Read Online Sara's Surprise by Deborah Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Deborah Smith
Tags: Romance, Contemporary
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creaking of iron on wood as Kyle turned the key. He studied the newer electronic lock next to the door handle. "Your code, m'lady."
"One four two, two two six."
He punched buttons. "Any mystical significance, sorceress?"
"Nope. It's just a combination of my IQ and birthday."
Kyle arched a brow at her. "You were born in January 1942?" Smiling wryly, she shook her head. He exhaled with relief. "February twenty-sixth?" She nodded. "So your IQ is only a modest genius level of one hundred and forty-two points?"
"Yes."
"Thank God. For a second I felt like a chimpanzee who's just found out he's been discussing bananas with Albert Einstein."
He pushed the door open. Sara pointed to a control panel on the wall of the outer foyer. "That operates the bridge."
She waited until she was certain that Kyle's atten-
tion was trained on the interesting spectacle of a hydraulic system lowering five yards of heavy wooden bridge across a moat filled with good old southern privet hedge. Then she lifted the basket lid and peeked inside. Noelle lay on her stomach sleeping soundly, just as before.
"What's up, Doc?"
Kyle's voice and footsteps startled her. She jumped and tried not to slap the lid down too loudly. Her nerves on fire, Sara frowned at him. "You the rabbit it you could have made it jump out!"
He pointed to the alert dog near her feet. "Your crack security canine would have hunted it down." Daisy, who had fallen asleep during the two minutes it had taken them to unlock the door and lower the bridge, lay on her back, legs splayed.
Sara nudged her with the toe of a sneaker. "Wake up."
Daisy made a grunting sound and opened bleary eyes.
"Sounds like a security pig to me," Kyle noted cheerfully.
"Daisy!"
The dog got up, yawning, and trotted outside. Sara gazed at Kyle, feeling troubled. "You think that I and my useless guard dog are pretty ridiculous."
He shook his head, and the teasing glint faded from his eyes. "I think you're a gentle, loving person at heart, and you'd rather trust Daisy than bring any dragons into your home."
She nodded, a little shaken by his insight. He stepped aside and swept a hand toward the bridge. "After you, m'lady."
Sara had already brought the truck around from the back, where she kept it in a small shed. It waited on the cobblestone apron beyond the bridge. The tallgate and camper hatch were open. Noelle's car seat was hidden in the front corner of the truck bed, under a pile of blankets.
"Go ahead and get into the cab," she told Kyle. "I've got to tie this basket shut."
"Sure. We wouldn't want the killer bunny to get out."
The geese waddled around a corner of the castle. Sara stared at them in dismay. "Worry about the geese instead. Kyle, get in the truck!" As soon as they saw him, a stranger, they went into battle mode. They trotted forward, their wings spread, their heads thrust forward, their beady eyes never leaving their target.
He said a couple of words that were probably offensive to everything with wings, including airplanes. Then he snatched the picnic basket from Sara's hands and shoved it into the back of the truck. "I'll save you," he called, sounding a great deal more amused than she was at the moment. She expected to hear Noelle's wail of distress immediately.
He lifted Sara into the truck bed. Daisy leapt clumsily and landed in her lap. Kyle slammed the tailgate and ran to the driver's side of the cab. It was locked. He ran to the other side and tried the passenger door. It was locked.
He began to laugh. "I'm goose meat! I'm a goner!"
Sara scrambled out and unlocked the driver's door. She dove across the seat, reaching for the lock on the passenger door. Kyle slung it open and threw himself into her lap just as a big gander reached him, hissing and striking.
"He got me!" Kyle's head was pillowed on her thighs; he was laughing so hard that he couldn't sit up. His long legs dangled from the truck. In its beak the gander had trapped the laces on one of Kyle's running
"One four two, two two six."
He punched buttons. "Any mystical significance, sorceress?"
"Nope. It's just a combination of my IQ and birthday."
Kyle arched a brow at her. "You were born in January 1942?" Smiling wryly, she shook her head. He exhaled with relief. "February twenty-sixth?" She nodded. "So your IQ is only a modest genius level of one hundred and forty-two points?"
"Yes."
"Thank God. For a second I felt like a chimpanzee who's just found out he's been discussing bananas with Albert Einstein."
He pushed the door open. Sara pointed to a control panel on the wall of the outer foyer. "That operates the bridge."
She waited until she was certain that Kyle's atten-
tion was trained on the interesting spectacle of a hydraulic system lowering five yards of heavy wooden bridge across a moat filled with good old southern privet hedge. Then she lifted the basket lid and peeked inside. Noelle lay on her stomach sleeping soundly, just as before.
"What's up, Doc?"
Kyle's voice and footsteps startled her. She jumped and tried not to slap the lid down too loudly. Her nerves on fire, Sara frowned at him. "You the rabbit it you could have made it jump out!"
He pointed to the alert dog near her feet. "Your crack security canine would have hunted it down." Daisy, who had fallen asleep during the two minutes it had taken them to unlock the door and lower the bridge, lay on her back, legs splayed.
Sara nudged her with the toe of a sneaker. "Wake up."
Daisy made a grunting sound and opened bleary eyes.
"Sounds like a security pig to me," Kyle noted cheerfully.
"Daisy!"
The dog got up, yawning, and trotted outside. Sara gazed at Kyle, feeling troubled. "You think that I and my useless guard dog are pretty ridiculous."
He shook his head, and the teasing glint faded from his eyes. "I think you're a gentle, loving person at heart, and you'd rather trust Daisy than bring any dragons into your home."
She nodded, a little shaken by his insight. He stepped aside and swept a hand toward the bridge. "After you, m'lady."
Sara had already brought the truck around from the back, where she kept it in a small shed. It waited on the cobblestone apron beyond the bridge. The tallgate and camper hatch were open. Noelle's car seat was hidden in the front corner of the truck bed, under a pile of blankets.
"Go ahead and get into the cab," she told Kyle. "I've got to tie this basket shut."
"Sure. We wouldn't want the killer bunny to get out."
The geese waddled around a corner of the castle. Sara stared at them in dismay. "Worry about the geese instead. Kyle, get in the truck!" As soon as they saw him, a stranger, they went into battle mode. They trotted forward, their wings spread, their heads thrust forward, their beady eyes never leaving their target.
He said a couple of words that were probably offensive to everything with wings, including airplanes. Then he snatched the picnic basket from Sara's hands and shoved it into the back of the truck. "I'll save you," he called, sounding a great deal more amused than she was at the moment. She expected to hear Noelle's wail of distress immediately.
He lifted Sara into the truck bed. Daisy leapt clumsily and landed in her lap. Kyle slammed the tailgate and ran to the driver's side of the cab. It was locked. He ran to the other side and tried the passenger door. It was locked.
He began to laugh. "I'm goose meat! I'm a goner!"
Sara scrambled out and unlocked the driver's door. She dove across the seat, reaching for the lock on the passenger door. Kyle slung it open and threw himself into her lap just as a big gander reached him, hissing and striking.
"He got me!" Kyle's head was pillowed on her thighs; he was laughing so hard that he couldn't sit up. His long legs dangled from the truck. In its beak the gander had trapped the laces on one of Kyle's running
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