Still, Bodie had asked her to come out to lunch Tuesday and she’d agreed. So. Dinner with a mom.
“Maddie, what should I wear?”
Maddie was sprawled out on the bed, letting her hair dry, feet up in the air, looking at a Western Wear catalog because she needed more Queen of the Rodeo spangles. “Clothes.”
“Bitch.”
“Well, you have three choices.” Maddie wiggled her toes, which were also drying after a coat of bright pink polish. “You can wear your little black Boston dress and be completely overdressed.”
She flipped Maddie off. “I don’t have any pantyhose, besides, it’s hot.”
“So, choice two, you dress to please Bodie, and you look like a slut.”
She grabbed a pillow, popped Mads right in the head.
“Ow!” Maddie grabbed the pillow and tossed it aside. “Choice three is to just go normal. Maybe cowgirl it up a little with your good boots. She’s a nice lady, but she’s a ranch mom. The most she dresses up is with a peasant blouse.”
“You think I should wear the sparkly tank top or something with sleeves?”
“I think whatever you’ll be comfy in. I’d let you borrow something of mine, but you’d be swallowed whole. Sparkles are always good, though. A girl needs glitter.” Maddie peered at her through those long legs. “Stop stressing it.”
“It’s his mom. Like ‘hi, Mom, this is my… whatever, Addie.” Like they weren’t just adults who hung out and fucked.
Maddie gave her the stank-eye. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. Ty says Bodie is crazy for you.”
“Yeah?” She couldn’t fight her grin. “Oh, Mads, he rocks my world, huh?”
“He’s okay.” Maddie kicked at her when she whacked one leg. “Will you stop hitting me! Jeez.”
“He’s hotter than okay. I mean, no lusting after him, because that’s creepy as fuck, but you can admire and be jealous.”
It was only right.
Maddie cackled, batting her eyelashes. “Oh, Adds. What a lovely man you have. Seriously, you want me to pick out your outfit? You need to get going.”
“Pick out my shirt. I’ll grab my jeans.” And flip flops. It was too hot for boots.
“Done.” Maddie rolled off the bed, going to rummage through her clothes.
She found a pair of jeans that weren’t slutty tight, but not trash baggy either, with sparkly crosses on the pockets and room for a nice belt.
“Very cowgirl.” Maddie handed her a tank top in a pretty pale blue tank top and darker blue shirt with flowers printed on it.
“Oh, I love that shirt.” She found a belt with turquoise accents and a neat buckle, strapped on a chunky necklace and matching earrings. “Jim would have said I looked like a trashy redneck.”
“Jim is a dickhead of mammoth proportions and he wouldn’t know cowgirl if it bit him.”
She met Maddie’s eyes, needing a little reassurance. “Yeah? He’s been trying to call. Swear I don’t have to ever see him again.”
Maddie frowned and held out a pinkie. “I swear.”
Addie hooked Maddie’s finger with her own. “Love you, dorkfish.”
“I love you, too. You’ll knock her dead. Just don’t do it with your breath.”
“I’ll steal the Altoids from your purse. It’ll be okay.”
“Bitch. Go on and get out of here.” Maddie hugged her tight. “You’ll do great.”
“I hope so. Shit. I shouldn’t be so nervous.” She shouldn’t be scared. Bodie’s mom had to be a neat lady. Look at her kids. Ty and Cal were both great guys, and Lyla…well, she’d been head of the drill team. So far, as far as anyone knew, the two youngest boys hadn’t been to jail, sported misspelled tattoos or gotten anyone knocked up, so they had promise.
“No, you shouldn’t. I want to hear everything, have fun.”
She nodded, grabbed her purse and headed over, whistling along with the radio. Her hands kept trying to clench on the wheel of her Charger, but she pried them loose every time, reminding herself to breathe.
Christ, Bodie’s mom just wanted to say hi, for fuck’s sake.
A wicked thought curled the side of her mouth. And then she could have Bodie over to meet her dads. She could probably sell tickets too. Maddie would make popcorn. She pulled into the parking lot of the Rio Grande, the smell of enchiladas sudden and warm and perfect.
How could anyone be tense over Mexican food?
Bodie’s truck was there, and that calmed her nerves even more. He just had that effect on her. Asshole cowboy. She was stupid for the man.
He stood when she walked into the restaurant, smiling for her, coming to meet her halfway and give her a hug. Back at the table, his mom looked just like a ranch lady should, tanned skin, short-cut sun streaked hair, and the same blue eyes her son sported.
“Hey, cowboy.” She patted his butt and then gave his mom a grin. “Hey, there. I’m Addison Grainger, but everyone calls me Addie.”
“Hello, hon. I’m Karen Reaver. Pleased to meet you.” Bodie’s mom shook her hand firmly before settling back in her chair.
Bodie held Addie’s chair for her in a show of pretty manners.
“Thanks, Bodie.” She settled, petted her cowboy’s leg as he sat. “I can’t believe we’ve never met. Maddie, my sister, she knows you.”
“She’s a great young lady, rides like a bat out of hell. She looked like a queen during the Christmas parade, with her big event win buckle.” Karen’s head tilted. “It’s hard to believe you’re twins, though I admit, you look just like Chris.”
“She looks like our other dad.”
“Brandt?”
“Yep. They both jacked off into cups and turkey baster-ed away. That way they didn’t have to worry. God could decide.” She’d explained this a hundred thousand times; it wasn’t even embarrassing anymore and, hell, Addie figured she might as well just go for full-on broke. “They just didn’t expect two of us.”
“They must run in the surrogate’s family then.” Karen didn’t even flinch, she just nodded firmly, like that was that.
“Apparently. Loni is a good friend of Daddy Chris’ and she and her man were in a money bind. She was good at having babies, but they didn’t have the cash to raise ‘em. I’m just tickled that the dads weren’t actually having to do the deed with her. That might have riled her husband up some.” The woman was the best damned female roper Addie had ever seen, and she and Will just couldn’t pay to raise more than the five they had. Made her proud, how bad her dads had needed them.
Karen acted like that was the most logical thing ever. “Did you want some tea, hon?”
“Yes, please.” She looked over at Bodie, who was staring at her like a goat staring at a new fence. She touched her face. “Do I have boogers?”
Bodie’s mouth dropped open. “No!”
“Lipstick smeared? Runny mascara? A bad zit?”
Karen was beginning to giggle.
“Will you stop saying things like jack off and zit!” Bodie looked like he was about to explode, his cheeks red as a barn. He had her giggling, too, now, and Karen reached for her hand.
“Men. So easily flappable.”
That had her really laughing, deep, hard belly-laughs that were inescapable.
“At least I didn’t say Holy Fucking Shitballs, Bodie.”
“Addie!” Bodie sounded shocked as a Sunday morning preacher when faced with Saturday night’s indiscretions. Like he hadn’t introduced her to the phrase.
“Oh, I like that one. I’ll have to try it on Bodie’s dad.”
“Mom!” She thought Bodie might stroke out, right there. “Did you two want me to leave so you can curse like sailors?”
“No, if you leave, we couldn’t make you fetch and carry.” His momma looked like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
“Wait. What am I carrying?”
“We’re going shopping after lunch, son.”
She chuckled as Bodie’s shoulders dropped. “Shopping?”
“Yes, that wonderful thing where I spend money.”
“I know what that is, Momma. I just hadn’t been informed of this until now.” He rolled his eyes over to look at Addie. “Can’t you tell her you hate shopping?”
“How ridiculous would that be? Do I look like the kind of woman that hates shopping?”
He deflated again. “I was afraid of that. Thank God there’s nowhere to go here.”
“That’s why you’re running us over to Mt. Pleasant to go to the antique shops.”
“Oh, God. Momma, I have work to do.”
“I don’t mind running over with you. I’m free this afternoon.” She wouldn’t do herself any favors, keeping Bodie from his ranch. The man loved it like a child.
“Well, then, I’ll ride with you.” Karen nodded again, and the waiter finally took their orders.
Bodie leaned in, lips near her ear. “You are something else, girl.”
She gave him a wink. “I know.”
They waded through enchiladas and tacos and chips and salsa.
“So, Addie, what do you do again, honey?”
“I was working as a photojournalist, but I’m trying to figure out what to do now. I’m taking pictures for a book.” She hoped.
“Like a coffee table book? How neat! Have you been anywhere scary?”
“I was in Beruit. And Afghanistan.”
Bodie frowned. “Well, I’m sure glad you’re not doing that anymore.”
“So are my dads. They hated it. I came back to the States about a year ago.”
“Good men.” Sipping her tea, Karen watched them, bright-eyed and curious.
“Where’ve you been since? You said you just got here six months ago.” Bodie had this little line between his eyebrows.
“I was in Boston for a while, but that didn’t work out.” At all. Like whoa.
“Oh, I went to Boston when I was a teenager,” Karen murmured. “I thought it was so pretty, but so impersonal, you know?”
“It’s big. Cold.”
Bodie looked at his mom. “You did? When?”
“It was a school trip, honey. I did an essay on the Freedom Trail.”
“Oh, how fun is that? I did walk that when I lived there.” Poor Bodie, he was learning all sorts of things about his mom.
“Did you see the ducks at the Commons? Do you remember the
Make Way for Ducklings
book, Bodie? It was your favorite.”
And she was learning so much about Bodie.
Addie grabbed a chip, chuckled. “I did. I rode the swan boats, too.”
“Oh, I love those.”
“Huh. Y’all don’t need me at all.” Bodie was about to get a full-on pout going, she could tell.
“Well, I do have your father. There are some things a girl would rather not do for herself, dear.”
Bodie stared and Addie cracked up, grabbing Bodie’s fingers and squeezing while his lips opened and closed like those of a landed fish.
He finally just gave in and laughed, tugging her hand up to his lips for a kiss.
Oh, she was so screwed. She smiled for him, kissed his cheek when his mom excused herself to use the facilities. “Regretting inviting me for lunch yet?”
“No, honey. No, I’m glad y’all are getting along. I just wish it was less bonding over embarrassing me and more over, uh, shopping.”
“Well, you could come with us, play.” Her lips brushed his ear. “Steal kisses in dusty corners of antique stores.”
“You think she’d let me stop by their feed store? It’s bigger. I could get that wormer.”
Oh, romance. Addie chuckled, just tickled bone deep. “I imagine she would.”
“Well, then I might as well come on. She’s missing Ty, and I hate to just leave you in the lurch.”
“Have y’all heard from him since he deployed?”
“Not much yet. Got one video chat thing yesterday.” Bodie and his mom exchanged uneasy glances as she sat back down, the kind her dads always gave each other before Maddie took to the barrels at the rodeo.
“It must be hard. Hopefully you’ll hear soon.” What did you say in a situation like this? That she’d pray for him?
“Maybe Maddie will get a letter.” Bodie nudged her with his elbow.
“Mads is a world-class pen pal. She would love that.”
“Oh, I’ll tell him,” Karen said. “He would love to get letters. It’s so lonely over there.”
“I bet. I was over with the press, and it was intense.” And scary. And somehow incredibly sad.
“Well, who’s ready to go look at old shit?” Bodie’s momma waved the waiter down. “We can have ice cream in Mt. Pleasant.”
“Sounds like a plan. What do I owe you for lunch?”
“Nothing. Bodie is paying.”
Bodie laughed, pulling out his wallet and handing the waiter a couple of twenties. “Y’all ready?”
She nodded and grabbed her purse, kissed Bodie’s cheek. “Thank you for lunch.”
“You’re welcome, honey. It’s been enlightening.”
Addie popped his butt, headed out with Karen, who was laughing at them both. She figured he really didn’t need to go to that fancy feed store. He could go on back to the ranch. She’d take it out of his hide later.
Chapter Nine
The club was rockin’ by the time Bodie got there. He’d been halfway to the damned mailbox when he’d seen the injured calf. It had taken half an hour and a new shirt before he’d been on his way again.
What did it say that Addie wasn’t getting any signal, but he’d been able to get ahold of Maddie’s phone? It sure was strange sometimes to be dating a girl who was a twin.
The girls were standing at the edge of the bar, this big old boy towering over them, sort of trapping them there. Maddie’s hands were on her hips, and Addie was shaking her head.
Bodie frowned, his boots coming down hard on the floor as he made his way over. No one messed with his girl.
“Dude! I said no, huh? I got a fucking beer.” Addie sounded hot enough to spit nails, which meant the guy had overstayed his welcome.
The big guy rumbled, moving toward Addie, and Bodie got there first, slipping between them. “Well, hey, Sheehan. That’s my girl, there.”
“Your girl?” Rick had had one too many. “Both of ‘em?”
“Nope. Just that one.” He jerked his head at Addie. “That’s her sister, though, and I won’t let you bother them. Got it?”
“Yeah. Yeah, whatever. Greedy asshole.”
“You wanting to get into this, Rick? Really?” Bodie let his chest push out, straightening his shoulders. Rick was big but soft, and they both knew it. Nothing was soft about Bodie, and it showed.
“Nah. Fuck off.” Rick lumbered off and Bodie saw the girls both relax.
He blew out a breath before turning to grin at the ladies. “Saved him from Maddie kicking his ass, didn’t I?”
“You so did.” Addie pushed into his arms. “Hey, cowboy.”