Just Say Yes by Wendy Rosnau

Author:Wendy Rosnau
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2004-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Justus was a second away from claiming Stevie’s sweet lips when Arley’s voice reminded him that it was Saturday. He raised his head at the same time a loud splash sounded from somewhere in the middle of the bayou.

He released Stevie, took a step back. “Hell, I think he fell in.”

“And that’s not good, is it? You said Hush Puppy wasn’t the worst of it.”

Justus reached for the flashlight on the side of the cabin dangling from the end of a long rope, then walked around the corner of the cabin. “Arley!”

“That you, Just? What you doin’ out here at Stevie’s place?”

“Arley, did you fall in?”

“Yes’um I did.” He laughed. “Lost my balance. Don’t worry. Didn’t roll the boat. The croakers are safe.”

“Croakers?” Stevie had followed Justus. “What is he talking about?”

“Bullfrogs. It’s Saturday.”

As if that explained everything, Justus turned on the flashlight and scanned the water until he found Arley’s head bobbing beside his boat twenty feet from the dock. Ruby Duke, Arley’s hound dog, was still sitting in the bottom of the boat, her butt planted between two plump gunnysacks. She was looking over the side at her owner with a bored look on her face.

“What is he doing out there after midnight?” Stevie asked.

“He’s been out froggin’.”

“Froggin’? He sounds like he’s been out drinking.”

“He’s been drinking, too. Arley always drinks when he goes froggin’. But he’s not stink-drunk or he wouldn’t be bobbing. Arley can’t swim. Crazy-drunk he’d of sunk by now.”

“Oh, God!”

“Don’t get riled,” Justus drawled. “In this case, drunk is good. It means his gunnies are full of croakers.”

Stevie was looking at him as if he was a half-wit.

“Your cousin is the best frogger in Crawford, honey. Only problem is, he’s also squeamish when it comes to handling them. Especially the fat ones. Hoppin’ Froggies is the Sunday night special at the Muddy. Saturday nights Arley takes a bottle of whiskey and Ruby Duke out with him to get the job done. If he comes back snauckered he’s had a good night.”

“Who is Ruby Duke?”

“Arley’s hound dog.”

“That’s a strange name for a dog.”

“There’s a story behind that. A year ago, Arley picked out a puppy. He wanted a male, and he thought that’s what he’d picked out at Jinx’s place. Swears to it to this day. The way Jinx tells it, though, Arley was like a kid in a candy store looking at those puppies. Picking up every one of them at least twice like he couldn’t decide which one he wanted. And Gloria had sixteen.”

“Sixteen puppies?”

“That’s a fact. Arley named the pup Duke. Guess it was about a month later he noticed the pup was a female. Only problem was, by then she was coming real good to Duke, so Arley decided to give her two names.”

“Say, Just…You wanta get the fetch pole. You wanta hurry. I reckon I heard Hush Puppy come off that log he likes ta sleep on.”

“Oh, God!”

“Take it easy, honey.” Justus retrieved the long pole that hung on the side of the cabin, then walked to a section of railing that opened like a gate.

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