The Last Cowboy In Texas (20 page)

But now, he faced an uncertain fate. How was he supposed to know she’d be so damn sensitive to having her parents help he succeed in her writing career? She should have been happy they’d paved the way for her. He was no writer but he knew enough about business matters that she should take every advantage offered to her, no holds barred. If her dad had an in with a publisher, so much the better.

Damn it, she should understand that it would still be her writing that either made the grade or failed. At least, with a few books published, she had a chance for success. He sure as hell wished he’d had anything equivalent to that in the real estate industry. After looking at his watch for the hundredth time, then glancing in the direction of the phone, he stomped out to his car and headed for Branson.

* * *

JT had decided on a noon ceremony, followed by a huge banquet set up in the great hall. Then his band, augmented by a number of celebrity musicians from the area, would host a dance until six. Finally, a private dinner for the wedding party would be held at an exclusive restaurant.

Aggie went over the plans again as she waited for Paige to show up. She needed help with her dress and train. Mostly, she needed her good friend to buoy her spirits. For some crazy reason, she’d gotten a bad case of the jitters overnight.

When Paige came into the quarters that had been set aside for the bride, Aggie leaped across the room and hugged her. “Where have you been, girl? I was afraid you overslept or something. I need help.”

“Don’t we all?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Sorry. I’ve been in a grumpy mood this morning, that’s all. Now let’s get you dressed so we can get this show on the road, so to speak.”

Aggie smiled. “Okay! That’s the Paige I remember. I tried to get this thing buttoned and zipped but you can see I failed miserably.”

Paige stared at Aggie and sighed. “Turn around so I can finish zipping the back for you.” She got the zipper up, though the bride’s measurements had increased since the fitting. “I think we should leave the train off until the last moment. You’ll probably have to go to the bathroom just before you walk down the aisle.”

Aggie laughed. “Yeah. I’ve already gone six times and I’m ready for the seventh. I guess this is to be expected when you’re expecting.”

“Funny girl. It’s to be expected when you’re about to sign over your entire life to a man you hardly know.”

“Paige, that’s not fair. I know all I need to know about JT. And my life has already changed so much, a little bit more won’t even be noticed.”

“Don’t count on it. Men change. Amend that. Some men change. Some never do, even when they should.”

“Now you’re talking in some kind of code again. What did you mean by that?”

“Oh, nothing much. Don’t worry about me, Aggie. I can take care of myself.”

“I thought that, too. Just look at how well I was doing before JT came along.”

She shook her head and stared straight into Paige’s puzzled eyes. “Sometimes, you have to take a stand, but other times it’s best to just let things come together for you.”

Paige frowned, puzzled all the more by Aggie’s words of wisdom. How could she know what was going on in Paige’s world? “Have you talked to
Troy
today?”

“No. Why?”

“It doesn’t matter. Have you heard my good news?”

Aggie’s eyebrows lifted. “You getting married?”

“No! Where did you get an idea like that?”

“No idea. I just kind of hoped you and
Troy
would be getting things worked out. That’s all.”

“That’s all, all right. No, I meant my good news that a publisher has offered a contract for the novels I’ve written.”

“Really! That’s wonderful, Paige. How soon can I buy them and read them?”

“I’m not sure. They want the first one right away, so maybe six months, a year. The rest will come out later.”

“The rest? You’ve sold more than one?”

“Not me. That’s the bad part about the good news. My parents, wonderful enablers that they are, sent my stuff in without asking or telling me about it. They thought it would be a great surprise for me.”

“Well, I bet it was. That’s wonderful.”

“Yeah, I guess. Now I’m going to have to get to work polishing the others before I send them in.”

“How many did you or your folks send in?”

“Just one, but the publisher want four in all. I have three finished, including the one my folks sent. The fourth is about half done. I’ll have to go back, though, to polish the second and third ones before finishing number four.”

“Sounds like a dream come true. I’m so happy for you, Paige.”

“Yeah. It does, doesn’t it?”

She blinked rapidly as a thought flashed through her head. Her future had just come into sharp focus and she knew now what she had to do. But first, they had a wedding to pull off. “Aggie, I’m going to go out to see if we need to do anything else while we wait for the music to begin.”

“Okay, but don’t stay away long. I’m already getting jitters from waiting around by myself.”

“I’ll be right back.” She went through the door but didn’t go to the front of the room. Instead, she slipped into an empty storage room and pulled her smart phone out. Within a minute, she’d found several motels in the area she’d envisioned spending the night.
Time to get out of Dodge.

It would take a half day’s drive to get to the location she had in mind. Before that, an hour to pack while her folks were out of the house. Getting Cil to go with her dad would be the real trick. Calculating the time, she dialed a well-known motel chain and set a reservation for the evening.

On her way back to Aggie, she decided she’d travel light. No need for heavy winter clothing where she was going, so she’d leave her cool weather wardrobe at home. With each step, her confidence grew. She could write from anywhere, and with contracts in hand, she’d be able to fulfill its requirements without further ado from mom or dad.

Or from
Troy
.

Chapter Thirteen

The wedding was one for the books. JT looked more like a tall Brad Pitt than the country music singer he was. Aggie looked like, well, the picture of a healthy young woman in love with life. Her gorgeous red hair had been coiffed by Branson’s best, and crowned her spotless glowing face as she strode down the aisle to the man of her dreams.

All in all, it was a classic wedding in a not-so-classic setting. Aggie’s parents were pleasant enough when Paige met them, though she knew their reserved nature had kept them from making a scene. It was clear to Paige that they still did not approve of their new son-in-law, and probably never would. Not that it mattered to Aggie in the least, a fact she’d made perfectly clear to her mom in Paige’s presence.

Troy
behaved with impeccable grace, to Paige’s relief. He said nothing of the night before, or of his proposal. She had to wonder if he’d said those things in the context of finally getting what he wanted from her. Surely, he wouldn’t have stooped to relying on a pledge of faithful love and an expensive ring just to bed her. Would he?

The more she thought about it, the more she became convinced that was exactly what she’d let herself in for; a proposal of marriage when she was feeling guilty for having let him have his way with her. Well, she’d show him a thing or two. Her parents, too. When they found her gone, they’d have second thoughts about how they’d treated her.

* * *

By the time the banquet was in progress, Paige had given more thought to her escape plan. Better to slip out now while everyone’s attention was riveted on the wedding couple and the festivities. She figured she had at least an hour to go home, pack, and head south before she would be missed to the point that they’d start looking for her.

As an adult, she’d have at least a day before the authorities could legally start a search for her as a missing person. By then, she’d have sent a message to her dad’s computer at the paper office explaining what she was up to. She’d reveal part of her scheme, enough that they’d leave her alone. As for
Troy
, well, it was none of his damn business.

She waited for the traditional toasts to the bride and groom before excusing herself to go to the restroom. Cil and Ozzie were busily engaged in conversation with Aggie’s folks and didn’t even notice she’d left the hall.

At home, she changed into jeans and a tee, leaving the bridesmaid’s dress on her bed for Aggie. She packed all her casual clothes into the three travel suitcases she’d rarely used since college. As an afterthought, she packed a couple of light jackets into the car.

Adding a cosmetics case and her computer to the full trunk of her S80, she left a note on the dining table, explaining that she would contact them in a few days to let them know she was okay and not to worry. She told them she had to be alone to think things through before making further plans for her future.

Her plan was to go by back road to
Harrison
,
Arkansas
. After a night’s rest there, she could use her smart phone to determine her path to her destination. Remembering the brochure she’d gotten months ago, she was sure she could talk her way into that private little writer’s retreat in northeastern
Texas
. With contracts and manuscripts in hand, they would welcome her with open arms. She had plenty of money, credit cards, gainful employment, and transportation. What more did she need than a place to write in peace?

She’d seldom traveled in
Arkansas
, but her decision to use back roads kept her from going too fast. Besides, she was in no hurry now. A leisurely trip down the road to a quiet place where she could forge her future, and she was determined to enjoy the trip. No more podunk newspaper. No more podunk boyfriend. No more podunk meddling parents. Ah, yes, she’d enjoy the hell out of this flight to freedom!

* * *

Late in the day, Paige’s brain kicked in just as she pulled into the motel on the outskirts of
Little Rock
. It occurred that she was a fugitive and couldn’t afford to leave bread crumbs that would reveal her getaway path. She eased back onto the road and drove on in the night, looking for a small community and some nondescript motel. She had the cash, so there’d be no tracing her credit cards down here.

Just as she was about to merge with southbound Highway 71, she saw a likely place to bed down for the night. Even better, there was a nationally franchised restaurant next door. For the first time all day, she had an appetite. Time for food, refreshment, and sleep. Hopefully, the motel would have a comfortable bed she could make good use of.

It did. The room was bright and clean, too. Within minutes, she’d showered and dropped under the sparkling clean sheets. Her last waking thought was of her life-long pal, and how she’d avoided Missy at the wedding. She felt a little guilty that, for once, she couldn’t share her plans with her best friend. This time, though, it would not have worked out to tell Missy what she was about to do. And now, she didn’t dare correspond with anybody from home.

* * *

Nobody noticed at first that Paige hadn’t returned to the banquet table. After a half hour, Cil noted the empty chair beside Missy. Thinking it odd that Paige would take so long in the bathroom, she looked down the table to see
Troy
chatting with JT and Aggie. Paige hadn’t gone off with her beau, so where was she?

A few minutes later, as the dinner was winding down, Cil tapped Ozzie on the shoulder. He turned to her, his face in a deep scowl. He said, “You wonder where our daughter is, don’t you, darling?”