“I know you didn’t.” He walked back into the spur shop and spoke to Jay. “Let’s set her up.”
“Will do.”
Fifteen minutes later, Jay was wrapping up a new set of bull riding spurs for Dusty.
“You don’t have to get the straps, Zach,” Dusty said, clearly embarrassed when Jay indicated the price was $93.95 for the whole spur package. “I can use my old ones. That’ll take the cost down a little.”
“If you want to ride my bull, darlin’, you need the best,” Zach said. “Straps, shanks, rowels, and all. Brand spankin’ new and made for bull riding.” Although he still had no intention of letting her ride Diablo, he hoped the comment would ease her obvious discomfort with the expense.
Jay sat down to write out the invoice. “You’ll have to pardon me,” he said. “My register broke down so I’m figuring tax by hand.” He scribbled hastily.
“What’s the tax rate here?” Dusty asked.
“Eight point one-two-five percent.”
“So tax on ninety-three ninety-five would be seven sixty-three.”
“Damn,” Jay said, shaking his head. “Don’t have a clue if she’s right, but we’ll go with it.”
“I’m right.”
“Amazing, darlin’,” Zach said. “How’d you do that?”
“I told you I was good at math.”
“There’s good and there’s genius. Go figure.” He took the package from Jay, and they walked out of the shop. “If I’d known you could do that, I’d have asked you to figure the tip at dinner.”
“I’d’ve been glad to.” She shyly put her hand in his. “Thank you for the gift,” she said. “I should get something for you.”
“Don’t need anything.”
“You said you needed a new hat.”
“Changed my mind.” She didn’t have the money to buy the kind of hat he wanted.
“You have to let me do something.”
“How about a cold drink?”
“That’s hardly payment for those.” She motioned to the package in Zach’s hand.
“A hot drink?”
She gave him a friendly punch in the arm. “You’re incorrigible.”
“’Fraid so, darlin’.”
He took her hand, and they walked around the pavilion. Dusty’s eyes were wide as she looked at the displays of ostrich boots. Zach opened his mouth to offer to buy her some and then thought better of it. She was right. They barely knew each other. So why did he want to buy her everything she touched? Everything that made her eyes light up like the night sky in the country? A strange feeling, but a pleasant one.
When the vendors started packing up their wares for the evening, Zach guided Dusty out to the parking lot to the Jaguar. They drove to her hotel, laughing together. When he walked her to her room, they stood for an awkward moment. Dusty thanked him for the dinner and the spurs, and they made plans to meet in the morning to work with Diablo.
“But don’t get your hopes up, darlin’,” Zach said, winking at her. “I still ain’t gonna let you ride him.”
Dusty stomped her foot perilously close to Zach’s expensively shod toe. Clearly, he’d hit a nerve. Again.
“I told you, I’m not your darling. And why do you say ain’t all the time? You went to Harvard, for God’s sake!”
Zach arched his eyebrows and grinned. “Now you sound like my mama. I’ve been talkin’ this way my whole life, and I ain’t gonna stop now, darlin’.”