It Happened One Night

“Mind if I join you?” Josh asked. “My plans for dinner fell through at the last minute.”

Grinning, Gil motioned toward the empty chair across from him. “Have a seat. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I had a meal that wasn’t business-related or kid-dominated.”

“You’ve had a pretty full plate since becoming president,” Josh agreed, pulling out the chair to sit down.

A single father, Gil Addison was totally devoted to his small son, and he wasn’t often seen having a beer with other members in the club’s bar just for fun. It was nice to see his friend enjoying a little downtime for a change.

“Hi, I’m Ginny. I’ll be your server tonight. What can I get for you two?” a tall, dark-haired waitress asked, placing cocktail napkins in front of them in anticipation of a drink order. “We have a steak and fries plate that’s out of this world, it’s so good.”

“I’ll have that and a beer,” Josh spoke up.

“Might as well double that order,” Gil added.

“Great choice,” Ginny said, jotting their orders on a pad of paper. “I’ll be right back with your beer.”

While they waited on Ginny to return with their drinks, Josh and Gil talked about how the club membership had grown with the addition of women to its roster.

“I know some of the older members have a problem with it,” Gil said, shrugging. “But the Texas Cattleman’s Club needs to be progressive in its thinking and recognize that this isn’t the same club Tex Langley founded around the turn of the last century. The ‘good old boy network’ was fine a hundred-plus years ago, but it just isn’t practical in today’s world.”

“I have to admit, I’ve had my share of misgivings about women belonging to the club,” Josh said honestly. “But after working with Nadine Capshaw since she was appointed to the funding committee last month, it’s given me a new perspective on the issue. I think my main concerns now revolve around some of the changes the women are lobbying for. It seems at times that the TCC is heading toward becoming more of a country club than an organization that has always set the bar with its dedication to serving the needs of the community of Royal.”