“That’s what I thought.” Richard sounded smug and satisfied.

“Any particular reason you’re asking?”

“Yeah. I’m interested in her myself, and I don’t want to step on your toes if I can help it.”

Glen frowned. “Like I said earlier, this is a bad time for Ellie.”

“She needs someone like me,” Richard said, bending over the guitar and tightening a couple of strings. “What I’d like to see her do is sell that business and get on with her life. Her daddy stuck her with that feed store, but there’s no need for her to hold on to it.”

Glen shook his head. Ellie loved the store with the same intensity her father had. She recognized her contribution to the community and took pride in meeting the needs of the local ranchers. The feed store had become the unofficial gathering place in town, and that was because Ellie, like her father, made folks feel welcome.

Everyone dropped in at Frasier Feed, to visit, catch up on local news and gossip, swap stories. The large bulletin board out front offered free advertising space for anyone with something to trade or sell. The pop machine was there, too, with a couple of chairs for those who wanted to take a load off their feet.

Ellie sell out? Never. Apparently Richard didn’t know her as well as he thought.

“She’s interested in me, too, you know,” Richard added.

This definitely came as surprise to Glen. She’d admitted the two of them had kissed, but in the same breath had told him she preferred his kiss over Richard’s. At least, that was what he thought she’d said. The last part of their conversation had been lost on him. They’d snapped at each other, gotten annoyed with each other and instantly regretted it. Glen had come to mend fences with her, not destroy them, and he’d turned back to ask her about the dance. He’d made it clear that he looked forward to spending the evening with her.

She’d told him basically the same thing. They’d meet there. He’d wait for her.

“She’s attending the dance with me,” Richard stated nonchalantly.

“With you?” Glen couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “The Cattlemen’s Association dance?”

“Yeah. She had some concern about the two of us being there together, though. Neither of us wants to start any talk.”

“Talk?”

“About seeing one another exclusively.”

“I see.” Glen’s hand tensed around the cold glass.

“You going?” Richard asked pointedly. “If I remember correctly, this dance is one of the biggest social events of the summer.”

“I’ll probably be there,” Glen said. And he’d make damn sure Richard kept his paws where they belonged, because the first time he saw Mr. Investment Manager touching Ellie, Glen would be dragging him outside and rearranging his dental work. Even if Ellie did prefer Weston, as it now appeared.

“Who are you taking?” Richard probed.

“I...don’t know yet,” Glen confessed, and then because he didn’t want it to look like he couldn’t get a date, he added, “I was thinking of asking Nell Bishop.”

“Sure,” Richard said with an approving nod. “Ask Nell. I bet she’d be happy to go with you.”

Glen gulped down the rest of his tea and stood. “Glad we had this conversation,” he said, when in reality he was anything but. Only this time his anger was directed at Ellie. She’d played him for a fool. A fool! She’d led him to believe she didn’t have a date. Moreover she’d indicated in no uncertain terms that she’d welcome his company there. Wait for me, she’d said.

What she intended, he now realized, was that he’d arrive and then stand there twiddling his thumbs while she danced her way across the room in Richard Weston’s arms. Well, if that didn’t beat all. The why of it wasn’t too clear, but he figured Ellie was still mad at him and this was her revenge.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Richard said as Glen started toward his truck. “And don’t worry about me taking Ellie up to Bitter End again, either.”

“I won’t.” He wouldn’t worry about a lot of things concerning Ellie, he mused, his anger festering. If it wasn’t for Richard letting slip that she’d agreed to be his date, Glen would have arrived at the dance completely unawares.

Maybe Cal was right. Maybe women couldn’t be trusted.

***

Frank Hennessey had been the duly elected sheriff of Promise for near twenty years. He knew everyone in town and they knew him. Because he’d been in office for so long, folks were comfortable coming to him with their problems. Minor ones and ones that weren’t so minor. Sometimes he suggested they talk to Wade McMillen, the local preacher, and other times he just listened. Mostly folks felt better after they’d talked. More often than not a solution would present itself, although he’d barely say a word. Then folks would credit him when the answer had been there all along buried deep within themselves.

These days Frank had been hearing a lot about Richard Weston. Not that it surprised him. He knew Richard had absconded with the family inheritance the day Grady and Savannah had lowered their parents into the ground. Many a night he’d sat with Grady while the young man grappled with what to do—whether to press charges or not. In the end he’d decided not to pursue a case against Richard, but it had taken Grady damn near six years of constant struggle to work his way out of the red.

Now Richard was back, and Frank had heard from two or three of the local merchants that he was running up charges and not paying his bills. Frank didn’t like the sound of this. What to do about it had weighed heavily on his mind for a couple of days.

He’d urged Max Jordan from Jordan’s Town and Country outfitters to mention the bill to Grady, but Max didn’t want to carry tales to Richard’s big brother. Besides, he’d sold two vests like the one Richard had bought after he’d worn his about town. Frank would say one thing about the youngest Weston: he was a real clotheshorse. Max said he’d moved some other high-end clothing items because of Richard and was therefore willing to cut the young Weston a little slack.

For the moment, Millie Greenville was amenable about the money Richard owed her, as well. Grady had ended up paying for the flowers Richard had bought for his party; Frank knew that and had his doubts as to whether Grady would ever be repaid. Although Richard was already two months past due in paying her for the flowers he’d ordered since, she’d decided not to press the issue. He’d sent a huge arrangement for John Frasier’s funeral and a number of other small bouquets to women around town. According to Millie, Richard had apologized and given her a plausible excuse; she’d chosen to believe him. But it was a little worrisome having four hundred dollars outstanding at the end of the month, all owed by the same customer.

Then there was the matter of the tab Richard was running at Billy D’s. Apparently Richard had been more than generous about buying other people’s drinks. It wasn’t unusual for him to order a round for his friends and their friends, too, and then tell Billy just to add it to his tab. When Billy mentioned it to Frank, the money owed was close to five hundred dollars. Richard had fed the tavern owner some cockeyed story about being an investment broker, expecting a commission check that was due any day. Again Billy was willing to wait, seeing as Richard always drew a crowd. He was clever and amusing and people seemed to enjoy themselves when he was around.

Frank looked at his watch and eagerly shoved back his chair. “I’ll be over at Dovie’s,” he said to his deputy on his way out the door. Ever since Dovie had opened her Victorian Tea Room, he stopped by each afternoon around four-thirty, after she’d finished serving tea and scones. The store was generally quiet then, and she’d usually offer him something to satisfy his sweet tooth.

Dovie was his friend. His special friend. If it was up to her, they’d be married, but Frank wasn’t the marrying kind. He had no interest in giving up his freedom, although if any woman could tempt him to relinquish his bachelor status, it’d be Dovie. They’d been dating more than ten years now, and about once a year she got uppity about the absence of an engagement ring. Frankly he liked their arrangement just the way it was, and if pressed, Dovie, he suspected, would admit she did, too. Twice a week he spent the night at her house—the two best nights of the week. No, he figured, this marriage business was a token protest on her part. The situation was ideal for both of them as it stood; Dovie liked her freedom as much as Frank liked his, and this way they enjoyed the benefits of a steady relationship. Best of both worlds.