Taming a Texas Devil - Katie Lane Page 0,10
those years were wasted and put the hare-brained scheme in your head of using your grandmother’s money to become some beauty pageant instructor. And I flat refuse to let that happen. You are a Meriwether and Meriwethers are lawyers, judges, and politicians.”
“Mama’s not.”
“Your mama is a Hanover. She was brought up with different expectations than you.”
“Well, maybe I want to be a Hanover. Hold on, Daddy.” She put her phone on mute and hurried to hold the door open for a little old woman who was just coming out of the Simple Hair Salon. She sucked in her breath with fear when she saw who the woman was.
Gertrude Dixon owned the Dixon Boardinghouse with her niece Reba. While Reba was as sweet as apple pie. Miss Gertie was as sour as sugarless lemonade. As was her hairless cat, which sat in the basket attached to the walker.
“Good afternoon, Miss Gertie.” She went to scratch the cat’s head and received a mean hiss for her efforts. She pulled back and forced a laugh. “I guess you’re the same as usual, Rhett Butler.”
Both the cat and the old woman glared at her.
“So you’re still here?” Miss Gertie said. “I thought you’d left with that horse’s behind, Willaby.”
“No, ma’am. I’m still on the job.” Just hopefully, not for long.
Miss Gertie snorted. “I don’t know what job you’re talking about when every time I see you, you’re either gabbing on your smarty phone or applying lipstick.” She shook her head as she rolled the walker right over Dixie’s boot. “What in tarnation is this town comin’ to?”
The woman did have a good point. Simple hadn’t exactly won out in the law enforcement department. Dixie felt a little guilty about that and decided right then and there to do everything in her power to make sure they got a better deputy next time around.
“Nice to see you, Miss Gertie,” Dixie called after her before she took her father off hold. “Sorry, Daddy. So where were we?”
“You were telling me that you wanted to be a Hanover instead of a Meriwether. And while I’d rather see you follow in my footsteps, I won’t have any problem with you being like your mama and getting married and giving me some grandkids. There’s a new young man on my staff that reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. If you’ll quit playing this game you’re playing and come on home, I’ll make the introductions.”
“So now you’re going to arrange a marriage for me, Daddy? I don’t think so.” When she married—if she married—she wasn’t going to marry anyone like her father. She wanted a husband as malleable as silly putty.
“Then you’re not getting your grandmother’s money,” he said. “She wanted me to decide when you were mature enough to get it, and this little charade you’re playing proves you aren’t mature at all.”
Dixie stomped her foot in frustration as she stopped in front of the Simple Market. Her daddy had just put her in check. But she wasn’t giving up yet. She hadn’t been given the role of Sandy in her high school production of Grease for nothing. She had enough acting chops to fool her father.
“I’m going be honest with you, Daddy,” she said. “At first, I did decide to be in law enforcement just so you would give in and give me Granny’s money. But after going to the academy and becoming a deputy, I’ve realized the importance of this job. I can’t just wile away my days giving myself facials and painting my toes. It’s my job to protect and serve the people. Especially with Sheriff Willaby gone. Why, the entire responsibility of the county falls to me now. And I need to take that responsibility seriously. I couldn’t just quit, Daddy. Crime would run rampant.”
“Crime? Your mama might think you’re working in a cesspool of sin, but I’ve been to Simple, Texas, and the only crime happening there is the name. Who in their right mind would name a town Simple?”
“I like the name. And I don’t know when you’ve been here last, but things aren’t as simple as they used to be. There’s plenty of crime here.” It wasn’t really a lie. There had to be crime here. She just had no desire to find it.
“Crime in Simple? What? Did someone steal a chicken?” He laughed his full-belly laugh.
She gritted her teeth. She hated to be laughed at. Especially by her daddy. Which explained the crazy thing she did