(Previously in the novel: Harley Sadler’s traveling show chugs along in West Texas during the Great Depression, helping as many cash-strapped farmers as possible.)

Only a few fans lingered outside the tent waiting for the performers to emerge. Finally Billie, Harley and the others ambled out, and the faithful few rushed them for autographs and to shake hands. Harley beamed with each encounter. As the last one left, he turned to Sam.
“Good audience tonight, don’t you think?”
Before he could reply, a large rotund man with a sweaty red face stepped out of the shadows and approached them with a big smile and an extended hand.
“Excuse me, Mr. Sadler, I hate to bother you, but I have a question for you.”
“Call me Harley.” He shook the man’s hand vigorously.
“Thanks. I’m Burford Jones from Sweet water.”
“I thought you looked familiar.” He reached out for Billie to join him. “Honey, we had homefolk in the audience tonight.”
“How nice to meet you, Mr. Jones.” Billie smiled and extended her hand.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Now what can we do for you, Burford?” Harley asked.
“”Well, Harley, I’m from the Democratic Party in Sweetwater, and the boys think you’d be the perfect candidate for the state legislature next year.”
Billie exploded in laughter. No demure, ladylike laugh, but a full throated boisterous guffaw, which coming from any other lady could have been interpreted as rude and boorish.
“Don’t laugh, Mama.” Gloria elbowed her mother to straighten her up. “I think Daddy would be wonderful for the job.”
“Well, I don’t know.” Harley wrinkled his brow.
“Have you ever given thought to anything like this before?” Burford asked.
“No, he hasn’t,” Billie answered for him.
Burford focused on his prey. “Harley?”
“No, I guess not.” He glanced at his wife. “At least not now. We’re taking a show to Dallas for the Texas Centennial celebration.”
“Great!” Burford beamed. “That’d work into the campaign.”
“Harley said no.” Billie spoke in a tone that could end any conversation.
“Billie’s right,” Harley conceded. “Maybe some other time.”
“I’ll keep you to that.” Burford shook his hand and nodded curtly to Billie. “Ma’am.”
After he walked away, Harley leaned into Billie to whisper, “You weren’t very nice to the man, dear.”
“Oh, I don’t care.” She tried to smile. “I could just see you being on the road with the show and the rest of the time in Austin.”
He put his arm around her. “You’d come with me.”
“But we have a home in Sweetwater.” She paused, shaking off the idea. “Anyway, it’s going to be wonderful to rest tonight with the whole family.”
Gloria came up on Billie’s other side. “But, Mama, don’t you remember? Louise and I are spending the night together.”
“And Sam and I got to go to a –ah—game,” Harley interrupted with a nervous cough. “You know, to try to get some investors for the Siege of the Alamo in Dallas.”
Billie turned to her mother Lou. “Mama, will you sit up and talk with me?”
“Oh no, dear,” she replied with a stifled yawn. “I’ve got to go straight to bed.”
Sue stepped closer and put her arm around Billie’s shoulders which seemed to slump more with each rejection. “I tell what. Why don’t we have some girl talk? We can have our own little party.”
“Thank you, Sue,” Billie replied with a smile. “I’d like that.”
“We’d better hurry up, Harley,” Sam said. “That group of cattlemen gets antsy if they have to wait too long.”
Harley smiled at Billie. “We’ll try to make it a short evening, dear.”
“Harley,” Lou said stepping up to her son-in-law. “Go ahead and drop me off at the hotel. Billie pokes along too slow.
He looked down and shuffled his feet in a classic maneuver all his fans recognized but they all knew it didn’t work.
“Mama Lou, I’d love to, but we’re already late—“
“Please,” Lou used her best pathetic old woman voice. Billie and Gloria rolled their eyes each time she resorted to it.
“Oh, all right.” Harley could not resist his mother-in-law. After all, she was the first in Billie’s family who accepted the runaway wedding.
Harley kissed Billie on the lips. “Good night, dear!”
Billie hardly reacted, but Gloria ran to him and practically jumped into his arms. “Good night Daddy.” She smiled mischievously. “Do you worship and adore me?”
“I worship and adore you,” he whispered as he snuggled her neck.
Billie watched as Harley. Lou and Sam disappeared into the shadows. Hearing the engine of his car rev, she knew she would not see him until morning and she would have to endure another long, dark and lonely evening by herself.
Faye put her arms around the girls’ shoulders. “Well, come on, girls.”
“Yes!” Louise’s eyes twinkled. “Daddy made sure the café kept open late so we can have banana splits.”
“Oh good,” Gloria chimed in.
“Behave, Gloria.” Billie tried to sound like a strict disciplinarian but she knew she was not very good at it.
“Don’t I always?” Gloria laughed it off.
“Of course she does,” Faye added in defense of the girls.
“And we’re going to be good too, Faye.” Sue could not disguise the sarcasm in her voice.
“Yes, Sue.” Faye narrowed her eyes. “I’d like to have a nice long talk with you someday.”
The girls pulled her forward.
“Come on, Mama,” Louise insisted. “We gotta go.”
After they walked away, Billie turned to Sue and frowned. “What do you think Faye wants to talk to you about?”
“Nothing important,” she replied with a wink, “I’m sure.”
Billie knew very well what Faye want to say to Sue. She was going to tell her not to give her any booze. Everyone in the tent show gossiped about her. Billie was sure of it. Except for Sue. She seemed to understand.
“After we get back into town,” Billie said softly as she slid into the front seat of Sue’s car, “let’s go by the drug store. I feel a cold coming on.”