like he should.” Mel bit back her annoyance with the fact the guys wouldn’t so much as tell her if they were repainting a sign, let alone the comings and goings of daily life. She was expected to take her cut of the profits and be happy they’d provided for her.
“So then you wouldn’t know if he’d have a job for me?”
She shook her head no.
“Well, I guess bunking there wouldn’t be your call either.”
“You want to stay with us?” She tried to keep the excited squeal of her voice to a minimum. “I mean, you wouldn’t want to stay with your folks?”
“My dad and I have never really been the type to toss a football around and have deep heart to hearts.”
Mel thought of the other times she’d caught Sunny in the hayloft and suddenly realized what was off with Darla’s face. She turned to see Sunny’s mom giving Kendra their to go boxes and it was unmistakable. “What about your mom?”
“She’s chosen to stay and I irritate him to the point he wants to take it out on someone. I’m not a scrawny kid anymore he can kick around.”
“When I see one of the guys I’ll ask them for you. I got to get my friend settled. Sorry I can’t be more help, but you know how the Long’s feel about womenfolk.”
“Bedroom and kitchen.” Sunny laughed. “And if I remember the way you make cornbread the kitchen is out for you.”
Mel knew what Kendra’s response would be. A long lingering stroke to Sunshine’s leg. The idea danced in her mind as she tried to analyze his look, the timber of his voice, and his words.
“Melody,” Kendra called.
Thankfully, her call broke the pro/con list checking off boxes in her mind. “I better go,” Mel apologized. “I wish I could be more help, but…well, I’ll do what I can on my end. It’s Friday. The guys may come into town.”
“That’s good because I don’t have a vehicle right now.”
“We outtie?” Kendra asked and the girls said their goodbyes.
On the ride out to the ranch, Mel ate her flautas while Kendra worked on her hamburger basket between grilling Mel about Sunny.
“Holy cowboys,” Kendra drooled as they turned into the ranch. “Why aren’t you stopping?”
“Because I don’t live there,” Mel said as she scanned the main house in her rearview mirror. Monty, Miles and Clay were jawing on the lawn with Walt who leaned against pillar on the porch.
“But there was sexiness in boots and hats. Why aren’t they wearing chaps? Aren’t they supposed to be wearing chaps?”
“Not on a normal day.”
“Again…Hot cowboys, let’s go back.”
“I only have so much time before my lunch hour is over,” Mel said as she sped down the road to her home. “Anyway, there weren’t any hot cowboys back there.”
“Yes there was. I thought I was about to see chocolate thunder perform their cowboy routine. Please? If you love me.”
Mel pulled up to her home and tossed the car into the park. “The only men you saw were a mixture of my brothers, cousins, my uncle, and probably my dad.” She got out of the car and headed into the house.
“Why did none of these men bring you to school?”
“They did freshman year, then I met you and I feared for their safety.”
“That’s probably smart. Any of them live here?”
“Besides my father?” Mel asked as she walked into the kitchen, only to see her mother in a teddy. “Hey mom.”
“What are you doing home?” she asked in a panicked voice.
“Remember Kendra?”
“Oh hey, sweetheart, good to see you again.”
“Hi Mrs. Long, I surprised Mel and she’s been nice enough to let me crash for the night.”
“It’ll be great to have you.” Her mother looked back toward the bedroom.
Mel’s dad called out, “Loretta, I said I was only giving you a five minute break! Get that sexy ass back in here before I have to head back out.”
“I guess your dad wasn’t part of chocolate thunder,” Kendra laughed
Her mother raised her eyebrow. “Do I want to know?” she
“So then you wouldn’t know if he’d have a job for me?”
She shook her head no.
“Well, I guess bunking there wouldn’t be your call either.”
“You want to stay with us?” She tried to keep the excited squeal of her voice to a minimum. “I mean, you wouldn’t want to stay with your folks?”
“My dad and I have never really been the type to toss a football around and have deep heart to hearts.”
Mel thought of the other times she’d caught Sunny in the hayloft and suddenly realized what was off with Darla’s face. She turned to see Sunny’s mom giving Kendra their to go boxes and it was unmistakable. “What about your mom?”
“She’s chosen to stay and I irritate him to the point he wants to take it out on someone. I’m not a scrawny kid anymore he can kick around.”
“When I see one of the guys I’ll ask them for you. I got to get my friend settled. Sorry I can’t be more help, but you know how the Long’s feel about womenfolk.”
“Bedroom and kitchen.” Sunny laughed. “And if I remember the way you make cornbread the kitchen is out for you.”
Mel knew what Kendra’s response would be. A long lingering stroke to Sunshine’s leg. The idea danced in her mind as she tried to analyze his look, the timber of his voice, and his words.
“Melody,” Kendra called.
Thankfully, her call broke the pro/con list checking off boxes in her mind. “I better go,” Mel apologized. “I wish I could be more help, but…well, I’ll do what I can on my end. It’s Friday. The guys may come into town.”
“That’s good because I don’t have a vehicle right now.”
“We outtie?” Kendra asked and the girls said their goodbyes.
On the ride out to the ranch, Mel ate her flautas while Kendra worked on her hamburger basket between grilling Mel about Sunny.
“Holy cowboys,” Kendra drooled as they turned into the ranch. “Why aren’t you stopping?”
“Because I don’t live there,” Mel said as she scanned the main house in her rearview mirror. Monty, Miles and Clay were jawing on the lawn with Walt who leaned against pillar on the porch.
“But there was sexiness in boots and hats. Why aren’t they wearing chaps? Aren’t they supposed to be wearing chaps?”
“Not on a normal day.”
“Again…Hot cowboys, let’s go back.”
“I only have so much time before my lunch hour is over,” Mel said as she sped down the road to her home. “Anyway, there weren’t any hot cowboys back there.”
“Yes there was. I thought I was about to see chocolate thunder perform their cowboy routine. Please? If you love me.”
Mel pulled up to her home and tossed the car into the park. “The only men you saw were a mixture of my brothers, cousins, my uncle, and probably my dad.” She got out of the car and headed into the house.
“Why did none of these men bring you to school?”
“They did freshman year, then I met you and I feared for their safety.”
“That’s probably smart. Any of them live here?”
“Besides my father?” Mel asked as she walked into the kitchen, only to see her mother in a teddy. “Hey mom.”
“What are you doing home?” she asked in a panicked voice.
“Remember Kendra?”
“Oh hey, sweetheart, good to see you again.”
“Hi Mrs. Long, I surprised Mel and she’s been nice enough to let me crash for the night.”
“It’ll be great to have you.” Her mother looked back toward the bedroom.
Mel’s dad called out, “Loretta, I said I was only giving you a five minute break! Get that sexy ass back in here before I have to head back out.”
“I guess your dad wasn’t part of chocolate thunder,” Kendra laughed
Her mother raised her eyebrow. “Do I want to know?” she
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