stared in the mirror at her reflection and was amazed at the transformation. She did look pretty; even with her pants on, she looked like a woman. She wanted to be like all the other women she’d known.
“There’s one thing missing,” Meg exclaimed. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her secret desire. She’d loved lipstick since she was a young woman and found a pot of the paint. Since then, she’d secretly put the color on her lips when she didn’t think people would notice.
“Meg?” Annabelle said. “That’s what a painted cat uses.”
Ruby started laughing. “Are you saying our sister is a prostitute?”
“Oh, please. I can’t wear dresses or look nice. Why can’t I have one little vice? Don’t you think I deserve something that makes me feel like a woman?” Meg said, sick to death of being the responsible self-sacrificing sister. Why couldn’t she look pretty and have a man courting her?
For a moment, neither sister said anything.
“It’s just a pot of rouge.”
“Oh, all right,” Annabelle conceded. “I guess it can’t hurt.”
“Show me how to put it on?” Ruby said, watching Meg dab her finger in the pot and smear the color across her lips.
“The secret is to get it so light no one notices,” Meg said as she dabbed the paint on, evening out the color. It was the first time in weeks the sisters had enjoyed a moment of being women in each other’s company.
Meg realized how much she missed the camaraderie between the three of them and hoped things would soon return to normal.
“Wow. I can’t wait to try it,” Ruby said, almost jumping up and down like a little kid.
“Annabelle, here you need some color on your lips.” Meg smeared a dab of the color on Annabelle’s lips, and she gazed at herself in the mirror. “Just that little touch of color adds so much.”
“Don’t forget me!” Ruby squealed.
“How could we ever forget you?” Meg said with a laugh. She rubbed the paint across her youngest sister’s lips.
Ruby pranced in front of the mirror, making a kissing pout with her mouth and batting her eyelashes.
“Now, look what you’ve done. You’ve given her even more weapons to use on boys.”
Ruby smiled at Annabelle. “Don’t be jealous. I’m just adding to my arsenal, so some young man out there will be unable to resist my charms.”
Meg and Annabelle laughed. “Where does she get this stuff?”
Annabelle shook her head. “I don’t know.”
A knock on the front door interrupted their fun, and Meg felt her insides twist into a knot. This was it. “Oh dear, he’s here.”
Taking a deep breath, Meg tried to calm her nerves. This night was so important and could decide if they kept or lost the farm. If he said yes, it would be easy, but if he said no, she’d be adrift, lost not knowing what to do.
“Let’s go have dinner with our guest,” Meg said, and they walked out of the bedroom together.
With a shaking hand, Meg threw open the front door, and Zach’s mouth dropped like a boulder falling off the edge of the canyon floor.
“Wow, you look…fine as cream gravy, only more stunning,” he said, standing there.
“Thank you.” She took him by the arm and escorted him into the house. “You’re not too bad looking yourself, cowboy.”
The shirt he wore matched the earthy brown tone of his eyes, and she couldn’t help but notice the snugness of his pants. His body was trim, tight, and lean. And she wondered what a wedding night would be like with Zach.
Annabelle stepped up beside Zach. “Here, let me take your hat.”
“I can show you where you can wash up,” Ruby said as she took him by the arm and led him into their parents’ bedroom where a pitcher of water and a towel waited on the butternut washstand. “As soon as you’re finished, we’ll have dinner,” she added before closing the door.
Meg shook her head at her sisters. “Poor man.”
They giggled.
These two would certainly keep any man Meg
“There’s one thing missing,” Meg exclaimed. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her secret desire. She’d loved lipstick since she was a young woman and found a pot of the paint. Since then, she’d secretly put the color on her lips when she didn’t think people would notice.
“Meg?” Annabelle said. “That’s what a painted cat uses.”
Ruby started laughing. “Are you saying our sister is a prostitute?”
“Oh, please. I can’t wear dresses or look nice. Why can’t I have one little vice? Don’t you think I deserve something that makes me feel like a woman?” Meg said, sick to death of being the responsible self-sacrificing sister. Why couldn’t she look pretty and have a man courting her?
For a moment, neither sister said anything.
“It’s just a pot of rouge.”
“Oh, all right,” Annabelle conceded. “I guess it can’t hurt.”
“Show me how to put it on?” Ruby said, watching Meg dab her finger in the pot and smear the color across her lips.
“The secret is to get it so light no one notices,” Meg said as she dabbed the paint on, evening out the color. It was the first time in weeks the sisters had enjoyed a moment of being women in each other’s company.
Meg realized how much she missed the camaraderie between the three of them and hoped things would soon return to normal.
“Wow. I can’t wait to try it,” Ruby said, almost jumping up and down like a little kid.
“Annabelle, here you need some color on your lips.” Meg smeared a dab of the color on Annabelle’s lips, and she gazed at herself in the mirror. “Just that little touch of color adds so much.”
“Don’t forget me!” Ruby squealed.
“How could we ever forget you?” Meg said with a laugh. She rubbed the paint across her youngest sister’s lips.
Ruby pranced in front of the mirror, making a kissing pout with her mouth and batting her eyelashes.
“Now, look what you’ve done. You’ve given her even more weapons to use on boys.”
Ruby smiled at Annabelle. “Don’t be jealous. I’m just adding to my arsenal, so some young man out there will be unable to resist my charms.”
Meg and Annabelle laughed. “Where does she get this stuff?”
Annabelle shook her head. “I don’t know.”
A knock on the front door interrupted their fun, and Meg felt her insides twist into a knot. This was it. “Oh dear, he’s here.”
Taking a deep breath, Meg tried to calm her nerves. This night was so important and could decide if they kept or lost the farm. If he said yes, it would be easy, but if he said no, she’d be adrift, lost not knowing what to do.
“Let’s go have dinner with our guest,” Meg said, and they walked out of the bedroom together.
With a shaking hand, Meg threw open the front door, and Zach’s mouth dropped like a boulder falling off the edge of the canyon floor.
“Wow, you look…fine as cream gravy, only more stunning,” he said, standing there.
“Thank you.” She took him by the arm and escorted him into the house. “You’re not too bad looking yourself, cowboy.”
The shirt he wore matched the earthy brown tone of his eyes, and she couldn’t help but notice the snugness of his pants. His body was trim, tight, and lean. And she wondered what a wedding night would be like with Zach.
Annabelle stepped up beside Zach. “Here, let me take your hat.”
“I can show you where you can wash up,” Ruby said as she took him by the arm and led him into their parents’ bedroom where a pitcher of water and a towel waited on the butternut washstand. “As soon as you’re finished, we’ll have dinner,” she added before closing the door.
Meg shook her head at her sisters. “Poor man.”
They giggled.
These two would certainly keep any man Meg
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