It Happened One Night

Grinning, Gil motioned toward the empty chair across from him. “Have a seat. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I had a meal that wasn’t business-related or kid-dominated.”

“You’ve had a pretty full plate since becoming president,” Josh agreed, pulling out the chair to sit down.

A single father, Gil Addison was totally devoted to his small son, and he wasn’t often seen having a beer with other members in the club’s bar just for fun. It was nice to see his friend enjoying a little downtime for a change.

“Hi, I’m Ginny. I’ll be your server tonight. What can I get for you two?” a tall, dark-haired waitress asked, placing cocktail napkins in front of them in anticipation of a drink order. “We have a steak and fries plate that’s out of this world, it’s so good.”

“I’ll have that and a beer,” Josh spoke up.

“Might as well double that order,” Gil added.

“Great choice,” Ginny said, jotting their orders on a pad of paper. “I’ll be right back with your beer.”

While they waited on Ginny to return with their drinks, Josh and Gil talked about how the club membership had grown with the addition of women to its roster.

“I know some of the older members have a problem with it,” Gil said, shrugging. “But the Texas Cattleman’s Club needs to be progressive in its thinking and recognize that this isn’t the same club Tex Langley founded around the turn of the last century. The ‘good old boy network’ was fine a hundred-plus years ago, but it just isn’t practical in today’s world.”

“I have to admit, I’ve had my share of misgivings about women belonging to the club,” Josh said honestly. “But after working with Nadine Capshaw since she was appointed to the funding committee last month, it’s given me a new perspective on the issue. I think my main concerns now revolve around some of the changes the women are lobbying for. It seems at times that the TCC is heading toward becoming more of a country club than an organization that has always set the bar with its dedication to serving the needs of the community of Royal.”

They both fell silent when the waitress brought them mugs of beer.

“I understand your and some of the other members’ concerns,” Gil said when Ginny moved away to serve another table. “And I know that some of the additions being made to the club’s services for our members are viewed as unnecessary. But the way I see it, the more opportunities we offer, the better the chance our membership will stay strong and enable us to continue assisting the community.”

“I guess you have a point,” Josh conceded. He waited until Ginny had set their plates of food in front of them before he continued. “Speaking of our services, how do you like the new day care center? Is it living up to your expectations for your son?”

“It’s exceeded them,” Gil answered, cutting into his steak. “Cade looks forward to being with his friends each day and it’s a load off my mind, knowing that while I conduct TCC business, he’s being looked after right down the hall.”

“The director seems to be pretty good with kids,” Josh said, taking a bite of his steak.

Gil nodded. “Kiley Roberts is amazing. I can’t believe some of the things Cade has learned since starting at the day care center last month.” He smiled fondly as he talked about his son. “He can tie his own shoes now and is able to recognize a few basic words when he sees them.”

“That’s pretty good for a four-year-old, isn’t it?” Josh asked. He really didn’t know if it was or not. But then he didn’t know much about what little kids learned at any age.

“Kiley has a real way with kids. She makes a game out of learning and they soak it up like sponges.” Gil grinned. “Even getting Cade to go to bed is easier because she told them how important it is to get plenty of rest at night so they can play with their friends the next day.”

Josh finished his dinner and took a drink of his beer. “She’s asked for more money from the funding committee and I’ve been stopping by the center to see what the funds would be used for, and to determine whether I should recommend increasing the day care’s yearly budget.”

“Yeah, I heard Beau grousing about it the other day.” Gil paused for a moment. “I know the decision to appropriate more money to the day care center’s budget is entirely up to the funding committee. But for what it’s worth, I think it would be money well spent.” Something on one of the many televisions around the bar suddenly caught his attention. “Damn!”