Besides, she'd always had a "thing" for Howard, another high school
friend. Long ago, Howard had left their small town, but Sally still carried a
torch for him and practically swooned whenever he stopped by the Barn on one of
his rare visits.

"The
beers on me," Sage announced. "Anything else and it's your dime.
Beaner and I are the designated drivers, so we don't drink. Have a great
night!"

"I'll
have a Bud," Mr. Hackstetter said absently to his wife while text
messaging. Even Boot Bustin' Barn couldn't get him to pocket the damn phone.
His wife gave him a hurt look. Sage suddenly had an inspiration and motioned to
Sally. When she leaned down, he put his mouth close to her ear and gave
instructions. She stood and didn't even bat an eyelash, but the twinkle in her
eyes said she understood and agreed.

The
band walked onto the raised platform of what was jokingly called a stage. Next
to the dance floor, someone climbed onto the coin-operated mechanical bull, and
Sage watched Sarah's delighted expression as the thing went wild while the
cowboy held the reins with one hand and his Stetson above his head with the
other.

In
the midst of the mayhem, the band called, 1-2-3-4 and struck the chords to a
shit-kickin' tune. Sally expertly wielded a large round tray with pitchers of
beer through cowboys and cowgirls dashing to the dance floor. She reached their
table and set a Bud in front of Mr. Hackstetter and a pitcher in the center
along with iced mugs. She unloaded her other pitcher and mugs at the next table
before heading back to the bar for more. Mindy and Mandy were already sloshing
beer into their glasses and Sarah's too.

Both
girls were chugging ale when two lanky cowboys approached, hats in hand, asking
for a dance. Mindy grabbed the arm of one cowboy and Mandy grabbed the arm of
the other. Sage grinned when they wiggled their curvy butts away from him.
Freedom.

He
glanced at Sarah and dropped his jaw. She actually had a notepad out and was
scribbling as fast as she could. He decided to have a little fun. "Sarah,
have you tried your beer yet?"

"I
don't drink."

"Come
on, Sarah; cowboy up. Don't tell me you've come this far with your research not
to follow through. You can't have a shit-kickin' time without drinkin' a little
beer."

She
studied his face, seemingly pondering his words. "I guess you're
right." Delicately, she picked up her mug and sipped. "It doesn't
taste very good, does it?"

He
laughed, "I suppose that depends on who's doing the tasting."
Surprised, he watched her try another sip.

"Maybe
it will grow on me."

Sage
turned his attention to the cowboy approaching Mrs. Hackstetter. Jackson
Martinez, the blond foreman of Triple T Ranch, was known to have a way with the
women. Politely, he grinned and asked her to dance. After a quick glance at her
husband, she shook her head no. Jackson looked disappointed and started to turn
away when she changed her mind. She accepted his hand and followed him to the
dance floor where he proceeded to teach her the current moves. Sage glanced at
Mr. Hackstetter. He looked like he'd just swallowed a hot coal. Jackson got
real close to Mrs. Hackstetter and she giggled like a school girl.

Sage
glanced back at Sarah and did a double-take; a third of her beer was gone and
she was still sipping. The song ended and a new one began. Jackson walked Mrs.
Hackstetter back to her chair and gave her a sexy, bedroom look. She'd barely
sat down when another cowboy asked her to dance. She didn't even hesitate to
show off her new moves.

Unfortunately,
the M and M gals returned and pulled Sage from his chair, determined to dance
with him. Because refusing would only cause a scene and probably make the
sisters all the more determined, he allowed himself to be dragged to the floor.
Oh boy,
he was once again an M and M sandwich, only this time it was on
the dance floor of Boot Bustin' Barn. Sally dodged dancers while carrying her
tray and he sent her a pleading look. She only shook her head. He could read
her mind.
I'm too busy; you're on your own.
Mindy and Mandy snaked their
bodies up against his and he looked over to see Sarah had emptied her mug.

* * *

Sarah's
head felt fuzzy. She kinda liked the feeling. At least it numbed the bad
feelings she was having toward Mindy and Mandy as she watched them put the
moves on Sage. She didn't want to feel jealous, but she did. When she tried to
write on her notepad, her fingers wouldn't grip the pencil. Finally, she gave
up and looked at Mr. Hackstetter. Jeez, what was his first name, Jerry, Jerrod,
Jerk; something that started with a "J". But since everyone called
him Mr. Hackstetter, she decided she would too. He had that "Mister"
look about him. Actually, he looked kinda nerdy—nerdy and mad. She followed his
gaze. Mrs. Hackstetter looked happy in the arms of a cute cowboy. Sarah wished
her fingers worked so she could write down all this great research.