The Cowboys and the English Teacher [Hot Off The Ranch] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Luxie Ryder Page B

mothering.
    ‘Sleep well?’ she asked. Her sudden interest seemed unusual and made Betsy even more wary. Just the previous day, she teased her about the way she’d caught her looking at Wyler, chuckling at the flustered excuses she had made before rushing off. Later, to make amends she guessed, Perdita had offered her some herbal tea, which politeness had forced her to accept despite her reservations. Secretly, she blamed the sweet but strong potion for her unsettled night, and the fact she now seemed interested in how well she had slept made her curious.
    ‘No, she didn’t sleep well at all. Maybe it was that tea you gave me?’ she probed, smiling broadly so as not to cause offence and to give her a chance to watch her reaction. Her wide, brown face maintained the beatific look she always seemed to wear, but she saw something knowing in her eyes for the briefest moment before she chased it away.
    She shook her head as she dropped her gaze with a sly smile. ‘That tea wouldn’t stop you sleeping, child. You must have something on your mind.’ Betsy heard the question in Perdita’s statement and chose to ignore it. Squirming under her scrutiny, Betsy searched for a distraction and her gaze landed on her hair. Perdita usually wore a headscarf but had chosen to go without it, displaying a beautifully intricate cane row pattern in her hair.
    ‘I did it myself. It’s for the party tonight,’ she told her when she asked. ‘You want me to do yours?’
    ‘God, no,’ she said with a little more force than necessary. She’d allowed someone to do her hair a couple of days after arriving on the island and the constant pulling on her scalp had near made her pass out. It had bloody well hurt. Betsy laughed as she explained her aversion, ‘Sorry. I’m not good with pain.’
    They got the kids settled then and the morning passed quickly. She put the conversation with Perdita behind her, scolding herself for being such a wimp. First, she’d questioned Perdita’s reasons for doing her a kindness with her gift of the tea the previous day and then Betsy had rudely refused her offer of help with her hair. Just as well the woman seemed to have the hide of a rhino and didn’t take offence easily. Still, Betsy resolved to be a little more considerate of her feelings in the future.
    Betsy’s resolve to be nicer to Perdita was tested quicker than she expected when the woman found her later, eating lunch on a patch of grass at the side of the school. ‘You wanna come to my party?’ she asked, making Betsy jump in surprise as she snuck up on her again.
    ‘When is it?’
    ‘Tonight.’
    She wanted to refuse, out of exhaustion rather than any personal reason. School had finished for the week and she knew she had the next couple of days off, but still, just the thought of getting ready for and then actually attending the party made her feel tired. Even so, when she looked up into Perdita’s open, friendly face, she knew she couldn’t refuse. ‘Where is it and what time should I arrive?’ She smiled as her reply made the woman exceedingly happy for some reason. ‘Do I need to bring anything like food or wine?’
    ‘No,’ Perdita scolded with a frown, and she reminded herself that taking food to a Mexican woman’s house was considered a huge insult because it implied that there would not be enough to eat.
    Betsy apologized quickly. Thankfully, Perdita’s smile didn’t disappear for long. ‘Don’t worry about that. I will provide all you need. You just bring yourself and those friends of yours.’
    ‘Friends?’ she said, like she didn’t know who Perdita could mean. The woman rolled her eyes and put her hands on her ample hips as if refusing to play along with the silly game. Betsy couldn’t keep up the façade. ‘Oh, you mean Jack and Wyler?’
    ‘They can drive you.’ Perdita ignored her attempt at acting nonchalant.
    ‘Hang on. We don’t even know if they want to come yet.’
    Perdita chuckled again. ‘I