minefield. “I like to watch them perform, but I’m not interested personally. I think it would be difficult to d-date one. They’re never in one place for any length of time.”
“Good point,” Russ said, his body more relaxed. “I guess that’s the reason Toby hasn’t settled on a wife yet. He’s going to be twenty-eight in October. He needs to think about the future.”
Like a chorus, both women said, “He does?”
“Well, he hasn’t said that, but I reckon that’s why he’s tired of rodeoing.”
Elizabeth was torn between hoping Russ was right and worrying that he was. What if Toby started looking for a wife before she could catch his eye?
She was fully occupied worrying about her future until they reached the airport in Casper and boarded a small plane to fly down to Denver.
When they started shopping, she expected Russ to find other things to do. He could go to the rodeo grounds, or do his own shopping. Instead, he said hedidn’t really have much to shop for, so he was available to carry their packages if they wanted.
Elizabeth left the response up to Abby, knowing what her choice would be. In fact, Abby consulted Russ so often, Elizabeth could completely focus on her own wardrobe.
They broke for a late lunch. Already, they had a number of packages. After they were seated and had ordered their food, Russ suggested he run across the street to the hotel and put their purchases with the concierge where they’d left their bags earlier.
They were going to check into the hotel before they went to dinner. With Abby and Elizabeth’s approval, he loaded all the bags into his arms and hurried out.
“Isn’t he a delight?” Abby said with a sigh, a big smile on her lips.
Elizabeth grinned. “An absolute angel.”
Abby blushed. “You’re teasing me.”
“Just a little. Russ is a good guy. Maybe not as perfect as you think, but he is a Randall, after all,” she added, thinking of B.J.’s words again. “They’re head and shoulders above most of the male population.”
“And you’re not prejudiced at all,” Abby teased.
“Maybe a little, but after Cleve, we both know I’ve sampled the dregs of the human race. I can’t believe I was so blind as to think I could marry that man.”
“At least you woke up in time.”
Before the conversation could continue, the waiter arrived with their lunch.
“Russ’s hamburger will get cold if he doesn’t hurry,” Abby worried, staring out the window that looked down on their hotel.
“It won’t be the first time Russ has eaten cold food,” Elizabeth assured her friend. “I guess that will change for him if he works for Bill Johnson.”
“Is he going to?” Abby asked, surprised. “I haven’t heard anything about him changing jobs.”
“You should ask—oh, here he is.”
Russ, a smile on his face, rejoined them. Elizabeth decided he put his chair a little closer to Abby’s this time.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Abby said with a beautiful smile that seemed to impress Russ. “I didn’t want your food to get cold.”
“No problem. It looks good.”
Elizabeth wasn’t sure he’d even looked at the food. He kept staring at Abby.
She cleared her throat to get his attention. “Abby and I were wondering if you’d come to any agreement with Bill.”
He rubbed his chin. “We’re thinking about it. He wants me to start off working half a week, see how it works out.”
“You mean you’ll be in town all day?” Abby asked. “Why, you could even have lunch with—with Elizabeth,” Abby said hurriedly, her cheeks turning red.
Elizabeth was sure Abby’s red cheeks meant she’d been thinking of herself as Russ’s lunch partner.
“Yeah, I hadn’t thought of that.”
The other two continued to discuss the possibilities of the change in Russ’s life and Elizabeth played with her food. Their enjoyment of each other’s company made her feel a little lonely. And a little envious. She’d shared a meal with Toby many a time in
“Good point,” Russ said, his body more relaxed. “I guess that’s the reason Toby hasn’t settled on a wife yet. He’s going to be twenty-eight in October. He needs to think about the future.”
Like a chorus, both women said, “He does?”
“Well, he hasn’t said that, but I reckon that’s why he’s tired of rodeoing.”
Elizabeth was torn between hoping Russ was right and worrying that he was. What if Toby started looking for a wife before she could catch his eye?
She was fully occupied worrying about her future until they reached the airport in Casper and boarded a small plane to fly down to Denver.
When they started shopping, she expected Russ to find other things to do. He could go to the rodeo grounds, or do his own shopping. Instead, he said hedidn’t really have much to shop for, so he was available to carry their packages if they wanted.
Elizabeth left the response up to Abby, knowing what her choice would be. In fact, Abby consulted Russ so often, Elizabeth could completely focus on her own wardrobe.
They broke for a late lunch. Already, they had a number of packages. After they were seated and had ordered their food, Russ suggested he run across the street to the hotel and put their purchases with the concierge where they’d left their bags earlier.
They were going to check into the hotel before they went to dinner. With Abby and Elizabeth’s approval, he loaded all the bags into his arms and hurried out.
“Isn’t he a delight?” Abby said with a sigh, a big smile on her lips.
Elizabeth grinned. “An absolute angel.”
Abby blushed. “You’re teasing me.”
“Just a little. Russ is a good guy. Maybe not as perfect as you think, but he is a Randall, after all,” she added, thinking of B.J.’s words again. “They’re head and shoulders above most of the male population.”
“And you’re not prejudiced at all,” Abby teased.
“Maybe a little, but after Cleve, we both know I’ve sampled the dregs of the human race. I can’t believe I was so blind as to think I could marry that man.”
“At least you woke up in time.”
Before the conversation could continue, the waiter arrived with their lunch.
“Russ’s hamburger will get cold if he doesn’t hurry,” Abby worried, staring out the window that looked down on their hotel.
“It won’t be the first time Russ has eaten cold food,” Elizabeth assured her friend. “I guess that will change for him if he works for Bill Johnson.”
“Is he going to?” Abby asked, surprised. “I haven’t heard anything about him changing jobs.”
“You should ask—oh, here he is.”
Russ, a smile on his face, rejoined them. Elizabeth decided he put his chair a little closer to Abby’s this time.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Abby said with a beautiful smile that seemed to impress Russ. “I didn’t want your food to get cold.”
“No problem. It looks good.”
Elizabeth wasn’t sure he’d even looked at the food. He kept staring at Abby.
She cleared her throat to get his attention. “Abby and I were wondering if you’d come to any agreement with Bill.”
He rubbed his chin. “We’re thinking about it. He wants me to start off working half a week, see how it works out.”
“You mean you’ll be in town all day?” Abby asked. “Why, you could even have lunch with—with Elizabeth,” Abby said hurriedly, her cheeks turning red.
Elizabeth was sure Abby’s red cheeks meant she’d been thinking of herself as Russ’s lunch partner.
“Yeah, I hadn’t thought of that.”
The other two continued to discuss the possibilities of the change in Russ’s life and Elizabeth played with her food. Their enjoyment of each other’s company made her feel a little lonely. And a little envious. She’d shared a meal with Toby many a time in
Similar Books
