got something to tell us, little sister?” Abby Joy asked.
“I am not pregnant, and I’m glowing because I just got out of a hot shower, and y’all are making me blush,” Bonnie said.
“Good God!” Shiloh gasped. “Bonnie blushing? I didn’t think she had it in her to do that.”
“Don’t make me laugh.” Abby Joy giggled. “With this baby lyin’ heavy on my bladder, if I laugh too hard we’ll be turning around and goin’ back home to get me a pair of dry underwear.”
Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest. “Y’all are bad sisters today.”
“We wouldn’t be if you’d tell us who you went home with last night,” Shiloh told her.
“I left the Sugar Shack and came home. End of story,” Bonnie said.
“Well, dammit!” Shiloh sighed. “I wanted to hear a more exciting story than that on the way to the mall.”
“Three sassy sisters livin’ on a ranch, one got married and went away. Two sassy sisters livin’ on a ranch, one got married and went away. One sassy sister livin’ on a ranch, she’s all confused and don’t know what to do…” Bonnie said. “Is that story good enough for you?”
“Double dammit!” Abby Joy swore. “Now I’ve got that worm in my head about the little monkeys.”
“Good.” Bonnie smiled. “Serves y’all right. I hope that song haunts you all day.”
“Seriously,” Shiloh said, “have you given some thought to what you intend to do about the ranch.”
“Yes, but I’ve got a question for both of you.” Bonnie nodded. “Y’all fell in love with someone and left, so evidently, it isn’t hard to move off the ranch. But do you have any regrets now that time has passed? Both of you could have been in love and still put off leaving until the year was up. You could have even spent a night away at a time now and then, like Shiloh did when Waylon was hurt. As long as you didn’t actually move away, both of you could have still been in for a share of the ranch.”
“I don’t have a single regret,” Abby Joy answered without hesitation. “But then, I was in love with Cooper, and love trumps all the dirt in Texas in my books.”
“I don’t have regrets either,” Shiloh said. “Both of you know, I was having doubts about staying on the ranch anyway. Following the terms of that will made me feel like Ezra had control over my life, and even if I had half ownership with you, Bonnie, it was”—she paused—“I can’t explain the feeling, but I can tell you that when I made up my mind to leave, it felt like the chains dropped off my heart. Like Abby Joy, I was in love with Waylon, so that had a bearing on it, I’m sure, but I was relieved that Ezra wasn’t running my life anymore.”
“He really was an old sumbitch, wasn’t he?” Bonnie whispered. “Do you wonder why he made his will the way he did? Why would he even care if we ever knew each other? I mean”—she took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh—“I’m glad we have gotten acquainted, but why?”
“Can’t answer that,” Abby Joy replied. “I’m glad I came to the funeral, and that y’all did too, but understanding why Ezra did anything he did is impossible, and I’ve tried.”
“Me too.” Shiloh nodded.
“Thanks for being honest.” Bonnie turned to look out the side window. She tried to imagine simply moving off the ranch and relinquishing all her rights to it to Rusty, but she didn’t want to leave him. They made a great team, and he needed her right now, here in the busy season.
* * *
Rusty knocked on the door of Cooper’s ranch house and then poked his head inside. “Where are y’all at?”
“In the living room,” Cooper called out. “Come on in. The bareback bronc riding is about to begin. Bull riding comes after that.”
Rusty carried a six-pack of cold beer through the kitchen and the foyer and into the living room where Cooper and Waylon were already stretched out in a couple of recliners. He twisted the top off two bottles and handed one to each of them. Then he sat down on the sofa, propped his boots on an oversize hassock, and uncapped a beer for himself.
“Heard you didn’t close down the Sugar Shack last night,” Cooper said. “You sick or something?”
“Nope, just got bored with it. Sandy was drunk.” Rusty took a long drink of his beer.
“Sandy’s always drunk. Woman can’t