man-hungry.â
Kaylaâs green gaze shifted to Nick. âShe plays hard to get, and you fall for it. But how long did it take your ânice girlâ to rub up against you like a cat? Just remember, Nickâsheâs pulled her lah-de-dah act on plenty of guys before you. Iâd be very, very careful to practice safe sex with her.â
On that spiteful and triumphant note, Kayla spun gracefully around and flounced off.
âLook,â Nick began awkwardly, âI didnât know she was hereââ
âPlease just leave me alone,â Jo cut him off coldly. Anger and mortificationâalong with a good dose of self-loathingâall warred within her.
âPlease, Iââ
âWhy did you have to do that?â she again cut him off.
âYou didnât seem to mind until Kayla piped up.â
âWrong! Youâ¦you caught me off guard, is all. I wouldâve stopped you after Iâafterââ
âAfter you cooled down a little? You sure got plenty warm all of a sudden.â
âI meant to say after I caught my breath!â Jo insisted, pushing him aside and hurrying onto the bridge.
âYeah, hot and breathless, that describes you, all right,â Nick teased even as she escaped in mortifiedanger. âThatâs exactly how Iâm going to remember you, sweetheart.â
Despite her immediate relief after fleeing from Nick Kramer, Jo quickly realized she was a woman without sanctuary. The moment she returned to camp, she felt Kaylaâs smug eyes tracking her everywhere like video security.
It still hadnât quite registered with Jo; not only had she responded eagerly to Nickâs advance, she had proved Kayla right. Or so it certainly appeared. But Jo still fooled herself that she was the victim of circumstances and false impressions.
He did cut me off in midbreath, she assured herself. My response was confused, delayed, my body didnât have my mindâs permission. He caught me completely by surprise.
âRandyâ is just another word for young and healthy, she thought.
Hazelâs voice cut into her unpleasant thoughts. âGood morning, sourpuss. Whatâs the matter?â
âMorning, Hazel,â Jo replied tersely. She was busy filling the smaller water jug used for cooking. âIâm doing just fine.â
Hazel gave that reply a skeptical snort.
âKaylaâs up and dressed,â Hazel remarked with exaggerated innocence as she put coffee water on to boil. âAnd looking smug as the cat that tortured the canary before he ate it. Donât tell me you twoâve locked horns already this morning with the birds barely awake.â
âKayla? I didnât notice,â Jo replied.
Dottie, still brushing her thick white hair, emerged from the cabin, her nose sampling the air.
âWhereâs the coffee?â she demanded. âThereâs no life possible without caffeine.â
âOh, Joâs got us all behind schedule,â Hazel teased. âA certain Hotshot has got her all discombobulated.â
Anger spiked Joâs pulse.
âYou donât help any,â she said, exasperated. âIâve got a strong hunch youâre playing Cupid again, Hazel.â
Hazel winked at Dottie.
âPlead guilty,â the cattle baroness replied, âand you avoid the jury.â
âYes,â Jo fumed, âbut what about that tangled web we weave, et cetera?â
Her accusing gaze happened to land on Dottie.
âDonât look at me,â Dottie protested in her acquired Texas twang. âIâve got no dog in this fight. As for Cupid, how comes heâs always naked, anyhow?â
Despite her anger and embarrassment, Jo couldnât help laughing at both sly old gals and their shenanigans. Theyâre just girls, too, Jo realized, still plotting schoolgirl pranks and playing âguess whoâs got a boyfriend.â
Joâs mood lightened even
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