“I’m talking about a real kid!” She waved a finger at the window. “A kid who just saw my pieces!” She fumbled around for her panties, but when she shoved her other boot through the hole, the satin ripped clean in half.
Colt looked back at the window behind him. The kid was gone, but the face imprint was still there.
“Shit!”
While Hope stuffed her ruined panties in her boot, he readjusted. Although he had a hard time getting his zipper up.
“Damn it, I thought you told me nobody lived here!”
“That’s what Mama said. And they probably don’t.” She leaned up and wiped a circle in the steam. “It’s probably some kid from another trailer.”
“Well, why the hell isn’t he in school?”
“How would I know? Do I look like the principal?”
Once he had his jeans zipped and buttoned, it onlytook a second for his temper to cool. And only another for him to chuckle.
“Well, I guess that’s what we get for being naughty.”
“Real funny.” Hope glared at him. “Now we have to figure out how to get out of here without him seeing us.”
The smile slipped. “Afraid to be caught with the Bad Boy of Bramble?”
She shot him a smug grin. “No more than you should be worried about being caught in a compromising position with a woman expecting twins.”
“Point taken.” He made his own circle in the steam. “Well, it looks like he’s gone now. No doubt scared by that hog-calling squeal of yours.”
“You are just a hoot a minute, Lomax.” She shoved open the door and cautiously stepped out.
The rain had completely stopped, although it still dripped from the overhanging branches of the elm. Shaking out her damp dress, Hope looked around, but all she saw were piles of dripping junk. She was about to tell Colt that the coast was clear, when a black dog came bounding through the hedge that separated the property from the lot next door, quickly followed by her twin sister.
“Hope?” Those sweet-as-blueberry-pie eyes blinked in confusion. “What are you doing here?”
She slammed the door in Colt’s face, just as Buster slapped his muddy paws on her chest and bathed her face in dog slobbers. She pushed him down, and, having been taught at an early age that the best defense was a good offense, she threw the question back. “What are you doing?”
Faith blinked. “I was trying to get Buster to come in out of the rain when I heard you yell.” She looked back at the car. “Is someone in there?”
“No.”
“But I think I see—”
“A little rain won’t hurt a dog,” Hope cut her off as she reached down and pushed Buster away from the door where he’d started to whine. “So quit fretting about Buster and get back inside before you catch your death.”
“But…”
“No ifs, ands, or buts.” She flapped her hands. “Go on with you. Mama would kill me if I let you get even a sniffle.”
Stubbornness obviously ran in the family because Faith didn’t move a muscle, except for the ones around those innocent eyes that she squinted at the car. But fortunately, after only a few seconds she gave up and looked back at Hope.
“I’m sorry about the baby thing.”
A simple
sorry
didn’t come close to making up for the last few days of hell Hope had had to endure. Between pregnancy advice and people fighting over shower dates, Hope was about ready to blow this town regardless of whether or not she had money or a plan. But since an angry tirade would only prolong the conversation, she had little choice than to accept.
“Apology accepted.” She tried to brush the mud off the front of her dress. “Well, you better get inside, and I better get going.”
“But what about Shirlene’s brother?”
Hope’s head came up, but she refused to look behind her. “What are you talking about? Everyone knows I wouldn’t be caught dead with Colt Lomax.”
Faith leaned closer and squinted even harder. “Are you sure? Because that looks exactly like the man I metSaturday night, and the one
Colt looked back at the window behind him. The kid was gone, but the face imprint was still there.
“Shit!”
While Hope stuffed her ruined panties in her boot, he readjusted. Although he had a hard time getting his zipper up.
“Damn it, I thought you told me nobody lived here!”
“That’s what Mama said. And they probably don’t.” She leaned up and wiped a circle in the steam. “It’s probably some kid from another trailer.”
“Well, why the hell isn’t he in school?”
“How would I know? Do I look like the principal?”
Once he had his jeans zipped and buttoned, it onlytook a second for his temper to cool. And only another for him to chuckle.
“Well, I guess that’s what we get for being naughty.”
“Real funny.” Hope glared at him. “Now we have to figure out how to get out of here without him seeing us.”
The smile slipped. “Afraid to be caught with the Bad Boy of Bramble?”
She shot him a smug grin. “No more than you should be worried about being caught in a compromising position with a woman expecting twins.”
“Point taken.” He made his own circle in the steam. “Well, it looks like he’s gone now. No doubt scared by that hog-calling squeal of yours.”
“You are just a hoot a minute, Lomax.” She shoved open the door and cautiously stepped out.
The rain had completely stopped, although it still dripped from the overhanging branches of the elm. Shaking out her damp dress, Hope looked around, but all she saw were piles of dripping junk. She was about to tell Colt that the coast was clear, when a black dog came bounding through the hedge that separated the property from the lot next door, quickly followed by her twin sister.
“Hope?” Those sweet-as-blueberry-pie eyes blinked in confusion. “What are you doing here?”
She slammed the door in Colt’s face, just as Buster slapped his muddy paws on her chest and bathed her face in dog slobbers. She pushed him down, and, having been taught at an early age that the best defense was a good offense, she threw the question back. “What are you doing?”
Faith blinked. “I was trying to get Buster to come in out of the rain when I heard you yell.” She looked back at the car. “Is someone in there?”
“No.”
“But I think I see—”
“A little rain won’t hurt a dog,” Hope cut her off as she reached down and pushed Buster away from the door where he’d started to whine. “So quit fretting about Buster and get back inside before you catch your death.”
“But…”
“No ifs, ands, or buts.” She flapped her hands. “Go on with you. Mama would kill me if I let you get even a sniffle.”
Stubbornness obviously ran in the family because Faith didn’t move a muscle, except for the ones around those innocent eyes that she squinted at the car. But fortunately, after only a few seconds she gave up and looked back at Hope.
“I’m sorry about the baby thing.”
A simple
sorry
didn’t come close to making up for the last few days of hell Hope had had to endure. Between pregnancy advice and people fighting over shower dates, Hope was about ready to blow this town regardless of whether or not she had money or a plan. But since an angry tirade would only prolong the conversation, she had little choice than to accept.
“Apology accepted.” She tried to brush the mud off the front of her dress. “Well, you better get inside, and I better get going.”
“But what about Shirlene’s brother?”
Hope’s head came up, but she refused to look behind her. “What are you talking about? Everyone knows I wouldn’t be caught dead with Colt Lomax.”
Faith leaned closer and squinted even harder. “Are you sure? Because that looks exactly like the man I metSaturday night, and the one
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