had Last said about Cissy being in big trouble if Tex won for Delilah’s salon?
He stared at the cookies, suddenly suspicious.
“Nah,” he said. “She wouldn’t dream of it!”
There were times to be prudent. There were times to kick back and enjoy the good things in life.
The scent of the cookies wafted to him, warm and inviting and the sweetest thing a woman had ever done for him.
Last’s face popped into his mind, chiding him, deriding him about the tight little rosebuds. Last would probably say this moment of paranoia was brought on by Fear of Intimacy.
Tex popped a cookie into his mouth, chewing happily, tasting love and happiness and the good feeling the work of a woman’s hands can bring. No fear of intimacy here; he’d consume every bit of her offering.
And he kept consuming until the basket was empty. “Now all the love’s in my tummy!” he told his pride. “And I feel…ill.”
Chapter Six
After Cissy left the barn, she headed over to the Lonely Hearts Salon to speak to her benefactress, Delilah. Cissy’s conscience would not allow her to take the money without confessing what she’d done back in March.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
When she walked into the salon, the hush that fell was ominous. Sprayers quit spraying, gossip stopped, foils ceased being pulled for highlights. She was, after all, from the enemy camp and, therefore, the enemy. Delilah’s salon had been the first in town, and was legitimate. And her girls were honest.
Cissy refused to lower her gaze. “Could I speak to Delilah?” she asked the room at large.
“I’ll get her,” someone said.
Cissy waited uncomfortably until Delilah called to her from a hallway. “Come this way, Cissy. Join me and Jerry in the kitchen. I’m trying to whip up a fruit salad.”
Cissy gave a slight wave to the women in the salon and crossed into the part of the building that was used as a house for the stylists. Well separated fromthe salon, it was quiet and cozy. Just like she’d always imagined it would be.
She would have liked working for Delilah.
“Hello, Cissy,” Jerry said.
“Can I offer you some tea?” Delilah asked.
Cissy shook her head, nervous. “No, thank you.”
“Take a seat,” Jerry told her.
“I better stand, I think.” Cissy looked into both of their kind faces and felt terrible. “I have something I want to tell you before I accept the donation.”
They looked at her, waiting patiently.
Cissy took a deep breath. “When Laredo rode your bull, I gave him a bad tip.”
They were silent.
“I told him Bloodthirsty Black went left out of the chute so he’d be unprepared and fall off.” She didn’t mention that the Jeffersons had figured her out before Laredo ever got into the chute. Her intentions were what mattered.
“Well,” Delilah said, “I’m glad you told me.”
“I had to.”
Delilah nodded. “I hope you’re able to send someone who can find out something about your family, Cissy.”
Cissy stared at her. “I feel that I should return your donation.”
“No. You’re far more honest than many people in this town. And you have a real need. You deserve it.”
Jerry nodded in agreement.
“Thank you,” Cissy said softly.
“Anyway, the Cissy you are now wouldn’t dosuch a thing. The Cissy I see before me is a changed girl, one I’d be proud to have working for me when you finish your contract with Marvella.”
“I’m not changed. Not really,” Cissy said miserably. “There are some days when I feel so mean.”
“Trapped animals are mean. In that kind of situation, so are humans. Anyway, your sweet side is winning. And I think it has a lot to do with that cowboy.”
She could only be talking about one man. “Tex?”
Delilah shrugged with a smile.
Cissy shook her head. “Actually, I think I’d be making big headway into the sweeter side of my personality if he weren’t around. He seems to bring out conflicting emotions in me. I see him, and I want to smile. But then
He stared at the cookies, suddenly suspicious.
“Nah,” he said. “She wouldn’t dream of it!”
There were times to be prudent. There were times to kick back and enjoy the good things in life.
The scent of the cookies wafted to him, warm and inviting and the sweetest thing a woman had ever done for him.
Last’s face popped into his mind, chiding him, deriding him about the tight little rosebuds. Last would probably say this moment of paranoia was brought on by Fear of Intimacy.
Tex popped a cookie into his mouth, chewing happily, tasting love and happiness and the good feeling the work of a woman’s hands can bring. No fear of intimacy here; he’d consume every bit of her offering.
And he kept consuming until the basket was empty. “Now all the love’s in my tummy!” he told his pride. “And I feel…ill.”
Chapter Six
After Cissy left the barn, she headed over to the Lonely Hearts Salon to speak to her benefactress, Delilah. Cissy’s conscience would not allow her to take the money without confessing what she’d done back in March.
It wasn’t going to be easy.
When she walked into the salon, the hush that fell was ominous. Sprayers quit spraying, gossip stopped, foils ceased being pulled for highlights. She was, after all, from the enemy camp and, therefore, the enemy. Delilah’s salon had been the first in town, and was legitimate. And her girls were honest.
Cissy refused to lower her gaze. “Could I speak to Delilah?” she asked the room at large.
“I’ll get her,” someone said.
Cissy waited uncomfortably until Delilah called to her from a hallway. “Come this way, Cissy. Join me and Jerry in the kitchen. I’m trying to whip up a fruit salad.”
Cissy gave a slight wave to the women in the salon and crossed into the part of the building that was used as a house for the stylists. Well separated fromthe salon, it was quiet and cozy. Just like she’d always imagined it would be.
She would have liked working for Delilah.
“Hello, Cissy,” Jerry said.
“Can I offer you some tea?” Delilah asked.
Cissy shook her head, nervous. “No, thank you.”
“Take a seat,” Jerry told her.
“I better stand, I think.” Cissy looked into both of their kind faces and felt terrible. “I have something I want to tell you before I accept the donation.”
They looked at her, waiting patiently.
Cissy took a deep breath. “When Laredo rode your bull, I gave him a bad tip.”
They were silent.
“I told him Bloodthirsty Black went left out of the chute so he’d be unprepared and fall off.” She didn’t mention that the Jeffersons had figured her out before Laredo ever got into the chute. Her intentions were what mattered.
“Well,” Delilah said, “I’m glad you told me.”
“I had to.”
Delilah nodded. “I hope you’re able to send someone who can find out something about your family, Cissy.”
Cissy stared at her. “I feel that I should return your donation.”
“No. You’re far more honest than many people in this town. And you have a real need. You deserve it.”
Jerry nodded in agreement.
“Thank you,” Cissy said softly.
“Anyway, the Cissy you are now wouldn’t dosuch a thing. The Cissy I see before me is a changed girl, one I’d be proud to have working for me when you finish your contract with Marvella.”
“I’m not changed. Not really,” Cissy said miserably. “There are some days when I feel so mean.”
“Trapped animals are mean. In that kind of situation, so are humans. Anyway, your sweet side is winning. And I think it has a lot to do with that cowboy.”
She could only be talking about one man. “Tex?”
Delilah shrugged with a smile.
Cissy shook her head. “Actually, I think I’d be making big headway into the sweeter side of my personality if he weren’t around. He seems to bring out conflicting emotions in me. I see him, and I want to smile. But then
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