Zero Forks - Cat Johnson Page 0,2

grin and a wiggle of his fingers in a wave that somehow made me feel dirty. Like I now needed to shower.

He waggled his eyebrows at me, grinned wide at my horrified expression, and walked away, laughing his way down the hall.

That’s when I realized, I didn’t have this at all.

How was I going to watch a three-year old, and handle a major new account along with the forty-three-year-old lech I loathed as my partner on it?

I didn’t know, but I had a feeling it might require a good bit of alcohol. And coffee. Maybe some energy drinks. Or all of the above.

And, very possibly, murder.

TWO

Boone

“Hey.” Stone yelled to me from across the driveway as I headed toward my truck.

I paused and waited for him to walk over. I suppose I could have met him half-way but hell, he was already on the way here so why bother?

When he reached me, he asked, “Did you finish cutting the south field?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Didn’t start it yet.”

His eyes just about popped out of his head. “Why not?”

“Because I’m planning on doing it tomorrow.” I leaned back against the tailgate since this was looking to turn into a long conversation.

“Why tomorrow? Why not today?” Stone sent me a look that I swear made him look just like our ninety-year-old granddaddy used to when he was feeling cranky—God rest his soul.

If my older brother didn’t watch it and chill the fuck out, he’d end up next to Granddaddy in the Morgan family plot. All his bitching couldn’t be good for Stone’s blood pressure.

In direct opposition to that thought, I decided to fuck with him—get his blood pressure a little higher.

I shrugged. “Why not tomorrow?”

My plan worked. Stone looked like one of those cartoon characters whose head was about to explode.

I grinned at my victory and reached into my pocket for my keys.

Pushing off the truck, I said, “See you later.”

I climbed in and fired up the engine before Stone’s head did explode and I was the only one around for Mom and Daddy to blame.

Truth was, I’d already promised Brandon Webster I’d do some landscaping work for him over at the old Van de Berg house.

Pruning. Putting some bulbs in the ground that’d bloom in the spring. Easy shit. But the man was from the city and was willing to pay me a fortune for odd jobs like this.

I liked the guy. He was dating my friend Bethany so I’d never take advantage of him. But I sure as fuck wasn’t going to say no to the money he offered me either, even if I would have done the work for half.

There was more to my putting off cutting the field than my job for Brandon or my spiting Stone for trying to play boss man.

It was damp and overcast today—perfect for planting. When I’d checked the weather app on my phone, the forecast showed tomorrow was going to be hot, sunny and dry. It’d be the better day for cutting hay.

I didn’t tell Stone any of that. Hell, I shouldn’t have to. Farmers lived and died by the weather and he should know what was happening as well as I did.

Not only was it too much fun watching his face turn red as he got more and more pissed at me, I wasn’t going to let him think he was the boss of me.

I’d get my work done . . . in my own damn time.

After twenty-six years of knowing me, you’d think my big brother would have learned that by now. That he hadn’t, showed he needed to be taught a lesson. Why shouldn’t I be the one to teach it?

A few minutes later I was pulling along the curb by the diner. I’d get to the Van de Berg house on Second Street soon enough—I could literally walk there from here—but work would go so much better after I’d sucked down a black and white milkshake for fuel. The bacon and eggs I’d had for breakfast hadn’t done it for me.

The diner had reopened just a few months ago and from what I could see, they were killing it in business. Always busy, especially on weekends.

Today was no exception. I skirted past the line of people waiting for a table and moved up to the counter.

I saw it was my cousin Shalene, home from college for the weekend, working behind the counter. Grinning, I lifted my arm in a wave.

Score! Not only would she not make me wait