LITTLE BIT STRONGER | A COUNTRY ROMANCE

Chapter Nine

After multiple attempts, Krista gave up trying to put her sister in sexy clothes and settled on comfort options.

They laid out her Ariats, jeans, a soft tank top, and a fine plaid button down shirt. Krista found her broken-in straw cowboy hat and laid it on the pile of clothing.

"Why do I need my hat?"

"It's the vibe at the Black Saddle. Hustle."

"Where? Don't y'all normally drive to Tulsa to dance?"

"It used to be Short Creek. The new owners renovated the place and Lynton is dying to see inside."

Kate put one hand on her hip. The honky tonk had been around since she was a teenager but it wasn't really her scene anymore. "It's a barn. A barn looks like a barn, right?"

"Woman! We saw two dozen live bands there and drank ourselves stupid on countless occasions. There was a time I couldn't pull you out of that place so you don't get to be snotty now. Go shower. We're leaving in twenty minutes."

Her little sister was a force of nature when she got started. Kate obediently took a quick shower and skipped washing her hair since she'd done it that morning.

She pulled on underthings then quickly got dressed and brushed out her hair. Sighing, she spritzed on a bit of perfume.

Walking into the kitchen about twelve minutes later, her sister turned to her with a piece of banana bread in hand.

"Damn, girl! Twenty minutes was a figure of speech. I wouldn't make it out of the house in under two hours. It took me almost three to get ready tonight."

"You're ridiculous."

"Uh huh." She shoved the rest of the banana bread in her mouth and washed her hands. "Kyle and Mary are meeting us there. They're picking Lynton up." She arched one brow. "Everyone agrees you're not to drive yourself. That makes it too easy for you to go home."

Kate removed cash and ID from her bag. She could feel her sister staring. "What?"

"You're so pretty."

"Thank you. So are you. I've wanted your boobs since you got them at fifteen."

Krista snorted. "Well, they'll drop to my belly button when I'm old and yours will still be perky. Your long legs are what I've always envied."

"Start running."

"I'd rather be dead." They chatted and giggled as they headed out to Krista's F150. As they buckled up, she asked, "When are you going to start driving your old Chevy? I know how much you've missed it since Caleb was born."

Kate's 1946 Chevy pickup had been stored in one of Krista's outbuildings since Brian insisted she had a new car that was safer.

It was in great condition, thanks to years of working reception for an auto shop in high school. Thinking about the memories she had in her old truck filled her with nostalgia.

"You look so good in it."

"Maybe I'll come by and get it in a few weeks. I could drive it when I don't have my monkey. I do love it. Lord, I haven't thought about it in forever."

Krista winked. "Lynton starts that baby up every week and changes the oil every three months."

"You're kidding..."

"You know damn well I'm not. He'd never let a machine go to shit. Man is obsessed."

"You found a keeper, honey."