A Match Made in Texas Read Online Free PDF Page A

the same age.”
    “Or she could bunk with me out in the tack room.” Olive grinned, revealing a set of teeth with more than a few missing.
    “Thank you so much, Ms. Washburn,” Bri quickly said, “but Starlet’s room will be just fine.”
    “Just Olive.” She picked up the luggage and started down the hallway next to the elevator. “And it’s probably for the best. If Sunshine sneaks Jiggers too many chocolate chip cookies, that cat can get to fartin’ worse than my granddaddy after a couple bowls of Texas chili.” A laugh escaped Bri’s mouth, and Olive flashed her a grin. “But I guess you’re used to that growin’ up with four brothers.”
    “Actually, being the only girl, I’ve always had a room to myself.”
    Olive shot her a confused look. “Well, that must’ve been lonely.”
    Bri was taken aback by the words. Everyone had always thought she was so lucky to get a room of her own in a family so large. And Bri did feel lucky. But there were also times when she had felt, if not lonely, then segregated. Especially at night when her brothers’ laughter and roughhousing would ring down the hallway.
    “Starlet’s with her mean ol’ pi-anna teacher right now,” Olive said as she stepped into a bedroom painted a pretty spring green and filled with beautiful antiques. “But I’m sure she’ll be tickled pink to see you. And maybe if she has a few friends her own age, she wouldn’t be spendin’ all her time writin’ letters to her mama.” After dropping the luggage, she moved over to the dresser. When she turned back around, she had a hairpin in her hand.
    “Here.” She held out a hand. “Let’s get rid of those handcuffs.”
    Bri hesitated for only a second before she held out her hand. It didn’t take long for Olive to jimmy the lock. With a wink, she handed them to Bri.
    “It’s a little trick I picked up.” Her smile faded. “You in trouble with the law, Little Missy?” While Bri tried to come up with a good lie about the handcuffs, Olive continued. “Whelp, I’m a livin’ testament that you can’t run from your mistakes, but you can sure hide out for a little while.” She held out her hand. “Give me your keys, and I’ll take care of your car.”
    It had been so long since Bri had trusted anyone with the truth that she almost felt like crying. “Thank you, Olive,” she whispered as she laid the keys in Olive’s calloused palm.
    Once Olive had clomped out of the room, Bri moved over to the window to make sure that Granny Lou’s car got safely in the barn. As she stood there, her gaze swept over Miss Hattie’s prize lilac garden. In the spring and early summer, the bushes were covered with purple blooms. Now the blooms were all gone, and the leaves were a faded autumn green. As were the leaves of the big cottonwood trees. In fact, the only splashes of vivid color in the garden were the dots of red that rested against the two headstones in one far corner.
    To those who didn’t know the story, the graves would seem out of place in such a serene setting. But one of the headstones belonged to Bri’s great-grandfather, William Cates. The other belonged to Miss Hattie, the notorious madam who started the Henhouse.
    From what her brothers Billy and Brant had pieced together, William had met and fallen in love with the beautiful madam on his way back from a business trip to Bramble. After going home to his family in Lubbock, William discovered that he couldn’t live without Miss Hattie. So he broke it off with his wife and returned to the Henhouse. Angered by her husband’s betrayal, Bri’s great-grandmother followed him and shot him down in cold blood. William died in Miss Hattie’s arms.
    While most people thought the story romantic and tragic, Bri thought it was foolish. Foolish for William to fall in love with a prostitute. Foolish for him to leave his wife and son. And foolish for her great-grandmother to waste her time following him when she had an inheritance that would