Red's Hot Cowboy (24 page)

Pearl pushed Wil back and tried to give him a dirty look, but it came out with a giggle. “He is but he’s leaving. Talk.”

“Your momma called my momma. She called your cell phone and when you didn’t answer she called the motel phone. Someone named Lucy said for them not to worry, you were fine and staying at Wil’s because you had to be wakened up every hour to make sure the concussion wasn’t getting any worse and that you’d probably be home later today. Your momma called the Henrietta hospital and got the whole medical story. You know she could weasel a confession out of the devil’s minions. And then she called Momma and they commiserated together about their wayward daughters. And to answer your question quickly, I’ve really been thinkin’ about quittin’ my job so if you aren’t serious, don’t offer me a room in your motel,” Jasmine said.

“I’m not telling you about the café or offering to give you a room at my motel lightly. Come on over here to Montague County. I’d love to have you close by.”

“When can you talk about the cowboy?”

“Much later.”

“Then I’ll call much later and if you don’t answer I’ll call your momma.”

“Don’t you dare,” Pearl said and hung up.

“Relatives again?” Wil asked.

“Better than relatives. That was my best friend from high school, Jasmine.”

Wil brushed back his black hair and strolled past her, taking time to stop and brush a soft kiss on her neck. “Either get dressed or I’m going to undress you and make wild passionate love to you all night long. Your choice.”

Pearl’s better judgment won the battle of choices and she got dressed but she grumbled the whole time.

The NO VACANCY sign was flashing brightly in the semi-dusk when Wil pulled into the Longhorn Inn parking lot, but there wasn’t a single car or truck in the lot. The lobby lights were on and she could see the top of Lucy’s head behind the counter.

Wil was so involved with his own thoughts that he didn’t even notice the VACANCY sign. His world had been flipped on its back like a turtle. No amount of waving his legs would get him back on course. He’d realized while he was driving to the motel that Pearl was the only one who could pick him up, turn him over, set him back down, and let him get on with life. And he wasn’t sure about her. Not sure at all. The indecision drove him crazy. The idea of not seeing her again wasn’t even a possibility.

“You’ve been pretty quiet since we left your ranch,” Pearl said.

“Are you sure you are up to going back to work so soon? That fall was a trauma. Why don’t you let Lucy run the motel and spend a couple of days with me?”

“I’m not leaving Lucy in charge. Besides, we haven’t even had a date. Lots of good sex but no dates, Wil?”

He reached across the seat and touched her cheek. “You want to date, darlin’?”

“I do.” She grinned.

“Well, then we will date. Tonight we will—”

“Oh, no! Not starting tonight. Lucy needs some time off. This is Wednesday. I could be free tomorrow. What have you got in mind?”

“What’s your bowling game like?”

“Oh, honey, I’m as good with a bowling ball as I am with shots.”

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow night at seven and we’ll go bowling, have a beer and a hamburger at the alley, and I’ll get Cinderella home by midnight,” he said.

She laid a hand on his leg. “I’ll be ready, and Wil, thanks for everything. Taking care of me, loaning me a T-shirt, staying up with me all night, all of it.”

He leaned across the console and kissed her softly. “Be careful, Red. And call me if you can’t sleep. I’ll be here as quick as I can… no strings attached.”

“I’m fine. Don’t get out.”

He put a hand on her arm and looked deep into her eyes. The way his eyes went all dreamy she would have stripped down to her bare skin and had wild sex with him right there in the cab of the truck if he’d asked.

“I’ll sit right here until you are safely inside the lobby then.”

He watched her cute little fanny sashay into the lobby. If she wanted to date, by damn, he’d give her a dating good time. When she was safely inside he backed the truck out of the parking lot and headed west back through town.

Lucy looked up when the door opened and smiled. “I’ve been lookin’ for you all day. Your momma called and I told her what was going on. Are you all right for real? Is anything broke? Did Wil keep you up like I told him to do? You can’t be lettin’ somebody who cracked their head like that go to sleep.”

Pearl nodded. “I’m fine, Lucy. Wil took good care of me. Momma got a hold of me. No vacancy?”

“That’s right. We’ll have a job tomorrow, won’t we? Delilah is down in my apartment. I took her home with me so she wouldn’t be lonesome,” Lucy said.

“How can we have no vacancies when there are no cars out there?” Pearl asked.

“Reservations. Got a funeral going on in town and that bunch needs ten rooms so I put them all over on the west wing. Got a set of elderly couples on their way home to New Mexico after the holidays, so I put them down in the end rooms. Then there’s a busload coming from an abused women’s place over in Wichita Falls. They needed ten rooms for one night and wanted to know if I’d give them a discount. I gave them the senior citizen’s ten percent. Was that all right?”

“Sure, it’s all right. If they’ve got a tax number, get that and don’t charge them taxes either. Why are they coming here?”

“The lady said those ten women had been compromised and they had to get them out of the place in a hurry. Tomorrow there’s a place in Sherman that will take them, but they’ve got to get things squared around. They just needed a place to put them for one night. The bus will bring them in, unload them, and leave. Tomorrow morning the bus from Sherman will come and get them. I feel so sorry for them.” Tears brimmed in Lucy’s eyes and her lip quivered.

“I’m sorry, Lucy. I’ll get some money out of the safe and watch the motel while you drive down to the Diamond Food store before it closes. Take the truck and get a bag of food for each of those ten rooms. Something to make sandwiches with tonight. Chips. A six-pack of Coke or Dr. Pepper. And some cookies in case there are kids coming with mothers. Get a box of donuts for their breakfast and a gallon of milk for each room in case there’s kids or babies.”

“Bananas or fresh fruit?” Lucy asked.

Pearl nodded. “Fruit would be good, and get whatever else you want to put in each bag. I won’t let children go hungry or abused women, either.”

“You are a good woman, Pearl,” Lucy said.

“That’s debatable. Maybe you’ll be back in time to put the bags in the rooms before the bus gets here.”

Lucy looked at the clock. “They said they’d be here at eight and the Sherman bus would come get them tomorrow morning at ten thirty.”

Pearl shut the door into her apartment and opened the safe under the counter. She removed three one-hundred-dollar bills and handed them to Lucy. “Get going. I’ll hold down the fort while you are gone. There’s our first bunch of tired travelers pulling in now. I’ll get them settled into rooms while you are gone.”

Lucy put the money in her worn denim purse. “You sure you feel up to it? I can take care of them and then go.”

“I’m sure. Get on out of here, and thanks for everything you’ve done.”

Lucy grinned. “Wasn’t nothing. Mostly what I did was worry about you.”

The motel door swung open. An elderly gentleman held the door for Lucy and then stepped up to the counter. “I’ve got reservations for ten rooms. I understand each of your rooms has two double beds, a small refrigerator, and a microwave. We have everything from newborn babies to me.” He handed her a credit card.

She shoved a card across the table. “I won’t make you fill out one for each room.”

“Thank goodness. Slow as I write these days we’d be here all night.”

“You are all in the rooms over on the west side.” She gathered keys from the pegboard behind her.

“Real keys. I like that.”

“I was thinking of going with computerized locks and door cards.”

“If I owned a motel, I’d never do that. They’re just something fancy that will cause you a headache. These old things have worked for centuries and will still be working when all the computers in the world go ka-putz. We’ll be out by nine in the morning. Our funeral is at eleven and there’s a family breakfast at nine thirty.”

“Thanks for letting me know. And Mr. Whitsell, I’m sorry for your loss.”

“That’s sweet. It was my aunt. The last of the line in that generation. She’s been in a nursing home for twenty years but her mind was clear as the day she was born. A delightful old girl and the family will miss her.”

He left and the next group arrived five minutes later. This time an older woman with short gray hair, wearing jeans, boots, and a denim jacket came through the door. Her lipstick had vanished but the deep wrinkles around her mouth had soaked up the remnants like Texas dirt after a hard rain in August. She reminded Pearl of Aunt Kate and she made a mental note to call her later in the week when everything settled down.

“Hello. I’ve got reservations under Leona Teasdale.”

“Yes, ma’am, you surely do. On your way home?”

She passed her credit card over the counter to Pearl. “Yes we are. New Mexico. Back to our ranch. Love going to see the family but I’m always glad to go home.”

Pearl gave her a handful of keys and a card to fill out.

Back to our ranch
… The words played through Pearl’s mind like they were on a continuous loop. Back to the ranch! That’s where she wanted to be, but she had a motel to run.

“We are early risers. Can I sign everything tonight and leave the keys in the rooms? Pearlita always let me do it that way. I was awful sorry to hear of her passing. We’ve been staying here at this time of year for over twenty years. We always look forward to seeing that crazy old neon cowboy.”

“Thank you. She was my great-aunt. I miss her too. And leaving the keys in the rooms will be fine.”

It was a few minutes until eight when Lucy pulled the truck into a parking space in front of number six and trotted down to the lobby. “I’m back and I helped them sort the groceries into bags as we checked it out so there are ten bags out there. Here’s your change.” She laid a hundred-dollar bill and several coins on the counter. “I bought sale items and cheaper brands so I could stretch it out. I’ll get it unloaded.” Her eyes were twinkling and red spots dotted her cheeks.

Pearl had never seen her so excited. “I’ll help you.”

“You might not ought to be liftin’ so soon.”

“I’m just fine, Lucy. The headache is even gone now and my vision is clear as a bell. It was just a fall, not a major catastrophe.”

“Well, Wil sure sounded like he was scared to death,” Lucy argued.

“Come on. We’ve only got a few minutes to get the stuff in the rooms. You need my help.”

“Okay, but if you get dizzy or winded you tell me. I figured we’d put the milk, meat, and cheese in the refrigerator. Then we’d just leave the rest in the bag and let them do whatever they want with it. I got a loaf of bread, some bananas, chips, juice boxes for kids, and cookies. I didn’t buy Cokes though. Figured the milk would be better for everyone. I also got a box of cereal and some of those cheap Styrofoam cups and plastic spoons. That way they can have breakfast,” she said as she led the way to the truck.

“You didn’t use your money, did you, Lucy?”

“No. I used what you gave me. The lady at the store asked me what I was doing and I told her it was a charity case. I was afraid to tell that it was abused women for fear it would get them in trouble. She said the bananas were going on sale tomorrow so she let me have them at sale price. Then she looked at the sale bill for tomorrow and the milk was on it so I got it cheaper too. The rest I just got the cheap brands. Oh, I nearly forgot.” Lucy dug in the pocket of her sweat bottoms. “Here’s the ticket in case you need it to prove anything on your taxes.”

Pearl shoved it down into the hip pocket of her jeans. “You did really well, Lucy.”

“I’m used to making money go a long way. Cleet never did too well with a job. I thought about tellin’ the lady at the store about the women comin’ in so she’d feel good about lettin’ me have the sale prices, but I was afraid to.”

“That was smart. We wouldn’t want the women in trouble again.”

Lucy nodded. “She didn’t charge me tax since it was for charity so that helped too.”

The bus pulled into the lot seconds after Lucy and Pearl finished their job. A short man with premature gray in his temples got out and held the lobby door open for them.

“I am Luke Cornell. I believe we have ten rooms reserved.”

“Yes, you do. I talked to you,” Lucy said.

“And you own this place?”

“No, sir, I just work here. Pearl owns the Longhorn Inn and she’s been kind enough to put some food in each room for the women.”

“Thank you. They will appreciate it. They had supper but…” The man let the sentence hang.

“I’m sorry,” Lucy said.

“These things happen. We had a client who went back to her husband and wasn’t very discreet. All of these women have children so they’ll be glad to see food in their rooms. I’ll get them settled and the Sherman folks will pick them up tomorrow morning. I don’t think there’ll be any trouble. We got them out the minute we realized which ones had been compromised.”