Page 76 of Ridin' Free

I was about to black out the screen and get out of bed, assuming she wouldn’t get back to me right away—but then I saw the floating dots, indicating she was typing. They appeared then disappeared, appeared again then disappeared once more before my phone began to ring.

I coughed out a quiet laugh as her name lit up my screen. I accepted the call and brought the device to my ear.

“Hello?”

“So, I was going to text, but then I figured calling would be faster—and time is of the essence, especially when you’ve got two kids,” she said in greeting. “To answer your question, a grab-n-go find is totally hit or miss around here unless you have a shopping buddy and an hour or two.

“Lucky for you, I’m available. I need thirty minutes to make myself human; but after that, I can meet you. Mustang can stay with the girls until around one or so. You down?”

A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I considered her offer. Tess had a generous soul. I knew she would help, but I didn’t think she’d drop everything to do so.

How many times have you done the same?

I knit my eyebrows together at the thought. It was true, on more than one occasion, when I was called upon by a Stallion or his ol’ lady, I showed up. It wasn’t so outrageous a notion I would be extended the same courtesy. After all this time, it shouldn’t have caught me off guard.

It did, anyway.

“Yeah. I’m down,” I replied. “Where should I meet you?”

Forty minutes later, I parked my Bronco in a vacant stall at the Powder Basin Shopping Center. The plan was to meet Tess outside of Marshalls. I was waiting only a couple of minutes before I spotted her headed my way. She waved when she saw me, and I jerked my chin in a silent reply.

“Hey. Got a hot date tonight, huh?” she teased upon her approach.

“Depends on what we find inside.”

Tess grinned. “Challenge accepted. How hot we talkin’?”

I glanced down at myself, adorned in my customary attire of denim and cotton. Ben told me once he didn’t care what I wore, and I believed him. Nevertheless, for at least one night, I wanted to be more than the bar wench he’d seen a thousand times.

‘I see you, Ali-Mae.’

‘You sure are fuckin’ beautiful.’

Ali-Mae.

For him, that’s who I wanted to be.

“I like floral prints,” I admitted, meeting Tess’s steady gaze.

Her eyebrows shot up her forehead in unobscured shock. “Okay—so we’re channeling pretty girl vibes?”

“Pretty girl with edge. Not changin’ my boots.”

I watched as her eyes dropped down to my feet. She hummed a mischievous laugh then started for the doors. “This is going to be fun. Come with me.”

One hour, two stores, and ninety-three dollars later, I was fully outfitted for the night. I had a new dress, matching underwear, and even a small pendant necklace we found on sale and she insisted I buy. Tess didn’t mess around, and I knew I couldn’t have done it without her. She had the patience of a saint.

“Thanks for your help,” I said as we walked toward the parking lot together.

“Of course. This was fun. And—for what it’s worth—I think you’re going to blow his mind. Kind of wish I could be a fly on the wall when he sees you in that dress.” She paused, narrowed her eyes, and then teased, “Then again, maybe not. I’m no voyeur.”

We shared a laugh, and I felt oddly giddy at the idea of knocking Ben off his feet.

More than that, I basked in the carefree levity of this moment, and the feeling of being a normal woman who could laugh with her shopping buddy.

“Have fun tonight,” she insisted as we began to part ways. “I expect an update tomorrow. You’ll hear from me if I don’t hear from you first.”

I left not merely knowing her statement was a promise, but also wanting to be the kind of woman who sent a morning-after update to her closest friends.