a
whooping laugh, prompting everyone to look at her, including hot
architect guy. Still laughing, she gave Hugh a hip bump and lowered
her voice. “I’ll be back,” she said, and laughed as sweet tea
sprayed from the big man’s mouth.
* * *
“ Who’s the bimbo?” Quin
asked, watching as Dixie made her way back to the catering trailer.
He had to admit she was a pretty little thing with a wealth of
silky blonde hair and a figure that rivaled any of the old masters’
nudes.
Nelson Olmstead winced. “Best not let
any of these boys hear you talk like that about her. Ain’t a
mother’s son of ’em wouldn’t walk barefoot across broken glass to
protect that little gal. Hell, I’m half in love with her myself.”
He rolled up the blueprints he’d been holding and clasped them
under his arm. “Hardworkin’ little thing. Raised three sisters and
a brother after her folks passed. Got herself hitched to a local
boy who up and got himself killed over in Iraq.”
“ So she decided to run a
Roach Coach for a living? Ambitious.”
Nelson laughed. “Son, have you always
had your head so far up your ass?” He chuckled again at the shocked
look on Quin’s face. “She and her sisters got themselves a little
organic truck farm over to the other side of Junction. Two of the
girls run a little roadside diner and vegetable stand, while the
twins do a little ranchin’. Dixie Rose is single-handedly
responsible for improving the eating habits of half the
construction workers around here.” He lowered his voice so no one
else could hear. “Hell, she’s got ’em eatin’ tofu and they don’t
even know it.”
“ So, this is your way of
telling me the food’s safe to eat?”
Nelson slapped him on the back.
“You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”
“ Hey, Nelson, what’s it
gonna be today? I got those Caribbean jerked ham sandwiches you
like so much, and Daisy Jean sent along some of her special soup
for ya.”
“ Sounds like just the
ticket, Miss Dixie.” He paused and then introduced Quin. “This
here’s the architect on the job. Name’s Quin Halladay.”
The woman had plastered on her best
customer relations smile. “Welcome to Texas, Mr. Halladay. What can
I get you to eat?”
A full order of you,
spread-eagle on a platter. He nearly
blurted the words out, then remembered what Nelson had told him
about the crew’s fondness for the woman. The dark sunglasses
allowed him to check her out without seeming to be
disrespectful.
She had the kind of body that made a
man itch to touch her. Full bosom, tiny waist, just enough curve to
her hips so a man could hold on tight. Then there was that firm,
heart-shaped ass.
“ Is the chicken in that
gumbo free-range?”
The bimbo rolled her eyes. “I only use
domesticated fowl, Mr. Halladay. They scratch around some but
they’re penned up at the end of the day.”
He lifted his shades. “And why is
that?”
“ Well, aside from the
pretention factor, I’d have to say bird flu. Scientists have
performed DNA tests on blood slides of soldiers that died of the
flu back in 1918 and discovered a link to bird flu. Get ya some
gumbo?”
Quin gritted his teeth to keep from
laughing. By God, she was a sassy little thing. “Gumbo would be
fine, Miss . . . ?”
Dixie flashed a smile and a wink at
Nelson. “Reckon he’s hard of hearin’, too?” She leaned down,
resting her elbows on the counter. “Name’s Dixie, sugar. Dixie Rose
Bonifay.”
Quin’s jaw dropped. His company had
been trying to buy the Bonifay ranch for years and they’d flatly
refused to entertain any offer. If he wasn’t mistaken, five mil was
the latest figure, and the head of the company was willing to go as
high as ten. “The Dixie Rose Bonifay? You own the ranch land out on
the Llano River?”
Dixie eyed him suspiciously. “That’d
be me, sugar. You want some dinner or not? ’Cause if you don’t, I
need to be closing down. This ain’t the only construction site
whooping laugh, prompting everyone to look at her, including hot
architect guy. Still laughing, she gave Hugh a hip bump and lowered
her voice. “I’ll be back,” she said, and laughed as sweet tea
sprayed from the big man’s mouth.
* * *
“ Who’s the bimbo?” Quin
asked, watching as Dixie made her way back to the catering trailer.
He had to admit she was a pretty little thing with a wealth of
silky blonde hair and a figure that rivaled any of the old masters’
nudes.
Nelson Olmstead winced. “Best not let
any of these boys hear you talk like that about her. Ain’t a
mother’s son of ’em wouldn’t walk barefoot across broken glass to
protect that little gal. Hell, I’m half in love with her myself.”
He rolled up the blueprints he’d been holding and clasped them
under his arm. “Hardworkin’ little thing. Raised three sisters and
a brother after her folks passed. Got herself hitched to a local
boy who up and got himself killed over in Iraq.”
“ So she decided to run a
Roach Coach for a living? Ambitious.”
Nelson laughed. “Son, have you always
had your head so far up your ass?” He chuckled again at the shocked
look on Quin’s face. “She and her sisters got themselves a little
organic truck farm over to the other side of Junction. Two of the
girls run a little roadside diner and vegetable stand, while the
twins do a little ranchin’. Dixie Rose is single-handedly
responsible for improving the eating habits of half the
construction workers around here.” He lowered his voice so no one
else could hear. “Hell, she’s got ’em eatin’ tofu and they don’t
even know it.”
“ So, this is your way of
telling me the food’s safe to eat?”
Nelson slapped him on the back.
“You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”
“ Hey, Nelson, what’s it
gonna be today? I got those Caribbean jerked ham sandwiches you
like so much, and Daisy Jean sent along some of her special soup
for ya.”
“ Sounds like just the
ticket, Miss Dixie.” He paused and then introduced Quin. “This
here’s the architect on the job. Name’s Quin Halladay.”
The woman had plastered on her best
customer relations smile. “Welcome to Texas, Mr. Halladay. What can
I get you to eat?”
A full order of you,
spread-eagle on a platter. He nearly
blurted the words out, then remembered what Nelson had told him
about the crew’s fondness for the woman. The dark sunglasses
allowed him to check her out without seeming to be
disrespectful.
She had the kind of body that made a
man itch to touch her. Full bosom, tiny waist, just enough curve to
her hips so a man could hold on tight. Then there was that firm,
heart-shaped ass.
“ Is the chicken in that
gumbo free-range?”
The bimbo rolled her eyes. “I only use
domesticated fowl, Mr. Halladay. They scratch around some but
they’re penned up at the end of the day.”
He lifted his shades. “And why is
that?”
“ Well, aside from the
pretention factor, I’d have to say bird flu. Scientists have
performed DNA tests on blood slides of soldiers that died of the
flu back in 1918 and discovered a link to bird flu. Get ya some
gumbo?”
Quin gritted his teeth to keep from
laughing. By God, she was a sassy little thing. “Gumbo would be
fine, Miss . . . ?”
Dixie flashed a smile and a wink at
Nelson. “Reckon he’s hard of hearin’, too?” She leaned down,
resting her elbows on the counter. “Name’s Dixie, sugar. Dixie Rose
Bonifay.”
Quin’s jaw dropped. His company had
been trying to buy the Bonifay ranch for years and they’d flatly
refused to entertain any offer. If he wasn’t mistaken, five mil was
the latest figure, and the head of the company was willing to go as
high as ten. “The Dixie Rose Bonifay? You own the ranch land out on
the Llano River?”
Dixie eyed him suspiciously. “That’d
be me, sugar. You want some dinner or not? ’Cause if you don’t, I
need to be closing down. This ain’t the only construction site
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