Lone Star Burn: Love On Tap (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Judy Kentrus Page B

my sister when she was a teenager. I had it fully restored and am saving it for Mathew when he’s old enough to drive.”
    “That’s very thoughtful of you. I owe you a second apology. You really do know what is going on in Matt’s life. I jumped the gun.”
    “Let’s just say you’re pointing me in a better direction.”
    Matt came running into the kitchen with a backpack. He wore a lightweight jacket over his jeans and t-shirt. “I remembered my soccer gear.”
    “Here’s your lunch,” Jennie said, and held out the thermal bag that she’d found in the freezer. “Have a good day at school.”
    “I’ll wait with Matt till the bus comes and then I’m going to work. If you have any problems, call me.”
    “’Bye,” she said, and returned his flirty wink.
     
    By three-thirty, she’d done their wash, made the beds, vacuumed, and ordered the stuff for the party and more clothes for herself. The market had delivered her food order and she put everything away in the refrigerator and pantry. Tonight’s dinner would be spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and salad. Dessert would be ice cream. If Mathew was hungry when he got home from school, he could have fruit, yogurt, or a few chocolate chip cookies she’d just taken out of the oven. She was also exhausted.
    She’d just sat down to have a cup of tea when her brother called.
    “Hey,” she said. “How’s married life?”
    “I didn’t know a person could be this happy. How’s your trip going?”
    “Great. I’m staying with a friend in Texas, but I need a favor. I can’t go into a long explanation, but I’m going to ask you to do something that probably isn’t ethical, since you work on the side of law and order.”
    “Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want me to do. I won’t get in trouble.”
    “I need you to wave your magic forensic accountant wand and look into the financial background of Dottie Dimple, the caseworker who’s overseeing an adoption for a friend of mine.”
    “You’re kidding. Right?”
    The chuckle in her brother’s voice made her smile. “It’s for real. I’m not going to give you my friend’s name, to protect his privacy. It’s taking a lot longer than necessary, and I think she’s taking bribes to stop the adoption. Large deposits should be obvious. I can be way off-base, but I’m going with my gut.”
    “I know how to do my job, Jennie. I’ll get on it tonight. When can we expect you? The house is ready whenever you get here. Nothing like having my sister as our next-door neighbor.”
    “I should be there in about two weeks.” A pang of regret seeped into Jennie’s heart. No, she had another life beyond Fort Mavis.
    At four-twenty-five, she decided to walk to the end of the driveway and wait for the school bus. The late afternoon sun was warm and the sky was a cloudless blue. She wore her white shorts and a tank top, and had gathered her hair into a ponytail. There were a few one-story homes on the two-lane country road that bordered horse farms. Tomorrow her new sneakers would be delivered and she could get back to her morning run.
    Several cars slowed when they passed Gray’s house, and she offered a friendly wave. The warm, welcome feeling died when she spotted a familiar motorcycle slowly cruising past the house. He was dressed in black leather, rode without a safety helmet, and a large decal of a skull and crossbones covered the back of his jacket. He turned around and stopped his cycle directly in front of her.
    “Well, if it ain’t Malibu Barbie,” he sneered, and let his eyes move up and down her bared legs. “Moved in with the rich bastard. Did he offer to replace your clothes if you take care of his itch?”
    “You have a filthy mind and owe me four thousand dollars’ worth of clothes, you bastard!”
    “I’d like to see you prove it.”
    Jennie spotted the yellow school bus coming down the road. “Get out of here, you worthless piece of shit.”
    Burt, too, spotted the