Page 275 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Nash held the manila envelope out to Evie. “Please give this to Stewart.” He looked at Brooke. “And just so you know—there’s no shame in asking for help from a trusted friend. All we’re asking for is a loan, which we will pay back with interest. Good day.” He offered a curt nod to Evie before turning on his heel to walk out.

Evie closed the door behind him and spun around, eyes blazing. “I told you not to do something stupid!”

“You’re accusing me of doing something stupid? I’m not the one who let that imbecile in here!” Tears gathered in her eyes. “How could you humiliate me like that?”

“What’re you talking about? I didn’t humiliate you. You did that all on your own.” Disgust lay heavy in her voice.

Brooke clenched her teeth and let out a growl.

“Oh, stop being such a ninny! Calm down, so we can talk about this like rational adults.”

“No, I won’t calm down!” She threw back her head, causing her hair to swing out wildly behind her. There was a crazed look in her eyes. “I’ve had enough of this!”

“What do you mean?”

Brooke’s mind was on fire. Nothing made sense; but she knew if she stayed a minute longer with her mother, she’d completely lose it. “I’m a grown woman, and I don’t have to put up with this!” She ran toward the stairs to retrieve her purse and keys.

“Brooke! Come back here!” Evie yelled, hurrying after her. “Brooke!”

A few minutes later, Brooke ran back down the stairs and out the front door. Evie kept yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs, but Brooke refused to stop. After Brooke sped off in her car, Evie went back into the house and wept.

Gracie and Gertrude had witnessed the entire scene. Gracie was still trying to make sense of all that had occurred. “Wow! What a sordid mess! It’s hard to believe that a mother would say those things to her daughter—make her believe that her value is solely contingent on her looks.” She shook her head in bewilderment. “I thought my mother was bad. She was a dream compared to Brooke’s mom. No wonder Brooke is such a tyrant. And the sad part is that Evie really believes she’s helping her daughter. Unbelievable!”

A wise smile spread over Gertrude’s lips. “Your perspective was limited to a tiny dot before, but now it’s beginning to expand. You’re starting to see things as they really are.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” Gracie scratched her head. She still didn’t like Brooke, but it was easier to understand where she was coming from. “Wow! Nash Rigby is certainly easy on theeyes. Talk about a hottie. He’s the bad boy version of Chris Hemsworth.”

“Who?”

“The actor.”

She shook her head, laughing. “I might’ve known. With you, everything always goes back to either an actor or a movie.”

Gracie’s mind raced ahead, a new possibility forming on the horizon. “Brooke still has feelings for Nash, and he seemed to be able to hold his own with her. Maybe I should find out more about him.”

“I knew you would eventually get on the right track,” Gertrude said, a sparkle in her eye.

Chapter 6

Brooke glanced at the country western band, playing a lively tune, then at the people, line dancing. She clutched her aching stomach. It was stretched to the limit. When she first got to Gilley’s in Las Vegas, she ordered a slab of ribs and plate of fries. With each bite, she felt vindicated, imagining how mortified her mother would be if she knew Brooke was gorging herself on fatty food. Unfortunately, her body was not used to consuming such a large amount of food in one sitting. A wave of nausea engulfed her as she pushed aside the empty plate. A minute later, she rushed to the restroom and puked up the contents of her stomach.

She went back to her seat at the bar and waved at the bartender. “I’ll have a beer.” Normally, she preferred sipping on wine or champagne since it was more ladylike, but she was beyond caring what people thought. Tonight was a night for forgetting, and she was determined to do what she wanted. No more trying to please her mother. For better or worse, she was going to enjoy herself for once!

A half hour later, she drained her fifth beer, not tasting a thing. The roar of the crowd was just the tonic she needed to help dull the roaring in her head, and she liked how disconnectedshe felt from her surroundings. She felt a tug on her sleeve and turned toward the muscular man who’d taken the seat beside her. He was wearing a t-shirt, and his bulging biceps were dripping with tattoos. He tipped his cowboy hat at her, his hungry eyes raking over her like a meal to be eaten. Normally, she would’ve smacked him upside the face for being so brazen, but tonight, his actions struck her as funny. He leaned in, giving her a suggestive look. “Hey, sugar, the name’s Ted. Whatcha drinking?”

She thrust out her lower lip in a sultry pout. “Well, Ted,” she said in a voice two volumes too loud. “I was drinking beer, but my glass seems to be empty.”

“Well, we can certainly fix that,” he said, motioning for the bartender.

“This place sure is loud,” Gertrude said irritably, squinting her eyes in response to the smoke-filled air.

Gracie laughed. “Haven’t you ever been in a bar before?”

Gertrude straightened to her full height. “Of course I have. It’s just been a long time. Do you see her?”

They’d been following Brooke since she left her hotel and entered the bar. After the encounter with her mother, which ended with her storming out of the house, Brooke jumped into her Mazda Miata and drove like a mad woman to DFW Airport, getting a traffic ticket on the way. Then she hopped on the first flight to Vegas. Her behavior was erratic, and if it continued, things weren’t likely to end well.

Gracie peered through the crowd in search of Brooke, her gaze stopping at the line dancers. There was a girl about her same age, wearing a short jean skirt and sporting an expensive pair of turquoise cowboy boots. She was kicking up her heels, having the time of her life. “I used to line dance. I think I’ll join them. I know they won’t mind since they can’t see me.”

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