Chapter 4

Kelly picked them up after school on Thursday. Austin hesitated when he saw she was driving, but she nodded to indicate it was okay to get into the truck. He was glad because he’d watched his bus leave only a few minutes before.

Once they were all in the truck, Kelly said, “I’m taking you boys to get clothes for the dance.”

“But I’m not going,” Travis said.

“Yes, you are,” she said, putting an end to that conversation.

“I didn’t bring any money,” Austin said.

“Don’t worry about it. Let me get this,” Kelly said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Austin said, not letting his irritation show.

He didn’t want to owe Kelly anything.

She took them to a men’s store in downtown Groesbeck. Once they got inside, Maverick and Travis headed off their own way, but Kelly and Nora grabbed Austin before he could escape.

“I’d better help you pick something out,” Kelly said.

“How about these?” Nora said, holding up a pair of slacks.

“Go try them on,” Kelly said, adding, “We’ll find more while you’re in the changing room.”

If he’d known this would happen, he would’ve walked home from school. But Austin did as he was asked and tried on the slacks. When he came out, the store owner said, “Putting a pair of slacks on a cowboy is like putting a tuxedo on a duck. No matter how you try, it just doesn’t look right.”

“How about jeans?” Kelly asked.

“What kind do you prefer?” the lady asked.

“Wrangler Cowboy Cut slim fit,” Austin said.

“I hate to ask, but is the cowboy in the name the only reason you buy those?” Kelly asked.

“Wranglers are 100% cotton, the pockets sit higher up so you don’t sit on your wallet while riding, they have more belt loops, and the rivets are smoother,” Austin said.

“A man who knows his riding jeans,” the owner said.

“Speaking of belts, you need a new one,” Nora said to join the discussion. “Perhaps something without an enormous buckle.”

Austin looked wounded.

“This is my great-grandfather’s buckle. He won the 1965 bull riding championship at Dillon, Montana’s annual rodeo. It’s the best rodeo where I come from.”

“Vintage buckles are in right now,” the owner said. “This is one of the better ones I’ve seen. He should wear it.”

Kelly and Nora looked pained, but finally, Kelly nodded that it would be okay.

For a shirt, Kelly picked out a long-sleeve white dress shirt he could live with.

“Now for shoes,” Nora said.

“Nope. My boots can be cleaned up,” Austin said, putting on the brakes on that idea.

“Your dad’s the same way,” Kelly said to Nora. “I’ve tried to get him new shoes, and he won’t hear of it. Why is that?”

“A good pair of boots takes too long to break in. The only time I change mine is when I can’t get my feet into them anymore,” Austin said.

“Do those boots fit you?” Kelly asked.

The way her eyes bored into him, Austin decided to be honest.

“They’re fine, ma’am.”

With that, Kelly left to check on Maverick and Travis. Nora looked at Austin in his new clothes and nodded.

“You’ll do just fine.”

For what? He had no idea.

By Friday, Austin wasn’t nearly as tongue-tied around Tina. They’d gotten into a routine where they worked for the first forty minutes, then ate their lunch and talked the last fifteen before the bell rang.

“Tonight’s your big date,” Austin said before taking a bite of his peanut butter and fig jam sandwich.

“It’s not really a date; Maverick’s only taking me so I can go. My parents trust him to keep an eye on me.”

Someone needed to clue Mav in to that little factoid. But Austin ignored that for the moment and instead latched onto the last part.

“So, you’re a dirty girl who needs watching?”

Tina’s face broke into a big smile.

“Did I ever have you pegged wrong. Here I imagined you as the shy cowboy type, but you’re really a little perv, like most teen boys.”

“Nice try, but you didn’t answer my question,” Austin said.

“No, I’m not a dirty girl. I’ve never even gotten the chance to be bad. Maverick will be my first official date, if you must know.”

“Really? With every guy here hitting on you, you’ve never even kissed anyone?” Austin asked.

“That’s a little personal, don’t you think?” Tina asked.

“Worried I might tell someone?” Austin asked. “You seem to forget that I’m the new kid; who would I tell? It’s not like I have a group I gossip with. Besides, something you don’t know about me is I keep things to myself.”

Tina gave him an appraising once-over.

“This might be a mistake, but I trust you. I’m just saying, don’t prove me wrong, or I’ll never trust you again.”

“Got it. So?” Austin asked.

“No, I’ve never been kissed. I sort of hope that’ll change tonight.”

“Good for you,” Austin said. “But how do you know if you’re any good at it?”

She laughed.

“Are you offering up your services to teach me?”

“No, nothing like that. I’ve never kissed anyone, either. Well, I mean, I’ve kissed my mom, but that doesn’t really count.”

“You are a perv,” Tina teased.

“Not like that, weirdo.”

Tina considered what he said about it for a minute.

“Kiss me.”

Suddenly, they were kissing deeply, not breaking apart.

Austin decided kissing a girl was better than peanut butter, which was fricking awesome. The feel of her lips on his amazed him. And when she opened those lips without letting them part from his, and her tongue brushed his, it made him quiver. What confounded him was that she hadn’t flinched when their tongues caressed. Kissing was new for both of them, but they quickly got the hang of it.

When the bell rang, they broke apart.

Once she caught her breath, Tina looked him in the eye and said, “Not a word.”

“I predict you’ll do just fine tonight,” Austin assured her. “Oh, and save me a dance.”

“I didn’t know you were going.”

“Luke has been harassing Nora, so I agreed to go with her.”

“You really are a good guy, aren’t you?” Tina asked.

“Let’s not go too far; I’m not like your gay best friend. If you wanted to, I would enjoy practicing kissing you some other time. In fact, why don’t you come out to the farm on Saturday? Mr. Houston has promised to cook up the catfish we caught the other night,” Austin said.