wedding Friday night. His free hand squeezed Mattie’s fingers, warm and dainty beneath his own. Eager to spend a few hours in her company, he’d settled his father in at the ranch and arranged for Mildred to look after him until they returned. The night was theirs.
He peered over at the doc, dressed in the ruffled skirt and denim jacket he’d admired before. “You look good in that color.”
“You look nice too.” She smiled.
Gil lifted his hand from hers and twirled a long curl in his finger, loving the silky texture as it wrapped against his skin. “You said to dress casual.”
“My cousin doesn’t like fancy parties. The wedding’s a small affair with a barbecue at her parents’ house afterwards.”
Gil nodded, wondering what it would be like to see Mattie’s mom and dad. He vaguely remembered meeting them at Frank’s funeral. Then of course, there was Jenna to contend with. He hoped she wouldn’t cause trouble, but just in case, he planned to whisk Mattie away so they could talk. “You still willing to leave early?”
Mattie’s eyes sparkled. “Most definitely. As soon as we can escape.”
THE WEDDING WAS SHORT AND SIMPLE LIKE MATTIE PREDICTED. GIL held her hand as they walked to the outdoor reception, imagining the conversation he would have with her later, and how she’d respond. If it went well, the two of them might be considering a future together.
“Shall we get this over with?” Mattie motioned to where her parents stood by a blossoming redbud tree as the evening dusk settled around them.
“Come on, it won’t be that bad.” He prompted her forward by the elbow. When they reached her parents, Mattie introduced him with a guarded voice.
He stretched out his hand to Mattie’s father, a tall gentleman dressed in a gray western suit. “It’s nice to meet you again.” He turned to Mrs. Evans and nodded. She smiled up at him, the resemblance to Mattie uncanny.
Mr. Evans scratched his chin. “You’re Frank’s younger brother, right? I remember meeting you years ago.”
“He’s the owner of the horse Mattie’s treating.” Mrs. Evans told her husband in a matter-of-fact way and nudged his arm. “We hoped to meet you tonight, since we missed seeing you when we moved Mattie to the ranch. Mattie told us you played for the 49ers —remember, Owen?”
“Weren’t you in Jenna’s class in school? I seem to remember you getting a scholarship to Oklahoma State.” He skimmed the crowd as though in search of someone. “Have you seen Jenna and Bridgett? They were here a minute ago.”
While Mr. Evans went off in search of his missing daughters, Gil pulled Mattie to the side. “Are you thirsty?” His throat felt suddenly dry.
“Yes, but don’t leave me alone too long.” She squeezed his hand, her fingers lingering on his.
Not prepared to deal with Jenna, he escaped to the barn where they were holding the reception. For several minutes, he stood in line at the punch table and nodded to those he recognized. He listened to the twanging chords of the guitars as a western band warmed up on a makeshift stage. When his turn finally came, he filled two plastic cups with pink punch. Then a woman held out a third cup for him to fill.
He peered up and saw Jenna smiling at him.
“I’ve been looking all over for you,” she crooned. “Mattie said she was bringing you. I’m glad you came. This party is severely lacking.”
Gil’s lip curled as he politely poured punch into her cup. “What, you don’t enjoy talking about the weather, or hearing about Farmer Jones’s cows and goats?”
Jenna groaned. “What I want is to hear about you,” she said and latched onto his arm. The flimsy, orange material of her dress brushed against his skin. “It’s been a long time, Gil. Too long.”
He managed to pull away, then picked up his cups, determined to leave the woman behind. “I’m sorry, Jenna. Mattie’s waiting for her drink. Maybe we can talk later.”
Jenna took Mattie’s cup from him and downed the punch in one long swallow. “Let’s talk now.” She licked the pink froth from her lips and set his other cup on the table.
FORTY-FOUR
“WHAT ARE YOU UP TO, JENNA?” GIL FOLLOWED HER, WARY OF HER intentions.
She led him behind the barn to a grove of cedars, away from the noise of the wedding party. “I only want a few minutes of your time. Don’t worry about Mattie. I’m sure Mother’s drilling her with a thousand questions by now.” She pulled a cigarette from