hands took the things away. "Let me help," Will said smoothly. "Where do you want these?"
Consuela pointed. "Queenie will show you."
"I will?"
The older woman's mouth thinned. "Yes."
They exchanged a gaze that had Queenie sighing with resignation. This was more of do the right thing undoubtedly.
"Right. Okay."
Once Will had put the items down, he turned to Queenie. She tried to give him a neutral look, but she knew she looked irritated instead. She didn't want to deal with him. She didn't want to have a pleasant conversation. He would demand answers to questions she didn't want to consider.
"You look lovely," he began.
"Thanks." He looked pretty damn good in his western dress shirt and black jeans, too. He had fancy, black leather suspenders with leather fasteners on as well. Will was a handsome man, but she wasn't going to tell him.
"I've been thinking about you over the last couple of days."
"Oh."
He sighed. "So, that's the way it's going to be, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"One syllable comments. Surly looks. Are you going to start pelting me with food, too?"
The idea made her smile a little, but she quickly put her grin away. "Should I?"
"If it would make you marry me, go ahead."
"I don't want to talk about it."
He nodded toward her father and brothers. "Have you told them yet?"
"I told my father and Consuela." She watched him stand a little straighter.
"Good. What about everyone else?"
It was a question she'd been struggling with, but she didn't want to admit it. "The timing isn't right."
"I see." The way he said it suggested that he thought she was procrastinating and it made her bristle.
"No you don't."
"Oh yes I do."
"You have no idea."
"I think I do."
"No you don't!"
Gabby walked over and smiled. "Bickering?"
Will smiled. "No, of course not. Congratulations on your engagement, by the way."
"I need to go talk to my father," Queenie said, her body tense. What she wanted was a nice cold beer, but she couldn't have that. Not for a long time. "Excuse me."
"Wait," Gabby said, holding up a camera. "I want a picture of you two."
Queenie felt her brows draw together. "What for?"
"My memory album."
Will laughed. "Oh, it'll be memorable, alright."
Queenie confronted him, hands on her hips. "Just what do you mean by that, Will Mazie?"
"Your frown will remind Gabby exactly how…delightful…you can be. It's a common expression for you, isn't it?"
Eyes narrowing, Queenie, got in his face. "You were going to say 'bitchy', weren't you?"
Now he was annoyed. Queenie saw his face darken. "If the shoe fits…"
"Oh! You are such an ass…big jerk!"
Gabby's head swiveled between them, her eyes big and round, but Queenie barely spared her a glance.
"Don't take that tone with me, Queenie Journey!"
Gabby let out a little 'oh!' when Queenie swung her arm to slap him. Will easily caught her wrist before she could connect. They struggled for a minute, and Queenie felt her blood boiling, completely incensed by his smug expression. As she stomped on his instep with her high-heeled dressy cowboy boot, he grunted and released her, hopping around before he grabbed her up by the waist and hauled her over his shoulder. The way he controlled settling her in place so carefully would have been tender if she hadn't been so mad.
Everyone in the yard stood and stared. The DJ had barely finished setting up, but Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" played like a warning to Queenie.
Queenie screamed invectives at Will, totally embarrassed by her ignominious position.
"Hey! Don't y'all just stand there," she hollered. "Somebody help me!" One of her dogs barked, but it sounded like enthusiasm. Even the dogs were against her!
Maybe her father was going to help; his posture changed. But all he did was take a puff on his cigarette. "You gonna do her harm, son?"
"No, sir. We're going to have a little…conversation."
Deuce, the only Journey with his mother's pale blue eyes, nodded and chuckled. "I love a good chat
Consuela pointed. "Queenie will show you."
"I will?"
The older woman's mouth thinned. "Yes."
They exchanged a gaze that had Queenie sighing with resignation. This was more of do the right thing undoubtedly.
"Right. Okay."
Once Will had put the items down, he turned to Queenie. She tried to give him a neutral look, but she knew she looked irritated instead. She didn't want to deal with him. She didn't want to have a pleasant conversation. He would demand answers to questions she didn't want to consider.
"You look lovely," he began.
"Thanks." He looked pretty damn good in his western dress shirt and black jeans, too. He had fancy, black leather suspenders with leather fasteners on as well. Will was a handsome man, but she wasn't going to tell him.
"I've been thinking about you over the last couple of days."
"Oh."
He sighed. "So, that's the way it's going to be, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"One syllable comments. Surly looks. Are you going to start pelting me with food, too?"
The idea made her smile a little, but she quickly put her grin away. "Should I?"
"If it would make you marry me, go ahead."
"I don't want to talk about it."
He nodded toward her father and brothers. "Have you told them yet?"
"I told my father and Consuela." She watched him stand a little straighter.
"Good. What about everyone else?"
It was a question she'd been struggling with, but she didn't want to admit it. "The timing isn't right."
"I see." The way he said it suggested that he thought she was procrastinating and it made her bristle.
"No you don't."
"Oh yes I do."
"You have no idea."
"I think I do."
"No you don't!"
Gabby walked over and smiled. "Bickering?"
Will smiled. "No, of course not. Congratulations on your engagement, by the way."
"I need to go talk to my father," Queenie said, her body tense. What she wanted was a nice cold beer, but she couldn't have that. Not for a long time. "Excuse me."
"Wait," Gabby said, holding up a camera. "I want a picture of you two."
Queenie felt her brows draw together. "What for?"
"My memory album."
Will laughed. "Oh, it'll be memorable, alright."
Queenie confronted him, hands on her hips. "Just what do you mean by that, Will Mazie?"
"Your frown will remind Gabby exactly how…delightful…you can be. It's a common expression for you, isn't it?"
Eyes narrowing, Queenie, got in his face. "You were going to say 'bitchy', weren't you?"
Now he was annoyed. Queenie saw his face darken. "If the shoe fits…"
"Oh! You are such an ass…big jerk!"
Gabby's head swiveled between them, her eyes big and round, but Queenie barely spared her a glance.
"Don't take that tone with me, Queenie Journey!"
Gabby let out a little 'oh!' when Queenie swung her arm to slap him. Will easily caught her wrist before she could connect. They struggled for a minute, and Queenie felt her blood boiling, completely incensed by his smug expression. As she stomped on his instep with her high-heeled dressy cowboy boot, he grunted and released her, hopping around before he grabbed her up by the waist and hauled her over his shoulder. The way he controlled settling her in place so carefully would have been tender if she hadn't been so mad.
Everyone in the yard stood and stared. The DJ had barely finished setting up, but Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" played like a warning to Queenie.
Queenie screamed invectives at Will, totally embarrassed by her ignominious position.
"Hey! Don't y'all just stand there," she hollered. "Somebody help me!" One of her dogs barked, but it sounded like enthusiasm. Even the dogs were against her!
Maybe her father was going to help; his posture changed. But all he did was take a puff on his cigarette. "You gonna do her harm, son?"
"No, sir. We're going to have a little…conversation."
Deuce, the only Journey with his mother's pale blue eyes, nodded and chuckled. "I love a good chat
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