Page 12 of Love Me, Cowboy
Something wasn’t right. “Are you okay?”
“Does a woodchuck chuck wood?”
“I don’t know, but you’re acting weird.”
Staring into her glass, Georgia stayed silent for several seconds. Then she sat up straighter. “I’m fine. Did you try on the dress that shows off your magnificent tits?”
“Really, George? Diversion by obscenity?” Claire shook her head. “Tacky.”
“What? I’m trash, remember?”
“How about you grow the heck up and stop thinking about yourself. We’re celebrating MC and the new life she’s about to start. So snap out of it,” Claire said. “No one cares who you were. Most of them didn’t care back then. You’re wearing your insecurity on your sleeve.”
A waitress stepped up to the table with what must have been Georgia’s second round. Jerking the drink out of the waitress’s hand, the cranky bridesmaid tilted the glass back for a large gulp. Her propensity to play the bitch was usually an act, and today George was putting on an award-winning performance.
“I’m not trying to steal MC’s thunder. I just think she’s screwing up by marrying lame-ass Brad. He’s not the right guy for her.”
Claire wasn’t going to fall for the distraction. “Not our decision to make. She’s a big girl, and you can stop pushing me away by acting ugly.”
Georgia slammed the drink onto the table. A spatter of tomato juice landed on her hand. “You think you know me so well.”
Claire smiled. “Yeah, I do.”
Georgia’s shoulders fell as if one smile had taken the wind out of her. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” Claire said. “You’re all bark and rarely leave teeth marks.”
“Not on you.”
Claire accepted the water the waitress handed her. Lifting it she said, “To MC and happy ever afters. Maybe they do exist.”
Georgia clinked her glass against her friend’s. “If you say so.”
“I do. I have to believe.” And Claire did believe. Maybe not for herself, but she wanted nothing more than to see her friends happy.
Georgia took another swallow of her drink, opting to remain silent on the matter. She’d had a rough start in life, which had gone a long way to creating the hard outer shell she kept in place. She was only protecting the soft heart hidden deep inside.
Something Claire couldn’t hold against her friend. She’d done the same thing, only with food instead of attitude. And the memory of that skin-tight purple dress was the only thing that kept Claire from calling the waitress back and ordering an outlandish-sized piece of the chocolate cheese cake that was calling to her from the display case across the room.
* * *
Tyler pounded in the final nail that would reinforce the slats around the old wooden flatbed, ensuring none of the preschool tykes riding through the parade on the hay stacked inside would take a tumble onto the street.
He knew Claire was working on another float on the other side of the old warehouse, as he’d been watching her from under his lashes all afternoon. She’d yet to spot him, but that was likely due to the fact that she had several little kids to herd. As there was paint involved, Tyler was surprised they weren’t all covered in the stuff by now.
Rubbing his hands on his back pockets, Tyler picked up his toolbox with his good arm and ambled across the warehouse, trying to look as casual as he could. Claire was one of his sister’s best friends. Had practically been a member of his household during their teen years. No reason not to say hello.
“I can help wield a brush if you’ve got an extra,” he said, stepping up behind her and setting the toolbox on the floor.
She’d been down on her haunches showing a little one how to work the brush when he approached. At the sound of his voice, she dropped onto her bottom and looked up with wide eyes.
“You’ve got to stop sneaking up on a girl like that,” she said, holding a paintbrush high in one hand as she tried to push off the ground with the other.
“Here,” Tyler said, offering a hand. “Let me help.”
Lifting her took no effort at all, which put her on her feet and nearly pressed against him in a second flat. She gazed up at him as if surprised to find herself upright, her mouth opened just enough to make him think about kissing her.
“Are you a real cowboy?” asked a voice near Tyler’s left hip. The question sent Claire a step back, but she gave him a hesitant smile.