Free Crazy For the Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson

they’d head toward Sadie’s. The sidewalk had been crowded with well-heeled Double J guests looking for souvenirs or a bite to eat.
    â€œI’m glad we’re doing this,” Anastasia said. “I’ve always felt sort of cheated because I was too young to go when you used to party with the cowboys, and when I was finally old enough, it was all gone.”
    â€œI know. I wonder if anyone in town realized how precarious our situation was, depending on the Double J the way we did. The town should have figured out how to attract tourists on its own and grow our reputation as a quaint little vacation spot. But no one thought of that, and I have no idea how to make it happen now.”
    â€œYeah, it’s like,
come to Bickford and be depressed by all the boarded-up storefronts
. I’m sure people would sign up for that
.
”
    â€œIt does seem sort of hopeless, but I’ve decided one thing about you and me.”
    â€œWe’re getting matching tattoos?”
    â€œNo.”
She laughed. “What made you think of that?”
    â€œI’ve always wanted to get a tattoo, but I’d be chicken to get it by myself. I almost— Well, never mind.”
    â€œHey, you can’t start a sentence with
I almost
and then drop it.” Georgie had a pretty good idea what this was all about and thought maybe now was the time for Anastasia to unburden herself.
    â€œI almost got matching tattoos with this guy at art school.”
    â€œWas he a rat fink bastard?”
    â€œAs it turns out.”
    Georgie put her arm around her sister’s shoulders and gave her a quick hug. “Sorry.”
    â€œAt least I found out before I got the tattoo. Those suckers are horrible to get rid of, from what I’ve heard. If you and I did it, I wouldn’t worry about wanting to laser it off someday.”
    â€œThank you. That’s a real compliment.”
    â€œI meant it to be.” She hesitated. “And for the record, Charmaine thinks you’re pretty cool, too.”
    â€œShe
does
? I thought I was nothing but a pain in the ass to her.”
    â€œOh, she resented the hell out of you for a lot of years, especially when you marched her home from Sadie’s that night. She was spitting nails. But now that she’s older, she realizes that having us and Mom move in must have been rough on you.”
    Georgie was stunned. And ashamed of herself for thinking that Charmaine was in Dallas sucking up money without a single thought to how that affected everyone else. “I . . . I haven’t given Charmaine enough credit, I guess.”
    â€œDon’t go giving her too much credit. She’s agreed to Mom’s program of trapping some rich dude, and she loves the salon appointments and the cool clothes. That’s Charmaine. Always has been, always will be. But still, she understands you’re the glue holding things together.”
    â€œThat’s . . . nice to hear.” Knowing that Charmaine felt that way brought a lump to her throat. A little embarrassed by her reaction, she turned the comment into a joke. “Are you saying this is a sticky situation?”
    â€œYeah.” Anastasia grinned at her. “And it’s your fault, considering you’re the glue and all.”
    â€œMaybe we need a vat of Goo-Gone so everyone can get unstuck.”
    â€œNope, I’m glad I’m stuck with you, and so’s Charmaine. I love Mom, but she shouldn’t be in charge of the money. Your dad screwed up by leaving everything to her. He should have left it to you.”
    Georgie knew how that would have turned out. Evelyn would have challenged the will. “That might have created another set of problems. Plus, I wouldn’t be sending Charmaine money to finance your mother’s plan.”
    â€œI know.” Anastasia blew out a gusty sigh. “I told her Charmaine would have to sacrifice herself, because I won’t. The