Page 32 of Texas Daze (Texas Montgomery Mavericks)

“Great. We’ll see you there. Oh, here’sMartinow.”

Delene handed the phone to her with a grin. “Here. I kept him company while you were taking clothes out of thedryer.”

“Sorry about that, Eli. Delene can be a littlepushy.”

“I like her,” Eli said. “She sounds like a funperson.”

Marti glared at Delene. “Oh, she’s fun allright.”

“Tonight then. Do you mind if I join youladies?”

“And guys,” Marti said. “And sure. If you want to come, come on. But don’t feel like you have too just because Delene twistedyourarm.”

He chuckled. “She didn’t twist my arm and it soundslikefun.”

“Super,” she said through gritted teeth. “See youthere.”

As soon as she clicked off, she turned on Delene. “I am going to kill you. You seriously oversteppedthistime.”

“Blah, blah, blah,” said Delene. “You don’t have very long to look presentable. I’d suggest a bath and maybe wash your hair. Want me to hang around so you can ride overwithme?”

“No. I might put you in a tub of water and hold your headunder.”

Delene laughed. “See you at Leo’s,” she said with a wave. “I guess I’d better round up the gang for anightout.”

It didn’t take two hours for Marti to get ready to go. Leo’s and a night with the gang did not demandfancyingup.

Still, Eli said he wascoming.

Oh, God.Eli wascoming.

How shouldsheact?

Cool as cucumber? Interested? Hardtoget?

She hated dating, and —not that she’d admit this to anyone—one of the reason she’d accepted Theodore’s marriage proposal was so that she didn’t have to go on any more dates. Deep in her gut, she’d known, or at least suspected, that how she felt about Theo hadn’t been love, or at least not the marrying kind of love. His kisses—no man’s kisses—had rung her bell likeEli’shad.

And the more that she thought about it, the more she didn’t like losing her mind over a guy. Therefore, her theme for this evening would be to playitcool.

The last thing Marti wanted was to project any sort of anxiety about tonight, so continuing with her “Be Cool” theme, she didn’t arrive at Leo’s until well after seven-thirty. The lot was full. She expected the inside would be also. Loud country music spilled out of Leo’s double doors onto the porch. Any space on the lot not holding a truck, car or motorcycle held bar patrons. She might have had better luck if she’d ridden Ransom and hitched him to a post. Sighing, she circled four or five times until she found one lone sliver of pavement where she could leavehercar.

She literally pushed and elbowed her way into the bar. Lots of happy, or drunk, people. She wasn’t oneofthem.

Payback was a bitch and she intended to remind Delene ofthatfact.

A loud whistle cut through the momentary silence between songs. Delene madly waved both arms overherhead.

With a resigned sigh, she made her way across the dance floor to where multiple tables had been shoved together so that the gang of friends could all betogether.

“Saved ya a seat,” Tina said, pointing to an empty chair beside her. “You owe me.Bigly.”

Marti scooted past the usual single crowd, Chad, Zack, Michael, Delene, Tina and a number of couples who’d married within the last year. And surprise, surprise. Darling Debbie was among their midst, along with a luscious looking Dr.Hottie.

“You remember Debbie, right?”Tinasaid.

“Sure. Hi,Debbie.”

“Hope you guys don’t mind me joining you all. Being so new to town, when Eli, I mean Dr. Boone, invited me to join the fun, how could Iresist?”

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