Page 35 of Wrangling a Texas Hometown Hero

“And just when is this wedding taking place?”

“Soon. Kenny is on the verge of asking me. I can tell. I just want to make sure we’re compatible in all things.” Noelle hesitated. “I’m thinking about giving him my blossom.”

Hallie cringed. “Good Lord, Elle. Would you please stop calling it that?”

Liberty laughed. “She does have a point, Ellie. That does sound a little . . .”

“Weird and childish,” Hallie said. “Just call it your virginity and be done with it. And what happened to you waiting until you were married?”

“I started following Marry Meredith. She’s a new social media influencer who gives advice to young single women hoping to find their love match. She’s found her true love and is living happily ever after in Houston. She’s a Texan, obviously. Which is why I feel a real kinship with her. That, and I’m an influencer too. I’m up to three thousand and twenty-two followers.” She beamed with pride.

“So what does this woman have to do with you giving up your virginity?” Hallie asked.

“Meredith thinks you should try out sex before you get married because her first husband—”

Liberty cut in. “Wait a second. She’s been married before?”

“Four times.”

Liberty exchanged a confused look with Hallie. “Then why are you taking advice from her on finding your love match?”

“Because after four marriages, she knows how to avoid the bad matches. She waited to have sex until she was married with Hubby One and they were divorced six months later because he said she sucked in bed. So she took a sex class to become better in the bedroom and that’s where she met Hubby Two. He was the instructor. Unfortunately, they were compatible in the bedroom, but not compatible out of it. And Hubby Three seemed perfect, but then he was convicted of insider trading—”

Thankfully, before Hallie had to suffer through any more stories about Marry Meredith, the door opened and two huge teddy bears bounced in. A second later, Sunny’s face appeared between the two fuzzy faces, her big brown eyes as bright as the bears’.

“Hey, y’all! Let’s get this baby party started!”

Hallie wouldn’t call the shower a party. It was more of a sedate tea with really small finger foods, really dumb games, and really boring conversation. If she had to hear another person talk about what holiday-inspired names to call the babies, she was going to throw up her tiny cucumber sandwiches and petit fours.

It turned out she wasn’t the only one.

“Thanksgiving?” Mrs. Stokes snorted as she took the chair next to Hallie’s. “That’s almost as ridiculous a name as Halloween. But at least you have a good nickname. My great-grandmother’s name was Hallie. What are they going to call that poor child? Thanks? Givie?” She shook her head and patted her suit jacket pockets. Hallie knew she was looking for a pack of cigarettes. She also knew Corbin had gotten her to quit. How he’d done it, Hallie didn’t know. But he must have had a good bargaining chip because Mrs. Stokes did not look happy when she didn’t find a pack.

“Damn people who try to keep you alive.”

Hallie grinned, which had Mrs. Stokes’ eyebrows lifting.

“That’s the first smile I’ve seen out of you today, Miss Holiday. I was beginning to think you’ve become as grumpy as your daddy. And speaking of your daddy, how are things going on the ranch? Corbin find a foreman yet?”

“Not yet.” Probably because he wasn’t trying real hard. It was like he suddenly didn’t seem to care if he found a foreman or not. Or maybe he was just too busy with his investment company. Or loving his wife. Whatever the reason, Hallie had decided to take on the job of looking for a new foreman herself. “I found a promising applicant that I think might work.”

“Male or female?”

Hallie loved that Mrs. Stokes asked the question. Few people would. “Male. Sadly, men were the only ones to apply for the job. I would love to see my daddy’s face if Corbin hired a female foreman.”

“I don’t think he’d be as stunned as you think. He has six daughters, after all. Daughters he was hoping would take over the ranch.”

“He was hoping our husbands would take over the ranch. He never wanted us to.” She thought if anyone would sympathize with her, it would be Mrs. Stokes. It was common knowledge she had grown up with an arrogant misogynistic daddy who ruled his business and daughter with an iron fist.

But Mrs. Stokes was always full of surprises. “Stop playing the feminist card with me, Hallie Holiday. I thought better of you. If your daddy doesn’t see you and your sisters as ranchers, that’s y’all’s fault. Men like your daddy and mine grew up being taught it’s a man’s world and women need to be sheltered and taken care of. My daddy didn’t think I could run the bank either. He planned to hand it over to my husband. So I married a man who didn’t know diddlysquat about banking and had no desire to learn. Then I went about taking over and making all kinds of money.” She smiled. “And that, my dear, is how you handle men like our daddies. You don’t wait around for them to give you something. If you want it, you take it.” She hesitated. “Although I hear from your grandmother that you’re not interested in taking the ranch. You want to make beer.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, I love a good beer and Jace said you made the best. I’d like to try it sometime.”

Just the mention of his name brought up an image of Jace standing in Sweetie and Decker’s front yard, his smoky eyes burning her with their intensity.

Then I’ll be sure to stay away from Austin.

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