Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (13 page)

Read Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger Online

Authors: Lori Copeland

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Westerns, #test

BOOK: Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger
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Page 95
the key in the ignition. The motor started up with a smooth sound. She carefully backed the truck up to the tractor, her palms sweating. Jason hooked the heavy chain to the back of the truck and jumped up onto the tractor seat, giving her instructions. ''Now just give it a little gas, ease off on the clutch pedal real slow until you feel the chain go taut, then let off on the gas when you hear the tractor start. Is that clear?"
Sweat was beginning to trickle down her back, and her hands were clammy. She was gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles had turned white.
"Pull me down toward the barn," he shouted. "Okay, go!"
"Jason"she stuck her head out the truck window"this really makes me nervous," she pleaded desperately one last time.
"Just do it, Jessie," he snapped and shifted the tractor into low gear. "I haven't got time to argue! Are you ready?"
"I guess," she said in a small voice.
"Okay," he ordered once again, "go!"
She started easing down on the gas pedal very slowly. She could bear the chain on the bumper making a popping noise like it was going to tear the whole bumper off the truck. She began crawling down the drive at a snail's pace, perspiration dripping off her face and arms.
"Faster," Jason yelled. "You got to get up more speed."
"Oh, God, I can't do this," she moaned, letting her foot slip from the gas pedal just a little. The heavy chain immediately went slack.
"Keep it taut!" Jason was shouting. "Keep the damn chain taut, Jessie!"
Her foot came back down hard on the pedal this timetoo hard. She immediately let up on the gas again. That was a mistake! She now had the truck jerking Jason along on the tractor in giant hiccuping jolts.
"You've got to get the slack out, Jessie!" He was near
 
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hysteria now, screaming at the top of his vibrating lungs. Her foot slammed down even harder on the pedal, and the truck surged forward at a rapid pacethe chain definitely becoming taut! Jessica heard a loud
snap
as the chain broke, catapulting the truck straight toward the barn at very nearly the speed of sound.
Oh, my God,
Jessica thought as she fought frantically to bring the truck under control. She put up a valiant fight, but the truck won. She felt the front end plow through the side of the barn as easily as a hot knife slicing through butter.
She glanced around sheepishly for a moment, then nonchalantly pulled the gear shift into reverse and backed slowly out of the yawning chasm. She hazarded a glance in the rearview mirror at Jason. He was standing up on his tractor, astonishment written clearly on his face. Coming out of his state of shock, he leaped off the tractor, running toward the truck, shouting, ''Are you hurt?" with real concern in his voice.
By this time Jessica was shaking like a leaf and feeling like an utter fool again. "No," she said in a shaky voice, "I don't think so."
He let out a long breath and sagged against the truck. He took off his hat and wiped his forehead on the arm of his shirt sleeve. Knocking the dust from his hat on his jean-clad leg, he put it back on his head. "I know where we can make a fast buck, Angel," he said. "I can rent you out as a one-woman demolition squad."
Well, that did it! She was as mad as a wet hen now. Tears sprang to her eyes, and her temper flared. "
I told you I couldn't do it,
" she railed, "but,
no,
you had to make me try itscreaming at me, 'Faster, Jessie, keep the chain taut, Jessie.' By then you had me so nervous I could have died! Now you have the audacity to stand there and insinuate that it was my fault!" She jerked her door open and nearly fell out onto the ground. "Well," she said haughtily, her back stiffening in pride, "I don't have to stand here and take this." With the air of a queen going to hold court,
 
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she turned and flounced off toward the house, leaving him standing there in the rubble.
The sounds of hammering and sawing could be heard as the tantalizing aroma of the chocolate cake came drifting out through the open kitchen window. Jessica could see the wrecker pulling Jason's truck out of the farmyard and a ranch hand hammering away on the side of the barn. A feeling of foolishness swept over her again. Even if it wasn't her fault this time, Jason's men were probably thinking he had hired a refugee from a mental institution as his housekeeper. It was a standing joke among his men, the way she systematically went about destroying his vehicles.
She crossed over to the refrigerator and poured a large glass of lemonade, then stepped out through the back door. Jason came walking toward her, his face hot and flushed. ''You got an extra glass of that tantalizing stuff?" he asked, eyeing the glass of cold lemonade.
"There's a whole pitcherful," Jessica replied coolly.
"Well, I was coming in to cool off, and by the sound of things I won't have any trouble." He grinned boyishly.
Jessica grinned back pertly. "Go on in the kitchen, Jason. It's nice and cool in there."
Jason stepped into the kitchen, and the heat from the oven nearly knocked him down. "Damn! It's like a furnace in here."
"Isn't it, though?" Jessica said serenely, forcing the laughter from her tone.
"How do you put up with this all day?" Jason asked in amazement, taking off his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow.
Jessica was pouring him a large glass of cold lemonade. "My 'boss' likes big, hot home-cooked meals, remember?"
Jason grinned sheepishly and took the glass of lemonade from her.
 
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''Do you realize the 'boss' has gained ten pounds this month alone on those hot home-cooked meals?"
Jessica smiled proudly, noticing the tiny little tummy protruding slightly over the waist of his jeans. "I'd noticed."
"Why didn't you say something about it being so hot in here, Angel? I'm never in the house enough in the daytime to notice. I'll have one of the men put in an air conditioner first thing in the morning."
"I'd be eternally grateful," Jessica acknowledged.
"You ready for the picnic tonight?" Jason said conversationally, taking another long drink of his lemonade.
"Almost," Jessica replied, checking her cake in the oven.
"I'll try to wind things up soon today so we can get an early start."
Jessica looked surprised. "Am I riding with you?"
"How else did you plan on getting there?" Jason asked skeptically.
"I don't knowriding with Rick, I suppose. Aren't you taking Monica?"
Jason stared out the kitchen window, watching the hammering going on down at the barn. "She'll be there, but I'm not 'taking her,' " he said mildly.
Jessica removed her cake from the oven, the delicious rich chocolate smell permeating the hot kitchen. Jason looked at the cake and inhaled deeply. "Well, there goes another five pounds." He grinned.
"Have you ever thought about not eating any?" Jessica teased gently.
"Nope, that would be sacrilegious."
Jessica giggled. She had managed to find the way to his stomach. Now if she could just find the way to his heart.
"Well, back to the old grind." Jason picked up his hat and shoved it on his head, starting for the back door. He stopped at the door, his eyes catching hers briefly. There was something very unreadable in their soft green depths,
 
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Jessica thought. She swallowed hard, longing to walk over and kiss him. If they were married, that's exactly what she would do every time he stuck that handsome mug of his in the door. But they weren't married, and Jessica didn't want to kid herself that they ever would be again.
''Did you want something else, Jason?" Jessica forced herself to ask lightly.
"No, I was just thinking . . ." His voice trailed off. "See you tonight, Angel."
"I'll be waiting," she whispered softly, her eyes shining with love.
The festivities were in full swing when they pulled up in Jason's Continental that evening. He got the picnic hamper out of the trunk, and they made their way through the crowd of friends and neighbors who were shouting their hellos with boisterous backslapping and bone-crushing handshakes.
"Jessica!" Rick Warner's voice caught Jessica's attention immediately. Jason stiffened involuntarily as Rick came bounding up to them, his face a wreath of smilesall for Jessica.
"Hell-ooo, pretty lady." Jessica had to laugh at his comical elation over her appearance. "I sure hope you brought whatever was making that mouth-watering smell float around in the air this afternoon," he said earnestly. "I've been seriously thinking of offering to marry you all afternoon, just to be able to come home to your cooking every nightamong other things." He grinned devilishly.
Taking Jessica's arm firmly, Jason began to steer her on through the picnic grounds. "Her cake will be on the table along with everyone else's, Rick," he mumbled rudely.
Trailing along beside them, Rick petitioned Jason boyishly, his eyes still openly flirting with Jessica, "Can she eat a piece of it with me?"
Jessica giggled again at Rick's obvious lack of fright at
 
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Jason's grim expression. ''That's entirely up to the 'pretty lady,'" Jason responded flatly.
"Well, Jessica?" Rick waited hopefully.
"I'll make it a point to look you up when I'm ready for dessert, Rick," Jessica told him smilingly.
Taking her hand in his, he looked at her adoringly. "I'll be waiting, Jessica."
Jason walked on through the crowd, grumbling irritably, "That punk kid gets on my nerves!!"
"For heaven's sake, he's not a kid, Jason. He's my age!" Jessica corrected.
"Then if you two 'kids' want to carry on a love affair, do it when I'm not around," he snapped testily.
Jessica started to retort hotly, then caught herself. Smiling sweetly, she answered, "I'm sorry, Jason. From now on we'll try to control ourselves in your presence. Maybe you and Monica would jot down a few pointers on how to act dignified and show respect to our employer while trying to control our animalistic desires for each other. That is, if you don't have anything more important to do."
"Oh, but you see, Angel, Monica and I
always
have more important things to do, so you and little Ricky will have to run on down to the library and do your own research," Jason responded sarcastically.
Jessica's eyes blazed purple as they walked on through the crowd. "I'll just bet you do, you . . . toad!"
Jason stopped walking and turned to confront Jessica's boiling temper. "Jessica," he said pointedly, "you remember what happened to you the last time you called me that?"
Jessica stared back at him boldly, her chin set mutinously. "You mean the night you made your 'big mistake'? No! I don't remember a thing about it!"
Jason met her bold stare, and then laughter began to rumble deep in his chest. "Unfortunately, Angel, I do."
Jessica's temper receded quickly in the wake of his
 
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laughter, her pixie face breaking into an impish smile. ''I lied. I do, too," she admitted calmly.
Jason shook his head tolerantly and reached for her hand. "Come on, wildcat, let's enjoy the picnic."
They walked on through the crowd, Jason still holding her hand. Several people stopped to chat cordially with them. While they were talking with the Ramseys, Jessica noticed Monica standing off to the side, admiring Jason with her big dark-brown eyes. She had the expression of a child staring into a pet-store window full of puppies. Jason looked up, and his eyes met hers. Giving her a cocky wink and a nod of greeting, he turned back to the conversation with Mr. Ramsey. Jessica felt a stab of jealousy tear through her. Would she ever get over the hurt at seeing him with Monica? She knew they were serious about each other, and Monica was really a nice person, so why did it hurt so? Down deep she knew why it hurt. To think of this lovely girl in Jason's armswhere she longed to be more than anything in this worldwas like having a knife slice through her heart. She turned and slipped quietly away from Jason, wandering off through the crowd, trying to calm her mangled thoughts.
Everyone was gathering around the tables now, and there was an air of joviality that was catching. Soon everyone was caught up in the lighthearted holiday spirit. Jessica got in line to fill her plate, and Jason and Monica followed not far behind her. She walked over to a table and sat down.
Rick brought his plate over and sat down beside Jessica. "Mind if I join you, Jessica?"
"Not at all." Jessica smiled. Jason shot her a disgusted look as he and Monica joined them. Jessica turned her eyes back to her plate, trying to ignore their presence. For the next few minutes all thoughts of conversation vanished as they dedicated themselves to the feast sitting before them. Finally, after they all agreed they couldn't stuff one more deviled egg down, they sat around conversing in low

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