Cowboy Logic - B.A. Tortuga Page 0,26
would get inside and create havoc if he tried to go in with both hands full. Apparently she loved to rip around and poop on floors.
“Coming. Don’t wake the littles. Weezer, what are you doing out? You little shit.” Bailey grabbed Weezer by the horns and started leading her to the pen behind the house. “You have fun in the big city?”
“Fuck you.”
“Oh, grumpy. What happened?” Bailey grunted and grumbled, but rejoined him soon enough, grabbing a cold drink.
“Quint Bellamy was a prick. Obviously I’ve been outed. Saw my old chemistry teacher too.” It all had been weird as fuck—the good and the bad.
“Yeah? Mrs. Grange, right? She asks after you all the time. She does all kinds of classes at the library now.” Helping him unload, Bailey nudged him with her elbow. “Thanks for the stuff. What do I owe you?”
“A hug.” He could buy a bill of groceries for them. Hell, he would buy all of them while he was here.
“I can do that.” After setting everything aside, she grabbed him and hugged him. “Sorry you had to see Quint. He got all puffy, though, huh? Like a bad used-car salesman.”
“God yes, and I was such a bitch. He still wears those awful boots. Total diva. It was so much fun!” He squeezed her and swung her around, making her giggle.
“Good for you!” She danced him about, both of them cackling like big birds. “Shhh.”
“Right. Babies. I got stuff for pavlovas for us and sundaes for the kids for tonight. Good?”
“Perfect. Thanks for offering to do dessert. I would have ended up with a box of Little Debbies or a cake from the bakery case.”
“Yeah. Not that I’m trying to impress Jericho or anything.” Logic rolled his eyes at himself, because that was exactly what he was trying to do.
“Look at you! Are you going to seduce my neighbor and leave him heartbroken?” She gave him the Look. The one she’d learned from Momma.
“You watch too many movies. I’m making friends.” And fantasizing a little. There was no harm in that, was there? Jericho was a decent guy with an amazing ass.
“Mmm. Getting fodder for your books.” When she paused, he knew what was coming. “He’s a good guy, though, and he has kids.”
“I’m not going to seduce him. I’m making friends.” No talking with Bailey about how hot Jericho was. None. “Hell, I can beg off supper if you want. I mean, I’d hate to disappoint Travis, but—”
“No! No, I just worry about everyone.” Touching his hand, she tsked. “I trust you more than anyone on earth.”
“I’ll leave him alone. I was teasing.” He went to put his groceries away. “I’m going to have to borrow your mixer for the pavlova.”
“Sure. I have all the baking things. I’ll help as long as the kids stay asleep.” She was a generous soul, and she felt bad for lecturing him, he could tell.
“Excellent. I’ll make the lemon curd and the meringue first.”
“You want me to slice berries so they can macerate?” She stuffed the ice cream in the freezer. “Don’t let me forget that.”
“I won’t. Thanks.” He started cracking eggs. “Let’s get this done.”
He was surprisingly disappointed. He’d been ridiculous, so excited at the idea of seeing Jericho, but Bailey was right. He wasn’t staying here in Texas. He was going home, and starting something with Jericho was totally unfair.
He just needed to remember that. He didn’t belong here.
Chapter 10
“Hey! Come on in, y’all.” Jericho had cleaned his house like a fiend, scrubbing until his hands were raw and his middle-aged kitchen looked shinier, if not new. All in all, he was pretty pleased with himself. “I was about to go fire up the grill.”
“Mr. Koko!” Amanda hugged his leg. “We broughted tea and desert.”
“Dessert,” Bailey corrected on her way in, her hands full. “Where do you want this stuff?”
“Over by the toaster.” His heart fell when he didn’t immediately see Anderson. Damn, he’d been looking forward to talking. Maybe flirting.
“Anderson made dessert. Pavlovas and sundaes. He worked all afternoon.”
“Oh wow. That sounds amazing.” What the heck was a pavlova? Wasn’t that some scientist with a trained dog?
“Do you even know what it is? Because I sure as shit didn’t.” Bailey shot him a wicked little grin, sharing the joke with him.
“No. What is it so I look smart?”
“A big meringue cookie with goo in the middle. It’s amazing.” She smacked her lips hard.
“Goo?” That sounded ominous.
She nodded. “Lemon goo. There are berries.”
“Oh, I like lemon bars.”
“Then you’ll like