Read Online QUEENIE BABY: On Assignment by Christina A. Burke - Free Book Online Page A

dust coated my car as we bounced towards her house. Kids and animals began emerging from the backyard at the sound of my car. A variety of work trucks were parked haphazardly next to the house. I pulled up alongside one with an NRA sticker on the window and a bumper sticker that read “My coon hound is smarter than your honor roll student.”
    My niece Tiffany and my two nephews, Jason and Josh, came running up as we got out of the car. “Aunty Di,” said five year-old Tiffany, “are you staying for dinner?”  
    “I’m not sure,” I replied bending down for a hug.
    “Mommy put chicken out for the grill just in case you are,” she said. Well, good to know I wouldn’t be forced to eat deer meat. Yuck!
    “Yeah,” chimed in the older boy, Jason. “Dad says you’re too snobby to eat deer meat.”  
    I hugged him. “Not true,” I replied. “I just don’t like it much.” Did I mention my brother-in-law was a complete jerk? Picture Cousin Eddie from the Chevy Chase Vacation movie series meets the Marlboro Man. Definitely not my type.  
    My sister came out from the back door near the kitchen. “I ought to take a stick to you old man!” she said shaking her finger at Granddaddy.
    “I tol’ you on the phone don’ be takin’ me to task,” Granddaddy bristled. “It was Annie’s fault for takin’ my gun without tellin’ me.”
    “Fine,” said my sister with her hands on her hips. “I’ll leave you to Anne when she gets home next week.” She walked over and hugged me, smelling like french fries and Jean Nate. My sister was a head shorter and definitely rounder after three kids than me, but we shared the same long blond hair and blue eyes.  
    “Stay for dinner,” she said. “I thawed some chicken for you.”  
    “I know. Tiffany told me.”
    “I bet I know something that you don’t know,” she said slyly.  
    “What?” I asked.  
    “It’s not what, it’s who,” she said. “Guess who’s here for dinner?”
    I rolled my eyes. Really? We were playing a guessing game now? She spent way too much time alone with children. “I don’t know Ashley, who?”
    “Rick!” she gushed. “He’s the one putting on our porch.”
    “Rick who?” I asked.
    "As in Rick your old boyfriend," she said smugly.  
    "Are you crazy?" I sputtered. Unbelievable. Just what I needed—my sister trying to fix me up with my high school boyfriend.  
    "I'm leaving," I said and turned around towards the car.  
    "Hope you're not leaving on my account," called a deep voice from across the lawn.  
    I flipped around. There he was. Mr. Homecoming himself, Rick Ellis. He was standing next to my brother-in-law, Dan, who was guffawing into his can of Budweiser. Idiot. A couple other contractor guys were behind him drinking out of red Solo cups, not sure what to make of the reunion. They were playing a game of Corn Hole. There were groans as one guy’s beanbag slid precariously close to the hole. “Come on over and join us for a game, Sis,” said my brother-in-law. Great, I have to talk to him or I'm going to look like a chicken. “Look out boys,” he said as I walked over, “Sis here has the Lady Luck!”  
    "Hi, Rick," I said crossing the lawn. He was still tall, dark, and handsome, with lines just starting to show around his brown eyes and full-lipped mouth. "Good to see you," I said and held out my hand.  
    He looked at my hand. "A handshake after twelve years?" he said with a grin. "I don't think so, Diana." He leaned down and wrapped his arms around me. His shirt smelled like sweat and wood shavings. His once lean athletic frame had filled out with work-hardened muscles.  
    I pulled away and looked up at him. "Looks like life's been good to you, Queenie Baby," he said with an appreciative glance. "Are you a rock star yet?"
    "Thanks," I said flustered by the rush of nostalgia that flooded through me. "Ah, no, not yet. Still working on it." Our eyes were locked.
    "Stay for dinner," he said. "Let's catch up and