“Nope, and it almost became a ghost town. But, it’s growing, and now has about two hundred people living there.”
“I guess if things get serious between you and Lottie, you’ll be an FJ couple,” Eddie said.
Knox took a long drink, wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his knit shirt, and asked, “What is that?”
“Our wives call us ‘framing junkies.’ We just shortened it to FJ’s,” Thomas answered with a chuckle. “We’ve been working for Jack putting up these kinds of gated communities for about five years. Lottie’s been part of the crew even longer than we have. He hired her during the summers between her high school and college years. Looked like y’all were having a disagreement. Did you work things out?”
“We did,” Knox said. “Sometimes, new relationships are tough.”
“And older ones are too.” Gabe chuckled.
“Hey, have you ever been up to Ratliff City?” Eddie asked.
“No, but I know where it is,” Knox answered. “And I’ve heard that it’s just a wide spot in the road, a lot like Spanish Fort.”
“Yep,” Gabe answered. “We went through that place on the way home a few times.”
“And stopped at a little bar for a beer,” Eddie added. “We loved that bar, but it burned down, or maybe it was a tornado that got it, but no matter what, it’s gone. I wonder what ever happened to Bernie. She was this spicy old gal who owned and ran the place. Had a yippy little Chihuahua that hated Micah. The rest of us could pet him, but not my brother.”
“She retired from bartending and moved to Spanish Fort. She’s my step-aunt,” Knox replied.
Eddie slapped his leg and laughed. “It really is a small world. Spicy as she is, I bet she keeps you on your toes. Does she still have that dog?”
Knox grinned. “She does, and he’s still just as yappy as ever.”
“Lucky you,” Gabe said. “She would be a hoot at parties. What’s she doing now?”
“Matchmaking,” Knox answered.
“I bet she’s good at it.” Thomas chuckled.
Knox finished off his beer. “Yes, she is.”
“Did she fix you up with Lottie?” Eddie asked.
“No, but she’ll probably take credit for it,” Knox answered.
* * *
Lottie paced the floor of her trailer—from the living room to the far end, where her bed was located—back and forth several times, and talked to her black-and-white cat, Prissy.
“What have I done, Prissy? It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I’m wondering if I opened a can of worms or, worse yet, of spiders.” She shivered at the visual that popped into her head of a long-legged bug with big eyes that seemed to stare at her.
The cat hopped onto the bed and curled up on one of the pillows.
“Well?” Lottie asked.
Prissy meowed once and closed her eyes.
“You are no help at all.”
The cat opened one eye and meowed again.
“I wish Knox wasn’t so sexy, but then beggars can’t be choosers, can they? If this doesn’t work, I’m seriously considering trying my hand at banking or the oil business. Or maybe I’ll get a job digging ditches.”
Prissy tucked her paw over her nose.
“Don’t ignore me, or you’ll have to eat that cheap cat food that you don’t like.” Lottie groaned and went back to the other end of the small trailer. She plopped down on the sofa and let her thoughts wander back to when she finished college. She’d had a degree in business and three job opportunities waiting for her. Her oldest brother, Steven, wanted her to move to Austin and work at his bank. Her youngest one, Ryan, begged her to come to Houston and work as his assistant at an oil company. The middle one, Paul, offered her a very good job at his bank in El Paso. But the idea of working in an office, even if it was a corner one with a view, practically gave her hives.
