The Trouble with Texas Cowboys Read Online Free PDF

Polly said.
    â€œWho’s minding the store?” Jill asked.
    â€œVerdie came in and agreed to watch it for a couple of hours if I brought back a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, so cook the whole pound, Sawyer,” Gladys answered.
    â€œGive me a hug, girl,” Polly said.
    Jill hiked a hip on the bar stool next to her aunt and leaned in for a hug. “I’ve missed you.”
    â€œI ain’t moved since you was here last.”
    â€œOr got any sweeter either,” Jill said.
    Polly laughed. “Ah, Gladys, she still loves us.”
    Sawyer fired up the grill. While it heated, he removed the white butcher paper from around the fresh-cut bacon. “Did you smoke this yourself?” he asked Gladys.
    â€œNo, but the man I get my pork from down in Salt Holler did,” she said.
    â€œIs that legal? Buying meat from an individual?”
    She shrugged. “It’s don’t ask, don’t tell. I don’t ask the gover’ment if I can buy my bacon and pork from him. He don’t tell the gover’ment that I do.”
    â€œWell, it smells like what my grandpa used to make out in his smokehouse,” Sawyer said.
    â€œDon’t you dare burn it,” Polly said. “She don’t offer it up free very often.”
    â€œAnd the eggs came from the same man, as well as half my fresh produce in the summertime,” Gladys said.
    He opened two cartons to find big brown-speckled eggs. Sawyer pulled slice after slice of bacon from the thick stack and lined them up on the grill. The sizzle and the smell filled the bar, and Jill’s hungry stomach grumbled.
    Polly patted her on the shoulder. She and Gladys had been sisters-in-law for more than fifty years, and Jill loved both of them.
    She hugged Polly tightly. “I’m glad to be here. Did you hear about what happened at the bunkhouse?”
    â€œGet up here on this stool beside me.” Polly motioned to her. “Gladys already told me about it. You be careful, girl. I swear them Brennans and Gallaghers are sneaky.”
    â€œYes, they are,” Sawyer agreed.
    A granddaddy long-legged spider jumped from the bucket of peanuts on the bar in front of Polly and landed right on her nose. She squealed, swatted at it, and leaned backward. Everything happened in slow motion and yet too fast for Jill to do a blessed thing to help. She reached out to grab Polly, but all she got was a fistful of air.
    â€œWell, Polly!” Gladys said.
    Then there was a crack, and Jill thought the leg of the stool had broken when it hit the hard floor. But when she saw Polly’s ankle, she knew it was far worse.
    â€œGod, that hurts,” Polly said.
    â€œIt’s broken. Aunt Gladys, call 911 and get an ambulance,” Jill said.
    â€œWhat can I do?” Sawyer was suddenly beside her, supporting Polly’s head with his big arms.
    â€œJust hold her right there while I make a call. Don’t move, Polly. The bone isn’t out of the skin just yet, but it looks bad.” Gladys fished in her purse for her cell phone.
    Sawyer jerked his out of his shirt pocket, hit 911, and handed it to Gladys. She talked to someone who assured her that an ambulance would be there in twenty minutes.
    â€œI’m supposed to keep you right here, and you ain’t supposed to move a muscle,” Gladys said.
    â€œY’all could pick me up easy-like and load me in the backseat of my truck and take me to the hospital. Damned ambulance comin’ this far is going to cost a fortune.”
    Gladys narrowed her eyes and said, “And if we dropped you and you got a worse break and gangrene set in and rotted your foot off?”
    â€œWho’s going to take care of the bar?” Polly groaned.
    â€œWe’ve got two kids right here who can do that until you can walk again,” Gladys said.
    â€œI can’t cook,” Jill said.
    â€œI can cook.” Sawyer patted Polly’s hand. “Don’t you