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realize what a difficult life it was going to be. Shackled with her flighty mother, there would never be
any opportunity to see Cade again unless she fought tooth and nafi. Not that Cade would try to see her.
He was right in a way: there could never be a future for them with Gussie's interference. But it broke
her heart. At least Cade could keep Lariat now, she thought sadly. She'd done that for him, if nothing
else. The next morning she went out early to start looking for a job. She put her application in at two
ad agencies and one magazine office, but her lack of experience was a strike against her and her
typing skills were almost nonexistent. She and Gussie didn't have a typewriter for her to practice on
and she couldn't afford to buy one. Perhaps she could rent one, she thought, and practice at night.
When she got back to the apartment at lunchtime, Gussie was in bright spirits. "We've got an
invitation to dinner with the Rykers tonight," she said gaily. "They're sending a car for us at six. Do
wear some- thing sexy, darling. Jordan is going to be there. Daniel couldn't manage, he's in New York
for a business meeting. Anna said she'd be delighted to see us both. You don't know her, of course,
but she and I were at school together." "Who is Jordan?" Bess asked warily. "Jordan Ryker. Anna's
eldest son. He's president of the Ryker Corporation. They make computers and that sort of thing.
You'll like him, he's very handsome." "I will not be railroaded into a blind date." Bess put her foot
down. "Don't start being difficult. We can't afford pride." "I can," Bess said shortly. "I won't go."
"You most certainly will." Gussie turned and glared at her. "After what you did with our pearls, you
owe me one little favor." She saw that belligerence wasn't going to work, so she changed tactics.
"Now, darling, you'll enjoy yourself. I'm not trying to throw you at Jordan. It isn't even a date. We're
just having dinner with old friends." It couldn't be that simple, not with Gussie. Bess sighed wearily,
knowing she was going to give in. She didn't have the heart to fight anymore. She'd lost Cade, and he
was the only thing in life she might have cared enough to fight for. "All right, Mama," she said. "I'll
go." "Lovely!" She held up a bracelet. "Isn't this adorable? I bought it today." "What did you pay for
that?" Bess asked, aghast at the gold bracelet. "Just a few hundred" "Give it here." Before Gussie
realized what was happening, Bess had taken the bracelet off. "It goes back. We can't afford things
like this anymore." "But it's all right," Gussie wailed. "I only charged it!" "Charges have to be paid.
Now where did you get it?" Gussie told her, flushing when Bess started getting ready to take it back.
"I can't possibly live like this," Gussie wailed. "I must have a new winter coat, Bess, and my shoes
are worn out. . . ." "You have a new mink that Dad bought you last Christmas," Bess returned coolly,
"and at least thirty pairs of shoes, all leather, none of which have been worn more than twice."
"They're out of style, and I won't be treated like this!" "If you want to spend more money than we can
afford, you could get a job," Bess offered. Her mother looked horrified. "But what could I do?"
"Baby-sit little children. Be a receptionist. Wash dishes in a restaurant. Be a bartender." Gussie's
face paled. "You mean, work for the public? Oh, no, I couldn't do that," she gasped. "Suppose some
of our friends saw me?" "This is San Antonio," her daughter replied. "It won't shock anybody." "I
won't do it," Gussie said haughtily, and marched out of the room. "Besides, we still have our credit
cards," she added, as if that magically alleviated all debt. Bess couldn't help but laugh. Her mother
was such a sweet, incorrigible idiot. Bess felt old these days. She'd had her long hair trimmed, so it
curved thick and shiny down her back, dropping in soft honey-colored waves over her shoulders. She
looked sophisticated, more mature. She'd need to look older if she was going to get a job. She'd cried
about leaving the home where she'd grown up, the neighborsCade. Well, Cade was a part of the past
already, she thought miserably. He hadn't called or written or been to see them since they'd moved to
San Antonio, and the one letter she'd written to him had been returned to her unopened. It hadn't been
a mistake either, because Cade's handwriting was bold and Bess had recognized it. She felt cold and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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realize what a difficult life it was going to be. Shackled with her flighty mother, there would never be
any opportunity to see Cade again unless she fought tooth and nafi. Not that Cade would try to see her.
He was right in a way: there could never be a future for them with Gussie's interference. But it broke
her heart. At least Cade could keep Lariat now, she thought sadly. She'd done that for him, if nothing
else. The next morning she went out early to start looking for a job. She put her application in at two
ad agencies and one magazine office, but her lack of experience was a strike against her and her
typing skills were almost nonexistent. She and Gussie didn't have a typewriter for her to practice on
and she couldn't afford to buy one. Perhaps she could rent one, she thought, and practice at night.
When she got back to the apartment at lunchtime, Gussie was in bright spirits. "We've got an
invitation to dinner with the Rykers tonight," she said gaily. "They're sending a car for us at six. Do
wear some- thing sexy, darling. Jordan is going to be there. Daniel couldn't manage, he's in New York
for a business meeting. Anna said she'd be delighted to see us both. You don't know her, of course,
but she and I were at school together." "Who is Jordan?" Bess asked warily. "Jordan Ryker. Anna's
eldest son. He's president of the Ryker Corporation. They make computers and that sort of thing.
You'll like him, he's very handsome." "I will not be railroaded into a blind date." Bess put her foot
down. "Don't start being difficult. We can't afford pride." "I can," Bess said shortly. "I won't go."
"You most certainly will." Gussie turned and glared at her. "After what you did with our pearls, you
owe me one little favor." She saw that belligerence wasn't going to work, so she changed tactics.
"Now, darling, you'll enjoy yourself. I'm not trying to throw you at Jordan. It isn't even a date. We're
just having dinner with old friends." It couldn't be that simple, not with Gussie. Bess sighed wearily,
knowing she was going to give in. She didn't have the heart to fight anymore. She'd lost Cade, and he
was the only thing in life she might have cared enough to fight for. "All right, Mama," she said. "I'll
go." "Lovely!" She held up a bracelet. "Isn't this adorable? I bought it today." "What did you pay for
that?" Bess asked, aghast at the gold bracelet. "Just a few hundred" "Give it here." Before Gussie
realized what was happening, Bess had taken the bracelet off. "It goes back. We can't afford things
like this anymore." "But it's all right," Gussie wailed. "I only charged it!" "Charges have to be paid.
Now where did you get it?" Gussie told her, flushing when Bess started getting ready to take it back.
"I can't possibly live like this," Gussie wailed. "I must have a new winter coat, Bess, and my shoes
are worn out. . . ." "You have a new mink that Dad bought you last Christmas," Bess returned coolly,
"and at least thirty pairs of shoes, all leather, none of which have been worn more than twice."
"They're out of style, and I won't be treated like this!" "If you want to spend more money than we can
afford, you could get a job," Bess offered. Her mother looked horrified. "But what could I do?"
"Baby-sit little children. Be a receptionist. Wash dishes in a restaurant. Be a bartender." Gussie's
face paled. "You mean, work for the public? Oh, no, I couldn't do that," she gasped. "Suppose some
of our friends saw me?" "This is San Antonio," her daughter replied. "It won't shock anybody." "I
won't do it," Gussie said haughtily, and marched out of the room. "Besides, we still have our credit
cards," she added, as if that magically alleviated all debt. Bess couldn't help but laugh. Her mother
was such a sweet, incorrigible idiot. Bess felt old these days. She'd had her long hair trimmed, so it
curved thick and shiny down her back, dropping in soft honey-colored waves over her shoulders. She
looked sophisticated, more mature. She'd need to look older if she was going to get a job. She'd cried
about leaving the home where she'd grown up, the neighborsCade. Well, Cade was a part of the past
already, she thought miserably. He hadn't called or written or been to see them since they'd moved to
San Antonio, and the one letter she'd written to him had been returned to her unopened. It hadn't been
a mistake either, because Cade's handwriting was bold and Bess had recognized it. She felt cold and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]