My UnTrue Love (A Kinda Fairytale #7)

Chapter Eighteen

“When cy’otes sing, our lesson imparts,

But our curse won’t bid adieu,

‘Til a partner gives one her whole heart,

And loves that cowboy so true.”

Lyrics from the folk song “Crossroads Coyote”

Clem was not having a great morning.

Her brothers kept texting her, demanding answers about her new living arrangements.

Her butt had done that annoying thing where it somehow grew overnight, so her skirt felt tight.

Woody’s idea of “fixing” the issue with the bathroom was to yank out the mildewed drywall under the sink and replace it with a haphazardly cut piece of cardboard. There was now a hole in the wall and the sink still leaked.

She was out of the bananas she used to mitigate the artificially-sweet taste of Bill’s breakfast cereal and she couldn’t justify the cost of buying more. (Desert Pete, the owner of the Lone Prairie, had refused to pay Bill after he fired him, so they were more broke than ever. It was very upsetting.) The unadulterated multi-colored chemicals in Gala-Ohs! were liable to burn a hole in her tongue.

And, most frustrating of all, Bill was being stubborn again.

“I just don’t see why we can’t break into Luke’s apartment and look for him. He won’t answer when I knock.”

Bill sloshed coffee into a purple mug. It was decorated with the words “Hug Your Favorite Nurse” and a cartoon tarantula with all eight of its legs extended for an embrace. Clem had a feeling it had been left behind by the apartment’s last tenant.

“We’ll hear if he’s in there soon enough. Him and that damn screeching fiddle.”

“He’s uniquely talented, Bill. I’m going to try and get him admitted to the Westlands Performing Arts Academy. I think it will really help him refine his natural gift.”

“Coyotes don’t go off to college. More likely we go off to jail.”

“That’s ridiculous. He’s not a criminal. He’s just a sweet little boy.”

Bill didn’t seem persuaded. “I can’t commit breaking and entering on our neighbor’s house today. I got an important appointment. I’ll do it tomorrow, if you’re so set on it.”

She made a face. “Yes, I was here when you got the call to set up your important appointment . You were remarkably mysterious about the whole thing.”

“Was I?” His forehead creased. “Well, I’m tickled you think so. A man likes to hear he’s mysterious, every now and then. Especially from the girl who knows what color his bed sheets are.”

Blue.

His sheets were blue and she’d woken up in them. And woken up on Bill, with her hand in a very embarrassing place. That was another reason for her lousy mood. Bill didn’t seem upset by it, but Clem was appalled that she’d basically groped the poor guy while he slept.

This really was a rotten morning.

Bill’s head tilted, as if something just occurred to him. “Darlin’, have you been wondering about my appointment?”

She ate more of her unbanana-ed breakfast.

“Huh.” Bill lounged there, basking in her brooding silence.

Clem sent him a sideways look, annoyed by his amusement. “Oh, shut up.”

Bill chuckled. “Sadly, my mystery ain’t so mysterious.” He told her, all chipper and pleased with his teasing. “It’s a job interview, at Camp Town Racetrack.”

She squinted in confusion. “What would you do there?” She couldn’t imagine they needed a guitar player. Didn’t they use bugles to announce races?

“I’m hopin’ they’ll hire me to look after the horses.” He headed for the fridge to grab a carton of milk. “I like horses.”

Right.Cowboy.

Clementine’s tension eased, the morning looking up. “I support you having a temporary day job at the racetrack, if it makes you happy.” She could see how working with animals would be fulfilling to him. Bill was such a tender soul.

“I’m hoping it’ll be more than temporary.” Milk and sugar got heaped into his coffee. The man had a sweet-tooth, no doubt about it. “Once I find a real job, you won’t have to be upset about saloon owners refusing to pay us. I don’t want any stress affecting your health. You can be more secure, if I have a…”

Clementine cut him off. “Your real job is being a guitar player and my job is to convince people how talented you are. We’re finding you a new venue today. We talked about it last night.”

He shot her an aggrieved look.

She raised both eyebrows at him, not backing down.

His head tilted to one side, arguing his points.

She shrugged, refusing to budge.

He sighed, knowing he couldn’t win this debate. “How about you come with me to Camp Town Racetrack, this afternoon? You can wait while I do the interview, and then we’ll look for new saloons where I can play guitar. Together.”

He’d invited her along! That was just what she’d wanted. His idea about the racetrack was nonsense, but she could humor him until he saw she was right about his musical career. “Okay.”

“Just please don’t befriend any of the shady gamblers.” Bill implored. “No matter how pitiful and musical they look. It’ll surely lead to some kind of altercation and your brother’s just hankering for a reason to arrest me.”

“You’re the one who keeps getting into altercations, not me.” She was ninety-nine percent sure he’d be up to some kind of mischief with Desert Pete. Hopefully, he got the money they were owed, while he was at it.

“I wonder how I wind up in so many strange predicaments?” Bill leaned his hip against the counter. “It’s an all-abiding mystery.”

“Well, you’re a mysterious man.” She reminded him.

“Uh-huh.” He sipped his coffee, a playful glint in his eyes. “You sure are winsome this morning, Miss Clementine. Have I told you that?”

She resisted the urge to check how her backside looked in the skirt. “You think I seem professional enough?”

“I’d sure hire you. In fact, I did. Is it professional of me to say that you’re the prettiest manager in town?”

She flushed a bit. “Probably not, but I’ll take it. Thank you. You… um… look good, too.”

Shoot.

That was a really weak compliment, considering this was a golden opportunity to flirt. She needed to be less subtle in her pursuit of Bill. With a few more gentle nudges, he might realize that Clem was a desirable woman. And that he was madly in love with her. And maybe then ask her on a date.

And propose.

Really, now that she’d decided to marry the man, she was getting impatient with his foot-dragging. It had been hours . Perhaps it was time to nudge him in a less gentle way.

“Sometimes artists are inspired by passion.” Clementine announced, out of the blue.

Bill blinked.“Huh?”

Clem stifled a sigh at how oblivious her groom could be. It was because he existed in his own internal world. She’d provide more romantic scaffolding, so he could climb out of his head and into reality.

“Artists are passionate people.” She reiterated. “They crave passionate experiences and passionate connections. Sometimes I feel like you repress that part of yourself.”

“Huh.” Now the sound was thoughtful instead of baffled.

“That could be why you’re stifling your emotions.”

“I’m not stifling my emotions.”

“I’m just saying: It wouldn’t hurt you to broaden your social life.” She focused on the cereal box on the counter, pretending the smiling knight on the package was fascinating. “For the good of your music.”

“Well, I have had my eye on a woman, now that you mention it.”

“You have?” Her lips pressed together in annoyance. “Well, on second thought, too much passion is very detrimental to inspiration. You don’t want to waste any of your creative energy.”

“I don’t wanna be repressing myself, either.”

“You’re not! But you can’t risk your whole career over some girl.”

Bill came up behind her. “You’d be scared, if you realized how much I’d risk for this girl.”

Clementine’s scowled.

“I could ask her to un-repress me, I suppose.” Bill went on conversationally.

Crap.

She sucked at chasing Bill. All she’d done was convince him to date someone else. Clementine tried to backpedal. “Well, let’s not be hasty. Whoever this girl is, touching her might not be the way to go…”

She broke off with a small gasp, as Bill’s palm slipped around her body and settled on her midriff. His fingers were spread wide, taking up most of the space on her torso. She could feel the glorious heat of his touch through her shirtfront.

Her head went back to gape up at him over her shoulder.

He arched a brow. “You want to inspire me, Clem?”

“Me?” She blinked, comprehension belatedly dawning. “ I’m the one you’ve got your eye on?”

“Both eyes.”

“Wow!” Clementine processed that for a beat and then beamed. “I can’t believe how in synch we always are! It’s like you read my mind.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that. Your thoughts are too sweet for a coyote to understand.”

“Don’t say that! You are the sweetest man in the world. That’s why I feel so drawn to you. And why things have developed so naturally between us. Almost like destiny.”

Bill nodded gravely. “Almost.”

“Our relationship means so much to me. I would never want to endanger that.” She continued, her gloomy mood gone. “But I was hoping you wanted to try -- Just try -- to take our friendship to the next level. Maybe that would be something you’d be interested in?”

“Darlin’, you will never find anyone more interested.”

Lust spread through her body. The low cadence of his incredible voice and the feel of his hand did wonderful things to her insides. Still, Clementine couldn’t help but experience a flicker of guilt.

“Don’t be mad, but it’s not all destiny that got us here.” She blurted out. “I also pushed a bit.”

“Well, it surely worked.”

“It did.” She nodded, pleased by her success. “I mean, it wasn’t really fair, though. Artists are often led by emotions. I should give you more time to consider things, before you’re swept away by impulse.”

“An artist has gotta follow his instincts.” He reminded her in an earnest voice.

“Yes, that’s true. But it was very easy to persuade your instincts to lead you here.”

“Easy? I’ve got ten long months into this project. I’m finally right where I want to be.” He slipped his palm beneath the hem of her shirt, so he could touch the bare skin of her stomach. “…Just about, anyhow.” His thumb caressed in a seductive way, asking permission and showing devotion and promising pleasure.

Clem smiled, understanding everything about the small movement. She always understood Bill without words. “Well, you should be exactly where you want to be, then.” She whispered impishly.

“I was thinking the same.” His hand moved down her body. “You wanna play a game with me this morning, darlin’?”

“God yes.”

“Not too fast for you?”

She almost laughed at the idea they were going slow for her benefit. “Absolutely not. Is it too fast for you?”

Bill actually did laugh. To answer her question, his fingers slipped past the waistband of her skirt, beneath her underwear, and parted her flesh.

It happened so quickly and with such authority that Clementine couldn’t do anything more than gasp. Her legs shifted, giving him the access he sought, her head falling back against his chest.

“Seems like we’re on the same page, again. That’s real lucky, ‘cause this is where I want to be.” His calloused palm rubbed against her, exploring the territory and making her see stars. “And given how wet you are, I’m thinkin’ you want me here, too.”

Clementine moaned, feeling taken in all the very best ways. The man truly was a genius. His touch was like a brand. Like he was claiming her. Like he would never, ever let her go.

She craved more.

“You don’t need to worry about my desire for you. You can worry about a heap of other shit about me. No one will blame you for being skittish. But never that. I’m downright besotted with my va-va-voom vixen.”

She went boneless in his grasp, giving herself over to him. “You think I’m a vixen?” People made comments about muses’ sensuality all the time, but they weren’t usually compliments. Bill’s words were nothing but appreciative and admiring.

“I think you are the sexiest girl I ever seen. I’ve been aching for you.” His hand massaged her with the ideal amount of pressure.

The pleasure was so overwhelming that Clementine instantly tried to squeeze her thighs closed.

Bill made a tsk -ing sound at her automatic response. “You tryin’ to keep me from what we both want?” His other arm slid around her waist, holding her still. “Ornery girls get punished, Clem. No other choice.”

Oh God… There was no way he could possibly miss how hot she was getting. He was taking control in a playful way, and she was incredibly turned on by it. She made a happy, helpless sort of sound.

Bill smiled against her temple. “Now, I don’t want to punish you.” He continued, although it was blatantly obvious that was exactly what they both wanted. “But this is the only way you’ll learn.”

“Learn what?”

“That coyotes are a dominant breed, of course.” He very deliberately eased her legs open wider.

“I’ve noticed that.” She agreed breathlessly.

Bill pressed a kiss to her hair. “You’re gonna have to come all over my hand, as punishment for closing your legs when I don’t want ‘em closed. Nothing I can do about that. You’ve gotta learn a lesson.”

“Tough, but fair.”

He shifted his grip on her, so he could stroke her even deeper, and this time she was ready for the touch. Bill was a sensitive man, but he certainly wasn’t shy about this. There was something both protective and predatory in the movement.

“How long has it been since somebody else satisfied you, darlin’? At least ten months, I know that. As soon as I got here, I kept all them useless boys away from you.”

She stared up at him, dazed. “You did?”

“‘Course I did.” Her top was tugged open, exposing her bra. “I can’t stand any other man near you.”

Clem started in surprise as her shirt parted. She was self-conscious about her curvy body and her breasts weren’t her best feature. They weren’t high or firm. Her bra was hideous and practical and engineered for support. She really wanted to cross her arms over her chest to hide it.

Bill arched a brow, like he was reading her sudden insecurities. “Mine.” He said sternly.

“Who says?”

“That’s just the way it works when you get caught by a coyote.”

Since she was enjoying the game, Clementine didn’t obstruct his view of her underwear. She did shoot him a mutinous sort of frown, though.

His breathing got rougher at her pout. “I am not gonna last if you start being Bad. I like scolding you too much.” She could feel his erection at her back, proving the strength of his desire. “I want to do things to you that I don’t think you’re ready for, until you’re being a Good girl again.”

His reaction increased her confidence. Bill was turned on, too. She’d done that. “I’m ready for everything… except taking off my bra.” She didn’t do a thing to stop him, as his free hand enveloped one partially-covered breast.

“We’ll get there. Your body’s gonna be tuned to my touch.” His thumb brushed her nipple, through the fabric of her underwear. A snarl left him as he felt it tighten in response. “Like an instrument I can play better than anybody.”

She swallowed hard. “You should probably practice a lot then.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “Lucky I’m inspired.” One long, beautiful finger glided inside her. She was so wet that it slid in with no resistance, stretching her. Filling her.

Clementine whimpered at the sensation of being possessed by him, pressing her back against his body.

He made a crooning noise, his other hand still on her breast. “I’ve got you. There we go. Let me all the way in.” He kissed her neck, teeth gently scraping. “That’s my beautiful girl.”

Her eyes fluttered shut, as he relentlessly stroked his finger in and out of her. It felt strange and hot and perfect .

Bill must have been thinking along similar lines. “This has got to be the most perfect body in creation. Everything about you is so soft. And so tight . I’ve never felt anything so tight.” His tone was almost confused.

Clementine could have clarified things, but she had much bigger matters on her mind. He squeezed a second finger into her channel, and it was all she could do to hold on. Bright sensation was coiling within her. Her lips parted in wonder. “ Oh .” She writhed against his hold.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Bill warned raggedly, as if maybe she was trying to escape. “You just take everything I’m giving you, as deep as you can.” Another finger entered her, claiming more territory, and he let out a carnal hiss. “See? Your body is getting used to me already. It’ll take some work for all of me to fit inside you. We gotta work up to it a bit.” He didn’t seem at all disappointed by the challenge.

“Please. I need…” She broke off with a gasp, as he lifted one of her legs and braced it against the kitchen cabinet, so he could achieve even greater penetration. “Bill!”

“Oh fuck.” His breathing was jagged. “That’s what I’ve been dying to hear. You sayin’ my name just like that.”

The tighter the pressure built within her, the more she wanted to fight it. To reach it. She moved her hips against his palm, her head thrown back on his shoulder, but it wasn’t quite enough. “Please.” She begged again.

“Punishments like this are hard on us both.” He commiserated, but his eyes were electric blue, as they watched the tops of her breasts jiggling over the edge of the bra. “And next time’s gonna be worse.”

“Worse!?”

“Yep. If you don’t learn to behave after my fingers have been inside of you, I’m gonna have to put something much bigger between those pretty…”

Clementine came. Hard. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, her body spasming. Bill made a contented sound, stroking her through the explosion and aftershocks. When her knees gave way, he lifted her into his arms. Which she absolutely would have balked at, had she been in her right mind.

But she wasn’t.

She was in such a relaxed syrupy haze that she barely noticed when he settled them both on the couch, Clementine cradled in his lap. She just burrowed against him and dreamily sighed.

Bill petted her hair. “If you don’t want my hands all over you, you’d better say something quick. Because there’ll always be some part of me touching you, from now on. Especially when we’re alone and I can get your clothes off.”

She gave a jerky nod, believing that promise and liking it.

“I just can’t get close enough to you. You’re so responsive and warm and soft.” Bill leaned in to breathe her scent. “It’s like you were made just for me. Don’t tell me if we ever accidentally meet one of your former beaus. I’d have to kill the bastard, right in front of you.”

“Now you’re being silly.”

“Trust me, you’re not gonna want to test my sense of humor about you and other men. I hate every other fella who’s ever gotten close.”

“No one else has, Bill.”

“I knew from the minute you smiled at me, that my whole future was…” He trailed off, as if he suddenly understood her words. His gaze flew to hers, silent questions burning.

She wrinkled her nose in embarrassment.

His expression went incredulous.

She gave a rueful shrug.

“Fuck.”He muttered.“Nobody?Not ever? ”

“People think muses are easy. When I was younger, I was scared to prove them right, I guess. I thought Johnny and I would…” She shrugged uncomfortably. “But we didn’t. Kissing is as far as it went.”

Bill’s jaw flexed, as if even that much annoyed him.

“And when I was twenty-two, there was this guy named Tyler Tompkins, who I thought would be an okay boyfriend. We went to the Birdcage. You know that aviary restaurant? He loved birds. Looking at them and then eating them was strange to me, but Tyler wanted to chase them with a net and grill them himself.” She cringed at the memory of all the feathers. “Then it turned out he wasn’t actually interested in me. He’d just made a bet about how fast he could get a muse into bed.”

Bill was ominously quiet.

“Tyler Tompkins lost his bet.” Clem said disdainfully. “I just kept waiting. Soon, I’d waited so long that I got kind of stuck. Because it felt like maybe I was waiting for something. And the longer I waited for it, the more extraordinary it had to be to justify me not waiting anymore.”

Every single part of him was still.

“Bill?”

“Fuck.” He muttered again. He didn’t move, but he seemed to draw back from her. “Coyotes aren’t extraordinary.”

“You are .”

“No, we steal extraordinary things.”

She frowned at the total conviction on his face. “Do coyotes steal women who don’t want to be stolen?”

“No.” The word was instant. “Not if they want to live. We don’t abide that shit. The women choose to be with us, until they choose to go.”

“Well, there you have it.” She smiled at him. “How can you steal what’s offered?”

“You wouldn’t offer it, if I hadn’t tricked you.”

Clementine didn’t want to hurt his feelings by rolling her eyes, but it was a real temptation. Did he honestly think their relationship was his doing? How could he miss how she’d set everything into motion? He was so adorably innocent. “You didn’t trick me.”

“I did. ” His voice sounded different. Almost desperate. “I know we were playin’ about it, but you’re always Good. Always. And I’m not. No matter how much I feel for you, you were made for someone better. Luke was right about that. Your True Love is out there looking for you right now . I can’t just take you, when…”

She cut him off. “You can take me.” She leaned up to brush her lips against his, coaxing. “Technically, though, I’m taking you .”

His tongue slipped into her mouth, hungry and seeking. His fingers began moving over her body, like he just couldn’t stop himself. “I gave you a chance to run.” He murmured after a long moment. “You remember that later.”

“You never even took your hands off me.” She teased. “Not much of a chance.”

“Well, I’m not an idiot. I can’t lose my muse. You inspire all sorts of things in me, Clem. Good and Bad.”

It was just terrible that she liked inspiring the Bad, more than the Good. All his passion was centered on her and it was like standing in a spotlight. “How Bad?” She whispered.

Blue eyes burned. He always understood her. “You want the darkness.” It wasn’t a question. Some of his tension eased.

“I like it when your attention is focused on me.”

“That’s fortunate, since it’s been aimed in your direction ever since we met.”

She shifted so she was straddling his legs and she could look right into his face. “ You are who I was waiting for, Bill.”

His mouth curved and he tugged her down, holding her tight against his lap. “So, how much longer do you wanna stay a virgin?”

“Four months.”

Bill couldn’t quite cover his flinch. “Yeah, alright.” He agreed anyway, barely missing a beat. “We can do that. Sometime in January maybe you’ll be ready to…?”

Clementine dissolved into giggles, unable to keep a straight face any longer.

Bill’s eyes narrowed. “You’re funning me.” He deduced.

“Of course I am! Why in the world would I postpone sleeping with you for four months?” She gave him a kiss on the nose, because he was just too cute.

He began rocking her against the iron-hard bulge in his jeans, finding a rhythm he liked. “Maybe when you’re ornery, you should be making me come. That might teach you to behave.”

Clementine’s eyes widened with interest. “You’d let me touch you?”

He gave a dark chuckle. “Darlin’ there is nothing in the world I wouldn’t let you do to me.”

Someone knocked on the door. Loudly.

“Ignore it.” Bill advised, nipping her ear.

“You say that whenever anybody comes over.”

“Only person I ever invited here is you. Everyone else who shows up is a damn trespasser, who I’m too busy to deal with.” His palms were easing under her skirt again. “I’ve got my hands full with more important…”

“Clementine?” Dinah called from outside. “Make yourself decent and get out here. I wanna talk to you about that damn coyote.”

Clementine’s eyes widened in horror. She was half-naked and making out with a man, ten feet from her grandmother’s possible-former-lover! With a squeak of alarm, she jumped off Bill’s lap, scrambling to right her clothes.

Bill pitched his head back and blew out an aggravated breath. “ Fuck .”

“Clementine!” Dinah knocked again.

“I’m coming!”

“You would be, if she hadn’t showed up.” Bill grumbled.

Clementine studiously ignored that. She pulled open the door, smoothing down her hair and hoping she looked respectable. “Hi, Dinah. How nice of you to stop by.”

“…Unannounced.” Bill chimed in, slanting the older woman a glare.

Dinah scanned Clem up and down in a way that made Clem suspect she’d buttoned all her buttons wrong. “Humph.” She arched a brow at Bill. “Interrupting your busy morning, am I?” She didn’t seem very repentant.

Bill sighed.Loudly.

“Well, I came by, because I heard what happened at the Lone Prairie.” Dinah continued. “Not directly from the owner of the joint, mind you. Nobody seems to know just what’s happened to him.”

“Who cares what happened to him?” Clementine scoffed. “Desert Pete wouldn’t pay Bill! I was very upset by his unfair attitude.”

Dinah kept staring at Bill.

“I don’t like it when Clem’s upset.” He said mildly.

“You talked to Desert Pete?” Clementine had wondered what “bothersome errand” got him up so early. Hopefully, he hadn’t been too mischievous. “Did you get our money?”

He smiled a bit. That was answer enough. He was such a gifted negotiator.

Dinah cackled. It was the first time Clem had ever heard her laugh. “Well, I imagine Desert Pete’s feeling upset, too. …Wherever he might be. Not just because of his present circumstances, either. It’s all over town that you busted up his saloon.”

“Bill didn’t start that fight.” Clementine defended, hitching her neckline higher.

“Maybe not, but he sure as hell finished it.” Dinah kept her sharp eyes on Bill. “I hear you changed into your coyote-self and tossed some son of a bitch into a wall.”

Bill stared at her, saying nothing.

“That sounds much more violent than it was.” Clementine rushed to explain. “Bill was the real victim.”

Dinah’s attention stayed on Bill. “I also heard that son of a bitch put his hands on Clem, first.” She pursed her cherry-red lips around her cigarette. Her unlit cigarette. Was she not smoking, because she’d taken Bill’s warning about Clementine’s health to heart? “I assume you didn’t cotton to that.”

“Nobody touches my mate.” Bill relayed that information in a placid tone, but it had Clem’s pulse rate speeding up.

When shifters called someone their mate, it was very, very serious. It probably wasn’t fair to assume that Bill was very, very serious, given all the recent upset to his sensitive temperament. Still, Clem couldn’t quite stop her very, very serious hope.

Dinah grunted. “I passed some time away with a coyote, in my younger years. Might’ve mentioned that. He helped me build The Kitchen.” She sighed in fond remembrance. “He was a lawless varmint, who high-tailed it outta town with a posse hot on his tail. Miracle that he didn’t swing from a noose, for all the trouble he caused.” She considered Bill thoughtfully. “You favor him a bit.”

“Must’ve been a good-lookin’ son of a gun.”

“Oh, he was.” Dinah gave a sly smile. “And he once ripped off a man’s jaw for disrespecting me at a rodeo. I don’t like to prioritize male companionship over all other options. Feminine ways, for example, have many a charm.”

“That they do.” Bill agreed.

“But that fella…? Well, let’s just say I understand the appeal of permanently hogtieing myself a handsome coyote.”

Bill got to his feet. “Coffee?” He asked Dinah and Clementine got the feeling the two of them were forging some kind of truce.

“Nah. I just came to get another look at you.” Dinah crossed her bony arms over her chest. “Maybe I miscalculated. Maybe Clem don’t need a bookish, softer sort of man. Maybe she’d do better with one who can look out for her.”

“She looks out for me, too.”

Dinah gave a sniff. “Clementine never told me the docs said she should avoid smoke, ya know. Otherwise, I would’ve banned it from the bar. She can be too obliging, at times. It’ll probably impact your career. Managers gotta be tenacious as hellhounds.”

All of that was said like Clem wasn’t even in the room.

“Clem’s a prize manager.” Bill said loyally. “Nobody better.”

“I can be assertive.” Clem protested to Dinah, at the same time. “People smoking around me just isn’t that big a deal.”

Bill retracted his defense. “Yes, it is a big deal.” His eyes went to Dinah, now caught up in his favorite pastime of micromanaging Clem’s health. “Clementine can’t have much salt, either. Watch her with those pretzels at your bar.”

Dinah pursed her lips. “I serve peanuts at the bar.”

“You should switch to pretzels. She likes peanuts even more.”

“It’s fine to have a few peanuts, every now and then.” Clementine protested. “I’m sure the doctor said so.”

“He didn’t.” Bill guaranteed. “Wanna see the notes I took at the appointment?”

Clementine sighed in exasperation.

“So, I’ve decided you’ve got some potential.” Dinah went on to Bill. (Clem got admonished. He got praised. Typical.) “Not like Johnny’s got it anymore. Man became the fastest has-been I ever saw. He came into my place and made a damn fool of himself last night. I have it all on security tape, if you wanna see it. I already watched it twice.”

Icy eyes gleamed. “I have always been a fan of a picture show.”

Dinah was visibly smitten with Bill’s mischievous side. “No matter how much I enjoy sharing popcorn and a movie with you, though, I can’t put someone on my stage who’s using my Clem to get there.”

“Makes sense.” Bill agreed.

“Oh, Bill’s not…”

Dinah talked right over Clementine’s interruption. Why was Clem even in this conversation? Dinah could just decide Clem’s life without her input, it seemed. “I also can’t have talent slipping through my fingers. It ain’t good business.” She paused. “And I heard tell you put on the best performance of Wild Horses Run ever played at the Lone Prairie.”

“It was the best ever played in the whole town.” Clementine chimed in, because it was true and because she was assertive, damn it.

“I got fired from the Lone Prairie, after beating the shit outta the asshole who touched my mate.” Bill reminded Dinah. “So, it couldn’t have been that impressive a song.”

Clem felt another rush of excitement, because he’d just said “mate” again. It put all kinds of stimulating thoughts in her head. She couldn’t help it. Confidence surged. “Dinah, if you let Bill play at The Kitchen, you won’t regret it. I know he’ll bring in customers. He’s a star.”

That claim earned her a pained look from Bill. He was so modest. Clementine needed to make sure his talent was recognized. It was her job as his manager.

And as his mate!

“I gotta be sure he’s serious about you, Clem.” Dinah insisted. “Not like Johnny. I care about you too much to let any man use you to get ahead.”

“Well, you just heard him say that I’m his mate.” Clementine had certainly heard it. Twice! It was all she heard and it was making her feel giddy inside. Her plan to entice him had worked.

“Coyotes don’t have mates.” Dinah pronounced. “They steal ‘em.”

Bill flinched.

“Well, coyotes can have wives, right?” Riding high on endorphins and hard-won boldness, Clementine said the words before she even stopped to consider them. Why waste time building the small steps of romantic infrastructure, when you could skip right to the finished construction?

Dinah gasped. “Don’t tell me he proposed!”

Bill watched her, wide-eyed, but Clem was too caught up to stop, now. She didn’t want to stop. Her plan to gently nudge him into romance went flying out the window and she was freefalling into assertive, lovesick chaos.

“Actually, I proposed.” She declared, because she kind of was, if you ignored the fact Bill didn’t really have the option of saying no. “And now we’re getting married.”