for?”
“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “That was uncalled for.”
Jake searched her expression but she seemed to be truthful. “Damned straight. All right, I forgive you.” He shot her the grin he’d patented in the third grade—the one that was guaranteed to get him out of trouble.
“I’m not thinking of any corporal punishment, just some old-fashioned hard work. My life of crime came to a screeching halt when old man Turner caught me trying to steal his Chevy. I worked five of the longest weeks of my life.” Jake chuckled, thinking about his summer of servitude. It hadn’t seemed funny then, but now he was grateful for the old man’s methods. “Believe me, that was when I discovered crime didn’t pay.”
“How old were you?”
“Ten.” He gently tapped her chin when her jaw dropped. “Better close your mouth. You’re gonna catch flies. There’s nothing quite as disgusting as hand mowing six acres of grass in a San Antonio summer. It gives a kid time to reflect. And Ithink the irrigation system you’ve been talking about would be a good place for these guys to start.”
He leaned around the truck to look at the perpetrators again. They looked as if they were about to pee their pants. “I think these kids are retrievable. They’re just lacking supervision and a stable home life. But that’s out of our control.” From Jake’s experience, tough love was the only thing these teens would understand.
CiCi checked out the kids. “Okay, have at it. But don’t scream at them.”
“I don’t scream. My way is much more effective.” Jake grinned as Sugar Plum plopped on his bare feet. “Hey, guys, get your butts over here. I have a deal you won’t be able to refuse.”
Chapter Eleven
It was almost midnight before the camp returned to normal. Under ordinary circumstances, CiCi loved the night sounds—the cicadas, the bullfrogs and the crickets. Not tonight. She was restless and it didn’t take a Ph.D. to figure out why—Jake Culpepper. He wasn’t very sympathetic with the kids. Did that translate to all his relationships? Was this another trait he shared with her ex? Tank didn’t even know the meaning of the word empathy.
CiCi finally gave up trying to sleep. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top and wandered down to her favorite bench by the river. From that vantage point she could see the water and enjoy the sounds of summer. Here in the heart of Texas the skies seemed limitless and the stars were a glorious light show. She loved this place.
“Where I grew up the city glare blotted out the stars,” Jake said, making himself at home on the other end of the bench a few minutes after she’d settled in. “That’s one of the reasons I enjoy my ranch so much. I like to grab a cold brew and go out on the porch to watch the heavens.”
CiCi should have been surprised to see him, but she wasn’t. “You can’t see the stars in Houston, either.” She turned to face him. “Are you having a hard time sleeping?”
“The bed’s too small. My feet hang off the end,” Jake said with a laugh.
“I’m sorry. Those bunks were made for kids. I never factored in how tall you are, but you’ll be glad to know that I ordered you another bed.”
“Hey, that’s cool. You didn’t have to do that, but I appreciate it. I’ve made do with worse.”
“But you don’t need to.” She felt bad that not only had he been “sentenced” to a month at camp, he was also forced to be uncomfortable while he was there. She wasn’t exactly sure how to phrase her next comment but she gave it a go. “You’ve been a trouper. I’m impressed.”
Jake laughed. “It must not take much to impress you. Where were you when I was trying to get a prom date?”
“You think yours was bad, let me tell you about my prom.” When CiCi finished telling the tale of being ditched at the dance so her date could neck with another girl in the parking lot, they were laughing so hard she had to wipe the tears
“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “That was uncalled for.”
Jake searched her expression but she seemed to be truthful. “Damned straight. All right, I forgive you.” He shot her the grin he’d patented in the third grade—the one that was guaranteed to get him out of trouble.
“I’m not thinking of any corporal punishment, just some old-fashioned hard work. My life of crime came to a screeching halt when old man Turner caught me trying to steal his Chevy. I worked five of the longest weeks of my life.” Jake chuckled, thinking about his summer of servitude. It hadn’t seemed funny then, but now he was grateful for the old man’s methods. “Believe me, that was when I discovered crime didn’t pay.”
“How old were you?”
“Ten.” He gently tapped her chin when her jaw dropped. “Better close your mouth. You’re gonna catch flies. There’s nothing quite as disgusting as hand mowing six acres of grass in a San Antonio summer. It gives a kid time to reflect. And Ithink the irrigation system you’ve been talking about would be a good place for these guys to start.”
He leaned around the truck to look at the perpetrators again. They looked as if they were about to pee their pants. “I think these kids are retrievable. They’re just lacking supervision and a stable home life. But that’s out of our control.” From Jake’s experience, tough love was the only thing these teens would understand.
CiCi checked out the kids. “Okay, have at it. But don’t scream at them.”
“I don’t scream. My way is much more effective.” Jake grinned as Sugar Plum plopped on his bare feet. “Hey, guys, get your butts over here. I have a deal you won’t be able to refuse.”
Chapter Eleven
It was almost midnight before the camp returned to normal. Under ordinary circumstances, CiCi loved the night sounds—the cicadas, the bullfrogs and the crickets. Not tonight. She was restless and it didn’t take a Ph.D. to figure out why—Jake Culpepper. He wasn’t very sympathetic with the kids. Did that translate to all his relationships? Was this another trait he shared with her ex? Tank didn’t even know the meaning of the word empathy.
CiCi finally gave up trying to sleep. She pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top and wandered down to her favorite bench by the river. From that vantage point she could see the water and enjoy the sounds of summer. Here in the heart of Texas the skies seemed limitless and the stars were a glorious light show. She loved this place.
“Where I grew up the city glare blotted out the stars,” Jake said, making himself at home on the other end of the bench a few minutes after she’d settled in. “That’s one of the reasons I enjoy my ranch so much. I like to grab a cold brew and go out on the porch to watch the heavens.”
CiCi should have been surprised to see him, but she wasn’t. “You can’t see the stars in Houston, either.” She turned to face him. “Are you having a hard time sleeping?”
“The bed’s too small. My feet hang off the end,” Jake said with a laugh.
“I’m sorry. Those bunks were made for kids. I never factored in how tall you are, but you’ll be glad to know that I ordered you another bed.”
“Hey, that’s cool. You didn’t have to do that, but I appreciate it. I’ve made do with worse.”
“But you don’t need to.” She felt bad that not only had he been “sentenced” to a month at camp, he was also forced to be uncomfortable while he was there. She wasn’t exactly sure how to phrase her next comment but she gave it a go. “You’ve been a trouper. I’m impressed.”
Jake laughed. “It must not take much to impress you. Where were you when I was trying to get a prom date?”
“You think yours was bad, let me tell you about my prom.” When CiCi finished telling the tale of being ditched at the dance so her date could neck with another girl in the parking lot, they were laughing so hard she had to wipe the tears
Similar Books
