Read Online Worth the Trouble by Becky McGraw - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Becky McGraw
Tags: Romance
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blue business-type suit. Definitely not the irritating female ranch hand's style.
Roxanne Baker wouldn't be caught dead in a suit. The candy pink dress she'd worn to the wedding had been something he was sure she wouldn't have worn without being hog-tied first, or unless her best friend had begged, which he was sure his sister had done.
The chair stopped rocking and the woman stood, evidently noticing his approach. He looked closer at her as he drew near and the light got better, and decided that although the woman was shorter, she had to be related to Roxanne, because they looked a lot alike. This woman was just softer and rounder, maybe a little younger.
Ethan suddenly realized he was right up on the porch and his foot was still on the gas . Quickly, he shoved his foot off of the pedal, but he knew the cart wasn't going to coast to a stop. He was going too fast and braced for the impact he knew was coming.
The nose of the cart slammed into the bushes surrounding the porch, then hit the rail and he felt himself flying through the air. Half in and half out of the cart , his upper body in the bushes when he got his senses back, Ethan dragged his legs the rest of the way out then pulled up on the crossbar of the cart to stand.
A feminine gasp sounded then a cultured southern belle voice asked, "Are you okay, sugar?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just couldn't stop quick enough," he said gruffly, his face scorching from embarrassment.
"Oh, shoo, shoo !" the woman shrieked and he saw her waving her hands and backing down the long porch. "Go away!" she yelled and kept backing away.
For a minute, Ethan thought she was talking to him, then he saw a huge mama skunk and two babies on the porch. He must've scared them out of the bushes when he crashed the cart. The furry black and white mama had her tail lifted and she was hissing at the woman.
There was no way he could get over there to help her, so all he could do was watch as the skunk moved forward then suddenly reversed direction and sprayed a huge stream of musk in her direction.
A shrill scream split the night air and Ethan flinched. The surprised skunks scurried off of the porch and hustled across the yard, but the woman was still screaming and sputtering.
Good God, that woman's scream could shatter glass, or his ear drums, he thought and jerked the walker off of the ground where it had landed. Flicking open the contraption, he locked each side then started slowly toward the porch and the hysterical woman.
The closer he got the stronger the aroma became, until the meatloaf in his stomach started seesawing and he had to stop and cover his nose. "Whew, ma'am you got sprayed good," he said and held back the laughter that was bubbling inside of him.
"Damned polecat," she sputtered and kicked off her high-heeled shoes, before she started shedding clothes. Ethan swallowed the burst of laughter that about choked him and leaned on the walker to watch the show.
"I have an interview in two days and I can't smell like this," she whined.
"Tomato juice," Ethan informed.
"Do what?" she asked , her fingers stopping at the button on the side of her skirt.
"You need to take a bath in tomato juice and it'll get rid of the smell. I got sprayed at a fire one time and it took me a week to get the stink off. One of the guys told me to do that and it helped."
Her lip trembled and she was close enough to the light that he saw her blue eyes fill with tears. "I have an appointment for a job interview in Amarillo day after tomorrow," she told him.
"You better buy a case of juice then," he told her with a chuckle. "It took me a week to get rid of it."
Her voice raised a few octaves as she said, "I don't have any money."
Ethan knew women, and he knew she was winding up for a full blown fit. All he needed was a hysterical woman on his hands, so he knew he'd better try and help her.
"You have a car?" he asked , but that was a moot point, because he didn't
Roxanne Baker wouldn't be caught dead in a suit. The candy pink dress she'd worn to the wedding had been something he was sure she wouldn't have worn without being hog-tied first, or unless her best friend had begged, which he was sure his sister had done.
The chair stopped rocking and the woman stood, evidently noticing his approach. He looked closer at her as he drew near and the light got better, and decided that although the woman was shorter, she had to be related to Roxanne, because they looked a lot alike. This woman was just softer and rounder, maybe a little younger.
Ethan suddenly realized he was right up on the porch and his foot was still on the gas . Quickly, he shoved his foot off of the pedal, but he knew the cart wasn't going to coast to a stop. He was going too fast and braced for the impact he knew was coming.
The nose of the cart slammed into the bushes surrounding the porch, then hit the rail and he felt himself flying through the air. Half in and half out of the cart , his upper body in the bushes when he got his senses back, Ethan dragged his legs the rest of the way out then pulled up on the crossbar of the cart to stand.
A feminine gasp sounded then a cultured southern belle voice asked, "Are you okay, sugar?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just couldn't stop quick enough," he said gruffly, his face scorching from embarrassment.
"Oh, shoo, shoo !" the woman shrieked and he saw her waving her hands and backing down the long porch. "Go away!" she yelled and kept backing away.
For a minute, Ethan thought she was talking to him, then he saw a huge mama skunk and two babies on the porch. He must've scared them out of the bushes when he crashed the cart. The furry black and white mama had her tail lifted and she was hissing at the woman.
There was no way he could get over there to help her, so all he could do was watch as the skunk moved forward then suddenly reversed direction and sprayed a huge stream of musk in her direction.
A shrill scream split the night air and Ethan flinched. The surprised skunks scurried off of the porch and hustled across the yard, but the woman was still screaming and sputtering.
Good God, that woman's scream could shatter glass, or his ear drums, he thought and jerked the walker off of the ground where it had landed. Flicking open the contraption, he locked each side then started slowly toward the porch and the hysterical woman.
The closer he got the stronger the aroma became, until the meatloaf in his stomach started seesawing and he had to stop and cover his nose. "Whew, ma'am you got sprayed good," he said and held back the laughter that was bubbling inside of him.
"Damned polecat," she sputtered and kicked off her high-heeled shoes, before she started shedding clothes. Ethan swallowed the burst of laughter that about choked him and leaned on the walker to watch the show.
"I have an interview in two days and I can't smell like this," she whined.
"Tomato juice," Ethan informed.
"Do what?" she asked , her fingers stopping at the button on the side of her skirt.
"You need to take a bath in tomato juice and it'll get rid of the smell. I got sprayed at a fire one time and it took me a week to get the stink off. One of the guys told me to do that and it helped."
Her lip trembled and she was close enough to the light that he saw her blue eyes fill with tears. "I have an appointment for a job interview in Amarillo day after tomorrow," she told him.
"You better buy a case of juice then," he told her with a chuckle. "It took me a week to get rid of it."
Her voice raised a few octaves as she said, "I don't have any money."
Ethan knew women, and he knew she was winding up for a full blown fit. All he needed was a hysterical woman on his hands, so he knew he'd better try and help her.
"You have a car?" he asked , but that was a moot point, because he didn't
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