who can’t leave him alone,” she said miserably. “He was talking about me to Joe Howland in the hardware store last week. I heard every horrible word.”
Hettie winced. She knew how Janie felt about the last of the unmarried Hart brothers. “Oh, baby. I’m so sorry!”
“Marilee lied,” she added sadly. “My best friend! She was telling me what to do to make Leo notice me, and all the time she was finding ways to cut me out of his life. She was actually at the ball with Leo. He took her…” She swallowed hard and turned to the task at hand. Brooding was not going to help her situation. “Want a sandwich, Hettie?”
“No, darlin’, I’m fine,” the older woman told her. She hugged Janie warmly. “Life’s tangles work themselves out if you just give them enough time,” she said, and went away to let that bit of homespun philosophy sink in.
Janie was unconvinced. Her tangles were bad ones. Maybe her new job would keep Leo out of her thoughts. At least she’d never have to worry about running into him at Shea’s, she told herself. After Saturday night, he was probably off hard liquor for life.
By Saturday night, Janie had four days of work under her belt and she was getting used to the routine. Shea’s opened at lunchtime and closed at eleven. Shea’s served pizza and sandwiches and chips, as well as any sort of liquor a customer could ask for. Janie often had to serve drinks in between cooking chores. She got to recognize some of the customers on sight, but she didn’t make a habit of speaking to them. She didn’t want any trouble.
Her father had, inevitably, found out about her nocturnal activities. Saturday morning, he’d been raging at her for lying to him.
“I do work in a restaurant,” she’d defended herself. “It’s just sort of in a bar.”
“You work in a bar, period!” he returned, furious. “I want you to quit, right now!”
It was now or never, she told herself, as she faced him bravely. “No,” she replied quietly. “I’m not giving notice. Mr. Duncan said I could work two weeks and see if I could handle it, and that’s just what I’m going to do. And don’t you dare talk to him behind my back, Dad,” she told him.
He looked tormented. “Girl, this isn’t necessary!”
“It is, and not only because we need the money,” she’d replied. “I need to feel independent.”
He hadn’t considered that angle. She was determined, and Duncan did have a good bouncer, a huge man called, predictably, Tiny. “We’ll see,” he’d said finally.
Janie had won her first adult argument with her parent. She felt good about it.
Harley showed up two of her five nights on the job, just to check things out. He was back again tonight. She grinned at him as she served him pizza and beer.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
She looked around at the bare wood floors, the no-frills surroundings, the simple wooden tables and chairs and the long counter at which most of the customers—male customers—sat. There were two game machines and a juke-box. There were ceiling fans to circulate the heat, and to cool the place in summer. There was a huge dance floor, where people could dance to live music on Friday and Saturday night. The band was playing now, lazy Western tunes, and a couple was circling the dance floor alone.
“I really like it here,” she told Harley with a smile. “I feel as if I’m standing on my own two feet for the first time in my life.” She leaned closer. “And the tips are really nice!”
He chuckled. “Okay. No more arguments from me.” He glanced toward Tiny, a huge man with tattoos on both arms and a bald head, who’d taken an immediate liking to Janie. He was reassuringly close whenever she spoke to customers or served food and drinks.
“Isn’t he a doll?” Janie asked, smiling toward Tiny, who smiled back a little hesitantly, as if he were afraid his face might crack.
“That’s not a question you should ask a man, Janie,” he teased.
Grinning, she flipped her bar cloth at him, and went back to work.
Leo went looking for Fred Brewster after lunch on Monday. He’d been out of town at a convention, and he’d lost touch with his friend.
Fred was in his study, balancing figures that didn’t want to be balanced. He looked up as Hettie showed Leo in.
“Hello, stranger,” Fred said with a grin. “Sit down. Want some coffee? Hettie, how about…!”
“No need to shout, Mr. Fred, it’s already dripping,” she interrupted him with a chuckle. “I’ll bring it in when it’s done.”
“Cake, too!” he called.
There was a grumble.
“She thinks I eat too many sweets,” Fred told Leo. “Maybe I do. How was the convention?”
“It was pretty good,” Leo told him. “There’s a lot of talk about beef exports to Japan and improved labeling of beef to show country of origin. Some discussion of artificial additives,” he confided with a chuckle. “You can guess where that came from.”
“J. D. Langley and the Tremayne brothers.”
“Got it in one guess.” Leo tossed his white Stetson into a nearby chair and sat down in the one beside it. He ran a hand through his thick gold-streaked brown hair and his dark eyes pinned Fred. “But aside from the convention, I’ve heard some rumors that bother me,” he said, feeling his way.
“Oh?” Fred put aside his keyboard mouse and sat back. He’d heard about Janie’s job, he thought, groaning inwardly. He drew in a long breath. “What rumors?” he asked innocently.
Leo leaned forward, his crossed arms on his knees. “That you’re looking for partners here.”
“Oh. That.” Fred cleared his throat and looked past Leo. “Just a few little setbacks…”
“Why didn’t you come to me?” Leo persisted, scowling. “I’d loan you anything you needed on the strength of your signature. You know that.”
Fred swallowed. “I do… know that. But I wouldn’t dare. Under the circumstances.” He avoided Leo’s piercing stare.
“What circumstances?” Leo asked with resignation, when he realized that he was going to have to pry every scrap of information out of his friend.
“Janie.”
Leo’s breath expelled in a rush. He’d wondered if Fred knew about the friction between the two of them. It was apparent that he did. “I see.”
Fred glanced at him and winced. “She won’t hear your name mentioned,” he said apologetically. “I couldn’t go to you behind her back, and she’d find out anyway, sooner or later. Jacobsville is a small town.”
“She wouldn’t be likely to find out when she’s away at college,” Leo assured him. “She has gone back, hasn’t she?”
There was going to be an explosion. Fred knew it without saying
