queen, but Hutch knew she was capable of tropical heat.
Meanwhile, Kendra struggled bravely on, determined to make her point, whatever the heck that was. “No—I mean—well, I suppose we could discuss it now—”
“That’s fine, too,” Hutch said amiably, relishing the exchange.
“Yes, Madison,” she said to her daughter, who could be heard asking questions in the background, “you do have to wash your hands before supper. You’ve been petting the dog, for Pete’s sake.”
Hutch chuckled at that. “I’ll stop by later tonight,” he offered. “What time does Madison go to bed?”
“Eight,” Kendra said weakly.
“Then I’ll be there around eight-thirty.”
There was a pause, during which Hutch half expected Kendra to change her mind, tell him there was no need to come over in person because she could just say what she had to say right there on the phone.
Except that, for whatever reason, Kendra didn’t seem to want Madison to be privy to what was said.
“Eight-thirty,” Kendra confirmed, sighing the words.
Hutch agreed on the time, set his phone aside and hurried home, where he fed the horses, took a shower, wolfed down cold chicken and potato salad, leftovers from the meal Opal had served over at Boone’s earlier in the day, and checked the clock about every five minutes.
It wasn’t even six yet.
He’d done everything that needed doing at warp-speed, it seemed. What the hell was he supposed to do with the two and a half hours still to go before he could show up on Kendra’s doorstep?
“You’ve sure got a burr under your hide about something,” Opal commented, putting away the remains of the feast. She’d left some of the overflow with Boone and given shares to the ranch hands who’d helped out with the work, too. Nobody turned down Opal’s potato salad, ever. “Jumpy as a cat on a griddle, that’s what you are.”
Good-naturedly, Hutch elbowed her aside and took over the job she’d been doing, shoving chicken and potato salad every which way into the fridge. “Why don’t you take the night off?” he asked companionably, when he thought enough time had elapsed so the question wouldn’t sound contrived.
“Given that I don’t work for you in the first place,” Opal informed him, “that’s an interesting suggestion. What are you up to, Hutch Carmody? You planning on heading back to the Boot Scoot Tavern again tonight, looking to drum up some more trouble?”
He laughed. “No,” he said. “I’m not going to the Boot Scoot, and never mind that, it’s none of your business if I do.”
Opal’s eyes were sly, even suspicious. “There’s Bingo tonight,” she said. “I never miss a game, especially when I’m on a lucky streak. Since I’m headed into town anyway, I could drop you someplace, pick you up later on.”
“I do my own driving these days,” he reminded her dryly. “Have been since the day I got my license.”
“Fine,” Opal said with a sniff, untying her apron and heading for her part of the house, presumably to get dolled up for a big night wielding Bingo daubers in the basement of the Elks’ Club. “Don’t tell me what’s going on. It isn’t as if I won’t find out sooner or later. All I’ve got to do is keep my ear to the ground and sure enough, somebody will mention seeing you tonight, and they’ll have the details, too.”
Hutch laughed again, shook his head. He’d have sworn he’d never miss being nagged by a woman, but he surely had. Having Opal around was like having a mom again—a good feeling, even if it was a bit on the constricting side. “I’m going to see Kendra,” he admitted. “And don’t ask me why, because the whole thing was her idea and I don’t have the first clue what she wants.”
Opal’s eyes were suddenly alight with mischievous supposition. “Well, now,” she said. “Kendra wants to see you. As for what she wants, anybody but a big dumb cowboy like you would know that from the get-go.” She paused to reflect for a few moments, and at the tail end of the thought process, she was looking a little less delighted than before. “You get on the wrong side of her again? Is that it?”
“I’m always on the wrong side of Kendra,” Hutch said lightly. But the view is good from any direction.
Opal shuffled past him, yanked open the refrigerator, and neatly rearranged everything he’d just shoved in there. “Make sure you pick up some flowers on your way over,” she instructed, dusting her hands together as she turned to