“Well, you tell him Katrina said hello.” She hurried off to the kitchen with their order. Raylen and Liz burst out laughing.

So far, other than having to cool her jealousy by counting, the date had been wonderful. Conversation had been good. Stopping on a whim to look at outdoor furniture had been fun. The kiss that started off the evening had been awesome.

Raylen reached across the table and covered her hands with his. “Did I tell you that you look pretty tonight?”

“Yes, sir, you surely did. I think the words were beautiful, exotic, and something to do with heavenly,” she answered.

“Did I tell you that your eyes fascinate me? That I thought of them all the time after that year when you were leaning on the fence watching me ride?” he asked.

She smiled and her dark eyes glittered. “No, but I sure like that talk so you can keep right on with it.”

“Well, well, well, lookee who’s out on the town tonight,” a familiar voice said right behind Liz.

Liz turned slowly, hoping she’d been wrong about hearing Becca, but she wasn’t.

“Hello, Becca,” she said.

God hated her! Or maybe it was the devil messing with her life. Whichever one it was, she wished they’d go on back to passing down judgment or stokin’ up Hell’s furnace and forget all about Liz Hanson.

Becca slid into the booth with Raylen, plastering her side against his. “I bet I can tell you what Raylen ordered. He’s a plain old spaghetti and meatballs man. Never does try anything new. That’s his life. He’ll never go out on a limb and put something new in his life.”

Liz didn’t need to stay up all night reading Catfights for Dummies to figure out Becca’s underlying message. She was telling her that in the end Raylen would settle down with a woman from that area that he’d known his whole life, that he didn’t have the nerve to fall for someone new.

Becca patted him on the arm. “Steady old reliable Raylen. Course, he’ll be just the ticket for some woman. She can trust him and never fear that he’ll cheat on her. Might bore her to death, but he wouldn’t be unfaithful.”

“I’d hate to have you for an enemy,” Liz said.

Becca’s smile faded. Her back straightened ramrod stiff and she toyed with her bracelet as she shot daggers across the table. “Why’d you say that?”

“Because all you’ve done is put Raylen down since you sat down. If you’re his lifetime friend and you do that, God only knows what you’d do if you were his enemy,” Liz said.

Raylen squeezed Liz’s hands.

“You talk big for someone your size,” Becca said.

“I just tell the truth. Size ain’t got a lot to do with it.” A tall, lanky cowboy stopped by their booth and held out his hand to Becca. “They’ve got a table for us now. Hello, Raylen. Hi, Liz. Nice to see you.”