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Barb snorted. “He does at Racoons.”
The women all snickered, and Macie knew she’d have a good-sized headache after tonight with all this laughing and giggling about stuff that was going over her head.
“I’m putting another twenty bucks that there will be more women than men tonight,” Patsy said.
“Aw, that’s no bet,” Barb said. “That’s a given.”
“Then what’s your bet, Barb?” Pasty asked.
Barb tapped the steering wheel with a long fingernail. She cast a sideways glance at Macie. “I’m going to put my twenty on Holt Prosper showing up tonight.”
The women hooted.
“Did you text him, or something?” Jana asked.
Barb’s expression was smug. “No need to. He knows where I’ll be.”
The women all cackled.
“What about you, hon?” Barb asked Macie through a grin. “We all gotta bet. The money goes into the console between the seats, then the winners get the booty on the way home.”
Macie wanted Barb to turn around and take her right back to Prosperity Ranch. She didn’t want to dance with any men, and by the sound of it, half the town would be at the bar.
“How about I bet that one of you will lose your bet tonight?”
The women were all silent, as if unsure if her bet was valid.
Then Barb slapped the steering wheel. “It’s a deal, ladies. Now let’s go stir up this town.”
A few minutes later, Barb parked by the curb across the street from a two-story building that Macie remembered seeing the first time she was in Prosper all those years ago.
Barb threw the Cadillac into park with a lurch. “Last chance for lipstick, girls,” she announced.
As if on cue, all the women dug out tubes of lipstick and used the interior dome light of the car to apply another layer. Macie made sure her phone was on in case Heidi or Rex had to get ahold of her.
She climbed out of the car with the other women. The street seemed deserted of pedestrians, but trucks and a handful of cars were lined up in front of the bar, and pulsing music could be heard all the way outside. Halfway across the street, Barb suddenly stopped.
“Wait, we need a wardrobe adjustment,” Barb said, grasping Macie’s arm. “Hang on.”
With a swift move, Barb jerked out Macie’s tucked-in blouse, undid two of the bottom buttons, then tied the ends of the shirt together. Next she undid a top button. “There, that’s much better.”
Macie was so stunned, she didn’t even react.
The ladies tittered and headed the rest of the way to the bar before Macie realized she was still standing in the middle of the empty street.
“You coming, hon?” Barb called back.
Yes, she was coming. Ready or not. Macie strode toward the women, who were now laughing about something else. Barb tugged open the door, and the pounding music spilled out. Macie followed the women inside, and the first thing she noticed was that the tavern was a lot bigger inside than it had looked on the outside.
The center of the room opened up into a huge dance floor, overlooked by the second floor. People were on the second level, leaning against the railings. Some were dancing up there, too. Barb grasped her arm and led her through the crowd in a weaving pattern, walking around tables, cowboys, and cowgirls.
Even though the place seemed crowded, Macie felt plenty of eyes on her, assessing, curious. She didn’t recognize anyone, and it was hard to make out full features in the dim lighting punctuated by roaming spotlights of various hues.
First stop was the bar, which consisted of a highly-polished counter that ran the length of the room. At least a dozen barstools butted up to the counter, and two bartenders worked behind it, seeming to be busy every second. There weren’t four available barstools, so the women all crowded around two, between two men, both of whom seemed delighted by the new company.
“Hello, George,” Barb said to the man on the left side. His mustache twitched as he gazed at Barb.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes, doll,” he said.
