phones.”
“They’re the devil’s own invention, but by midnight last night when you still weren’t home, I was beginning to grasp the fact that they have their uses.”
If Zeke had made that many attempts to reach him, Jake concluded, then this nonsense about canceling the bet was serious. Portable phone in hand, he reluctantly rolled out of bed and paced the room trying to wake up. The icy floor pretty much jolted him into an alert state.
“Maybe you’d better start at the beginning,” he suggested mildly.
“Beginning, middle, end, it don’t make no difference,” Zeke retorted. “Like I said, the bottom line is you’ve got to call off this bet.”
“Why?”
“Because Sara has no business trying to ride a bronco,” Zeke said succinctly. “She like to broke half her bones yesterday. Another couple of lessons and it’s my guess she’ll be in casts from head to toe. I’ve got Mary Lou nagging at me to boot. She’s been fussing like a mother hen. She thinks I’m going about this all wrong. She’s been picking at me all night long about the techniques I’m using.”
Jake muttered a string of obscenities he rarely used. “What the devil does Mary Lou have to do with this?” he asked eventually.
“To my everlastin’ regret, she and Sara had a nice, long chat yesterday.”
Jake gritted his teeth. “How did that happen? Dammit, Zeke, I told you to keep ’em apart.”
“Never you mind how it happened,” Zeke responded irritably. “The point is, now Mary Lou’s worried about her, which means I ain’t going to have a minute’s peace until you call this off. Mary Lou’s going to be dogging every move I make and telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I won’t have it. I work alone. Always have.” He heaved a put-upon sigh. “It’s up to you to end this.”
“It is not up to me,” Jake corrected. “The bet was Sara’s idea.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve seen the way her eyes light up when your name’s mentioned. You’ve got more influence with her than I have. Besides that, no one I know has a better reputation as a silver-tongued devil. Surely you can sweet-talk her into giving up, if you put your mind to it.”
“And just what would you suggest I tell her?”
“You’ll think of something,” Zeke said confidently. “You always do.”
Jake grasped at one last straw. “You could just refuse to give her another lesson.”
“And disappoint her?” Zeke sounded downright horrified by the idea. “Not me. I feel too bad that she’s in this fix in the first place. Between you and that daddy of hers, she’s getting cheated every which way.”
“What do you intend to do if she shows up for another lesson?”
“I’m counting on you to see that doesn’t happen.”
“And if I fail?” Jake persisted, knowing Zeke would have a backup plan.
“Okay, just in case, I’m thinking of taking Mary Lou down to Denver for a couple of days,” he admitted.
“Isn’t that a little cowardly, even for you?”
“I call it a strategic retreat,” Zeke claimed. “Besides, Mary Lou’s been wanting to do some shopping, maybe go to the theater. Maybe that’ll get her mind off Sara’s situation and her mouth off my case.”
“You hate shopping and the theater,” Jake reminded him.
“Not as much as I hate thinking of the look I’ll see in that gal’s eyes if I’m the one to send her packing,” Zeke said grimly. “I’m warning you, though. I can’t stay away more than a day or two. I’m trusting you to take care of everything before I get back.”
He hung up before Jake could ask if he could join Zeke and Mary Lou in Denver. He pretty much knew what the answer would have been anyway.
After the call, Jake dreaded running into Sara. No matter how he sliced it, she was going to be devastated if the bet was called off. He wondered just how inept she was at riding. She must be awful if Zeke had given up after just two lessons. Knowing him, those lessons had been on
“They’re the devil’s own invention, but by midnight last night when you still weren’t home, I was beginning to grasp the fact that they have their uses.”
If Zeke had made that many attempts to reach him, Jake concluded, then this nonsense about canceling the bet was serious. Portable phone in hand, he reluctantly rolled out of bed and paced the room trying to wake up. The icy floor pretty much jolted him into an alert state.
“Maybe you’d better start at the beginning,” he suggested mildly.
“Beginning, middle, end, it don’t make no difference,” Zeke retorted. “Like I said, the bottom line is you’ve got to call off this bet.”
“Why?”
“Because Sara has no business trying to ride a bronco,” Zeke said succinctly. “She like to broke half her bones yesterday. Another couple of lessons and it’s my guess she’ll be in casts from head to toe. I’ve got Mary Lou nagging at me to boot. She’s been fussing like a mother hen. She thinks I’m going about this all wrong. She’s been picking at me all night long about the techniques I’m using.”
Jake muttered a string of obscenities he rarely used. “What the devil does Mary Lou have to do with this?” he asked eventually.
“To my everlastin’ regret, she and Sara had a nice, long chat yesterday.”
Jake gritted his teeth. “How did that happen? Dammit, Zeke, I told you to keep ’em apart.”
“Never you mind how it happened,” Zeke responded irritably. “The point is, now Mary Lou’s worried about her, which means I ain’t going to have a minute’s peace until you call this off. Mary Lou’s going to be dogging every move I make and telling me what I should and shouldn’t be doing. I won’t have it. I work alone. Always have.” He heaved a put-upon sigh. “It’s up to you to end this.”
“It is not up to me,” Jake corrected. “The bet was Sara’s idea.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve seen the way her eyes light up when your name’s mentioned. You’ve got more influence with her than I have. Besides that, no one I know has a better reputation as a silver-tongued devil. Surely you can sweet-talk her into giving up, if you put your mind to it.”
“And just what would you suggest I tell her?”
“You’ll think of something,” Zeke said confidently. “You always do.”
Jake grasped at one last straw. “You could just refuse to give her another lesson.”
“And disappoint her?” Zeke sounded downright horrified by the idea. “Not me. I feel too bad that she’s in this fix in the first place. Between you and that daddy of hers, she’s getting cheated every which way.”
“What do you intend to do if she shows up for another lesson?”
“I’m counting on you to see that doesn’t happen.”
“And if I fail?” Jake persisted, knowing Zeke would have a backup plan.
“Okay, just in case, I’m thinking of taking Mary Lou down to Denver for a couple of days,” he admitted.
“Isn’t that a little cowardly, even for you?”
“I call it a strategic retreat,” Zeke claimed. “Besides, Mary Lou’s been wanting to do some shopping, maybe go to the theater. Maybe that’ll get her mind off Sara’s situation and her mouth off my case.”
“You hate shopping and the theater,” Jake reminded him.
“Not as much as I hate thinking of the look I’ll see in that gal’s eyes if I’m the one to send her packing,” Zeke said grimly. “I’m warning you, though. I can’t stay away more than a day or two. I’m trusting you to take care of everything before I get back.”
He hung up before Jake could ask if he could join Zeke and Mary Lou in Denver. He pretty much knew what the answer would have been anyway.
After the call, Jake dreaded running into Sara. No matter how he sliced it, she was going to be devastated if the bet was called off. He wondered just how inept she was at riding. She must be awful if Zeke had given up after just two lessons. Knowing him, those lessons had been on
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