LITMIR.BIZ

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“Do you have time to take a break? I need some advice.”

      Amanda said a word to her second in command and slid onto the bench seat with a sigh. “Success is killing me,” she said. But the smug pride on her face told a different story.

      “You love it,” Mellie said.

      “True. What’s up, girlfriend? It’s not like you to drop by in the middle of the day.”

      Mellie played with the saltshaker, feeling the tops of her ears warm. This was embarrassing. “I may have done something stupid.”

      Amanda leaned in, her elbows on the table, hands clasped under her chin. “Do tell. Are we talking five-hundred-dollar-shoes stupid or forgot-to-thaw-the-chicken-for-dinner stupid?”

      “It’s more of a personal matter.”

      “Oh. My. Gosh. You’ve had sex.”

      “No. Well, sort of. But not really. You’re missing the point.”

      Amanda raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to give you a lesson about the birds and the bees? Was there nudity involved? Skin-to-skin contact? At your age, I’d think you’d be pretty clear about the definition.”

      Mellie glanced around wildly, making sure no one was in earshot. “Lower your voice, please,” she hissed. “I’d rather this not end up on the evening news.”

      “Who is it?” Amanda demanded. “The new wrangler over at Hartley Ranch? Or, no, it’s the dentist...right? He’s asked you out a half dozen times and you finally said yes.”

      Mellie smiled, despite her turmoil. “It’s not the dentist. He kept wanting to whiten my teeth...not at all romantic.”

      “Then who?”

      “Back up,” Mellie said. “I didn’t have sex. Or at least not all the way. More like teenagers in the back of a car.”

      Amanda appeared to be struck dumb, her eyes wide with astonishment. “It’s like I don’t even know you,” she said.

      Mellie wondered suddenly if she should have kept things to herself. But she couldn’t move forward without at least an amateur second opinion. She decided to come at the situation from another angle. “I’ve been invited to the party at the Cattleman’s Club Saturday night.”

      “Okayyyy... So what’s the stupid thing you did?”

      “I said no.”

      “Ah. And now you want to change your mind.”

      “Maybe. But what if he’s already asked someone else?”

      “Is that likely?”

      “I’m not sure. He was mad when I turned him down. Said he wasn’t going to ask again. That I would have to tell him if I wanted to go.” She fudged a bit. That wasn’t exactly how Case had phrased it. He’d said Mellie would have to say she wanted him.

      “I still haven’t heard a name.” Amanda’s brow creased.

      “The who isn’t important. Because even if I decide to contact him, I don’t have a dress to wear.”

      “That part’s easy.” Amanda sat back and took a sip of the iced tea she’d brought with her to the table. “Last year when Nathan and I were invited to the governor’s mansion for a law enforcement ball, I bought a dress I never wore. I decided the color didn’t work for me and the skirt was way too long and too hard to hem. But the dress was on clearance, so I couldn’t return it. You and I are about the same size. Plus, you’re taller, so I think it will work. Why don’t I bring it by your house this evening?”

      “That would be great.” Except that Mellie had been counting on a lack of wardrobe choices as her reason not to go to the party.

      Amanda glanced at her watch. “I’ve gotta get back to work. I’ll text you when I’m on my way...okay?”

      “Sure.”

      Amanda stood and tapped the table with her finger. “You can’t keep his name a secret forever. If the dress works, the price for my fashion donation is full disclosure.”

      “I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal about this. If I end up going, you’ll find out who it is. You and Nathan will be at the party...right?”

      “Of course...but I hate surprises. So you might as well tell me tonight.”

      * * *

      By 6:00 p.m. Mellie chickened out and sent a text to Amanda.

      Changed my mind about the party. Thanks anyway.

      Amanda was not so easily dissuaded. She showed up at Mellie’s house half an hour later, garment bag in hand. When Mellie answered the door, Amanda frowned at her. “I never figured you for a coward.”

      Mellie stepped back, shrugging helplessly. “I’m not a coward. But it’s complicated.”

      “Isn’t it always?” Amanda placed the long black bag on Mellie’s coffee table and sat down on the sofa.

      Mellie took the chair opposite. “I’ve waited too long to say yes. It’s a moot point now. Sorry you came for nothing.”

      Amanda stared at her. “Tell me who it is.”

      “Case.” Even saying his name out loud made Mellie shiver with a combination of anticipation and dread.

      “Case who? Your boss?”

      Apparently, Mellie was right. The idea that Case Baxter might invite his housekeeper to the most important event of the year was inconceivable. “Yes.”

      At last Amanda grasped the enormity of the situation. Her jaw dropped. “Case Baxter invited you to be his date for the party honoring him as the new president of the Texas Cattleman’s Club and you turned him down?” That last part ended on a screech.

      Mellie winced. “Yes.”

      Silence reigned for long minutes. Amanda looked at Mellie as if she were some kind of alien being. “I didn’t think you even knew Case until you started cleaning his house.”

      “I didn’t. But when he got sick and I helped him out a bit, we...um...”

      “Fell madly in lust with each other?”

      Mellie couldn’t decide if Amanda was scandalized or delighted. “I didn’t even like him at first,” Mellie said. “He’s arrogant and bossy and opinionated...”

      “In other words, a Texas male. It’s in their DNA, Mellie.”

      “Maybe.”

      “But you got past that first impression, obviously.”

      “I still think he’s all of those things, but when he was so sick, I saw another side of him. A human side. A vulnerable side.”

      “Oh, dear.”

      “What?”

      “You’re falling for the guy.”

      “Don’t be silly. He’s handsome, and when you get to know him, not so bad, but this isn’t about anything long-term.”

      “So why did you turn him down?”

      A very good question. “He’s the guest of honor Saturday night. He’ll be in the spotlight. I’m not a center-of-attention kind of girl.”

      “So?”

      “I shouldn’t even have mentioned this to you. I’m not going, so it doesn’t matter.”

      “Try on the dress. And don’t argue.” Amanda could be like a dog with a bone when she wanted something.

      “Fine. But only because you won’t leave me alone until I do.” Mellie snatched up the dress in its protective covering and hurried down the hall to her bedroom, trying to ignore

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