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Rumors of Grace

By Rena Bell Yeager

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GEORGIA STEPPED out of the bookstore on the town
square and walked straight to her car, parked in front of the
store next door. Head down reading a message on her phone,
she stopped when she came to a long black-booted leg, stuck
out in front of her. She almost tripped before a voice stopped
her, and a hand caught her elbow.

“Hey darlin’. Is that your little car out there? It looks like a
smushed stink bug on wheels. It’s cute and all, but it wouldn’t
even hold a bale of hay. And it’s blocking my truck.”

Georgia looked up from the blue-jeaned leg to the cowboy
it was attached to. Tall Black Hat Guy is what most dreamy
eyed girls and a few older women called him. Something
between a smirk and a smile graced his rugged face. She was
stunned for just a moment, but quickly recovered her voice,
and her focus.

“My stink bug, as you called it, is a hybrid. It probably gets
five times better mileage than that gas guzzler you’re leaning
against.” She pointed at his truck, then crossed her arms, one
eyebrow raised. “And I was only in there five minutes.”

He adjusted his black hat on his head, squinting as he did.
“My truck is a diesel. And sweetheart, this is Texas. We’ve got
oil on tap.” His voice was gritty and caused a small flip in her
stomach. Was that a grin on his face or a grimace?

“I’ve been waiting here at least twenty minutes, darlin.” He
continued to stare at her, arms crossed at his muscled chest and
legs now crossed at his boots.

She squinted back at him, wrinkling her nose as she did.
“Well. If you’ll excuse me, my hybrid and I will move right now
and get out of your hair.”

Tall Black Hat Guy stuck his hand out, the grinning smirk
now obvious. “Tyler Grant, at your service. I have an idea first.”
When she didn’t shake his hand, he scooted his hat backwards
on his head, scratched his forehead, and set it back into place.
The old, faded hat looked like it had been stomped on by an
angry bull once or twice. She wondered if it was on his head at
the time.

“An idea? What could that possibly be, cowboy?” Georgia
crossed her arms and frowned, uncertain of his motive. His eyes
were smoldering. Smoky gray with something hidden deep in
them, like a fire ready to burst into flame. Or was it the Texas
heat?

She shook her head. It was hot today. But so was he. The
weatherman had said it would be ninety degrees. Hot for an
early spring. But the man in front of her was hovering at a
hundred. Degrees and percent. She fanned her face, then
scratched her neck after realizing what she was doing.

His lips spread into a full-blown lazy smile, and he stuck a
hand in one pocket like he knew what she was thinking. Like
he knew how she was going to answer his next question. She
took a step back.

“How about a date? I figure since I have spent so much
time waiting for you and all.”

“What?” He couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he
said. Feeling a blush rise on her face that she knew had nothing
to do with the weather, she looked around, sure he wasn’t
talking to her.

She had heard the rumors about Tyler. How he had broken
more than a few hearts. Based on the women she had seen him
with before, she wasn’t his type, and she knew it. Why in the
world would he want a date with her?

She watched the local law enforcement drive past where
her car was blocking Tyler’s truck, and turned back to him.
“Um, I need to move my car before I get a ticket. So can you,
um, let me through? Please?”

“Hand me your keys. I’ll move it for you.” He straightened
as he made the offer and stood in front of her, blocking her path
as he held out his hand. She shook her head again. Why was he
doing this? What was he really after? Surely, he was teasing.
She was just a local school teacher, not one of his normal
barflies.

“No, thanks. I’ll get it.” She tried scooting by him again.
He softened his gaze. “Okay. But let me talk to him first.”
He tipped his thumb back over his shoulder. The local deputy
had come around the square again and stopped in front of her
car. Tyler waved and trotted over to the officer.

Georgia watched from the sidewalk as Tyler and the officer
talked for a bit. He gestured toward her a couple of times and
the officer gave her a discerning look. Then the officer nodded
at Tyler with a smile, returned to his car and pulled away.

She watched as Tyler sauntered back to the sidewalk with
that confident cowboy swagger that her friends all said made
them swoon. Then he stood expectantly in front of her again, a
triumphant smile spreading wide, having just rescued her from
the evil sheriff like a modern-day Robin Hood. What can one
date hurt?

“You’re asking me out?” The words were out of her mouth
before she could stop them.

“One date. At the ranch.” He settled his tall, lean body
against his truck.

“Why? I mean, why me?”

He leaned closer, his face near to hers. “Why not?”

Her head warred with itself. This was too tempting.
Georgia hadn’t had a decent date in months. And her last few
dates before that had been either less than exciting, or less than
gentlemanly. But this was Tyler. And he was not known in the
rumor mill for being a gentleman.

“What kind of date?” And why am I even thinking of doing
this?

The smile spread across his face, like warm butter on bread
fresh from the oven.

“Because you’re intrigued.”

“I’m not. . .”

“Oh, yes you are, sweetheart.” He cut her off" before she
could #nish the sentence. “I can see it in those incredible green
eyes. So. Whattaya say?”

Tyler Grant was asking for a date. And she, the strait-laced
school teacher, the one who everybody knew would someday
‘settle down with a nice young man,’ was going to say ‘Yes.’ The
town would be shocked. The little old ladies in her church
would gossip. Her sister would freak out. Her brother-in-law,
well, he would not be happy, at all.

“What should I wear?” It was a safe question. That should
give her some idea of his plans, since he hadn’t answered her
first question. Doubt warred with appeal. Her heart flipped
again. Maybe she should check in with a doctor. Or a shrink.

“You look fine the way you are. We’ll keep it simple. Maybe
a picnic by the lake at the ranch. I’ll pick you up Friday at
seven. Will that work for you?”

She glanced down at her jeans and blue, simple collared
blouse. A row of tiny ruffles bordered the line of buttons up the
front. Her auburn hair swung from her everyday ponytail. Very
conservative. And not his normal type. She should probably ask
for more details, but didn’t.

“Um. Okay. I guess one date won’t hurt. But I can meet you
at the ranch.”

“Oh, no. A gentleman always picks up his lady.” He tipped
his hat and grinned again, turning to walk away.

“Wait. What’s your number? I’ll send my address to you.”

She pulled her phone from her hip pocket, where she had stuck
it while Tyler talked to the deputy.

“Oh, I know where you live. You’re the teacher who lives in
the apartments at the end of Ford Street. Between the two little
old ladies.”

“What? How did you. . .”

Tyler cut her off and nodded his head toward Georgia’s
vehicle. “You better move your stink bug now. Jim won’t let you
off twice.”

She fisted her keys and hurried to her car. Tyler and the
officer were on a first-name basis. Was that good, or bad?

GEORGIA DRESSED CASUALLY but carefully for their
date. She didn’t want to admit that she was attracted to Tyler.
She was just doing this out of curiosity more than anything
else.

Since he said it was just a picnic, she dressed simply in
jeans, a blue flowered blouse, and flat shoes. Looking into the
mirror over her bathroom vanity, she brushed her long hair
until it gleamed around her shoulders, wondering if she should
leave it down. Would it impress him? Was she trying to impress
him?

She felt a little bit nervous, wondering what he had in
mind. After all, this was Tyler. The guy that every female in
Nora Hills had a little bit of a crush on. Including herself.

Blowing out a slow breath, she put her hair back into a
ponytail. That was definitely more comfortable.

It was just one date. It would likely lead to nothing.
Besides, she was not sure she wanted it to lead anywhere. She
thought about the string of broken hearts he had left behind,
according to the local gossip.

Georgia had not told her sister Ellen she had a date with
Tyler. She knew what kind of response she would get. There
would be a lecture about Tyler’s reputation and going out with
a “guy like him.” Ellen would likely want to track her on her
phone through one of those Find My Family apps. Georgia
shuddered. Ellen may be the older sister, but Georgia did not
need to be sheltered. She could handle herself just fine.

She had lived by herself, in the apartment between the two
older ladies, for the past five years. Before that, she shared an
apartment with Ellen, which saved them both money. But then
Ellen and Sam got married and bought a house. Although they
had offered to let her continue living with them, Georgia didn’t
want to be a third wheel. Or a spare tire. Or any of the other
analogies that could describe the odd man out.

So she found a roommate and moved into the apartment,
enjoying her life as a teacher. But in the past few days, since
Tyler asked her out, she had started wondering if there was
something missing. She was nearly thirty years old, and her
roommate had married and moved out two years ago. Maybe
she needed to start putting herself out there. Find a nice young
man to date, and maybe even marry. Maybe this was a start.
She shook her head. That was too many maybes. She would
just enjoy herself tonight.

TYLER WALKED into the bunkhouse after spending the day
checking for new calves in the upper pasture. Calving season
was time-consuming. A cow could drop a calf at any time of the
day or night, but it was rewarding to watch the new little lives
as they scampered around the fields.

He tossed his hat onto his bed and looked in the mirror. He
needed to clean off the grime that covered him. And the stink.

He wore the same clothes every day. Wrangler jeans, a button
up flannel shirt in the winter or a T-shirt in the summer, and a
brown belt with a nondescript buckle. Today, he would dress
up just a bit. Scruff shaved clean, light aftershave. Plaid cotton
button-up shirt, sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. His
best Wranglers, that weren’t new, but not as worn as the others.
Black boots with scroll work on the uppers, a belt with the same
scrollwork, and a shiny silver buckle. He frowned at his reflec
tion in his small mirror. It would have to do.

Tyler liked living in the bunkhouse, but sometimes it got a
little cramped. There was room for eight ranch hands and right
now it was completely full. Each had their own room with a
full-sized bed rather than a traditional bunk. Mr. Hudson took
good care of his crew and made sure they had all the comforts
they needed. He didn’t want any of his cowboys complaining
about beds so short their feet hung over the end.

They were all grown men of varying ages, but most were in
their twenties. He was one of the old guys at thirty-three. It
didn’t make sense to live off-site since the accommodations
were included in their pay. Nine years was a long time to live
with a bunch of rowdy men, but it suited his needs.

“You’re taking out the teacher? Seriously?” Reggie was
another ranch hand and Tyler’s friend. Tyler watched him in
the mirror while combing his dark wavy hair into place. He
wondered if Reggie wasn’t just a little jealous. Tonight, he felt
like he had won the lottery.

He had surprised himself at his own suggestion. Georgia
Duncan was an eighth-grade teacher at the local Nora Hills
Middle School. Clean cut, oozing sweetness, always wearing a
smile and the cutest outfits—never in a ratty T-shirt or torn
jeans, even though they were in style.

He hadn’t intended to ask her out. Heck, he didn’t even
know who the car belonged to as he waited. But when he saw
her come out of the bookstore, he couldn’t stop himself. He had
often admired her from afar, knowing she was not the kind of
woman he would normally pursue. Even her ponytail
reminded him of someone from a movie he had once seen. He
almost expected Georgia to break out into song and smiled
inwardly at the image that thought provoked.

So now they had a date. This couldn’t be one of his typical
beer and boot-scootin’ nights. Georgia was different. She had
probably never touched a drop of alcohol and only danced at
weddings. In fact, he recalled that was where he had seen her
the first time. At his boss’s wedding last year. She had slipped
out the door of the reception, leaving before he could catch up
to her. But she had captivated him for some reason.

The guys all admired Georgia from afar, and any one of
them might have asked her out. But they all liked to get a bit
rowdy on the weekends. Tyler and Reggie would normally hit
the bars together, and split up at some point when they met
their selected girls for the night.

He dusted off his faded black hat before placing it carefully
on his head, turning to answer Reggie’s question. “Yep. I’m
taking out the teacher.” Adjusting his hat slightly, he then
picked up his keys, tossing them in his hand to make them
jingle. His smile grew as he thought about how his date with
Georgia would go.

Reggie looked at him like he had gone loco. “Well, if you
need backup, don’t call me. I’m going into town to find some
action. While I’m dancing with a pretty girl, you’ll be courtin’
the schoolmarm.” Reggie laughed at his joke.

Tyler smirked. “No problem, bro. I’ve got this one covered
all by myself.”

Yep. An evening by the lake. A picnic, a checkered blanket,
and cool sweet tea was definitely called for. The guys might
give him a ribbing for it. They would, after all, be out in the
open where anyone could see them. But he grinned as he
thought about the evening ahead.

As he walked to his truck, one of the hands whistled, a
shrill wolf call. He grinned. Let them laugh. They were all just
jealous.

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