Just Her Luck (56 page)

“Nope,” Sawyer jumped in, ignoring Bowen’s laughter, “No take backs, you already said yes, so if you over do it, Bo and I can tap that ass as hard as we like.”

“What?! Like hell!”

Sawyer guffawed when I grabbed a slotted spoon in my good hand and started smacking his ass with it.

“Let’s see how you like it!”

Thatcher and Ephraim walked into the kitchen and stopped, mid stride, watching with morbid fascination as Sawyer, big assed Sawyer, dodged me trying to beat his ass one-handedly with a spoon, laughing hysterically as I growled at him and yelled things at him about what I was going to do to
him
once I caught up to him.

Bowen had long since pulled his cell phone out and was recording the whole thing, grinning from ear to ear, cheering me on every so often.

Hah! I even have my own cheering section.

How awesome am I?

I’m so gonna have to remember to erase that later though.

Thatcher and Ephraim glanced at each other, shrugged and carried on like nothing was amiss, making their way over to the stove to help themselves to some eggs.

Ephraim, after he’d gotten himself a plate and set it in the microwave, picked me up and wrestled the spoon out of my hand, tossing it to Sawyer, who threw it in the sink.

He turned me so I was facing him and plastered his lips to mine, giving me one of his infamous ‘good morning, baby’ kisses.

“Good morning, handsome,” I murmured dazedly when he pulled back.

He grinned against my lips, blue eyes lit up happily.

“Good morning to you too, baby. How’s the love of my life this fine morning? Other than maiming Sawyer, that is.”

“I love you,” I blurted, making sure I got to say it first.

His eyes widened and his hands tightened on me.

Stunned and gaping a little, he hesitated before asking, “What did you say, baby?”

“I said, I love you.”

“Well, hot damn!” he crowed, twirling me around the room, hugging me hard against his chest.

“Oh, puhhhlease,” Thatcher snorted, mouth full of eggs, eating them straight out of the pan.

He swallowed and continued, “I didn’t need her to say it. I already
know
she loves me.”

His expression matched his haughty tone perfectly.

“And how could you possibly know?” Ephraim taunted, “You were too busy trying to play catch up with the rest of us to notice.”

I huffed and pinched Ephraim’s arms, making him yelp out in pain.

“Ouch! Damn it!”

“I am right here!” I protested.

He stopped and thought about what he’d just said.

“Shit, Genny, I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean it like that.”

He tried to give me a kiss, but I put my hand over his mouth.

“What do you mean by ‘play catch up’, exactly?”

Nobody answered, and I slid down Ephraim’s torso, already getting a good idea of what they meant.

I’d had my suspicions, obviously, but having them confirmed doesn’t sit too well with me.

I narrowed my eyes at them all, going with my gut on this one.

“You’re all still on that ‘whoever knocks me up gets to marry me’ kick, aren’t you?”

Though they didn’t say anything, their faces said it all.

Ugh!!

“Guess the jokes on you guys.” I walked over to the wall peg and took off Ephraim’s key ring, “I never agreed to anything of the sort.”

“But…” someone protested, and I’m not too sure who.

I was too busy trying to ignore the thundering in my ears, I was so irritated.

“Where are you goin’, baby?” Ephraim asked worriedly.

I picked up my purse off the corner table and sauntered-
yes, I sauntered
- to the front door.

“I’m taking
my
new truck for a spin.” I let the key ring twirl around on my finger. “I believe you all heard him promise to give me his truck if I let him ride me bareback. You
do
make good on your promises, don’t you…
baby?”

The others smothered laughs, careful of my mood, slightly nervous, it seemed, about what I was going to do next.

“Uh… yes?” His answer came out sounding like more of a question, and he gulped.

“Good.” I blew him a kiss and walked out, finger waving at everyone as I left.

I slammed the door shut hard behind me.

Scowling, I stomped down the steps, heading for ‘E’s truck.

“Who pissed you off now, prison bait?” Reeve chuckled, walking past me, his arms full with a heavy box.

“Why are you in such a good mood, moonshine? Did someone lick your pole?”

I let every note of derision I could possibly contain seep into that statement, giving it to him with both barrels.

I said I’d make nice, I didn’t say I’d suddenly become a doormat for him to walk all over.

The smarmy comments shall end now!

After this, I swear I’m ignoring his ass!

Possibly forever.

Yes, yes, forever sounds good.

It would probably make him happy too, since he hates me so god damned much!

Before he had a chance to come up with something good, I jumped into Ephraim’s truck and started it up, pressing the door lock button.

“Let’s see what this baby can do,” I whispered, taking off in a spray of dust, hitting Reeve from head to toe with a cloud of dirt.

“Eat my dust, old man!” I cackled maniacally, taking off down the road, trying not to think too hard on why the idea of Reeve gettin’ some bothers me so much.

****

About half way to town I’d worked off a head of steam, shedding off most of my bad mood.

Slogging in the mud will do that to a girl.

The second half of the trip, I reflected on everything that had transpired that morning.

I grimaced a little, wiggling guiltily in my seat, thinking back on how I could have handled things a wee bit differently.

My very comfy, very plushy seat.

Heh heh.

I don’t know why I’m being so damn touchy today.

I thought about what today was and made a mental note to pick up some feminine products.

Pretty soon, but not too soon, Aunt Flo should come to visit.

I mean,
will
come to visit.

If they thought me with no sleep was bad, just wait until I’m on the rag.

They’ll probably invest in helmets and athletic cups.

Have I mentioned I tend to get very
emotional
at that time of the month?

I gunned the truck again, taking off down a dirt road.

I giggled and grinned like a lunatic.

Giddy up, big red truck!

****

One trip to town, a full tank of gas, a stop by Barry’s to check on Ruthie, a quick pit stop at my house to get a few things, and now I’m back at the ranch.

I pulled up and smiled as I saw a familiar pickup truck.

I parked and got out, grabbing as many bags as I could before I headed into the house.

Walking straight to my room, I dropped my bounty and went back for more.

I loaded up the last of my purchases and the duffel from my house, then locked up and headed into the house.

Hurrying, I closed my door and locked it behind me, making sure they didn’t come in on me while I put everything away.

The house was completely empty as I finished up and went to put Ephraim’s key ring back.

I hurried back to my room and grabbed the large jars I’d just purchased, filled to the brim for each guy.

Smiling to myself, I placed one on each nightstand, attaching a note to every one of them, tailored especially for each one of my guys.

That done, I ran back into my room and grinned as I nabbed up my hardware store purchases.

I can do this. Pfft. No problem.

Piece of cake.

Confidence bolstered, I stood in the doorway to the behemoth, ready to get this over with.

Tools in hand, I faced off against the monster piece of machinery as I stepped into the small room.

“Come here, ya bastard,” I told it, carefully cracking my knuckles.

I pulled out the new belt I’d gotten to replace the old one that had worn out, and got out my cellphone, scrolling down to follow the step by step instructions on how to replace it.

I grinned viciously, stalking towards my prey.

That damned dryer won’t know what hit it when I’m done with it!

Screw You

“What do you think you’re doing?” barked the voice of the ass in the hat.

I wonder if he’d eat green eggs and ham too?

I snickered to myself.

“What does it look like I’m doing, old man?” I muttered, tightening my screw.

I didn’t even bother to look up from my handy work to acknowledge him.

His hand brushed my back when he went to kneel down next to me, next to the drum.

Not expecting him to touch me so freely, I jumped, startled, and smacked my head hard on the top of the inside of the dryer drum, flopping back onto my butt to cradle my head, the screw driver still in my hand.

“You did that on purpose!” I grumbled, rubbing at the knot on the back of my head.

“I did not! How was I supposed to know you were going to be so fucking jumpy?!”

I glared at him, pushing his hands away when he kept trying to check my head wound.

“Let me get a look at it, damn it! Quit fightin’ me, ya little hellcat!”

“NO!”

He kept try to push my hands away as I pushed his hands away, turning it into some kind of deranged girly slap fight.

“Stop it! Fuck! I just want to…”

“Fuck you! I said no!”

We kept it up, wrestling around on the tiled floor, the screwdriver long since pushed to the wayside, somewhere off to the right of us.

“Genevieve!” he bellowed, “Let me see!”

“NO means NO!” I bellowed right back, biting at his wrist when he sat on my hips and tried to pin me down.

“You are the most infuriating, stubborn…” he grunted.

I somehow managed to wriggle him off of me and we looked like a tangled heap of limbs, playing people pretzels as he tried to maneuver closer to my head, and I tried to maneuver closer to his legs, effectively keeping him away from me.

“Fuck you, pal! It’s my body, my choice, so get the fuck off of me!”

“Jesus,” Thatcher breathed, standing in the doorway, “We piss you off so bad, honey lamb, you went and took up with Reeve?
Really?”

He scratched his head, truly baffled by the idea.

“Like I would ever…” I grumbled.

“Hey! What’s wrong if she took up with me?”

I barked out a laugh. “Are you shitting me?!”

He grinned and lunged, getting a squeal out of me when he pinned my head to his chest and pulled my pony tail out to exam my head.

“Hah! It worked! Gotcha!” His smug tone pissed me off.

I screamed, but it was muffled against his arm.

His body shook as he chuckled against me.

Thatcher frowned, watching Reeve run his fingers over my scalp, studying it closely, his frown deepening when I sunk my teeth into Reeve’s forearm and bit down.

“Ah! Fuck!”

He let go, and I pushed him, crawling quickly away from him, heading towards the safety of the open doorway and Thatcher.

Save me, blondie! He’s insane!

“Reeve,” Bowen rumbled over Thatcher’s head, coming up behind him, peering into the room, “Why does
this
,” he waved a paper around, “say you
just
ordered the new dryer the other day? You told me you took care of it the first day it broke? And what the hell are you doing to my woman?”

I paused, just having reached Thatcher’s feet.

Shocked, I sat on my butt and swiveled, slowly facing Reeve, my hair a snarled mess.

I looked like a crazy amazon woman or something, a true lion’s mane gracing my head.

“You guys were going to get a new one?” I blurted incredulously, slowly changing direction, stalking towards Reeve.

He tried to keep his face impassive, but he kept rubbing absently at the bite marks on his arm, glancing at the doorway and anywhere else, but not at my face.

We both stood up at the same time.

“Well, bully for you, ‘cause you don’t need one anymore.
I
fixed it.”
I stopped directly in front of him, and he squared his shoulders, meeting me eye to eye.