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Skylar turned from the large mirror, opened her nightstand drawer, and pulled out a smaller one. From her purse she dug out a small vial and shook out its contents onto the smooth glass surface. She finished off a line and tucked the glass straw and accompanying vial back into her purse. She’d long since given up on offering Tildy a toot.
“You gonna wear that?” Skylar asked, frowning at Tildy’s light green sweater and green and white floral sundress. Tildy glanced down at it. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
“Yeah.”
Skylar snorted. “At least ditch the ballet flats.”
Tildy wrinkled her nose. “For what?” She couldn’t imagine wearing high heels at Maria’s bar. Well, she could imagine tripping in her high heels in Maria’s bar. Friday night’s at Maria’s appeared to be a bit more rowdy than her parent’s cocktail parties.
Skylar threw open her closet and inspected the contents. “Here,” she said, pulling out a pair of cowboy boots. Tildy actually thought they might be an improvement. She kicked off her flats and tried them on. She stood side-by-side with Skylar in the mirror, Skylar’s long, blonde hair managed to look perfectly curled at the ends, which Tildy’s never did. Skylar’s perfect makeup paled Tildy’s bare face. Skylar’s curves and long legs highlighted Tildy’s waifish figure.
“Better than nothing,” Skylar declared.
That seemed to sum up Tildy perfectly.
Chapter 18
Tildy walked into Maria’s, which was just as crowded as it had been last weekend. Some country tune she didn’t recognize blared out of the jukebox on the wall. She glanced around, hoping to spot Hawk, while wiping the drizzle of rain off her dress. There were fewer bikes in the lot, she’d noticed, probably because of the rain. She didn’t know if that meant he wouldn’t be here.
She headed for the bar that gleamed in the dim light. She picked an empty stool and slid onto it. Before long, a tall blonde appeared in front of her. She looked Tildy up and down. She didn’t exactly sneer, but it wasn’t far off. “Got I.D., Princess?”
“I just want a Club Soda,” Tildy replied. The blonde was unmoved. Tildy fished her license out of her purse. The blonde scanned it.
“Matilda? My condolences.”
Tildy sipped her soda and glanced around.
“You looking for someone?” the blonde asked.
Tildy bit her lower lip. “Um. Yeah. Hawk.” She frowned. “I don’t know his last name.”
The blonde sighed and shook her head. “Not for nothing honey, but he don’t usually ride the same mare twice.”
Tildy’s mouth dropped open. “I- we- we’re just friends!” she blurted out, her cheeks feeling hot.
“Friends,” the blonde repeatedly dryly.
Tildy bristled. “He gave me his phone number!”
The blonde raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s a new one on me,” she admitted. “And he’s meeting you here?”
“Well-”
“Hey there,” came a voice from Tildy’s right. She turned to see a man in a Stetson hat and a button-down denim shirt. Tildy gave him a polite smile. He looked her up and down, just like the blonde had done. “You lost?” he asked, grinning.
Tildy shook her head. “I’m- I’m waiting on a friend.”
The cowboy smiled wider. “I’ll be your friend.”
Tildy frowned. “Um…”
“This guy you’re waiting on, he’s your boyfriend?” he pressed.
Tildy shook her head.
“Okay, then. Dance with me.”
The blonde remained stoic. “Tread lightly, Princess,” she warned Tildy. “Don’t know what kind of friends you are with Hawk. Take care you don’t cause a dust-up in my bar when he shows up.”
Tildy couldn’t suppress her grin. So, Hawk was going to be here tonight. The cowboy assumed she was smiling at him and held out his hand. Tildy shrugged. He seemed nice enough and it was just a dance. Plus, a lot of people at the bar were eyeing her as though, like the cowboy said, she was lost. She finished her soda and slipped off the barstool.
Tildy wasn’t overly familiar with the Texas two-step or whatever the heck it was they were doing. She seemed to step on his foot more often than not, but the cowboy kept smiling.
“You come to this place a lot?” he asked.
Tildy shook her head. “No. Um. Not really.”
He laughed. “It shows.” He spun her and drew her back in. There was a glint in his eye as he grinned at her. “Ever seen one this big?” he drawled.
Tildy’s mouth dropped open. Without really meaning for it to, her gaze dropped down. As he took hold of a large belt buckle, she sighed in relief.
“Rodeo,” he told her proudly. “We’re passing through. Next’s Wyoming. Then on down to Utah.”
“Oh,” Tildy replied. “That’s nice. But… isn’t it dangerous?”
He cocked his head. “I like danger,” he said with a smirk.
Tildy just nodded.
A few songs later and her feet had already had enough of Skylar’s boots. “I have to sit down,” she called out over the music.
He led her back to the bar.
