Wedding Belles Read Online Free

her cheeks grow hot as her temper flared. How dare he say such a lowdown, underhanded thing?
    “She ain’t no boy,” Jeb said. “If she’d put on a dress every now ’n’ again, she’d probably look just like the other gals in town. If she’d comb those curls, anyhow.”
    A hint of a smile lit Chauncy’s face. “Purtier, even, what with them green eyes.”
    Lottie felt steam coming out of her ears. Strangely, her anger was all mixed up with the oddest feelings of flattery at Chauncy’s comment about her eyes.
    “If you play the part of a girl, you’ll hafta wear a purty dress, Lottie.” Jeb narrowed his gaze. “Think you could do it fer a change?”
    “Yes, do you think you could do yourself up like a girl for once in your life?” Augie threw in. He snapped his fingers. “That’ll draw the men in, don’t you think? Why, most of the fellas I know would pay money just to see you dolled up. I could do a big write-up in the paper about it. That would be a nice draw to get the locals in here.”
    “Ugh!” She stormed out of the room, too angry to respond. They’d crossed a line this time. Not only would she not direct their ridiculous melodrama, but she might just create a little drama of her own by leaving this place and never coming back.
    * * * * *
    G ILBERT WATCHED L OTTIE as she shot out of the room. “We’ve done it this time, fellas,” he said. “Gone and hurt her feelings, I guess.”
    Augie slugged Phineas in the arm. “You had to go and shoot your mouth off, didn’t ya?”
    “Didn’t mean anything by it.” Phineas shrugged. “It’s just that I’ve never seen Lottie dressed up like a girl. You all know it’s true. And you’ve got to admit, putting an article in the paper to advertise her debut as a female might just draw in a crowd. I know a lot of folks—male and female alike—who would pay to see that.”
    “Still, now she’s as jumpy as a toad after all those things we just said.” Jeb plopped down in his chair and brushed his cards to the center of the table. “She’ll never agree to play along now.”
    “It’s not like she has to be in the show, anyway.” Gilbert collected the cards and started to shuffle them. “I’d be happy if she would write and direct it.”
    “Aw, I think she’d be a natural fer one of the parts,” Phineas said. “You gotta admit, she’s got purty eyes.”
    “They’re greener’n the pine trees in the springtime,” Jeb added then sighed.
    “And she’s got a nice figure too,” Chauncy said with a nod. “Leastways, what I can tell underneath them little-boy clothes.”
    “I suppose.” Gilbert shrugged then began to deal the cards. He’d never really thought about it. Still, there might be some merit to Jeb’s earlier comment. Folks from Estes would come out in droves to see Lottie dressed up like a lady.
    “There’s only one way she’s gonna go along with this,” Phineas said. “Someone’s gotta convince her she can be a lady. Someone who can win her over with his masculine ways.”
    Every eye in the place turned to Gilbert. He swallowed hard and stopped dealing the cards. “M–me?”
    “Well, shore,” Phineas drawled. “The rest of us fellers is too old. She’d smack me silly if I sidled up next to her and starting payin’ compliments. But you…” He gave Gilbert a scrutinizing look. “Yer about her age, give’r take a few years.”
    “Well, yeah, but she’s like a kid sister to me. I’ve never thought of her in that way.”
    “Not sayin’ you have to.” Phineas rubbed his hands together, as if plotting Gilbert’s fate. “Just sayin’ you could show her a little interest. If she thinks yer interested, maybe she’ll gussy up a bit.”
    “Yeah,” Chauncy echoed. “Get her lookin’ and actin’ like a lady before the real ladies show up. I’ll betcha they’d take her more seriously as a director if she looked the part.”
    Gilbert paused to chew on those words, finally responding, “You might be