Read Online Desperado: Deep in the Heart, Book 2 by Tina Leonard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tina Leonard
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blood.” Mary couldn’t believe how dumb they thought she was. “Mom, I wouldn’t be afraid of red paint! I mean, how much of a baby do you think I am?”
“Mary.” Zach reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. “When I first met you, do you remember your mother cut her finger making dinner?”
“Yeah.” Mary didn’t want to think about that.
“Well, I wasn’t around when your father…died, but you were, and it was very frightening for you. We know you’re not a child anymore, but some things are always scary to people, even to adults. And I remember how afraid you were when your mother cut her finger. You thought she was going to die like your father did.” He squeezed her hand as he squeezed her mother’s shoulder, so that the three of them formed a circle. “We still just want to protect you a little bit.”
“I know, Zach, but I want to grow up. If I get scared, then I’ll have to deal with it myself, and that’s the choice I want to make.”
“Well. We’ll think about it some more.” Annie took a deep breath and stepped away from the two of them. “For now, however, you made a poor choice in deciding to run away in the night and cross a dangerous highway. I’m going to ground you until next week, when you go to stay with Grandma and Uncle Cody.” She gave her daughter a stare that was heavy and serious. “Mary, I’m counting on you not to give Uncle Cody any trouble.”
“See! You’re talking to me like a baby again!”
“Well,” Annie snapped, “when you act like one, I have to treat you like one.” She strode from the room.
Mary’s jaw dropped. Zach slowly turned away and walked over to get something out of the refrigerator. She let out a sigh of disgust and left the house, making extra sure she slammed the door on her way out. There was nothing to do around this old place but feed the fish in the pond, unless they’d grounded her from doing that, too. All her friends were probably at the cow catch this afternoon, trying to catch cows by the tail to see who would win the college scholarship money. Lots of the girls were trying out to be Miss Desperado, the queen of the county fair. Of course, she couldn’t do any of that stuff, because her mother didn’t have time to take her into town.
And Mary wouldn’t win anyway because nobody liked her, and nobody would vote for her.
Cody unloaded several calves for the cow catch, unconsciously keeping an eye out for Stormy to turn up at the festivities. No doubt she’d never seen a cow catch and would find all the teenagers running around trying to tie a rope around the nose of a bawling, frightened calf to drag it over to the judge a hilarious sight. Of course, she thought a swim in the pool at two a.m. was great fun. If he had Stormy pegged right, she’d either jump into the ring and have a hand at catching a calf herself, or she’d give him grief for letting the poor little critters be treated that way. Danged female. Turning her nose up at the way folks in Desperado ran their business.
Turning her nose up at the way he did business. “Go on,” he told a calf, giving it a tiny slap to send it running into a stall.
Annie’s truck pulled into a parking space and he rose to see where she was headed.
“Cody!”
He waved her over. “Hey, Annie.”
She walked up beside him and glanced at his truck. “Are you finished, or can I help?”
“Nope. I’m all done.” He looked her over from her jeans, which still fit snug, up to her glowing complexion. “Feeling all right?”
“The morning sickness is bothering me in the worst way, but it passes. Sometimes.” She looked away for a second, then turned back. “I’m going to talk to Stormy.”
“Why are you telling me?” He made himself sound gruff, but his stomach tightened at hearing her name.
“Because I thought you’d want to know.”
He straightened and gave her his most disinterested look. “Reckon whoever wants to talk to her can. That’s what
“Mary.” Zach reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. “When I first met you, do you remember your mother cut her finger making dinner?”
“Yeah.” Mary didn’t want to think about that.
“Well, I wasn’t around when your father…died, but you were, and it was very frightening for you. We know you’re not a child anymore, but some things are always scary to people, even to adults. And I remember how afraid you were when your mother cut her finger. You thought she was going to die like your father did.” He squeezed her hand as he squeezed her mother’s shoulder, so that the three of them formed a circle. “We still just want to protect you a little bit.”
“I know, Zach, but I want to grow up. If I get scared, then I’ll have to deal with it myself, and that’s the choice I want to make.”
“Well. We’ll think about it some more.” Annie took a deep breath and stepped away from the two of them. “For now, however, you made a poor choice in deciding to run away in the night and cross a dangerous highway. I’m going to ground you until next week, when you go to stay with Grandma and Uncle Cody.” She gave her daughter a stare that was heavy and serious. “Mary, I’m counting on you not to give Uncle Cody any trouble.”
“See! You’re talking to me like a baby again!”
“Well,” Annie snapped, “when you act like one, I have to treat you like one.” She strode from the room.
Mary’s jaw dropped. Zach slowly turned away and walked over to get something out of the refrigerator. She let out a sigh of disgust and left the house, making extra sure she slammed the door on her way out. There was nothing to do around this old place but feed the fish in the pond, unless they’d grounded her from doing that, too. All her friends were probably at the cow catch this afternoon, trying to catch cows by the tail to see who would win the college scholarship money. Lots of the girls were trying out to be Miss Desperado, the queen of the county fair. Of course, she couldn’t do any of that stuff, because her mother didn’t have time to take her into town.
And Mary wouldn’t win anyway because nobody liked her, and nobody would vote for her.
Cody unloaded several calves for the cow catch, unconsciously keeping an eye out for Stormy to turn up at the festivities. No doubt she’d never seen a cow catch and would find all the teenagers running around trying to tie a rope around the nose of a bawling, frightened calf to drag it over to the judge a hilarious sight. Of course, she thought a swim in the pool at two a.m. was great fun. If he had Stormy pegged right, she’d either jump into the ring and have a hand at catching a calf herself, or she’d give him grief for letting the poor little critters be treated that way. Danged female. Turning her nose up at the way folks in Desperado ran their business.
Turning her nose up at the way he did business. “Go on,” he told a calf, giving it a tiny slap to send it running into a stall.
Annie’s truck pulled into a parking space and he rose to see where she was headed.
“Cody!”
He waved her over. “Hey, Annie.”
She walked up beside him and glanced at his truck. “Are you finished, or can I help?”
“Nope. I’m all done.” He looked her over from her jeans, which still fit snug, up to her glowing complexion. “Feeling all right?”
“The morning sickness is bothering me in the worst way, but it passes. Sometimes.” She looked away for a second, then turned back. “I’m going to talk to Stormy.”
“Why are you telling me?” He made himself sound gruff, but his stomach tightened at hearing her name.
“Because I thought you’d want to know.”
He straightened and gave her his most disinterested look. “Reckon whoever wants to talk to her can. That’s what
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