House of Night 09 - Destined

but still. H.O.T.”
    “I told y’all. And he’s so tall he makes Lenobia look even teenier than she is.”
    As Stevie Rae, Aphrodite, and I wandered into hearing distance and tried (unsuccessfully) not to be too obvious in our group gawk, the cowboy tipped his hat to Lenobia and in a perfect Oklahoma twang said, “Howdy, ma’am. I’m the new stable manager. I’d ’preciate it if you could point me to the man in charge.”
    I couldn’t see Lenobia’s face but I watched her back straighten.
    “Uh-oh,” Stevie Rae whispered.
    “So much for the whole warm welcome thing,” I said low enough that only Aphrodite and Stevie Rae could hear me.
    “John Wayne just totally fucked up,” Aphrodite said.
    “I am Lenobia.” Her voice carried easily to us. I didn’t think she sounded pissed. I thought she sounded like an ice storm. “I am the woman in charge of these stables and your new boss.” There was a kind of uncomfortable silence when Lenobia didn’t offer a hand for him to shake.
    “Brrr,” Aphrodite whispered. “She just reminded me of my mom, and for John Wayne that’s not a good thing.”
    “Sam Elliott,” Stevie Rae whispered.
    Aphrodite furrowed her brow at my BFF. I suppressed a sigh of hopelessness.
    “He doesn’t look anything like John Wayne.” She continued her stage whisper. “But he looks just like Sam Elliott.”
    “You watched too much regular TV when you were a kid, probably after you had dinner as a family on Saturday nights. Pathetic.” Aphrodite gave Stevie Rae a dismissive shake of her head. I was thinking about how bizarre it was that Aphrodite knew about Stevie Rae’s family stuff when the three of us turned our attention back to The Cowboy Show.
    The man tipped his hat to Lenobia again, this time he smiled and even standing as far away as we were I could see that his eyes were sparkling. “Well, ma’am, seems I got me some misinformation. Glad that was cleared up quick. My name is Travis Foster, and I’m pleased to meet ya, boss lady.”
    “And you don’t mind finding out your boss is a lady?”
    “No, ma’am. My momma was a lady and I never worked harder or happier than when I worked for her.”
    “Mr. Foster, do I remind you of your mother?”
    I thought Lenobia’s voice could have frozen water, but Travis didn’t seem to notice. Actually, he looked like he was enjoying himself. He cocked his hat back on his head and looked down at Lenobia, like the question had been serious instead of sarcastic. “No, ma’am, not yet you don’t.” Lenobia didn’t say anything else and I was just getting that squirmy, embarrassed feeling that awkward conversations with adults can bring about when Travis kinda shrugged, hooked a finger in the belt tab of his Wranglers, and said, “So, Lenobia, could you show me where my mare and I are gonna bunk?”
    “Mare? Bunk?” Lenobia said.
    “This is some great shit. I wish I had popcorn,” Aphrodite said.
    “She’s gonna burn him with her laser vision,” I said.
    “Lenobia has laser vision?” Stevie Rae asked.
    Aphrodite and I looked at Stevie Rae like she’d just asked if we thought Lindsay Lohan was really rehabbed.
    “How ’bout I watch and not talk,” Stevie Rae said.
    “Thank you,” Aphrodite and I said together, which made her glare at me before the three of us returned to gawking and eavesdropping.
    “Well, ma’am,” Travis drawled. “I told y’all’s High Priestess when she hired me that my mare and I come as a package deal, and I’d need to stable her here. Since I just wrapped up a season managing the stables at Durant Springs, I’d need a place to lodge, too.” He paused, and when Lenobia didn’t speak he added, “Durant Springs is in Colorado, ma’am.”
    “I know where it is,” Lenobia snapped. “What makes you think you can stay here on campus? We have no accommodations for humans.”
    “Yes, ma’am, that’s what the High Priestess said. Since the job needed to be filled right away, I told her I’d get along just fine bunking with Bonnie until I could find a place nearby.”
    “Bonnie?”
    Travis rearranged his hat, the first sign he might possibly be uncomfortable. “Yes, ma’am. My mare’s name is Bonnie.” As if on cue, there came a giant thud! from inside the horse trailer. He moved to the rear doors while he continued to explain to Lenobia. “I’d ’preciate it if ya let me unload her. It’s a long way from Colorado for a big girl.”
    “Do you think his horse is