Page 74 of Say the Words
Those Girl Scoutsmove fast when they really want something.
I’d been half-inclined to think June’s grand scheme of hosting them would fall apart when it came down to the nitty-gritty. I’d been both disappointed and reluctantly impressed when she and Marilyn’s daughter had the event planned out within a day. Apparently, Crystal, Marilyn’s oldest, had already scheduled an afternoon of picking up trash and learning about recycling for the troop, but she’d rearranged so the girls could pet some horses.
Myhorses. I couldn’t stop telling myself what a fool this made me. I wasn’t doing this for the money, or for the kids, or to try to make myself seem moreapproachable—I was doing it for June, plain and simple. Knowing it probably made me an even bigger fool.
She had a hold on me, and that hold was dragging me to the very edge of my self-control. If I had any sense left, I would go back to pretending I didn’t care a thing about her, but I wasn’t that good of an actor. Didn’t matter anyway, since I’d never been able to fool myself.
June came into the barn lit up like a thousand watts. Her hair was up in a ponytail that trailed dark tendrils, her eyes shining with excitement. I glanced her over, trying not to linger too long on any one area, but in a tight T-shirt and jeans that hugged her just right, it proved an impossible task.
“Now where did you get that?” I gestured to her shirt.
“This?” She tugged at the hem. The dark purple shirt readMagnolia Ridge Girl Scouts Troop 106across the front. “Crystal brought it over for me this morning. She thought it would be a nice touch.”
“Nothing for me?”
“This is my show, remember?” She grinned as she bounced on the balls of her feet, her running shoes raring to go. “Is Miss Kitty ready?”
She looked past me at the old horse, nodding her approval. I’d had Aaron tie her in the barn aisle so the girls could get a good look without crowding her. She faced the door, the better to see her gawkers as they approached, and I’d left a bucket of grain on her stall gate to keep her occupied. The horse chewed away, and if I had to wager, Troop 106 would get up close and personal with fresh manure during their demonstration.
“So,” June said, dragging out the word. “Are you planning on staying out here?” She feigned casual interest as she ran her fingers over the top of Miss Kitty’s stall gate.
“I think it’d be a liability if I wasn’t.”
“I’m sure with Crystal and me and the other moms, it will be fine. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”
“Why, June, are you trying to get rid of me?”
“No, not at all,” she said, her voice gone high-pitched. “I just thought, what with the girls and all, this might not be your thing.”
“Pretty sure I told you this was one hundred percent not my thing.”
“I thought you might rather wait it out in the house, that’s all. Have a cup of tea or something.”
“I’ve never had a cup of tea in my life.”
She put one hand on my elbow to steer me out of the barn. “It might be a good time to try it. Chamomile would make a nice introduction.”
I held my ground despite her pushiness. “No, thanks.”
“I’ve got some bourbon in my purse. That might make the tea more tempting for you.”
That stopped me short. “You’ve got bourbon in your purse?”
“Maid of Honor duties, I’ll tell you later.” She held tighter onto my elbow, nudging me toward the door. “You should go relax. Tea and bourbon, how does that sound?”
I planted my feet, unmoved by her gentle shoves. “Why are you so set on getting me out of here?”
She stopped her pushing and huffed out a breath, blowing a lock of hair away from her face. “You make me nervous, all right?”
I liked the idea but couldn’t quite believe it. “Since when do I make you nervous? I think I missed that when you were challenging me to a bet, doing my laundry without my permission, and trying to take over my ranch.”
She looked taken aback. “What? I’m not—”
“Nervous?”
Glaring at my interruption, that tiny, cute furrow appeared between her eyebrows.
“You’re the horse expert, all right? Everything I know about horses, I’ve learned from memorizing the Girl Scouts’ suggested lesson plan for the last twenty-four hours. This could be embarrassing.”
