“Hello,” she snapped churlishly the instant she picked up the phone.
“Charmaine, what the hell are you doing answering the phone? I specifically ordered you not to answer the phone.” It was Rusty.
Like you have the right to order me to do anything. “Then what the hell are you doing calling me?”
“It was a mistake. I meant to call Clarence’s cell phone.”
Likely story. You missed me, buddy. Admit it. “Where are you anyway?”
“I’m in town. We ran out of fence nails.”
“Can you bring home some extra milk?”
After a long pause, he said, “You sound like a wife, Charmaine.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“That is a bad thing.”
“Screw the milk then.”
“I’ll get the damn milk.”
She hung up on him.
And she didn’t even bother to look toward St. Jude. She knew he would be tsk-ing.
One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingy …
“What now?” she yelled into the phone when it rang several moments later.
“You picked up the phone again,” Rusty yelled back.
“What? Now, you’re checking up on me?”
“Damn right I am. Do… not… pick… up… the… freakin’… phone. Was that clear enough for you?”
“Sure. Is this clear enough for you? Go… to… hell!”
She hung up on him again.
Next time the phone rang she didn’t pick it up, but not because he’d told her not to. She didn’t pick it up because she knew it was him again, trying to get the last word in, and she wanted to annoy him.
There were a half dozen other calls after that, but she turned on the answering machine. People from various oil companies were attempting to contact Rusty. Surprise, surprise.
A cowboy’s day is never done…
It was seven o’clock before they got back to the ranch house, and the four of them were bone-weary and discouraged with all the work they’d done that day… and all the work they’d never gotten to. The Triple L needed more cowboys, at least on a part-time basis, but Raoul just didn’t have the cash for that.
“I’ll meet you back at the house in a half hour,” Raoul told Clarence, Linc, and Jimmy. “After we wash up, we can eat.”
“I swear, I’m gonna fall in my bed tonight,” Clarence said. “But I caint, not without showerin’ first, since Charmaine put clean sheets on my bed. Not that I’m complainin’, mind you.”
“She dusted and waxed my guitar,” Linc added. “No one never dusted and waxed my guitar before.”
Apparently, waxing must not be the norm for guitars, Raoul thought, chuckling. But Linc would never dare tell that to Charmaine. Instead, he’d probably hide his instrument.
“I hope Charmaine made somethin’ good fer dinner.” Jimmy licked his lips in anticipation.
Raoul hated the fact that Charmaine had insinuated herself into all their lives after only three days here. Even he brightened at the prospect of seeing her again, and it wasn’t her food that hot-damn lured him.
Linc ruffled Jimmy’s dusty hair. “Well, it’s not meat loaf leftovers, for sure. You ate all that last night.”
Jimmy ducked his head and blushed. Amazing how Jimmy could switch personalities so quickly and so often… a regular teenage Dr. Jekyll. Today he’d gone into a cursing rage because he’d been hot and tired and wanted to go for a swim. A swim at this time of the year and in the middle of a job! Talk about! He’d even thrown a few wild punches at Linc when he’d tried to chastise him. And now, he went all red-faced and flustered like any typical kid when teased over a lousy meat loaf. Raoul would like to see Charmaine’s reaction if he ever acted out around her. Whoo-boy!
As he entered the house, Raoul heard Charmaine bustling around the kitchen. He called out to her, “We’re back,” but went immediately to the bathroom without waiting for her reply. He did a double take at what he saw. Her stuff was everywhere. Along the lip of the tub were a pink razor, lilac shaving gel, scented liquid soap, something called hydrating lotion and three different shampoos and conditioners. On the small counter next to the sink, he could barely find his electric razor, what with her blow dryer, combs, round brushes of different sizes, a cosmetics bag the size of Vermont, and a bottle of Obsession perfume. He sniffed the latter and realized that it was the same scent she’d worn all those years ago. And, yes, Obsession about said it all, at least on his part.