business meeting, nothing personal on her or Jason's part. She simply had the disagreeable chore of asking him to run this farm until she could receive her inheritance; then he would be gone from her life once again.
Tabby seemed rather bored by the whole conversation, but he dutifully heard her out, watching with his large yellow eyes, his tail switching slowly as he lay on his perch on the top of the sofa.
Jessica ran up the stairs and into the bathroom just off the hall from her bedroom. She had her halter top halfway off when it occurred to her that she was out of shampoo. Drat! She had known this morning that she was out, but in all the confusion of the day it had slipped her mind completely. Well, no problem. She still had plenty of time before Jason was due. She'd just jump in the truck and run on down to the drugstore and be back in fifteen minutes.
"Surely not one more thing could go wrong today," she assured herself as she grabbed her purse and ran back down the stairs, calling to Tabby on the way out, "Hold the fort, I'll be right back!"
The heat was terrible. The old seat in the truck was so hot on the backs of her legs it had her doing an obscene dance trying to get the key turned on. The motor sprang into life instantly, and Jessica praised it lavishly for its cooperation. She found a parking space directly in front of the drugstore. Things were finally going her way.
Jumping out onto the hot sticky pavement, she walked to the glass door of the drugstore and pushed it open. The
Page 56
smell of all the medicinal jars and bottles reached her as the cool air of the store washed over her.
Her eyes found the shampoo display immediately. As she paused to study the numerous assorted bottles before her a multitude of TV shampoo commercials flooded her mind. Biting her lip pensively, Jessica struggled with the age-old problem. Did she want her hair shiny, swinging, sexy, full, or just plain clean? The image of a tall good-looking cowboy skipped lightly through her mind as she glanced around sheepishly, then grabbed for the ''sexy" brand. She hurriedly paid for her purchase and flew back out the front door.
She hopped back into the truck and turned the key once more. Nothing happened. The old gray relic just sat there mutely. "Oh, no! You can't do this to me," she threatened, jiggling the key insistently.
Apparently the truck did not respond to threats. It continued to ignore her. "You obstinant jackass! " Jessica moaned as she buried her hot, flushed face in her hands. Now what was she going to do?
Jerking the door handle back open, she got out of the truck, marched around to the hood, jerked it open angrily, and stood staring helplessly into the yawning chasm of wires, gadgets and doodads. Everything in the engine looked like it needed to be replaced. Well, she was no mechanic, of that she was absolutely sure. She jiggled a few wires, not having the least idea what their function was. She hopped back into the truck, praying for a miracle, and turned the ignition switch once more.
Rebellious silence from the old truck.
Jessica's temper was registering a 9.9 on the Richter scale as she stormed back out of the truck, her eyes catching a glimpse of a large wrench lying in the bed of the old truck. She grabbed it up and defiantly stomped to the motor again with a viscious glint in her dark-purple eyes as she began to bang on everything in sight. She leaned over into the motor, halfway burying herself in the engine,
Page 57
whacking unmercifully at the contents. The attendant at a nearby service station paused momentarily from wiping the windshield of a car to gape at the shapely set of legs and rounded derriere protruding from the hood of the old truck.
By now the sweat was literally pouring off of Jessica, who was growing madder by the moment. Giving one last vigorous whack to the battery, she straightened back up, her eyes disgustedly surveying the scene before her. Wiping her greasy hands on the bottom of her
Tabby seemed rather bored by the whole conversation, but he dutifully heard her out, watching with his large yellow eyes, his tail switching slowly as he lay on his perch on the top of the sofa.
Jessica ran up the stairs and into the bathroom just off the hall from her bedroom. She had her halter top halfway off when it occurred to her that she was out of shampoo. Drat! She had known this morning that she was out, but in all the confusion of the day it had slipped her mind completely. Well, no problem. She still had plenty of time before Jason was due. She'd just jump in the truck and run on down to the drugstore and be back in fifteen minutes.
"Surely not one more thing could go wrong today," she assured herself as she grabbed her purse and ran back down the stairs, calling to Tabby on the way out, "Hold the fort, I'll be right back!"
The heat was terrible. The old seat in the truck was so hot on the backs of her legs it had her doing an obscene dance trying to get the key turned on. The motor sprang into life instantly, and Jessica praised it lavishly for its cooperation. She found a parking space directly in front of the drugstore. Things were finally going her way.
Jumping out onto the hot sticky pavement, she walked to the glass door of the drugstore and pushed it open. The
Page 56
smell of all the medicinal jars and bottles reached her as the cool air of the store washed over her.
Her eyes found the shampoo display immediately. As she paused to study the numerous assorted bottles before her a multitude of TV shampoo commercials flooded her mind. Biting her lip pensively, Jessica struggled with the age-old problem. Did she want her hair shiny, swinging, sexy, full, or just plain clean? The image of a tall good-looking cowboy skipped lightly through her mind as she glanced around sheepishly, then grabbed for the ''sexy" brand. She hurriedly paid for her purchase and flew back out the front door.
She hopped back into the truck and turned the key once more. Nothing happened. The old gray relic just sat there mutely. "Oh, no! You can't do this to me," she threatened, jiggling the key insistently.
Apparently the truck did not respond to threats. It continued to ignore her. "You obstinant jackass! " Jessica moaned as she buried her hot, flushed face in her hands. Now what was she going to do?
Jerking the door handle back open, she got out of the truck, marched around to the hood, jerked it open angrily, and stood staring helplessly into the yawning chasm of wires, gadgets and doodads. Everything in the engine looked like it needed to be replaced. Well, she was no mechanic, of that she was absolutely sure. She jiggled a few wires, not having the least idea what their function was. She hopped back into the truck, praying for a miracle, and turned the ignition switch once more.
Rebellious silence from the old truck.
Jessica's temper was registering a 9.9 on the Richter scale as she stormed back out of the truck, her eyes catching a glimpse of a large wrench lying in the bed of the old truck. She grabbed it up and defiantly stomped to the motor again with a viscious glint in her dark-purple eyes as she began to bang on everything in sight. She leaned over into the motor, halfway burying herself in the engine,
Page 57
whacking unmercifully at the contents. The attendant at a nearby service station paused momentarily from wiping the windshield of a car to gape at the shapely set of legs and rounded derriere protruding from the hood of the old truck.
By now the sweat was literally pouring off of Jessica, who was growing madder by the moment. Giving one last vigorous whack to the battery, she straightened back up, her eyes disgustedly surveying the scene before her. Wiping her greasy hands on the bottom of her
Similar Books
