Suddenly Texan Read Online Free Page B

going to be here a few more days. As a matter of fact, I may have to relocate tomorrow.”
    â€œWhy?” He pulled to a stop near the fence.
    â€œThe Sweet Dreams Motel is very nice, but it’s also expensive. My budget doesn’t allow me to stay in the best places. I looked online this morning and found a couple of cheaper motels in Graham.”
    â€œYou don’t want to stay in those.”
    â€œNo, I’d rather stay where I am, but I just can’t afford it.”
    â€œI mean, those cheap motels are mostly for manual laborers. Workers. Rough men. You can’t stay there.”
    â€œWell, I guess I’ll camp out in my car then. It won’t be the first time. I’ll just need to find a park with showers and restrooms, or I could—”
    â€œNo,” Leo said emphatically, shaking his head. “That’s not going to work. We don’t have any parks with facilities around here, and it wouldn’t be safe, anyway.”
    â€œLeo, I’ve traveled all over the western United States by myself and never had any problems.” Except that one time where some drunks wanted her to party with them at a state park in Colorado.
    â€œI know this area, and I’ve got to say that your plans aren’t going to work.”
    â€œWhat’s not going to work is me paying almost a hundred dollars a night just for a place to sleep and shower!” She folded her arms across her chest and looked out the window. Shaggy bison grazed in the pasture behind the heavy fence.
    â€œI’ll talk to Christie. I’ll get you the ‘friends and family’ rate.”
    â€œNo!” She turned back to him. “I’m not taking moneyout of her pocket. She’s pretty booked up at the motel. I asked the manager.”
    Leo frowned again. “You’re one of those stubborn, independent types, aren’t you?”
    â€œYes! Do you have a problem with that?”
    He sighed. “No, of course not. My older sister is exactly the same. And Christie is pretty single-minded at times. She calls it determined. My mother runs the grocery store in town. I’m surrounded by women who have their own opinions about everything.”
    â€œThen you must understand.”
    â€œWhat I understand,” he said, setting off again, “is that I need to get you back to the café for your lunch meeting. And then I need to find a solution to your housing problem.”
    â€œKey word there being my housing problem. I’ll find a solution.”
    Leo grinned at her as the truck churned gravel. “You’re in Texas now, darlin’. We take our hospitality seriously.”
    Amanda shook her head and rolled her eyes. She doubted Leo took anything seriously.
    Â 
    â€œI’ M RESEARCHING SOMEONE who lived in Brody’s Crossing until the early nineties. Luanna Crawford.” She wasn’t going to mention her mother’s maiden name, even though genealogists identified women that way. Allen was also Amanda’s last name and these women would realize the connection.
    She paused and watched the faces of the ladies sitting across from her. Clarissa Bryant was blond and busty, probably on the plus side of sixty, and she owned the beauty shop. Venetia, the slimmer woman beside her,had harsher features and a permanent frown. She also worked at Clarissa’s House of Style, but Amanda had a hard time understanding why anyone would trust her with their hair.
    â€œThat was a long time ago,” Clarissa said. “Who’s asking about Luanna after all these years?”
    â€œShe has… had relatives in Arkansas. One of her second cousins is preparing a complete family chart, photographs and stories for an elderly relative’s birthday celebration. Because Luanna left Texas so quickly, the family lost track of her.”
    â€œShe had two fine sons she abandoned,” Venetia added.
    â€œNow, Venetia, you know Luanna had her