Page 17 of Hard Luck (Blackstone House)

I glanced at the neon sign a hundred yards away. Sure, why not? At least Pet City had AC. And if Saint had pig ears, she wouldn’t be tempted to chew on anyone’s arm while they slept.

Echo

Did Thelma quit on you again?

Rather than replying, I looked up at the sky and gave whatever satellite she was using to spy on me the finger.

Echo

That’s not very nice.

Maybe I’d get Saint one of those buffalo tendons as well? That would keep her busy for another five minutes, and Marcel wouldn’t have to yell at her for stealing a whole raw chicken off the counter again. But I’d barely got my crutches out of the car when a shiny red truck pulled up behind Thelma. A man climbed out of the driver’s side, and I squinted into the sun, watching him. There was something familiar about that face. The dark hair, the square jaw…

Oh, hell.

CHAPTER 7

JEZEBEL

Icursed under my breath as the asshole who’d been hitting on me at the Salt Shaker yesterday evening strode in my direction.

“You need a hand?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“So, sorry about last night. Kayla gets a little crazy sometimes.”

“A little crazy? She stabbed me in the fucking thigh.”

“I kept telling Conner he needs to keep her under control.” He grinned. “But she’s out of the picture now, so there’s no reason you and me can’t go out.”

“Didn’t you have a date with you?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s nothing serious.”

Was the universe laughing at me right now?

“Listen to me very carefully. You have five seconds to turn around and get back into your truck, and if you don’t move fast enough, I’m going to use this crutch to hit your testicles so hard that they’ll lodge in your throat.”

He stared at me for one long second, and then he laughed. “Hey, you’re playing hard to get. I like it.”

“Five… Four…”

Another truck pulled up. For the love of fuck…

“Having car trouble, ma’am?”

This guy was older, late thirties, dressed in jeans and cowboy boots. He swaggered toward me with his thumbs stuck in his belt loops.

“I have a tow truck on the way.”

“Eh, don’t waste your money. I’m real good with cars. Used to spend time in my daddy’s auto shop back in Kansas.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need help.”

“Pop the hood, and I’ll take a look.”

“Get away from my car.”

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