{Chapter 8}
Swish. Splash.
Tone froze as a pail of freezing water swept over her back and shoulders. She sputtered and swung around to where Erik held the dripping pail in his hands and a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Erik McBride!” She exclaimed in a scolding tone.
Erik was so busy laughing at her that he didn’t even see Wade coming toward him until they both fell to the ground. Before she could stop it, a right regular riot had broken out between her hired help. She and Katie simply stood by for a moment.
“Should we stop it?” Katie asked.
“Nah” Toni waved it off. “Let’s get our own water so we can get this paint out of our hair.”
They stepped over Rawhide and toward the water pump as grunts filled the air and an occasional pop of someone hitting the ground accompanied the brawlers.
**********
Toni leaned over the washtub in her little shack, scrubbing vigorously at her blue-streaked hair. She had let Katie go first, but that mistake cost her valuable time that could have been spent seeing what work the hand’s had gotten done.
The fight had broken up and the hands appeared to be having a good time over at the larger of the two bunkhouses. The sound of Erik playing his guitar and the stomping of boots along with an occasional round of laughter made her smile in spite of herself. The hands might be preoccupied at times, but -as much as she hated to admit it-, they were good men to have around. Sure, she treated them like they could never do anything to please her, but she felt quite the opposite.
“Toni” Katie wailed. “It didn’t come out!”
Toni lifted her soapy head to look at Katie’s honey blonde and blue hair with flecks of white here and there.
“I guess it’ll just have to wear off” Toni dunked her head into the warm water and soapsuds left her black tresses to float in the water.
“But-but…” Katie whimpered.
Toni rolled her eyes. “No sense in whining about it. It’ll wear off in a few days after two or three good washings.”
“In the meantime I have blue hair.”
“I’m sure I do, too”
“But you’ll probably make it look good.”
“You can borrow one of my old hats if you want” Toni offered her cousin as she wrung out her long hair.
“Really? Will it look okay with my attire?” Katie fingered the fabric of her plain calico dress, the least fancy dress she owned.
“Na” Toni said, though she doubted her own answer. Katie would either have to get over it or give in to wearing a pair of Toni’s jeans.
Rubbing her hair with a towel, Toni walked to the window and looked out. The clear night gave her an easy feeling and a compelling need to be out in it.
“I want some tea. You want some?” Toni asked her cousin.
“Tea? You drink tea?” Katie asked.
“I’ve gotta hankering, I guess” Toni slung the dampened towel over her shoulder and opened the door to go out onto the porch.
Katie followed while brushing her fingers through her drying hair. “Such a pretty night.”
“Yup. Nothin’ like a clear summer night in Texas, that’s for sure” Toni smiled.
They walked to the kitchen where Toni lit a lamp and walked to the stove where she put a pot of water on to boil.
YOU ARE READING
The Boss Lady's Man
Romance"Look, Toni. Not everyone who comes into your life is there just to use you. Some people are there because they really do care about you" Erik's calmed voice only made her anger worse. "Why do you not trust anyone?" Toni lost it. She was tired of ho...
