the ranch, and yet he wasn’t going to take over her life. He wanted to share it.
Trey had wanted to take it over. Of course she hadn’t known that from the beginning. Oh, no. I thought he wanted me for me. How stupid is that?
And what the hell am I going to do about Dan?
And Efrem. What was she going to do about him? “Huh,” she muttered as she entered the brood mare barn and beelined to the water sink in the first stall. She leaned over and sniffed.
“Definitely fuel. Gasoline?”
Jerry leaned in for a whiff. “Yup.”
She slapped her hands on her hips. “Let’s get started.” Together, they approached the circulating pump. She knocked on the housing. Jerry toed the base.
“What first?”
“I was hoping you’d know,” she said with chagrin.
“Did it come with directions or paperwork?”
“Yeah. In the tack room.”
Four hours later, Lisa sat on the floor next to the circulating pump holding the housing in the air. Jerry grimaced as he fumbled inside the guts of the pump.
“Didja find it?” she asked. Her arms were trembling with the effort required to keep the solid metal casing in the air. It was, for some ungodly reason, attached to the pump itself by a short wire.
“What are you doing?”
Lisa jumped and almost dropped the housing on Jerry’s wrist.
“Watch it!” she shouted. Miraculously, all the weight was lifted from her hands. For a moment she thought the housing was floating in the air. But it was held there by Efrem.
“When did you get here?”
“Just now,” he said as he shifted around her. Reaching inside the housing , he wiggled his fingers and the wire came free, leaving the housing free and removable.
“Did you break that wire?”
He gave her a funny look. “I disconnected the ground wire.”
“It’s not broken?”
He laughed. One look at Jerry convinced him it wasn’t a joke. “You two don’t have the faintest idea what you’re doing, do you?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Not a bit.”
The last was from Jerry who earned himself a glare from his boss.
“I’ll go feed the horses,” he said and beat a quick retreat.
“What was he doing?”
“We dropped a nut inside while we were putting it back together.”
Staring at the exposed pump, he grunted and nodded. “We?”
“Okay, okay. I dropped the nut.”
“I knew that.”
“You didn’t know that. You guessed.”
He swung his head around to look at her. “No. I knew. Because no man worth his salt would drop his nut.”
It took a moment but she did laugh. “Cut it out. And while you’re here, can you put it back together?”
“Why did you take it apart?”
“There was fuel in the water.”
He glanced at the wire snaking toward the outlet in the wall. “You had electricity in the water?”
Laughing again, she gave him a playful shove. He grabbed her shirt and pulled her in for a deep, slow kiss. Moaning, she pulled his head back down when he broke the kiss. He did it again but traced a line down her jaw to her neck.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” she said , tipping her head back to give him more access. He took the hint.
“I’ve thought about you kissing me, hugging me.”
“Fucking me,” he said.
Her laugh choked off when he palmed her breast and massaged the nipple until it came to attention. “Yes, I’ve thought a lot about you…fucking me.”
This time he grabbed her ass and held her tight against him while he ground his erection into her. A horse snorted, another whinnied.
“Efrem. Efrem,” she repeated while pushing lightly at his shoulders. “Someone’s coming.”
He stepped back and put both hands on his knees. “It’s not me.”
She laughed again, took a deep breath, and greeted the two wranglers who sauntered through the barn toward their trucks parked outside. When she turned back, Efrem stood straight holding a nut in one hand. While he put it back where it belonged, she filled him in on the trouble with the water. While he tightened the
Trey had wanted to take it over. Of course she hadn’t known that from the beginning. Oh, no. I thought he wanted me for me. How stupid is that?
And what the hell am I going to do about Dan?
And Efrem. What was she going to do about him? “Huh,” she muttered as she entered the brood mare barn and beelined to the water sink in the first stall. She leaned over and sniffed.
“Definitely fuel. Gasoline?”
Jerry leaned in for a whiff. “Yup.”
She slapped her hands on her hips. “Let’s get started.” Together, they approached the circulating pump. She knocked on the housing. Jerry toed the base.
“What first?”
“I was hoping you’d know,” she said with chagrin.
“Did it come with directions or paperwork?”
“Yeah. In the tack room.”
Four hours later, Lisa sat on the floor next to the circulating pump holding the housing in the air. Jerry grimaced as he fumbled inside the guts of the pump.
“Didja find it?” she asked. Her arms were trembling with the effort required to keep the solid metal casing in the air. It was, for some ungodly reason, attached to the pump itself by a short wire.
“What are you doing?”
Lisa jumped and almost dropped the housing on Jerry’s wrist.
“Watch it!” she shouted. Miraculously, all the weight was lifted from her hands. For a moment she thought the housing was floating in the air. But it was held there by Efrem.
“When did you get here?”
“Just now,” he said as he shifted around her. Reaching inside the housing , he wiggled his fingers and the wire came free, leaving the housing free and removable.
“Did you break that wire?”
He gave her a funny look. “I disconnected the ground wire.”
“It’s not broken?”
He laughed. One look at Jerry convinced him it wasn’t a joke. “You two don’t have the faintest idea what you’re doing, do you?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Not a bit.”
The last was from Jerry who earned himself a glare from his boss.
“I’ll go feed the horses,” he said and beat a quick retreat.
“What was he doing?”
“We dropped a nut inside while we were putting it back together.”
Staring at the exposed pump, he grunted and nodded. “We?”
“Okay, okay. I dropped the nut.”
“I knew that.”
“You didn’t know that. You guessed.”
He swung his head around to look at her. “No. I knew. Because no man worth his salt would drop his nut.”
It took a moment but she did laugh. “Cut it out. And while you’re here, can you put it back together?”
“Why did you take it apart?”
“There was fuel in the water.”
He glanced at the wire snaking toward the outlet in the wall. “You had electricity in the water?”
Laughing again, she gave him a playful shove. He grabbed her shirt and pulled her in for a deep, slow kiss. Moaning, she pulled his head back down when he broke the kiss. He did it again but traced a line down her jaw to her neck.
“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” she said , tipping her head back to give him more access. He took the hint.
“I’ve thought about you kissing me, hugging me.”
“Fucking me,” he said.
Her laugh choked off when he palmed her breast and massaged the nipple until it came to attention. “Yes, I’ve thought a lot about you…fucking me.”
This time he grabbed her ass and held her tight against him while he ground his erection into her. A horse snorted, another whinnied.
“Efrem. Efrem,” she repeated while pushing lightly at his shoulders. “Someone’s coming.”
He stepped back and put both hands on his knees. “It’s not me.”
She laughed again, took a deep breath, and greeted the two wranglers who sauntered through the barn toward their trucks parked outside. When she turned back, Efrem stood straight holding a nut in one hand. While he put it back where it belonged, she filled him in on the trouble with the water. While he tightened the
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