The Taming (The Black Thunder Series) (14 page)

“All right, I’m going.”

“Good,” said Kate, loading the soap in the washer
. She heard his footfalls leave and the front door close. Kate rested her hands on the washer as tears ran down her face. She closed the lid and wiped her eyes, then went back upstairs to finish cleaning and sulk.

Jack stopped by the shop to pick up some tools before going to the carriage house. He made his way upstairs and to the bathroom.
Damn idiot
, he grumbled seeing the
drip, drip, drip
to the sink faucet and he went to fix it by changing the ring and the mesh screen.

He found a weird grease around the seal
. He swiped it with his finger and brought it to his nose to smell. Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head, discovering it was petroleum jelly. He made a mental note to slap some sense into his hired hand and tell him never to use petroleum jelly to seal a rubber ring.

Didn’t he have a lick of sense
?
Any red blooded male should know that jelly dissolves rubber. It was a wonder the boy hadn’t filled his gene pool with a dozen kids by now considering his lack of knowledge. The thought made Jack shudder.

When he was finished, h
e packed up his tools and left the bathroom. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a framed picture lying on her bed. He knew he should mind his own business, but curiosity got the better of him. He picked up the silver frame and saw it was her wedding picture.

She looked beautiful in her satin and lace gown
. Her hair was tucked up with ringlets cascading down her neck. She looked so happy, radiant-like with her blue eyes sparkling and her sweet lips dipped in pink. He felt a bit jealous that it was not him in the picture.

The groom looked shifty and untrustworthy
.
Jerk
, Jack mumbled. He set the picture on the bed and eyed a scrolled piece of stationary lying under the sheet. It was her wedding invitation. Jack read it and saw the date.

“Shit,” he exclaimed, as he finally understood
. He could have kicked himself for what he did this morning. How could he have been so insensitive and he felt like a heel. She was down today, and rightfully so.

It wasn’t easy on a person being rejected by someone they loved and trusted
. It made him mad knowing what happened to her. She didn’t deserve it. Kate was the finest woman he knew. How could anyone throw a treasure like her away? If Kate was his, he would cherish her for life.

Another item caught his attention, a stuffed bear under the covers
. He reached for it and held it in his hand. It wasn’t anything special, just a cheap two-bit bear, like something you’d win at a rodeo fair or a carnival. In the center of the bear was a red shaped heart with handwriting in the middle,
P&K Forever
scribbled in permanent marker.

“Ah, Kate,” he sighed and knew exactly what he had to do.

Jack placed the bear back on the bed and walked downstairs. He left the carriage house, depositing his tools at the shop before he climbed into his truck and headed for town. He needed to run an errand and be back before Kate was through with work.

Kate wondered where Jack got to when he didn’t come back for lunch
. It was a blessing in disguise because she didn’t want to deal with him anymore today. She placed his lunch in the refrigerator and went back upstairs to clean the bathroom.

As she was cleaning, her phone rang
. She answered, and to her surprise it was Mitzy, the secretary from the school board calling to schedule an interview. When Kate got off the phone excitement replaced her blues. Maybe this was an omen, and her life was about to take a turn for the better. With spirits lifted, she went about cleaning the bathroom.

As she was cleaning a
mischievous smile formed on her face. She had a terrible little thought that she wanted to get back at Jack now that the doldrums had left her. It would serve him right if she were to create a little havoc for him since he was so hell-bent on bedding her. Maybe it would teach him a lesson in manners.

Kate scrunched up her nose and bit her nail
. Should she do it?
Why not?
She started to laugh out loud.

She
went to the medicine chest and pulled out a bottle of baby oil. She poured it on the floor of the tub then wiped it away to slick the surface. Next she went downstairs and grabbed a bottle of Tabasco sauce and she poured it into the bottle of mouthwash, shaking it until it dissolved.

She
giggled and wondered what else she could do. It was making her feel so much better, and it was quite empowering. She lined his cowboy hats with lemon furniture polish, and sprayed shaving cream into a pair of his boots. After she was done, she sat back on the bed and smiled with satisfaction.

Once more her phone rang
. “Hello, Clara,” she said in a chipper voice recognizing the number.

“I take it the school board called you?”

“Yes, I got the interview,” she said elated.

“Adam spoke to Mitzy, and she told him she was going to call
you today.”

“For once life is going my way,” stated Kate as she glanced at the bathroom and giggled.

“I’m glad to hear you’re in a good mood,” said Clara relieved. “I was worried about you today.”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” She hesitated. “I mean, I know what today is for you.”

“I was a little down this morning,” confessed Kate
. “But I am feeling much better this afternoon.” Once more she giggled.

“I’m glad,” said her friend, a bit confused
. “I don’t get it. What’s so funny?”

“Oh, I’m just having
some fun at Jack’s expense,” she smirked.

“Why, what did he do now
? He isn’t bothering you again, is he?”

“Oh, he tries,”
she laughed.

“Maybe I should have Adam talk to him again.”

“I don’t think I’ll be needing Adam after today. Let’s just say I’m giving Jack McBride a lesson in manners he’ll never forget.”

“Hey, before I forget, Adam asked me if you could swing by town tomorrow and pick up the vodka for the party.”

Kate almost forgot that Clara and Adam were hosting their annual Fourth of July party. She had not been to one in years. Their parties were always the best, and Kate was looking forward to the event. “Sure, I don’t mind.”

“Party starts at four,” said Clara
. “See you then, and congrats on landing the interview.”

“
Hey Clara-“Kate paused. “Thanks for looking out for me.”

“You know we love you girl.”

“I know.” She felt her friend’s smile through the phone. “I love you guys, too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kate hung up just in time as she heard the front door slam
. She jumped up and raced from the room, meeting Jack partway on the stairs.

“Your lunch is in the fridge,” she stated as they passed each other
.

“I ate lunch in town
. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? Whatever you made for lunch I’ll have for dinner.”

“Are you sure
?” Kate asked thinking he was acting a bit odd. “What about making up the half hour I missed this morning?”

“Don’t worry about it,” he stated in an unusually polite manner
.

Kate nodded and started walking down the stairs
. She stopped at the bottom and turned to look at him. “Hey,” she shouted up to him. “Did you get laid in town or something? You’re acting awful nice for a change.”

“I’m not always an ass,”
Jack frowned. “I can be nice when I want to.”

He finished climbing the stairs and headed for his bedroom
. Kate snickered to herself and walked out the front door heading for the carriage house. He was most likely going to go take a shower. By the time she reached her house, she was almost in hysterics picturing Jack slipping on the tub’s surface and screaming.

She
climbed her porch steps and stopped by the front door. There by the door was a large package. It was wrapped and decorated neatly with a bow. She searched the package, but there was no note.

She lifted the box and opened
the front door. She set the package on the coffee table then sat on the couch to un-wrapped it. Whatever it was, it was big and like any woman with a secret admirer, a curious excitement bubbled up in her to see what the mysterious packaged contained. She threw off the lid and found a giant stuffed bear. Kate took the oversized bear from the box and stared at it. She noticed a note tied to a ribbon around the bear’s neck. She opened the note and read it as tears filled her eyes. It said:

“This bear is for bigger and better dreams from someone who understands and cares
.

Don’t lose heart, Barbie doll. “

A smile
as wide as the Pacific formed on her face. Why it was the nicest thing anybody had ever done for her. This man who drove her crazy did the greatest thing in the world. He lifted her spirits and touched her heart.

“Oh, Jack,” she
beamed brightly and hugged the bear tight as her heart melted into a warm fuzzy swoon. Suddenly her elated expression dropped and her eyes blinked wide as two oversized blue balloons. “Oh, Jack!”  She panicked realizing what she’d just done. “Oh shit, Jack!”

Kate threw the bear on the couch and ran out the door
. She needed to stop him before it was too late. She raced to the main house and up the stairs. Just as she hit the bedroom, she heard a loud yell and a thud.

“Kate, I’m going to kill you!” 
Jack’s voice bellowed.

She cringed then stepped back when she heard another thud and
Jack yell again. She ran into the hall. She should really go back and check to make sure he wasn’t hurt. But just then she heard movement in the bedroom and she breathed a sigh of relief. Her relief was short lived when she heard him yell again.

“Oh, you didn’t,” he hollered so loud
, it echoed in the hall. “These are my favorite boots too!”

Kate placed her hand over her mouth and tried not to laugh
. She turned and tiptoed down the stairs. She made it to the bottom and thought she was home free until she heard him again.

“Stop right there, Barbie doll,” he thundered from the top of the stairs.

Kate turned then froze seeing the crazed expression on his face. “Now Jack, don’t be mad,” she said not realizing she was taking an involuntarily step back.

“You put shaving cream in my boots!” He growled through clenched teeth.

Kate bit her lip and tried not to laugh seeing the ridiculous sight of him wearing only gym shorts and boots.

“Did I
?” She tilted her head as she backed away from the stairs again.

“You know damn well you did
.” He started walking down the steps toward her.

“Now Jack, don’t do anything rash
.” She inched her way into the foyer.

“When I get my hands on you, I’m gonna
, I’m gonna -”

Kate ran for the door and Jack ran after her
. She darted through the front door and off the porch with Jack close on her heels.

Kate made it to the carriage house and ran through the door
. She looked over her shoulder and saw Jack slip on the porch step. It gave her a minute advantage so she could race upstairs.

Jack ran through the door and took the stairs two at a time
. Kate barreled into her bathroom and slammed the door shut, locking it before Jack had a chance to reach her.

“Open the door,” he yelled as he pounded on the door.

“No,” she hollered back.

“I’ll break the damn door down,” he shouted.

“You don’t want to do that,” shouted Kate through the door. “If you break it, you’ll have to fix it.”

“Then open the door.” He slammed on it again.

“No can do Jack,” she shouted back as she leaned against the door to make sure it stayed closed. “Once you settle down, I’ll come out.”

“You may be in there a long time, Barbie doll,” he hollered.

“I’ll wait.”

“Just answer me one question,” he snarled
. “Why did you slick the tub and put shaving cream in my boots?”

“Because you acted like such a jerk this morning
. You made me mad.”

Jack sighed and ran his fingers through his hair
. “All right, I acted like a jerk,” he would give her that much but he was still annoyed. “But I made up for it.”

“Yes, you did
.” She couldn’t help but smile thinking about his gift. “The bear is beautiful. Thank you for thinking about me.”

“Open the door and thank me in person.”

“Oh no, I can’t do that,” she giggled.

“You’re right, you can’t,” he growled
. “Because if I get my hands on you I’m going to spank that little pink ass of yours ‘til it’s beet red.”