Just Her Luck (71 page)

“Tell me about it.” He peeked his good eye open. “Try growing up with them.”

I grimaced, making him laugh.

“Noooo, thank you.”

****

I sat on the couch in the living room, feeling beyond awkward.

Reeve walked in a moment later and handed me a can of soda, sitting right next to me, our sides plastered to one another’s.

“Where’s Pa?” he asked his mother.

“Are you still mad at me?” she asked quietly.

“You done trying to talk to me when I’m butt naked, and makin’ bets on your children?”

“Yes?” She blinked her long blonde lashes, smiling at us suddenly.

I frowned, glancing at Reeve.

Her answer sounded like a question.

That’s not very convincing.

His look said the same thing.

“I found it.” Phin walked in carrying a small ladder, heading down the hall.

I watched as he walked on, curious.

“Where is he…” my eyes widened in horror and I tugged at Reeve.

“What?” he responded, glancing at me.

“Oh, my god! Reeve he’s going to…” I stuttered, a death grip on is forearm.

“Got it!” Phin shouted from the office, walking out with my bra swinging from his fingertips, the ladder in his other hand.

Reeve popped up and yanked it out of his dad’s hands, grumbling at his father’s shit eating grin and shoving it under a couch cushion.

I hid my face in his shoulder.

“This can’t be happening,” I muttered, groaning into his side, “This can’t be happening.”

Reeve scrubbed his hands down his face and stone faced his parents.

“What did you come all the way over here for? It certainly wasn’t for the free show and you already know we’re together, I’m sure you got your money, so it wasn’t to see if you won the bet. What then?”

“You make it sound so…” His mother’s smile fell, looking at him pleadingly.

I recognized the kicked puppy dog look from Ephraim and watched Reeve, hoping he wasn’t a sucker.

He wasn’t.

He continued to stare at her, not breaking eye contact, his gaze shrewd and cold.

I gave Phin a warning look when he looked like he was going to say something.

Barb broke first.

“I give!” She threw up her arms. “I’m a terrible person and a rotten mother! I said I wouldn’t do it again, alright! Geesh! You’d think I’d asked to watch.”

My eyes widened in alarm.

Her sigh was long suffering.

“I wouldn’t!” she said defensively, shoving her hands out in front of her, waving them about, “I’m not that bad.”

I continued to stare at her, speechless.

“I think you broke the boy’s girly, baby doll,” Phin chuckled, motioning at me.

“No more weird, walk in on us, let’s talk about it sex shit,” I blurted, “I don’t think my brain could handle it.”

Phin’s smile lit up his whole face. “Deal.”

I relaxed fractionally.

He meant it. Hopefully he can reign in Barb too.

Barb hopped up and snapped her fingers.

“Oh, why are we here. Okay,” she said excitedly, “here goes… we’re going to the fair! Wouldn’t that be fun?!”

“The fair?” Reeve and I both echoed, our sentiments on that crystal clear.

“Don’t be such sour pusses,” she frowned before brightening back up, ever the cheer leader, “You’ll love it! I promise!”

She squeaked happily and hopped around, doing a little victory dance.

I didn’t feel so convinced.

No Fair!

I glanced up at Reeve.

“You owe me, moonshine.
Big time.”

“What? How is this my fault? I didn’t want to go any more than you did.”

“She’s
your
mother. Your fault by default.”

“That makes no damn sense, gremlin.”

I shrugged as I examined a little porcelain pig.

“Get used to it,
lover
, we woman are peculiar creatures.”

He snorted and picked up a gawdy looking horse figurine, its anatomically correct horse bits standing out, proudly on display.

“This is actually kinda cute.” I turned the pig upside down to peek at the price tag.

Wow.

I whistled low and set it back down gently, very gently.

I motioned at Reeve. “Don’t you break that one. I’m not paying lord only knows how much for a broken figure of a happy horse.”

He laughed and set it back down, taking my hand to walk me to another booth.

“What’s the matter, prison bait? Didn’t like it?”

I tugged him towards the ring toss booth.

“Nope, can’t say I’m much for horse boners, sorry. The little pig was cute, though.” I jiggled his arm, nudging him, “I have a thing for pigs.”

People openly gawked at my statement, having overheard, staring after us as Reeve burst out laughing, tucking me under his arm.

****

“You done playin’ games, beautiful? I’m hungry.”

“I guess I can give you a break.” I squeezed my little stuffed pig and laughed when it let out a raucous barrage of loud oinking sounds. “I gotta keep you fed if I want you to do my bidding, huh?”

He tucked a brown monkey stuffed animal with velcro on its hands under his arm, taking my hand.

“What are you gonna do with all them things, anyways?” he grumbled, eyeing my loot.

“Put them on your bed.”

He laughed at first, but stopped when I didn’t, making my way over to a picnic table to park it.

“What do you want to eat?” I looked up at him expectantly.

“They aren’t going on my bed, gremlin.”

“Hmmmm… how about chicken? You like chicken? Ohhh, or maybe a hamburger… what do you think?”

“Vieve.”

“A corn dog?”

“Genevieve,” he grumbled, still standing.

“Oh, fine! Don’t get your spurred panties in a twist, buckaroo. I have to go by my house tomorrow anyways, I’ll leave them on
my
bed.”

He made a rude noise. “You didn’t tell me that.”

I ignored his huffing, a familiar voice catching my attention.

“What are you all doin’ here?” Ten walked up, Eustice coming up behind him.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

I picked up the stuffed pig and gave it a squeeze, smirking when the noise startled them both so bad they flinched simultaneously.

“Oh, why knock me over with a feather,” I imitated Barb perfectly, fluttering my lashes at them “What a surprise! What’s brought you two here? It wouldn’t have anything to do with a bet and a guilty conscience, would it?”

“Yes,” Eustice admitted and at the same time Ten insisted, “Of course not.”

They both frowned at each other, and I glanced up at my mulish companion.

“I think we’ve been had,” I told Reeve.

“Mmmm, hmmm.” Humming under his breath and eyeing the two men, his arm came around my waist, pressing my back into his chest.

A blonde woman walked by us as Ten and Eustice started pleading their case, flipping her hair over her shoulder, twitching as she flicked her boney hips.

She glanced over in our direction and looked away, then snapped her head back and did a double take, back tracking until she was standing right before us.

She had long legs and ass length straight hair, a perpetual pout on her bowed pink lips.

A tall, lean young man approached her, a very youthful face topped with a mop of jet black hair, interrupting whatever she was going to do or say.

He pointed to a group of men off to the side, then her and threw his hands up, shaking his head and talking rapidly.

Hmmm.

What was that all about?

Was she going to come over here? And why?

Not really interested, I shrugged off.

Meh.

Maybe she knows the fellas.

Tall, blonde and leggy made an indignant sound, giving the dark haired man a well-practiced pout.

I watched, studying her.

She’s a
terrible
actress.

She was making persistent hand gestures, fake nails clacking wildly, flicking her fingers about at the younger man, in a bit of a snit about something.

Lover’s quarrel, maybe?

More words were exchanged, the man’s voice a hushed whisper, glancing around anxiously to make sure they didn’t have an audience.

His gaze had skimmed right over me.

Huh.
Guess I don’t stand out to
everyone.

Mega blonde stomped her foot, and the tall lean man’s face turned red.

He muttered something angrily, pointing a finger at her viciously, jabbing it in her direction right before he stormed away.

I need popcorn,
I thought
, this shit is better than television!

I looked up at Reeve, tugging at his sleeve.

“We need popcorn.”

“What?” he asked, glancing down at me, confused.

Mega blonde went to grip the young guy’s arm, bringing me back into the fray.

He shoved her hand off and turned his back on her.

She made a weird sound-
a dying porpoise squeal maybe
- making the man cringe, gripping the back of his shirt.

He turned around, mouth a firm line.

She tried to kiss him, but he gently pushed her away, turning his face away to stave off her advance.

She screeched and whacked him with her purse, drawing even more attention to herself.

Definitely a lover’s spat.

She’s kinda old to be messing with someone so young, though.

I don’t even think he shaves yet.

Plus, she could be old enough to be his auntie or something, maybe even his mother.

Not that I particularly care or anything.

Whatever floats their boats.

Still, though, the snoop in me has to wonder- doesn’t that make her feel old? He couldn’t be more than eighteen years old, if even a day, he looks so young.

Not Ephraim young, but ‘young’ young.

Maybe he’s a cougar hunter
.

I snorted at my own joke-
cougar hunter
- fascinated by the huffing blonde.

Her face made you think ‘girl next door’, but the way she carried herself screamed ‘snooty patootie’.

Personally, all I was thinking at the moment was
‘I bet it doesn’t take much and she gives away the milk for free’.

Despite the bright, uber fake, sunny smile she initially had on, there was a tightening around the corners of her mouth and eyes that gave her away, a shrewdness to her presence and mannerisms that gave me the impression she wasn’t what she seemed.

And she’s obviously just proven my point, thank you very much.

She strikes me as calculating.

“That was better than cable, moonshine. Did you see?”

Reeve laughed and kissed my temple, grinning down at me.

“Only you, Vieve,” Ten gestured at the parting couple, “Only
you
would find that kinda train wreck truly interesting.”

Snorting, Eustice chuckled along with us.

Whirling around, mega blonde went to head off, stopping in her tracks at the sound of Reeve’s hearty laugh and Ten’s deep chuckle, eyes sharpening when they lasered in on us, body jerking in our direction.

She snickered and gave Reeve a once over, lip curling up a tiny bit.

Her eyes fell on me and she grinned, laughing like she found something truly funny.

I didn’t.

“Hello, Reeve,” she purred, her voice throaty and low, a bit too deep and raspy for her sweet exterior.

Somebody smokes
heavily.

Reeve’s grip on my waist tightened.

“Hello, Maura,” Eustice cut in. “How’s it goin’, sweet thang?” His leer was fake and all cheese.

Maura?

Maura sniffed disdainfully. “I’m just fine, hillbilly. How’s it working for ya in a woman’s world?” she snickered.

“There are a lot of male nurses,” I added helpfully. “Personally, I’d rather help people, maybe save a few lives than shovel cow shit for a living.” I smiled at Ten. “No offense.”

He grinned, shrugging. “None taken.”