The old cowboy beamed under her compliment.
“By the way, your girlfriend called today.”
Anyone else would think that Charmaine’s remark had come out of the blue, but not Raoul. He knew damn well she had planned its timing with precision.
“My girlfriend?” Raoul drawled out.
“Musta been Rita,” Jimmy said. “The waitress at The Horny Bull.”
Charmaine pinched his shoulder. Hard.
Raoul shot Jimmy a dirty look, but Jimmy just batted his eyelashes at him. Retribution came in any form for a fifteen-year-old.
Charmaine narrowed her eyes at him. The expression on her face pretty much put him in the category of… well, horny bulls. “No, it wasn’t Rita. It was Am-el-ie.”
Is Charmaine jealous? Is that possible? Hmmm. “Amelie?” he inquired with a frown, though he knew perfectly well who she referred to.
“Puh-leeze. Don’t play dumb with me.”
“Oh, you mean Amelie Ancelet.”
“Doctor Am-el-ie Ancelet. Am-el-ie made sure she pointed out to me that she’s a doctor. I’m surprised she didn’t spell it for me. You know, we bimbos aren’t all that smart.”
Raoul laughed. Charmaine really was jealous. Now, wasn’t that an interesting turn of events?
Charmaine made a little feral growl in her throat, like a wildcat. “She said to remind you about your date Saturday night.”
“What date?”
“Puh-leeze,” she said again, and for sure her fangs were about to come out. “The party.”
“Oh. That party.”
“Yes, the party, you moron.”
Clarence, Linc and Jimmy were pivoting their heads back and forth like bobble heads, enjoying the inter-change between the two of them. They’d have something to talk about when they went back to the bunkhouse tonight.
Moron, huh? He grinned at the vehemence of the epithet she gave him. Somehow, Charmaine made moron sound sexy. “Her father, Cletus Ancelet, is retiring after forty years as the town veterinarian. Amelie is taking over his practice,” he explained. “Anyhow, a big barbecue bash is being held to celebrate Cletus’s retirement.”
“How nice!”
I shouldn’t be teasing Charmaine like this. “Amelie is just a friend.”
“Hah! Some men can’t see past the smoke some women blow in their faces. Morons! All of them.”
“Amelie and I met in medical school. Being from Cajun backgrounds and sharing an interest in animal studies, it was natural that… What the hell are you all thinking?”
Clarence, Linc and Jimmy were laughing outright now, with Clarence slapping his knee with glee. He probably figured arguing with Charmaine was two steps away from making her bowlegged.
“And how do you and your cows feel about helicopters?” she asked him way too sweetly, with utter irrelevance.
“Huh?”
“Helicopters? Do your cows mind when helicopters land in their backyard? Do they stop milking or something?”
I sense a little payback coming up. “Hell, yes, they mind. But, Charmaine, there’s something you need to know if you’re going to hang around this ranch. I don’t have a dairy farm. This is a cattle ranch.”
She waved a hand airily, as if there were no difference between a milk cow and a beef steer. But then she frowned. “Are you saying I’m a dumb bimbo who can’t understand the difference between a cow and a bull?”
“I never used the word ‘bimbo.’ ” Man, she is obsessed with that one single time I called her a bimbo. Why is it women never forget the things we men say? We forget the things women say right after they leave their mouths.
“Oooh, boy, you are asking for it. I do not like your attitude.”
“Attitude? I don’t have an attitude.” You are the one who is reeking with attitude, but I don’t think I’ll point that out right now.
“I’m sensing an attitude. And, for your information, buster, I happen to know the difference between a cow and a bull. One has udders and the other has balls. So there!”
Everyone burst out laughing then, except Charmaine, who looked as if she was about to windmill her right arm and sock him a good one.
This was absolutely the most ridiculous conversation, and even though his three workers were enjoying it immensely, he had to put a stop to it. “Um, could we backtrack here? You mentioned a helicopter. Is someone going to land a helicopter on the ranch?”