Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch #2)(40)



The shell was soft and the filling wasn’t the best, but the only thing that would taste better was a cup of hot black coffee. Thinking about liquid of any kind made her bladder feel like an overripe watermelon about to explode, so she pushed that idea to the back of her mind.

Toby polished off his second taco and reached for the hamburger. “Now that it’s daylight and we can see better, we might try to scale the muddy embankment. We’ll get muddy and if we lose our foothold, we’ll wind up in that filthy water. If someone isn’t here in an hour, I’ll take the rope that’s in the toolbox and give it my best shot.”

“Rope?” she asked.

“If I can make it to the top, then I’ll throw the rope down and you can use it to climb up.”

He started to tear the sandwich in half but she shook her head. “You can have it all. It won’t be long until I won’t need a rope; I’ll scramble up over that wet mud like a mountain goat.”

He chuckled. “I’m going to sit right here and watch your cute little butt wiggle its way up that muddy mess.”

They could hear a vehicle approaching for several seconds before it was right overhead and then the squeal of brakes. “Hey, y’all all right down there? Need some help?” a woman’s voice yelled down.

“We’re fine but we don’t have phone service. Would you make a call for us?” Toby cupped his hands over his mouth and hollered.

“Sure I will. Soon as I get to the church over in Dry Creek. They’ve got a phone there. What number do I call?”

“Henrietta, is that you?” Lizzy shouted.

“Yes, it is. Oh, my goodness! Lizzy Logan?” The truck door slammed and Henrietta peered down over the edge. “Is that Toby Dawson with you? How long have you been down there?”

“Yes, it is and we had a blowout last night. We had to spend the night here because we can’t climb up and the ditch is full of nasty water. Please call my sister at the Lucky Penny,” Lizzy said.

“Sorry, darlin’. I cannot call her, or your mama, or Dora June will get really mad at me.” She eyed the red blanket and narrowed her eyes at Lizzy. “Too bad you were keepin’ company with that man or I might have helped you. Don’t suppose you are goin’ to make it to church, are you?”

“Not unless you make a phone call,” Lizzy said.

“Come on, Miz Henrietta. Think of the Good Samaritan in the Bible. Are you going to pass on the other side and leave us down here to die or are you going to have the right spirit about this?” Toby asked.

“You can’t sweet-talk me, Mr. Dawson. Let this be a lesson to you, Lizzy.” Henrietta disappeared. The truck engine started back up and the rattle of tires on a country road faded until nothing but the sounds of a spring morning were heard in the bed of the wrecked truck.

“She won’t help us, but I bet she tells everyone she meets about this,” Lizzy fumed.

“You can bank on that. Reckon your mama is going to bring a shotgun and make me marry you since we’ve slept together now?” he asked.

“I can’t imagine you married to anyone, with or without a shotgun to convince you.” She was amazed at the sad look that flitted across his face before he looked away.

“Your reputation says that you’ve served up lots of morning-after breakfasts. What would you do if someone came up pregnant with your child?”

Toby hesitated a moment. “I don’t know. Are you telling me something or is this hypothetical?”

She put up a hand. “Purely hypothetical. I’m not pregnant and if I was, I wouldn’t marry you.”

“Why?” He looked as if someone had hit him in the head with a hammer.

“Because you would only be marrying me because of the pregnancy. You’ve already stated that you don’t want that lifestyle, so we’d both be miserable. I want a husband who can’t wait to get home to me in the evenings, not one who can’t wait to get away from me. A baby wouldn’t change what you or I either one want.”

“Pretty blunt aren’t you?”

“I tried that submissive crap. It didn’t work for me,” she said.

Another vehicle passed but it didn’t slow down.

“Third time is the charm,” Toby said. “Want to make a bet about how long it takes that third one to get here?”

“Sure. Ten bucks says that Farmer Forgetful remembers to tell his wife about those stupid kids sitting in shit creek, and Blake and Allie are here within thirty minutes,” she said.

“I bet Henrietta gets a dose of guilty conscience and calls them from the church. If you win, we’ll try this date again only at a nicer restaurant and somewhere that does not have a gully like this on the road going there. If you win.” He tapped his chin and grinned.

“I will not go to bed with you if I win,” she said.

“I wasn’t going to suggest that. You have to cook supper for me at Audrey’s Place.”

She stuck out her hand and they shook on it.

Ten minutes later they heard a vehicle on the road. Lizzy held her breath until it stopped and then a voice squealed. She looked up and saw Allie peering down over the edge of the road into the ditch.

“Man, are we glad to see you,” Lizzy said.

Blake’s face appeared next to Allie’s. “Are either of you hurt?”

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