Oil.” Like all the people around Sadie, Sarah Louise’s voice was thick, and words like “oil” came out sounding like “ole.” Sadie used to sound like that, too, but not so much these days. “He’s married and has three kids.”
Three? He was a year younger than Sadie. She signaled a server, who poured her a glass of merlot. She took a long drink before she set the glass back on the table.
“How’s your daddy?” Nelma loudly asked.
“Good!” She took a few more bites of her salad, then added, “He went to Laredo this morning to breed a horse.”
Ivella put her fork down, a frown pulling her thin white eyebrows together. “Why on earth would he leave while you’re in town?”
She shrugged, remembered her neckline, and pulled up the top of the dress. He’d left before sunup and she hadn’t even told him good-bye. She knew him well enough to know that he intended to tell her good-bye before she left Texas, but he’d put her on the back burner until he got back.
While they ate, everyone chitchatted about the wedding. The dress and vows each had written and that kiss at the end.
“Very romantic,” Sarah Louise said as the salad plates were taken away and the entrée was placed on the table.
“When I married Charles Ray, we had our first kiss in front of the preacher,” Nelma confessed loud enough to be heard in Dalhart. “Daddy didn’t let us girls go around with the boys.”
“That’s true,” Ivella agreed.
Sadie took a close look at the dinner plate. Steak, whipped potatoes, and asparagus tips.
“There was none of this sleeping around before the marriage!”
If not for sleeping around before the marriage, she’d still be a virgin. She took a bite of her steak. Although lately, she’d seen so little action, she might as well be a virgin. She’d reached the point in her life when quality mattered most. Not that it hadn’t always mattered, but these days she’d just gotten less tolerant of lousy lays.
“Are you married?” Sarah Louise asked.
She shook her head and swallowed. “Are you?”
“Yes, but my husband lives out of town. When he gets out, we’re going to start our family.”
Out? “Is he in the military?”
“San Quentin.”
Sadie took another bite instead of asking the obvious question. Sarah Louise provided the answer anyway.
“He’s in for murder.”
Sadie’s shock must have shown on her face.
“He’s totally innocent, of course.”
Of course. “Did you know him before he . . . he . . . left?”
“No. I met him through a prison pen pal site. He’s been in for ten years and has ten more to go before he’s up for parole.”
Good God. Sadie was always amazed that, one: any woman would marry a man in prison, and, two: she’d talk about it like it was no big deal. “That’s a long time to wait for a man.”
“I’ll only be thirty-five, but even if it’s longer, I’ll wait for Ramon forever.”
“What’d she say!” Nelma asked, and pointed a fork at Sarah Louise.
“She’s tellin’ Sadie about that murderin’ man she hooked up with!”
“Well bless her heart.”
Sadie kind of felt sorry for Sarah Louise. It had to be rough living in a small town and being known for marrying “that murderin’ man.”
Aunt Nelma leaned forward and yelled, “Do you have a boyfriend, Sadie Jo?”
“No.” She raised a glass of red wine to her lips and took a sip. It was past seven and she’d actually managed to avoid that question until now. “I don’t really have time for a man right now.”
“Are you just being notional? Are you one of those women who thinks you don’t need a man?”
Growing up, whenever her thoughts and ideas had seemed different from the herd, she’d been accused of being notional. “Well, I don’t need a man.” There was a difference between wanting and needing.
“What did she say?” Nelda wanted to know.
“Sadie doesn’t need a man!”
Great. Now the whole room knew, but the aunts weren’t through yet.
Three? He was a year younger than Sadie. She signaled a server, who poured her a glass of merlot. She took a long drink before she set the glass back on the table.
“How’s your daddy?” Nelma loudly asked.
“Good!” She took a few more bites of her salad, then added, “He went to Laredo this morning to breed a horse.”
Ivella put her fork down, a frown pulling her thin white eyebrows together. “Why on earth would he leave while you’re in town?”
She shrugged, remembered her neckline, and pulled up the top of the dress. He’d left before sunup and she hadn’t even told him good-bye. She knew him well enough to know that he intended to tell her good-bye before she left Texas, but he’d put her on the back burner until he got back.
While they ate, everyone chitchatted about the wedding. The dress and vows each had written and that kiss at the end.
“Very romantic,” Sarah Louise said as the salad plates were taken away and the entrée was placed on the table.
“When I married Charles Ray, we had our first kiss in front of the preacher,” Nelma confessed loud enough to be heard in Dalhart. “Daddy didn’t let us girls go around with the boys.”
“That’s true,” Ivella agreed.
Sadie took a close look at the dinner plate. Steak, whipped potatoes, and asparagus tips.
“There was none of this sleeping around before the marriage!”
If not for sleeping around before the marriage, she’d still be a virgin. She took a bite of her steak. Although lately, she’d seen so little action, she might as well be a virgin. She’d reached the point in her life when quality mattered most. Not that it hadn’t always mattered, but these days she’d just gotten less tolerant of lousy lays.
“Are you married?” Sarah Louise asked.
She shook her head and swallowed. “Are you?”
“Yes, but my husband lives out of town. When he gets out, we’re going to start our family.”
Out? “Is he in the military?”
“San Quentin.”
Sadie took another bite instead of asking the obvious question. Sarah Louise provided the answer anyway.
“He’s in for murder.”
Sadie’s shock must have shown on her face.
“He’s totally innocent, of course.”
Of course. “Did you know him before he . . . he . . . left?”
“No. I met him through a prison pen pal site. He’s been in for ten years and has ten more to go before he’s up for parole.”
Good God. Sadie was always amazed that, one: any woman would marry a man in prison, and, two: she’d talk about it like it was no big deal. “That’s a long time to wait for a man.”
“I’ll only be thirty-five, but even if it’s longer, I’ll wait for Ramon forever.”
“What’d she say!” Nelma asked, and pointed a fork at Sarah Louise.
“She’s tellin’ Sadie about that murderin’ man she hooked up with!”
“Well bless her heart.”
Sadie kind of felt sorry for Sarah Louise. It had to be rough living in a small town and being known for marrying “that murderin’ man.”
Aunt Nelma leaned forward and yelled, “Do you have a boyfriend, Sadie Jo?”
“No.” She raised a glass of red wine to her lips and took a sip. It was past seven and she’d actually managed to avoid that question until now. “I don’t really have time for a man right now.”
“Are you just being notional? Are you one of those women who thinks you don’t need a man?”
Growing up, whenever her thoughts and ideas had seemed different from the herd, she’d been accused of being notional. “Well, I don’t need a man.” There was a difference between wanting and needing.
“What did she say?” Nelda wanted to know.
“Sadie doesn’t need a man!”
Great. Now the whole room knew, but the aunts weren’t through yet.
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