Catch Me a Cowboy (16 page)

She flopped down in the chair and released her breath in a long sigh. “I want to help you, Mia, but you’ve got to quit treating me like I’m a wart on a hog—” she glanced over at Sherman, “present company excluded.” She looked back at Mia. “I’ll be the first person to tell you I’m not perfect, but I’m the best you got.”

“Great,” Mia muttered, looking annoyingly defeated.

Shirlene felt pretty defeated herself. But never one to give in to depressing feelings, she forged ahead. “Things might not be great now, honey, but they will be. Just as soon as I get my house back, I plan to make a visit to
Houston and see if I can’t get this entire thing cleared up.” When Mia started to argue, she held up a hand. “I know, I know, you’re not going back to your mean foster parents. And I don’t expect you to. Lyle had a lot of friends in Houston so I’m sure I won’t have any trouble finding you and your siblings a suitable home. But until then, you need to give my wallet back.”

The young girl’s eyes narrowed behind her glasses. “How…? I guess Jesse told you.”

“No.” Shirlene held out her hand. “You just did.”

Mia’s shoulders slumped, and without another word, she scraped the chair back and headed for the bedroom where Brody napped. When she returned, she had the wallet in her hand. “Here. But I don’t know what good it will do you. Most of the cards don’t even work—” She caught herself. “I mean…”

Shirlene’s eyebrows lifted. “You been using my cards, honey?”

“Only for gas,” Mia said. “And I plan on paying you back.”

“With what? Your good looks?”

“Very funny.” Mia scowled as she sat back down.

Shirlene laughed. “You’ve got to lighten up, kiddo. Life’s too short to live it under such a dark frown.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” She flopped back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “And don’t include me in your adoption plans. Once I’ve made sure the kids are settled, I’m out of here.”

“Got the big city itch, do you?” Shirlene picked up the bottle of vodka and stared at it for only a few seconds before tossing it into the trashcan.

“No. I have the anywhere-but-Texas itch.” She glanced
around. “I don’t know how anyone lives in this godforsaken state.”

“And I don’t know how anyone doesn’t,” Shirlene countered. “But I guess that’s just something else we’ll agree to disagree on. For now, we need to write ourselves a list.” Tearing the top piece of paper off the tablet, she picked up the pencil and handed it to Mia. “Go ahead, honey, write down everything we need from the Food Mart. And I mean, everything. Then write down all the things the kids have been going without—clothes, toys… chocolate.”

“But—” Mia started.

“No ifs, ands, or buts. I might not have much credit left. But what I do have, we’re going to use.”

“And what are we going to live on for the rest of the month?” Mia groused.

“By this time next week,” Shirlene winked, “we’ll all be livin’ the high life in my home sweet home.”

Mia’s face registered shock. “You’re taking us with you?”

“Why not? I have more rooms than I know what to do with.” She flashed a grin. “So what do you say, honey? You ready to go on a little shoppin’ spree?”

Except thirty minutes later, Shirlene was the only one heading out the door. Mia was a stubborn little thing who had decided that the less the people of Bramble saw of her and the babies, the better. She had a valid point. All they needed was the townsfolk becoming suspicious. Still, Shirlene felt a little guilty about leaving the kids, which was crazy given the fact they barely acknowledged her departure from the trailer. Only Sherman snuffled a goodbye after refusing to leave his spot on the floor between Brody and Adeline.

Once outside, Shirlene couldn’t help glancing up at the roof, or the disappointment she felt when the only person there was a freckled-face kid with his legs dangling over the edge. Ignoring Jesse, she made a beeline to the Navigator in the hopes of making a quick getaway. She should’ve known she wouldn’t be that lucky.

“Who said you could wear the Hulk?” Jesse said, his demon eyes blazing in the deep oranges of the setting sun.

The ugly green t-shirt looked ridiculous with Shirlene’s jeans and turquoise Manolos. But it was the only clean shirt she’d been able to find after she’d showered. “I promise I’ll have it back to you by tonight, honey,” she made an attempt at smoothing the kid’s ruffled feathers.

“It won’t do no good,” Jesse grumbled. “You already stretched him out with your big—”

“Watch it, Jesse.” Bubba’s deep voice had Shirlene’s heart thumping against her ribcage. It lodged there when he suddenly appeared around the side of the trailer in all his shirtless glory. Since the air conditioner didn’t work, she had figured he’d given up. Obviously, Bubba was more dedicated than she thought.

Dedicated and wet.

Water dripped from his soaked hair and ran in glistening streams down his chest to the waistband of his jeans. He tossed the running hose over to the trunk of the elm before using two hands to scrape his wet hair off his forehead.

“You going into town?” he asked.

It took an effort to pull her gaze away from the sex video that played out before her. Even then, she had trouble figuring out what he’d just said.

“I need you to pick up some parts for the air conditioner at the hardware store,” he clarified.

She tried to keep her gaze pinned somewhere above his head. Unfortunately, it worked about as well as trying to avoid the candy aisle at a convenience store. It seemed her eyes had a will of their own. They indulged in the sight of every slick, wet muscle as she tried to get words out of her suddenly dry throat.

“Okay, but I won’t be back for a while.”

He cocked his head. “Babysittin’ again?”

Damn, her preoccupation with the man was really screwing up her memory. She kept forgetting that Bubba didn’t know she lived there.

“Well, you know what they say; charity begins at home.”

One corner of his mouth hiked up. “It appears that you sure are one charitable woman, Ms. Dalton.”

She flashed him a smile. “It does look that way, don’t it, Bubba Wilkes?” She went to pull open the door, but suddenly he was right there holding it open for her, his wet chest inches from Hulk’s green bulging biceps. She stared up into those deep pools of chocolate, and her stomach clenched with hunger. Or possibly a spot much lower. Then his strong fingers slipped to the small of her back, guiding her in before he slammed the door and leaned down in the window. The look he sent melted her as much as the sun that shone through the windshield.

“Anytime you want to visit Wilkesville, Shirley Girl, you just let me know.”

D
UDS
’N S
UCH WAS A LONG WAY
from Neiman Marcus. Still, it had been such a long time since Shirlene had gotten to spend money—at least four days—that she went a little crazy in Bramble’s only clothing store. It wasn’t easy considering that the inventory was small and the designer labels nonexistent. Still, Cruel Girl and Wrangler were better than Marvel, and she piled the counter high with jeans and belts and boots. Once she was done shopping for herself, she pulled out Mia’s list and started shopping for the kids. The children’s clothing had Justin, the sales clerk, looking a little befuddled.

“Christmas gifts,” she said as she pulled out the cutest little western skirt for Baby Adeline. Justin nodded, although his confused look didn’t clear much, especially when he kept looking down at her t-shirt.

“It’s the newest trend in women’s wear.” She checked the size on a plaid shirt for Jesse. She might not like the kid, but she didn’t believe in showing favoritism.

“B-but it’s the Hulk,” he stammered.

“Exactly,” she smiled brightly. “Who doesn’t love that angry, green man? You have this in a smaller size?”

By the time she was finished, Shirlene felt like a new woman. It was truly amazing what an hour of shopping could do for a girl. It was too bad that a little thing like a credit limit rained on her parade.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Dalton.” Justin’s ears turned red. “But this card doesn’t seem to want to go through.”

“Silly me.” Shirlene handed him another card. “I must’ve given you the wrong one.” Five cards later, Shirlene’s ears had turned the color of Justin’s—thankfully, Twyla had left enough hair to cover the evidence. “Well, isn’t this embarrassin’? I guess I did a little too much shoppin’ this week.” She picked up the pair of Tony Lama boots. “I’ll just put a few things back and see if that doesn’t help.”

A few things turned into the majority of the clothes on the counter. By the time the card finally went through, the only things left were the toy guns in the holster for Brody and the dress for Adeline.

“I’m sure sorry about that,” Justin said as he bagged up the items. “I’m thinkin’ there must be something wrong with this machine.”

“Not to worry, honey.” Shirlene tried her best to smile, but her shopping high had long since fizzled out. “I have enough clothes in my closet to dress most of Texas.”

Too bad she couldn’t get to them.

Once outside the door of Duds ’N Such, Shirlene let her shoulders slump. How was she going to explain this to Mia? The teenager already thought she was the biggest screw-up in the world. And Shirlene was beginning to wonder if she wasn’t right.

“Shirlene!”

She glanced up in time to see Faith hurrying across the
street with Daisy dangling from one of those backward backpacks.

“Where have you been?” Faith’s big. blue eyes were filled with concern. “I’ve been trying to call you for days, and you haven’t returned my calls.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” Shirlene said. “My cell phone died, and I couldn’t find my charger.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. She
had
just found her car charger under her front seat that morning.

“Well, you could’ve stopped by the house—” Faith hesitated as her gaze snapped up to Shirlene’s hair then down to her shirt. “What…?”

“Vintage Marvel,” Shirlene said as she leaned down and cooed at Daisy. “Hi, precious, how’s my little goddaughter?”

But Faith wasn’t as gullible as Justin. Her eyes narrowed in confusion for only a few seconds before they welled up with tears. And just that quickly, Shirlene was engulfed in a hug that sandwiched a cooing Daisy between them.

“Oh, Shirl, I’m so sorry,” Faith said. “I’ve been so wrapped up with the baby I didn’t realize how depressed you are.” She pulled back and stared at the Hulk t-shirt. “But I do now, and I’m going to help you get through this. We’re going to get you the best professional therapist in west Texas.” Her gaze snapped over to the group of men talking outside of Sutter’s Pharmacy. “In fact, there’s Doc Mathers, I’ll just go ask him who he would recommend—”

Shirlene reached out and stopped her. She hadn’t wanted to tell Faith what was going on, not when Faith and Hope did this weird twin-mind-reading thing. What Faith knew, Hope knew. And if Hope knew, so would Colt. But it looked like Shirlene didn’t have much of a
choice. Not unless she wanted to spend the next few days being mentally evaluated.

She glanced around before leaning closer to Faith. “I’m haven’t gone off my rocker, honey—at least, not yet. I had to borrow this shirt because all my clothes are locked up in the house I’ve been evicted from.”

“What?!”

Faith usually had a soft voice. But when she was surprised or angry, she could be as loud as her hog-calling twin sister. She was so loud this time that she woke up Moses Tate, who was napping on a bench a good block away. He sputtered and coughed a couple times before settling back in.

Hooking her arm through Faith’s, Shirlene pulled her toward the Navigator. “Would you keep it down, honey? I don’t want word getting out just yet.”

“But how?” Faith asked. “I mean, the only way a person can get evicted is if they don’t make—” She paused and her eyes widened. “You forgot to make the payments?”

“I didn’t exactly forget. I just kept putting it off.”

Faith’s brow crinkled. “So why can’t you just pay the back payments and get your house back?”

“Because while I was putting off making the payments, I was spending Lyle’s money like there was no tomorrow in an effort to alleviate that depression you were just talking about. And now I don’t have enough to cover the payments and late fees.”

Faith pointed a finger at her. “I knew you were depressed.”

“Well, a lot of good your psychic powers will do me now. I wish you’d stopped my compulsive spending about six months ago.”

“I just thought you were doing what you always did. I didn’t realize that you had a problem—or a limited
amount of funds.” Faith’s entire face drooped. “But I should’ve been more attentive.”

Unable to take the sad, puppy-dog look, Shirlene squeezed her arm. “Now don’t go blamin’ yourself, honey. I wouldn’t have survived Lyle’s death if it hadn’t been for you and Hope. Even with weddings and babies, you’ve always been there for me.” She stopped by the Navigator. “Which is why I know I can count on you to keep this little secret between us. If the townsfolk get wind of this, who knows what they’ll do.”

Humor sparkled in Faith’s eyes. “They mean well, but their help always seems to cause more problems than solutions. Look at the craziness that happened when they thought Hope was pregnant and sent out Bear the Bounty Hunter to bring back the father.”