Tumbleweed Weddings (35 page)

Five minutes later Poe signed off. Tonya was sorry to see him go, but she had to get to bed. Tomorrow was a big day. Aggie needed to look perfect for Bruce, and Tonya couldn’t wait to visit the Four Seasons restaurant. A buzz of excitement ran through her. Tomorrow night would be not only interesting, but also fun.

Murray picked up the crochet hook from the end table. Why had he told Tonya he liked to crochet? No one knew about that hidden talent. But it didn’t matter. She’d never find out he was her secret admirer.

He turned off the lamp beside the sofa. He couldn’t believe Tonya still held that toad incident against him. They were just kids!

With a shake of his head, he trudged up the stairs to his bedroom. Work started at seven in the morning with road patrol. And then he had a hot date tomorrow night.

The next morning Tonya pushed the accelerator as she raced along Antelope Road. Why didn’t she get up the minute her alarm clock rang? Instead she hit the S
NOOZE
button—only it wasn’t the S
NOOZE
button. She shut the thing off. If Mom hadn’t woken her, she’d probably still be sleeping.

She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Already ten minutes after nine and she needed to fix Aggie’s hair and makeup today besides taking care of any customers who might wander into the Beauty Spot.

Good thing it wasn’t snowing.

Pressing her lips together, Tonya tightened her grip on the steering wheel and pushed her right foot closer to the floorboard. As she sped past Road 334, the dirt road that led to the Carltons’ ranch, she noticed a car in her peripheral vision.

A Wyoming highway patrol car.

A sinking feeling hit her stomach, and she glanced in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, red and blue lights began flashing as the car pulled onto Antelope Road.

Not again!

Slowing down, she pulled off to the side. The patrol car stopped behind her, the lights still flashing. Through the rearview mirror, she watched the patrolman exit his car, and her jaw dropped. She would recognize that auburn hair anywhere—hair she had cut!

Clamping her lips together, she hit the window button. She would give Murray a piece of her mind. How dare he give her a ticket when they were going out tonight!

But as he approached, she reconsidered. Truthfully, she had been going way too fast, and Murray was just doing his job, as he told her before. With a humble attitude, perhaps she could talk him out of a ticket.

Tonya leaned out the window. “Murray, I’m sorry! Please don’t ticket me. I accidentally overslept this morning, and I need to get to the Beauty Spot to work on Aggie’s hair for tonight. So please,
please
let me go. Have mercy on me!”

Murray leaned one arm on the top of her car and gazed down at her. “I seem to recall this exact scene happening last December over on Main Street, but I don’t think you learned your lesson, Tonya. Just now you were going eighty-one in a sixty-five zone.” He raised his eyebrows. “In other words, you were breaking the law.”

Folding her arms, all repentance fled. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“You don’t sound sorry.”

“Come on, Murray! Can’t you let me off today? Please? I’ve already donated to the state of Wyoming.”

“That was last year. As I said before, you’ve deserved a ticket many times when I’ve let you go.” He held out his palm. “Now hand over your driver’s license and registration.”

“And then, after he gave me that stupid ticket, he had the audacity to say, ‘I’ll pick you up at five thirty. I’m looking forward to our date tonight.” “ Tonya squirted dark-blond hair dye on Aggie’s wet hair. “Can you believe that? As if I’m looking forward to dating
him
after he tickets me. And now I have to pay another eighty-five dollars to the state of Wyoming.”

Sitting in the beautician chair, Aggie looked at Tonya in the mirror. “You just forget about that ticket, sugar. We’ll all have a good time tonight.”

“Easy for you to say.” Tonya huffed out a breath. “You’d better keep an eye on me, Aggie. I might pull a butter knife on Murray and end up behind bars.”

Aggie cackled out a laugh. “Oh, sugar, you’ll have fun. Just like me. I’m praying for a wonderful time—in fact, a life-changing time with my Bruce.”

“Your
Bruce, is it?” In spite of her bad mood, Tonya smiled. “Don’t you think you’re jumping the gun a bit?”

“Not at all.” Aggie’s pale lips, devoid of lipstick, pulled into a frown. “I’ve been praying about Bruce and me for years. Waiting on the Lord—and on Bruce, too. And see how God has answered?” She laughed again. “We’ll have so much fun, Bruce will be shocked. He’ll see what he’s been missing all these years. And it will be the same for you and your Murray.”

“He’s not my Murray.” Tonya set the bottle of hair solution down, thankful she didn’t have to breathe those ammonia fumes anymore.

Aggie gave her a knowing look. “Maybe someday.”

“No way. This will be my one and only date with Murray Twichell. After tonight you and Bruce are on your own.” She lifted the timer and set it. “Forty minutes, Aggie. While we’re waiting, I’ll do your nails.”

Picking up a nail file, Tonya pushed Murray from her mind. At least she didn’t have to deal with him until five thirty.

S
itting behind the steering wheel of his SUV, Murray glanced sideways at his date. Tonya had not smiled once since he arrived at her house. Now they were driving to Bruce’s ranch, which was four miles southwest of town, and she sat on the passenger side with her arms folded, holding a grudge.

The silence was awkward.

“Uh, Tonya, I know I’ll see Aggie in a little while, but how did you fix her hair and makeup? Do you think Bruce will like it?”

Tonya’s own makeup was flawless, as usual, and her dark hair looked perfect. She wore a blue dress that shimmered when she moved, along with the sapphire necklace he had given her. Murray certainly enjoyed the view of his date, although the conversation was less than stellar.

“Bruce will love her style.” Tonya kept her eyes on the windshield, but the hint of a smile graced her rosebud lips. “You won’t believe she’s the same person when you see her. I permed her hair and teased it a few inches—instead of a foot, like she does.” She turned toward him. “But it’s the makeup that really improves her looks. I chose a foundation that matched her skin tone exactly, with deeper rouge for her cheeks and a dark-plum lipstick. Then I worked on her eyes—much more subtle than the way she paints them. No sparkles or loud colors. Instead I chose a tan for her lids with a light mauve under her brows to highlight and a dark-brown mascara.”

Murray had no idea what she was talking about, and furthermore, he didn’t care. He was just thankful she was talking. “That’s great, Tonya. You must be good at that sort of thing.”

“ ‘That sort of thing’ is very important, Murray. A woman’s makeup can make a real difference in her looks.”

He grinned. “I bet you’re just as beautiful without any makeup at all.”

“Ha!” A pleased expression crossed her face before she turned to the window. “You’ll never see me without makeup. I refuse to leave home without it.”

Their conversation continued as Murray drove to Bruce’s ranch and pulled into his driveway. He stopped beside the two-story farmhouse.

Tonya glanced at her watch. “We’re early. I’d rather wait in Bruce’s living room than out here in the car.” She touched the door handle.

Murray leaned toward her. “Hang on, Tonya. I’ll get your door.”

Tonya raised her eyebrows as she watched him walk around the front of the car. Murray was taking this date seriously. She sighed, asking God to forgive her for being selfish.
I’m not going to think about that stupid ticket
. She would have a good time tonight—for Aggie’s sake.

She smiled as he held open her door. “Thank you, Murray.”

Together they ascended the steps to the farmhouse and crossed the wide wooden porch. Murray lifted the brass knocker and rapped twice.

Bruce opened the door. “Good evening. Come on in.” He grabbed a bouquet of yellow roses from the end table near the door. The roses were wrapped in clear cellophane.

Tonya smiled at him. “What pretty flowers, and yellow is Aggie’s favorite color.”

Bruce’s handsome face looked a little pale. “To be honest, I’m a bit rusty on dating protocol.” His Scottish burr sounded thicker than usual. “My hope is that Agatha will enjoy the flowers, and the evening.”

“She will.” Tonya’s sister, Callie, always said Bruce MacKinnon reminded her of Clark Gable. Tonya saw a resemblance, although Bruce didn’t have a mustache. But he stood straight and tall with a commanding presence. No wonder Aggie was attracted to him. If he were forty years younger, Tonya might be attracted to the man herself.

They talked together for a few minutes before Bruce looked at his watch. “Are we ready to go?”

Murray cracked his knuckles. “We’re all set, Bruce. Let’s pick up Aggie.”

A cloud of annoyance settled over Tonya, threatening to rain on her good mood. She hated Murray cracking his knuckles, and it brought all his faults to her mind. He was so stubborn about upholding the law, and then there was that strong aftershave he always wore.

They walked to the SUV. Opening the door behind the driver’s seat, Bruce disappeared into the back. Murray and Tonya stopped beside the front passenger door, and she felt Murray place his hand on the small of her back as he leaned over to open it.

His face was close to hers, and she took a deep breath.
Hmmm … no strong fragrance
.

“Murray, you’re not wearing aftershave.” The words tumbled out of her mouth before she even thought.
What a stupid thing to say!

His eyes met hers. “It made you sneeze, so I stopped wearing it—about a month ago.”

“Oh.” She thought back, realizing it was true. “That was thoughtful of you. Thanks.”

He gave a little nod as his eyes held hers. “You’re welcome.” Then he opened the car door and waited while she got in.

Bruce cleared his throat. “I wish Murray had let me drive my car.”

Tonya swiveled to face him. “Don’t be nervous, Bruce. Aggie will talk enough for both of you.”

“True.” He looked out the window as Murray settled behind the steering wheel.