Coulda Been a Cowboy

Author:Brenda Novak
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: mom 03/21/2014
ISBN: 9780373714223
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Published: 2007-06-01T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Grandpa Garnier: Never squat on your spurs.

“Think you’re too good for your old dad, now? Is that it?” Dakota hesitated, grocery sack in hand, as her father stood in the doorway of their trailer and gazed out at the Ferrari.

“He’s only letting me drive it while he’s gone, for practical reasons,” she said. “He’s afraid I’ll get stranded somewhere with the Bomber.”

“A cell phone could’ve solved that problem.”

“There’s no service in the mountains, and you know it.”

“I know that’s an eighty-thousand dollar car, which makes it worth four times as much as our trailer.”

“It’s the only one Tyson has at the cabin.”

“Your own car isn’t broken down yet.” Her father whistled as he admired the Ferrari. “He’s sure treatin’ you like you’re somethin’ special.”

Her father was getting at something, but she didn’t want to consider what it might be. “Ty’s a nice guy,” she said simply.

“Ty.” Squinting against the brightness of the June sun, her father lowered his voice. “He hopin’ to have a little fun while he’s here?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m asking if he’s trying to get in your pants.”

“Stop it.” Keeping her eyes averted so he couldn’t see any evidence that she might actually welcome such an advance, Dakota forced her feet to start moving again. She needed to stock the fridge, clean up the place and get some dinner made, and she needed to do it right away so she could get back to Braden in a reasonable amount of time.

“He must want somethin’ pretty bad,” her father added in the same “I’ve got his number” tone.

She brushed past him, then held her breath as she entered the trailer. It smelled old and stale, as stale as her life had been before she’d started working for Tyson. “What have you been doing?” she called over her shoulder. “Chain-smoking? You should air this place out once in a while, you know. All you have to do is open the windows.”

“What’s the matter? Is home sweet home a little too humble for you now that you have such fancy friends?” he called back.

She had to clear a spot on the counter to put the groceries. Maybe Terrance kept a good eye on her father, but he certainly didn’t do much of anything else, except help himself to the beer and cigarettes.

“What time is Terrance coming today?”

“Who the hell cares? I don’t want him here.”

Her father had been baiting her all week, but so far she’d managed to avoid an all-out argument. She hoped to do that today, as well. “He’s not so bad.”

“You’re not the one who has to spend every evening with him.”

“I thought I’d make some chicken marsala for dinner,” she said, changing the subject.

Skelton followed her inside and stood near the breakfast bar, leaning on his cane. With his skin a jaundiced yellow and his dark hair dirty and standing up on one side, he looked even worse than usual. Obviously he’d had a bad night. Remembering how long she’d curled

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.