herlake in the future will be turned over to you. Agnes wants the ducks to be happy.”
“I don’t trust her! She’s exactly like her fish-gutted grandfather!”
“I hope so,” Aggie managed to say, twisting her mouth away from John’s hand. For a moment she could only make small moaning noises of amusement and shiver with restraint. “He didn’t like selling the ducks for alligator snacks, but he knew that you were already overrun with them. And you wouldn’t let him donate any money or feed for their upkeep. He felt sorry for you. So do I.”
“You pig-livered cat! I didn’t need sympathy from Sam Hamilton, and I don’t need sympathy from you—a has-been actress who was married to a drug dealer!”
Aggie gave another soft snuffle of laughter, but the humor died inside her. She sat up, avoiding John’s gaze, and looked wryly at the irate Ida. “Even has-been actresses feel sorry for somebody like you.”
“Get your mares out of my pasture and keep ’em away from here!”
Growing somber now, Aggie said firmly, “Can do. I’m sorry they bothered you, Ida. And I’m sorry you have such a mean mouth.”
“I’ll ‘mean-mouth’ you, you Technicolor tramp. Why don’t you sell your ranch to somebody who knows how to be a good neighbor? Go back to Holly-weird and walk around half-nekkid in another trashy TV movie! Uncover some more of your talent, ’cause you sure can’t do anything else right!”
“Madame,” John interjected abruptly, in a voice that had become cold and devilish, “if you don’t stop making insulting speeches, I’ll get out of this truck, come ’round to your side, and kiss you until you turn purple.”
The bizarre threat silenced Ida as nothing else ever had. Her mouth hung open. She took several stiff stepsback from the truck, staring at John the whole time. “Don’t you dare, you shark-faced hellion!”
“I will, madame. I promise. And if you don’t go into your house immediately, I’ll demand you apologize to Miss Hamilton. In fact, I think I’ll demand it right now. An apology, madame. This second.”
Ida shook her fists at him, “Why, you—” John started to open the truck door. Ida shrieked, then turned and bustled into her house, slamming the screen door and then the wooden one. Aggie watched the door quiver and all the way across the yard could hear the lock click.
She frowned pensively and swiveled her gaze back to John. “I’ve never heard a more creative or more gallant threat. It was incredible.” She searched his eyes and tried to determine his thoughts. Her stomach had ice in it. “Thank you.”
“He took one of her hands and lifted it to his mouth. His lips touched the back of it as if her skin were silk. “At your service, fair lady.”
“Look, you can drop that ‘lady’ stuff.”
“No.” He raised his head and studied her firmly. “What’s next, Lady Agnes?”
He wasn’t going to ask about the things Ida had said. Aggie’s throat burned with emotion. He wasn’t even going to look curious. She could have kissed him again.
“I’ll ride Valentine. She’s the one you rode last night. She’s the boss. The others will follow her. Will you drive the truck back to my place?”
“Certainly.”
Aggie got out and reached into the truck’s bed for the bridle she’d tossed there. “Insurance. I don’t want to go home at a gallop.”
John came to her side and took the truck keys she offered. He looked down at her with so much reassurance in his expression that she felt like crying. One second laughing like a hyena, the next on the verge of tears. She was coming unglued.
If he noticed, he didn’t say so. “You could use help mending that fence this afternoon.”
Her shoulders sagged. “No. There’s not a damned thing I can give you in return for that much work. Not money, not a good time, not even a good meal, because I’m a worse cook than I was an actress.”
“You better stop before you insult me, Agnes.”
She
“I don’t trust her! She’s exactly like her fish-gutted grandfather!”
“I hope so,” Aggie managed to say, twisting her mouth away from John’s hand. For a moment she could only make small moaning noises of amusement and shiver with restraint. “He didn’t like selling the ducks for alligator snacks, but he knew that you were already overrun with them. And you wouldn’t let him donate any money or feed for their upkeep. He felt sorry for you. So do I.”
“You pig-livered cat! I didn’t need sympathy from Sam Hamilton, and I don’t need sympathy from you—a has-been actress who was married to a drug dealer!”
Aggie gave another soft snuffle of laughter, but the humor died inside her. She sat up, avoiding John’s gaze, and looked wryly at the irate Ida. “Even has-been actresses feel sorry for somebody like you.”
“Get your mares out of my pasture and keep ’em away from here!”
Growing somber now, Aggie said firmly, “Can do. I’m sorry they bothered you, Ida. And I’m sorry you have such a mean mouth.”
“I’ll ‘mean-mouth’ you, you Technicolor tramp. Why don’t you sell your ranch to somebody who knows how to be a good neighbor? Go back to Holly-weird and walk around half-nekkid in another trashy TV movie! Uncover some more of your talent, ’cause you sure can’t do anything else right!”
“Madame,” John interjected abruptly, in a voice that had become cold and devilish, “if you don’t stop making insulting speeches, I’ll get out of this truck, come ’round to your side, and kiss you until you turn purple.”
The bizarre threat silenced Ida as nothing else ever had. Her mouth hung open. She took several stiff stepsback from the truck, staring at John the whole time. “Don’t you dare, you shark-faced hellion!”
“I will, madame. I promise. And if you don’t go into your house immediately, I’ll demand you apologize to Miss Hamilton. In fact, I think I’ll demand it right now. An apology, madame. This second.”
Ida shook her fists at him, “Why, you—” John started to open the truck door. Ida shrieked, then turned and bustled into her house, slamming the screen door and then the wooden one. Aggie watched the door quiver and all the way across the yard could hear the lock click.
She frowned pensively and swiveled her gaze back to John. “I’ve never heard a more creative or more gallant threat. It was incredible.” She searched his eyes and tried to determine his thoughts. Her stomach had ice in it. “Thank you.”
“He took one of her hands and lifted it to his mouth. His lips touched the back of it as if her skin were silk. “At your service, fair lady.”
“Look, you can drop that ‘lady’ stuff.”
“No.” He raised his head and studied her firmly. “What’s next, Lady Agnes?”
He wasn’t going to ask about the things Ida had said. Aggie’s throat burned with emotion. He wasn’t even going to look curious. She could have kissed him again.
“I’ll ride Valentine. She’s the one you rode last night. She’s the boss. The others will follow her. Will you drive the truck back to my place?”
“Certainly.”
Aggie got out and reached into the truck’s bed for the bridle she’d tossed there. “Insurance. I don’t want to go home at a gallop.”
John came to her side and took the truck keys she offered. He looked down at her with so much reassurance in his expression that she felt like crying. One second laughing like a hyena, the next on the verge of tears. She was coming unglued.
If he noticed, he didn’t say so. “You could use help mending that fence this afternoon.”
Her shoulders sagged. “No. There’s not a damned thing I can give you in return for that much work. Not money, not a good time, not even a good meal, because I’m a worse cook than I was an actress.”
“You better stop before you insult me, Agnes.”
She
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