AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Like I said, I’m not trying to compete with you. The floor show’s free. But we gotta cover expenses.”
She closed the menu, slid it back across the bar to him. “Still and all, it doesn’t change what you did. You flattered me. Turned my head, to be honest. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m not in the habit of ducking the truth. I was feeling giddy as a school girl when you gave me those cow eyes and pretended you’d been missing me all these years. But it was just some two bit, side-winding dirty trick.” She slid off the stool. It was a little drop to the floor, but she managed to make it with dignity.
“Um, you shot me down, Vidalia.”
“Well what earthly difference doesthatmake?”
She started walking toward the front door.
Thinking fast, Bobby grabbed the remote from its holster on the inside edge of the bar, aimed and fired. The lights dropped down low, the bulbs taking on a flickering quality, like gas lamps. She stopped walking, looking around in surprise. He hit another button and music came up—Conway and Loretta singingLead Me On. And Vidalia turned toward him with a “You don’t think that’s gonna work, do you?” expression on her pretty face.
He jumped up onto the bar, sliding on his denim clad backside right across it, and jumping clean off the other side. Then he strode right up to her, slid one arm around her waist, and clasped her hand in the other one.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She didn’t pull away.
“Aside from pulling a hamstring with that bar-jumping thing I just did to impress you, you mean?”
She tried not to smile. She was fighting it with everything in her. “Yeah, aside from that.”
“I’m testing out my new dance floor.” He nudged her into motion, and she fell right into step with him, following his steps without a single falter. So he got a little fancy, giving her a spin, followed by a dip, then pulling her back up again and holding her a little closer than before.
She laughed when he did that. Tipped her head back and laughed, and when she brought her eyes to his again, he got stuck there. This was magical, what was sparkling between the two of them, he thought. It was just like that night so long ago.
And then he remembered his situation. This wasn’t fair to her.
The song ended, and he let her go. “I’m real sorry I offended you, Vidalia. And I admit, I did walk into the Corral with the intention of asking for your advice and assistance with this new venture of mine. But the minute I saw you again, it wasn’t business at all anymore.”
She lowered her head, and he couldn’t tell in the dim light, but he thought she was thinking.
“Your dance floor works just fine,” she said at length. “I can’t remember the last time I waltzed around a barroom.”
“I remember the last time I did,” he said. “With you, in the Corral. To that same song.”
She shot him a look and he knew she remembered as well as he did. Maybe she was surprised that he did, though.
His conscience pricked him, reminding him to be careful. It wouldn’t be fair to lead her on. To let her see how much he wanted to pull her close and dance another round. Or two. Or all night long.
“I wish you good luck with the, uh, The Long Branch.” She looked at his face for a long time. “You’re a charmer, Bobby Joe McIntyre. But it didn’t work.”
“It didn’t?”
“No. I’m gonna do everything I can do to put you out of business. Because the OK Corral is my baby. The only one that didn’t grow up and leave the nest. She’s all I’ve got in the world right now, and I’m not about to let you come waltzing into town and ruin her.”
“I don’t want to ruin the Corral, Vidalia.”
“This is a one-saloon town. I’m gonna make sure that one saloon is always the OK Corral.”
He lowered his head. “All right then. If that’s how it has to be.”
“That’s how it is.” She nodded once and started for the door.
“Thanks for the dance,” he called after her.
“You’re welcome.” She reached the batwing doors, pushed through them, stopped on the other side, and looked back at him. “So, um...you want to get together for lunch tomorrow?”
He smiled real slow. “You’re damn straight I do.”
She smiled back at him. Damn, she was one Class-A beauty when she smiled. Then she turned and walked out the door, leaving him to wonder just what the hell he thought he was doing.
