The Cowboy's Mail Order Bride by Carolyn Brown

Author:Carolyn Brown
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781402280528
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2014-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Dotty clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, ladies and cowboys, here’s the way we’re doing things tonight. We’ve got eight players so we’re going to run two tables. No partners tonight, just straight-out playing. At the end of the night we’ll have a loser from each table, so we’ll toss a coin to see who hosts next week’s game. I’ve got eight names on paper slips in this bowl. I’m going to divide them evenly. First bunch will sit at this table right here.” She tapped the one in front of her. “Second will take the second table over by the fireplace.”

Clarice held up a palm. “Before we start, I want everyone to know that Emily lost last week and that she did her own cooking. Dotty offered to help and so did I, but she said that it was her loss and she’d do her duty. And you are in for a treat.” She pointed to a tray at the end of the table. Emily had really enjoyed cooking “armadillo toes”—the bacon and cheese wrapped around the jalapeño coated the mouth and kept the heat at a minimum, and she knew her pecan floozies were a mouthwatering treat. Both were among her grandfather’s favorites.

“And,” Dotty held up a hand to hold off the applause, “my kitchen is clean and my oven is spotless, so Emily is welcome to cook in my kitchen anytime she wants to.”

Itchy heat started on Emily’s neck and crept to her cheeks as they all applauded. A quick look around the room netted her a wink from Madge, a big smile from Max, a brief nod from Greg, and a smile from Prissy.

“Maybe you could teach me how to cook,” Prissy whispered.

“Don’t let all that fanfare fool you, ma’am. I’m not all that great. I just made something no one else has,” she whispered back.

Dotty picked out four papers and said, “Rose, Clarice, Madge, and I will play right here. Guess that leaves the rest of you—Emily, Max, Greg, and Prissy—to play at that table. No fists, as little cussin’ as possible, and no bloodshed. Loser at both tables is up for next week’s host. Coin toss will decide the real loser.”

She raised her voice and held up her fist. “Now play dominoes! I always wanted to say that.”

“Well, ain’t I the lucky one,” Max whispered to Greg.

Prissy sighed loudly.

“Something wrong?” Emily asked.

“Nothing anyone can fix but me,” she said.

Greg and Max seated Emily and Prissy and then settled into the remaining chairs. Max turned the dominoes upside down and shuffled them. Greg gave each player seven and the game began.

“Where’s the gold ones?” Emily asked.

“My dominoes. My table,” Clarice said. “You can lose just as well with black and white ones, my child.”

Prissy finally smiled. “We really should go to lunch sometime, Emily. I could use an opinion from someone who doesn’t know me so well.”

“We’ll give you our opinion,” Rose raised her voice.

“You know me,” Prissy said.

Prissy was on Greg’s left, Emily on his right, and Max across the table from him.

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