home.”
“Why me?” she groaned.
“Why not you?” he asked and laughed.
“It’s late Jack, and I want to go back to sleep,” she sighed . “Call Mark or one of your other cronies, but leave me alone.”
“Where’s that liberal do-gooder when I need her?”
“She’s in bed sleeping. Find someone else.” She was ready to hang up the phone.
“Kate, I’ll give you fifteen minutes to get here and pick me up before I get in my truck and try to drive home myself . You want it on your conscience if I wreck?”
“Don’t be stupid, Jack,” she said, finally opening her eyes.
“Fifteen minutes, Kate,” he stated and hung up the phone.
“I bet you twenty-five bucks she doesn’t show,” said Frank as Jack handed him back the phone.
“She’ll show,” he said as he looked at Irene and saw her pouting . “Sorry darling.” He gave her a consolation smile and a shrug.
“Save it, Jack,” she snapped as she hopped off the bar stool and got lost in the crowd.
Kate crawled out of bed grumbling all the way. Why she was going she had no idea. She should let him rot at the bar for what he said to her earlier today. But she knew Jack and his pigheadedness. If she was not there in fifteen minutes he would get in his truck just to spite her.
She slipped into a pair of jeans and threw a sweatshirt on along with her flip flops. She walked downstairs, grabbed the keys to her car, and left the carriage house.
It was cool, a chilly fifty-five degrees as she read the thermostat when she started her car. The temperature had dropped thirty-five degrees in the high desert terrain.
Kate drove along the dirt road until she hit the main road . She rounded the bend and saw Virginia City come into view. Kate drove up the steep Main street hill, did a U-turn, then came back down and parked out front of The Bucket of Blood Saloon.
She waited there for a minute, hoping Jack would come out on his own but when he didn’t show, she turned off the engine and climbed from her car .
With a resigned sigh, she entered and found Jack sitting at the bar resting his head on its top. Kate walked over to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.
“Come on, Jack,” she said as she watched him lift his head and give her a soused smile . She tried to refrain from laughing.
“Kate, I knew you’d come,” he looked over at Frank and winked.
“Let’s get you home.” She placed her arm around his waist and lifted him up from the bar stool.
“Wait,” said Jack as he rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash . He slammed it on top of the bar. “Okay, now let’s go.”
Kate helped Jack to the door and he almost fell over taking her with him . “Easy there cowboy.”
Kate propped him up alongside her car then opened the door and helped him in . She closed the door and walked around, sliding into the driver’s seat. She turned the key in the ignition and slowly pulled onto the main road.
“You like to do this often ?” She glared at him then returned her attention to the road.
“It’s been years since I’ve been this drunk .” He placed his arm over her headrest lowering it down to her shoulders.
“I hope you have one hell of a hangover tomorrow.” She grunted.
“I’m not thinking about hangovers at the moment,” he grinned as he began to rub her neck.
“Do you ever think about anything other than sex?” she asked with frustration. She pried loose his hand from her neck and dropped it heavily onto his lap.
“Not when I’m around you .” He gave her a sloshed smile with glazed eyes. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me Kate.”
“I’m not doing anything to you except maybe putting you to bed to sleep it off,” she frowned.
“You got part of it right, baby,” he laughed as he watched her pull onto the dirt road of the ranch. “But sleeping is far from what I have in mind.”
Kate pulled up alongside the main house . “Get out.” She leaned over him and opened the passenger
“Why me?” she groaned.
“Why not you?” he asked and laughed.
“It’s late Jack, and I want to go back to sleep,” she sighed . “Call Mark or one of your other cronies, but leave me alone.”
“Where’s that liberal do-gooder when I need her?”
“She’s in bed sleeping. Find someone else.” She was ready to hang up the phone.
“Kate, I’ll give you fifteen minutes to get here and pick me up before I get in my truck and try to drive home myself . You want it on your conscience if I wreck?”
“Don’t be stupid, Jack,” she said, finally opening her eyes.
“Fifteen minutes, Kate,” he stated and hung up the phone.
“I bet you twenty-five bucks she doesn’t show,” said Frank as Jack handed him back the phone.
“She’ll show,” he said as he looked at Irene and saw her pouting . “Sorry darling.” He gave her a consolation smile and a shrug.
“Save it, Jack,” she snapped as she hopped off the bar stool and got lost in the crowd.
Kate crawled out of bed grumbling all the way. Why she was going she had no idea. She should let him rot at the bar for what he said to her earlier today. But she knew Jack and his pigheadedness. If she was not there in fifteen minutes he would get in his truck just to spite her.
She slipped into a pair of jeans and threw a sweatshirt on along with her flip flops. She walked downstairs, grabbed the keys to her car, and left the carriage house.
It was cool, a chilly fifty-five degrees as she read the thermostat when she started her car. The temperature had dropped thirty-five degrees in the high desert terrain.
Kate drove along the dirt road until she hit the main road . She rounded the bend and saw Virginia City come into view. Kate drove up the steep Main street hill, did a U-turn, then came back down and parked out front of The Bucket of Blood Saloon.
She waited there for a minute, hoping Jack would come out on his own but when he didn’t show, she turned off the engine and climbed from her car .
With a resigned sigh, she entered and found Jack sitting at the bar resting his head on its top. Kate walked over to him and laid her hand on his shoulder.
“Come on, Jack,” she said as she watched him lift his head and give her a soused smile . She tried to refrain from laughing.
“Kate, I knew you’d come,” he looked over at Frank and winked.
“Let’s get you home.” She placed her arm around his waist and lifted him up from the bar stool.
“Wait,” said Jack as he rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash . He slammed it on top of the bar. “Okay, now let’s go.”
Kate helped Jack to the door and he almost fell over taking her with him . “Easy there cowboy.”
Kate propped him up alongside her car then opened the door and helped him in . She closed the door and walked around, sliding into the driver’s seat. She turned the key in the ignition and slowly pulled onto the main road.
“You like to do this often ?” She glared at him then returned her attention to the road.
“It’s been years since I’ve been this drunk .” He placed his arm over her headrest lowering it down to her shoulders.
“I hope you have one hell of a hangover tomorrow.” She grunted.
“I’m not thinking about hangovers at the moment,” he grinned as he began to rub her neck.
“Do you ever think about anything other than sex?” she asked with frustration. She pried loose his hand from her neck and dropped it heavily onto his lap.
“Not when I’m around you .” He gave her a sloshed smile with glazed eyes. “You don’t know what you’re doing to me Kate.”
“I’m not doing anything to you except maybe putting you to bed to sleep it off,” she frowned.
“You got part of it right, baby,” he laughed as he watched her pull onto the dirt road of the ranch. “But sleeping is far from what I have in mind.”
Kate pulled up alongside the main house . “Get out.” She leaned over him and opened the passenger
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