explained. "It was for the talent contest in Covey's Creek tonight."
"I...don't get it," Jack said.
Wylie sighed. "My mom wanted to enter the talent contest and my dad was all for it. My mom doesn't sing real well, but she's...well...my dad really liked the way she looked in her costume and wanted her to do it anyway. He said she was guaranteed the two hundred dollars prize if she did."
Jack stared at him. "Your mom can't sing and your dad told her she'd win anyway?"
"Yeah," Wylie answered. "Because she looked so great in the costume. That's when she got mad."
Kelly Jo threw her hair partially back over her shoulders, but was careful to expose nothing. "Well, that wasn't very nice of your dad," she huffed.
Wylie tried not to giggle, but did anyway. "My dad's right. My mom sings...well...it's not good. But she sure looked real good in the outfit that goes with that song from that new movie." He looked at Kelly Jo and his face reddened when he blurted, "I bet you would, too."
Curiosity got the best of Jack. "What movie, what song are you talking about?"
When Wylie answered, Kelly Jo perked up. "Wylie, if you get me that costume, I'll enter the contest tonight. Jack and I will give you half of the prize money in return for you helping us. Deal?"
Jack spun around. "Kelly Jo, I don't think..."
"Oh, shush," she informed him. "I have an idea and I'm not about to let you be the spoilsport that wrecks it."
Chapter Fifteen
Kelly Jo "shushing" Jack didn't halt him, but realization slamming into him did. New movie? Wylie had called it a new movie. That meant the year was 1978.
Jack trembled, fighting emotion. Until this moment he'd pretty much pushed the seriousness of his predicament to the back of his mind, kept there by Kelly Jo's constant need for assistance or by Robert popping in and out. Staying alert to not giving away Kelly Jo's whereabouts had gone hand-in-hand with forgetting his very real situation.
Wylie had just zoomed that situation to the front, where it screeched to a halt with a flashing neon "hello!".
Kelly Jo's voice finally cut through Jack's reverie and he realized she'd called him several times.
"Jack," she said again from behind the tree, and when his gaze rose to meet hers she asked, "Are you all right?"
He nodded his head, not trusting his voice for several seconds, then cleared his throat and stated, "I'm fine."
"Well, I'm cold," she shot at him, then smiled at Wiley. "How about it? Will you get it for me?"
Wiley seemed to have sudden second thoughts about his offer. "Gee..."
Kelly Jo stamped her foot. "Jack, talk to him, please. Tell him that we're harmless, that we're friendly...that we're good people."
Jack turned to Wiley with a somber look. "She's right, Wiley. I'm all of those things and you can absolutely trust me."
Kelly Jo squealed indignantly. "Tell him you're joking, Jack," she ordered.
Jack shook his head to Wiley, hazel eyes laughing into delighted brown ones. "It's no joke," he stated. "I am all of those things."
"Jack!"
Jack kept his gaze on Wiley. "I can't vouch for the naked lady behind the tree. You'll have to either trust her or not trust her based on your own gut instinct."
"Jack!"
Jack was more than relieved to see that Wiley not only recognized the banter as a game, but that he thoroughly enjoyed taking part.
Wiley and Jack gave Kelly Jo's face evaluative looks.
She shot Jack a black look, then quickly turned a sweet, innocent smile to Wiley, but couldn't help throwing Jack another angry look before again affixing the sweet aren't I adorable? smile .
"What if I can't get it?" Wiley asked. "What if my mom changed her mind?"
"She won't," Kelly Jo said with finality. "Trust me, if your dad told her she could win a talent contest based only on her looks...believe me...she won't change her mind."
"They went to town so my dad could make it up to her over a nice dinner.
"I...don't get it," Jack said.
Wylie sighed. "My mom wanted to enter the talent contest and my dad was all for it. My mom doesn't sing real well, but she's...well...my dad really liked the way she looked in her costume and wanted her to do it anyway. He said she was guaranteed the two hundred dollars prize if she did."
Jack stared at him. "Your mom can't sing and your dad told her she'd win anyway?"
"Yeah," Wylie answered. "Because she looked so great in the costume. That's when she got mad."
Kelly Jo threw her hair partially back over her shoulders, but was careful to expose nothing. "Well, that wasn't very nice of your dad," she huffed.
Wylie tried not to giggle, but did anyway. "My dad's right. My mom sings...well...it's not good. But she sure looked real good in the outfit that goes with that song from that new movie." He looked at Kelly Jo and his face reddened when he blurted, "I bet you would, too."
Curiosity got the best of Jack. "What movie, what song are you talking about?"
When Wylie answered, Kelly Jo perked up. "Wylie, if you get me that costume, I'll enter the contest tonight. Jack and I will give you half of the prize money in return for you helping us. Deal?"
Jack spun around. "Kelly Jo, I don't think..."
"Oh, shush," she informed him. "I have an idea and I'm not about to let you be the spoilsport that wrecks it."
Chapter Fifteen
Kelly Jo "shushing" Jack didn't halt him, but realization slamming into him did. New movie? Wylie had called it a new movie. That meant the year was 1978.
Jack trembled, fighting emotion. Until this moment he'd pretty much pushed the seriousness of his predicament to the back of his mind, kept there by Kelly Jo's constant need for assistance or by Robert popping in and out. Staying alert to not giving away Kelly Jo's whereabouts had gone hand-in-hand with forgetting his very real situation.
Wylie had just zoomed that situation to the front, where it screeched to a halt with a flashing neon "hello!".
Kelly Jo's voice finally cut through Jack's reverie and he realized she'd called him several times.
"Jack," she said again from behind the tree, and when his gaze rose to meet hers she asked, "Are you all right?"
He nodded his head, not trusting his voice for several seconds, then cleared his throat and stated, "I'm fine."
"Well, I'm cold," she shot at him, then smiled at Wiley. "How about it? Will you get it for me?"
Wiley seemed to have sudden second thoughts about his offer. "Gee..."
Kelly Jo stamped her foot. "Jack, talk to him, please. Tell him that we're harmless, that we're friendly...that we're good people."
Jack turned to Wiley with a somber look. "She's right, Wiley. I'm all of those things and you can absolutely trust me."
Kelly Jo squealed indignantly. "Tell him you're joking, Jack," she ordered.
Jack shook his head to Wiley, hazel eyes laughing into delighted brown ones. "It's no joke," he stated. "I am all of those things."
"Jack!"
Jack kept his gaze on Wiley. "I can't vouch for the naked lady behind the tree. You'll have to either trust her or not trust her based on your own gut instinct."
"Jack!"
Jack was more than relieved to see that Wiley not only recognized the banter as a game, but that he thoroughly enjoyed taking part.
Wiley and Jack gave Kelly Jo's face evaluative looks.
She shot Jack a black look, then quickly turned a sweet, innocent smile to Wiley, but couldn't help throwing Jack another angry look before again affixing the sweet aren't I adorable? smile .
"What if I can't get it?" Wiley asked. "What if my mom changed her mind?"
"She won't," Kelly Jo said with finality. "Trust me, if your dad told her she could win a talent contest based only on her looks...believe me...she won't change her mind."
"They went to town so my dad could make it up to her over a nice dinner.
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