Black Gold by Ruby Laska

might possibly be able to turn down an invitation from a woman who dressed like Betty Boop and spoke with the voice of every dream he'd ever had since discovering he could order adult content when his dad left him in the hotel rooms.
    But there was no way he could resist them both at once.
    "Aw, hell—I guess I could stand to eat."
    "Excellent!" Regina clapped her hands together. "So, Chase and I can talk now, and get all of our boring business out of the way. And tonight we can focus on you ." She beamed at Sherry, who looked both terrified and elated.
    "Miss McCary," she said, "thank you. I mean, thank you so much, really. You don't have any idea what this means to me. Even just a chance."
    "You're a talented young woman," Regina said. "You've got a great future."
    Together, Chase and Regina watched Sherry run around like a cyclone, searching for her purse and keys and sunglasses before she sprinted for her car. Her old sedan didn't look like it could make it across the yard, much less all the way into town, and the engine had a dispiriting coughing fit before it finally fired all the way up, but as Sherry drove off down the road she gave the horn a tap and waved out the window.
    "Hell of a gal," Chase said. "She's going to make you a lot of money some day."
    "Stop trying to distract me," Regina said.
    "Excuse me?"
    "The whole reason I came out here? Remember? I want to talk about you ."
    They were still standing in front of the Tar Barn. Sherry had left the door unlocked again, a habit she was having a hard time breaking. Before her parents' accident, they'd all lived in a house out in the middle of the land Sherry's father helped farm, where the odds of anyone coming by, much less breaking in, were tiny. Of course, hardly anyone came out to the ranch, either, other than the crew from Arkansas who had taken up residence in the bunk house.
    Speaking of which... Chase ventured a peek in the direction of the house, and wasn't surprised to see that Jayne and Matthew had wandered out on the porch. Matthew was pretending to hang laundry on the line strung between two trees, which was a dead giveaway because after wrecking an entire load of towels when a strong wind blew them off the line, he'd stuck to the industrial sized dryer in the laundry room. As for Jayne, she wasn't even bothering to pretend. She sat in one of the rocking chairs watching them, a book unopened in her lap. Seeing Chase glance over, she waved and gave him an encouraging smile.
    "Let's walk," he said brusquely, turning his back on the house. He grabbed Regina's hand and led her down the dirt path in the other direction. Past the trailer and through the little woods, it continued into the fields.
    "Slow down," Regina said, struggling to keep up with him. The shoes: he'd forgotten her ridiculous shoes. The pointy heels were getting stuck on every rock and weed and root, and if she wasn't careful, she was going to wind up facedown in the weeds.
    "It's not far," he said. "I don't suppose you could try going barefoot?"
    She looked at him in horror, as though he'd suggested she strip off her clothes and go the rest of the way naked. Back on the porch, Jayne had set her book on the windowsill and was starting to make her way toward them. Great—just what he needed. Chase knew that his friend was just trying to help, but the last thing he wanted was Jayne coming over and singing his praises. After all—though he was having trouble remembering why—he was trying to get rid of this woman, not win her over.
    "In that case..."
    He had one hand around her waist and another behind her knees before she could react. Then she was up off the ground, settled pleasantly in his arms, her curves just right in his grip.
    "What are you doing?" she shrieked.
    "Helping," he said through gritted teeth, as he stalked down the path, trying to ignore the faint scent of her perfume, the view of her breasts now pressed against his chest. "Don't want to mess up those nice shoes of