Page 12 of Texas Made
“You said you’d call me. Is she there?”
Marshall handed Jaclyn his phone. “It’s Damaris. For you.”
He leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t sure whether he should be pissed that Damaris had interrupted just when things were getting interesting or glad that she’d saved him from making a big mistake.
Except…maybe it wouldn’t be a mistake. And did he care if it was? He licked his lips. Apple. The lipstick had tasted like apples.
“Thanks,” Jaclyn said, handing him his phone. She picked up a cloth from the counter and wet it. “The bad news is it smudged.” She wiped it off his lips and mouth with the damp cloth.
He took it from her to wipe her mouth. “It smudged on you too.” He wiped the smudges, thought, ‘what the hell’ and kissed her again, but lightly. Tossing the cloth down, he smiled and said, “The good news is, I’m available for further testing.”
He heard her laugh as he walked out the door.
Chapter Five
“What’s the dresscode for Boots & Bangles?” Jaclyn asked Damaris when she found her in the barn.
Damaris looked up from sweeping the walkway. “Oh, are you going?”
“You know very well I am since you put Marshall up to asking me.”
Unrepentant, Damaris laughed. “I only said you didn’t have a date. The rest was up to him.”
She didn’t believe that for a minute but she let it pass. “What are you wearing?”
“Um, I’m not sure I’m going.” She went back to sweeping.
“What? Oh, yes, you are. If you’re not going neither am I.”
Leaning on the broom, Damaris frowned. “I don’t have a date and I’m tired of going stag to it. I’ve done that the last two years running, and it gets old.”
“You’re telling me no one has asked you in all that time?”
“No. Well, no one I want to go with has asked me.”
“So there is someone you do want to go with?”
“Not really.”
“Isn’t there anyone you could ask?”
She sighed. “I guess I could ask Nate. But he probably already has a date.”
“Nate, the friend of yours you wanted me to go out with?”
“That’s the one.”
“Ask him. Or I’ll make you go with Marshall and me.”
“That’s not happening.”
We’ll see about that.She tried a different tack. “What do I wear? Is it formal?”
“Formal or western-wear formal. Some of the men wear a western tux. A lot of women wear boots and cocktail-length dresses. Or boots and long dresses. But boots aren’t necessary, they’re just fun.”
“I didn’t bring anything like that. In fact, I don’t have anything like that. Is there somewhere in town that would have something or do I need to go to Last Stand or Fredericksburg?” she asked, naming a small town and a bigger town not too far from Whiskey River.
“Well, there’s Kelly Boots for your boots, of course.”
