Lone Star Cinderella by Debra Clopton

gaze caught hers and held, she suddenly found it hard to breathe!
    She looked away quickly—not exactly the powerhouse of determination she was shooting for.
    â€œHow’ve you been?” Lacy asked, giving her an exuberant hug. Lacy was the local hairstylist who’d moved to town and helped bring the dusty, dying place into the wonderful, welcoming community that it was today. When Melody had come to teach at the school Mule Hollow shared with the small rural communities she’d had to live in Ranger, which was seventy miles away.There wasn’t anything to draw her to live in Mule Hollow. The schoolhouse was twenty miles from town and honestly back then the dead clapboard town was only a place cowboys could love. Sam’s Diner, Pete’s Feed and Seed, Prudy’s Garage and not much else…But that had all changed when Norma Sue, Esther Mae and Adela, the three older ladies who loved their little town, had come up with the plan to advertise for wives for all the cowboys. Why, Melody and the other schoolteachers had been so shocked to see the ad in the paper. And the next thing they knew, almost before the ink on the first ad was dry, Lacy had driven into town in her pink 1958 Cadillac convertible!
    The exuberant hairstylist was like a tornado when she hit town. She’d come to open a salon with her friend Sheri, who was riding shotgun in the Caddy. And she’d come to help the ladies succeed in their plan to bring women to Mule Hollow. It had been amazing. Really, for a quiet gal like herself, Melody had been curious to watch what was happening. Even though she was too shy to come looking for a husband, she’d been one of the first women to move to town when Adela turned her big old home into an apartment house. But she’d watched as women came and fell in love. And now, some were even having babies. Even Lacy was trying, but so far no luck. Melody hoped it happened soon for her and Clint, though.
    Several times when she’d really felt down, she’d thought about telling Lacy about her “other” life. But she always held back. “Hi. I’m in the nursery for Sunday school so I’ve got to head in,” she said, glancing toward Seth from beneath her lowered lashes. “You want to walk with me?”
    â€œSure do,” Lacy said, falling into step beside her. “It seems like forever since I’ve seen you. You did just what I thought you’d do.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œYou disappeared the minute you moved to the boonies.” Her bluebird-colored eyes twinkled.
    â€œI’ve been busy.” Melody wanted more than anything to share the news about the treasure map. She felt like a kid with a dollar burning a hole in her pocket.
    â€œI know, I know. You’ve buried yourself in all that research and you’re swimming in happiness. But we miss you.”
    â€œI’m coming to the July Fourth planning meeting on Tuesday.”
    â€œAnd you’re going to help with one of the booths this year, too. I’m not letting you hide in a food cart this year.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œNope, nope, nope. You are getting out and about this year. Two years hiding in the cotton candy trailer is just not going to cut it anymore. I’m putting you somewhere with a little more life, and there is just nothing you can do to change my mind.”
    They’d reached the nursery door. “Okay, I’ll do whatever you want.” There, she was stepping out of her comfort zone and as impulsive as Lacy was, Melody still trusted her.
    â€œGreat! The posse is getting back from their little vacation on the high seas tomorrow night so I’m going to huddle up with them, and by the time you show up Tuesday night we’re going to have you all situated. Do you want to come out to the house after church for lunch?”
    â€œI can’t. I really want to get home and back to mywork.” Over Lacy’s