her knees. But Judge Bea didn’t need to know that. June didn’t want to reward him for forcing her into this situation.
“Fine,” she said. When he raised his eyebrows and waited for her to elaborate, she didn’t.
“Hmm.” Bea tilted his head and narrowed one eye like he was trying to see through her, but she gave nothing away.
“Judge,” she said, changing the subject, “I need permission to leave the county.” He held up a palm and shook his head, but she cut him off before he could get a word out. “Just listen before you say no. It’s not Austin.”
“Where, then?”
“Two places. First, I hear there’s a little bar right outside county lines. I’m broke, and I need a job. You mind if I apply?”
“That’d be Shooters. Burl Bisbee’s hole in the wall.” Bea pursed his lips and considered her request. “I’ll give you one night a week. That oughta bring enough tips to tide you over.”
“Thanks. And then there’s Luke’s place. He’s working on a house a couple counties over, and he needs my help.” He just didn’t know it yet. But June had a plan. She’d started thinking like a businesswoman instead of a lovesick teenager and put together a proposal much like the one she’d pitched to Esteban the year before. Sample paint chips, landscape design, staging details, current market trends—everything she had to offer was bound in a clear plastic sleeve. She intended to storm the Jenkins place, deliver her presentation, and if necessary, refuse to leave until Luke agreed.
She wasn’t above showing a little cleavage, either. Not exactly professional, but she didn’t care. When Luke had returned to fix her car, he’d looked like hell. The dark circles and bags under his lifeless, green eyes had told her what she’d already suspected: he’d been choosing work over sleep. You couldn’t get blood from a turnip, just like you couldn’t work two full-time jobs and stay healthy. June knew she could lighten the load on his shoulders. She just needed to make the stubborn fool see it.
“Mae-June and Lucas together again,” the judge said with laughter in his voice. “I dunno if Sultry Springs is ready for that.” He shook his head and heaved a sigh. “I never could get that smell outta my barn after you two—”
“Sorry,” June said, wincing at the memory. “You do know that fire was an accident, right?” Who knew three gallons of pig lard could be so flammable?
“Yep. Unlike the time y’all killed every trout in my pond.”
“Oh, god. I forgot about that.” June hung her head and tried not to giggle. The judge had built an Olympic-sized swimming pool in his backyard, but she and Luke had preferred his pond, so they’d decided to do Bea a “favor” and chlorinate it with the chemicals in his shed. “All those poor fish.”
“Mother of pearl,” the judge murmured. “It’s a wonder either of you survived to adulthood.” He shook his head again, probably remembering another June-n-Luke calamity, and then said, “Okay. You can help him. Y’all just stay away from my place, y’hear?”
***
Luke tipped back another Mountain Dew and prayed the caffeine would last until lunchtime. Maybe then he could catch a few winks in the shade when his crew left for the local diner. He tossed the empty soda can into the recycling bin and winced in pain. Damn it, his shoulder hurt like the devil. He’d strained it last night lifting a door off its hinges, and no amount of aspirin helped.
He wedged a crowbar between two wood planks and levered it back with a grunt, which sent invisible flames lapping at his muscles. “Sonofabitch!” Grasping his shoulder, he tossed the crowbar aside and hollered at Pauly. “Bring two guys and finish up here.”
Pauly nodded and got right on it. The crew seemed to sense Luke’s foul mood, and they worked twice as hard because of it. Even that jackass Karl stayed on task and kept his head down. Maybe he should hurt himself more often.
Luke
“Fine,” she said. When he raised his eyebrows and waited for her to elaborate, she didn’t.
“Hmm.” Bea tilted his head and narrowed one eye like he was trying to see through her, but she gave nothing away.
“Judge,” she said, changing the subject, “I need permission to leave the county.” He held up a palm and shook his head, but she cut him off before he could get a word out. “Just listen before you say no. It’s not Austin.”
“Where, then?”
“Two places. First, I hear there’s a little bar right outside county lines. I’m broke, and I need a job. You mind if I apply?”
“That’d be Shooters. Burl Bisbee’s hole in the wall.” Bea pursed his lips and considered her request. “I’ll give you one night a week. That oughta bring enough tips to tide you over.”
“Thanks. And then there’s Luke’s place. He’s working on a house a couple counties over, and he needs my help.” He just didn’t know it yet. But June had a plan. She’d started thinking like a businesswoman instead of a lovesick teenager and put together a proposal much like the one she’d pitched to Esteban the year before. Sample paint chips, landscape design, staging details, current market trends—everything she had to offer was bound in a clear plastic sleeve. She intended to storm the Jenkins place, deliver her presentation, and if necessary, refuse to leave until Luke agreed.
She wasn’t above showing a little cleavage, either. Not exactly professional, but she didn’t care. When Luke had returned to fix her car, he’d looked like hell. The dark circles and bags under his lifeless, green eyes had told her what she’d already suspected: he’d been choosing work over sleep. You couldn’t get blood from a turnip, just like you couldn’t work two full-time jobs and stay healthy. June knew she could lighten the load on his shoulders. She just needed to make the stubborn fool see it.
“Mae-June and Lucas together again,” the judge said with laughter in his voice. “I dunno if Sultry Springs is ready for that.” He shook his head and heaved a sigh. “I never could get that smell outta my barn after you two—”
“Sorry,” June said, wincing at the memory. “You do know that fire was an accident, right?” Who knew three gallons of pig lard could be so flammable?
“Yep. Unlike the time y’all killed every trout in my pond.”
“Oh, god. I forgot about that.” June hung her head and tried not to giggle. The judge had built an Olympic-sized swimming pool in his backyard, but she and Luke had preferred his pond, so they’d decided to do Bea a “favor” and chlorinate it with the chemicals in his shed. “All those poor fish.”
“Mother of pearl,” the judge murmured. “It’s a wonder either of you survived to adulthood.” He shook his head again, probably remembering another June-n-Luke calamity, and then said, “Okay. You can help him. Y’all just stay away from my place, y’hear?”
***
Luke tipped back another Mountain Dew and prayed the caffeine would last until lunchtime. Maybe then he could catch a few winks in the shade when his crew left for the local diner. He tossed the empty soda can into the recycling bin and winced in pain. Damn it, his shoulder hurt like the devil. He’d strained it last night lifting a door off its hinges, and no amount of aspirin helped.
He wedged a crowbar between two wood planks and levered it back with a grunt, which sent invisible flames lapping at his muscles. “Sonofabitch!” Grasping his shoulder, he tossed the crowbar aside and hollered at Pauly. “Bring two guys and finish up here.”
Pauly nodded and got right on it. The crew seemed to sense Luke’s foul mood, and they worked twice as hard because of it. Even that jackass Karl stayed on task and kept his head down. Maybe he should hurt himself more often.
Luke
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