Catch Me a Cowboy by Katie Lane Page B

sun-bronzed sculptured muscles exposed by the open flaps of his snap-down shirt hooked her gaze quickly enough. She didn’t know how long she stood there staring before his voice rumbled up through the dark green mesh of the hat.
    “I’ve gotta tell ya, Ms. Dalton. Your persistence is startin’ to wear me down.”
    Shirlene pulled her gaze away from all that hot, manly flesh and over to where Sherman wandered down to themuddy edge of the water, looking for any dropped picnic foods.
    “Do you have my wallet?” she asked.
    He removed the hat from his face and, lifting his head, squinted back at her. “That’s as good of a lie as you could come up with? Lord have mercy, woman, your mama didn’t teach you any man-catchin’ skills at all.”
    Shirlene shot him an exasperated look. “Just answer the question. Did you find my wallet on the front steps this morning or didn’t you?”
    Bubba’s gaze wandered over her body, from the top of her head to the tips of her painted toes. “You might want to start with a change of clothing. There’s nothin’ wrong with a little sweat, but I prefer women who bathe and put on clean clothes at least every other day.”
    With a groan of frustration, Shirlene flopped down on the sandy soil and rested her head in her hands. What had she been thinking? The man couldn’t count to ten without starting over. He certainly wasn’t observant enough to notice a woman’s wallet. But he had been her last resort, the thin thread she clung to after Mia the Sullen and Jesse the Delinquent had denied knowing anything about her wallet and credit cards.
    Of course, what did she expect from a bunch of little hooligans?
    “Now don’t be gettin’ all teary eyed.” Bubba sat up and hooked an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve been known to overlook a little bad hygiene if the woman has certain skills—”
    She elbowed him hard in the stomach, although it appeared to hurt her more than it did him. “Would you please spare me your pathetic hillbilly charm? I haveenough to worry about without listening to your idiotic talk.”
    Flashing her that dopey smile, he rolled to his feet and walked over to his fishing pole. He reeled in the line and checked the bait before he recast and sat down on the rock, his long, bare feet braced on the ground.
    “So you lost your wallet, did you?”
    “More like stolen by that little redheaded demon.”
    Billy chuckled. “That kid is a pistol.”
    She glared over at him. “It figures you’d think so.”
    “So what did their mama say?”
    Shirlene slipped her shoes off and cuffed her jeans. “She didn’t come home. And after an hour of being stared at by Jesse and Mia, I decided to check back later.”
    “Later being a couple months down the road?”
    She glanced over at him, and her forehead furrowed. Sometimes the man surprised her. She didn’t plan on stopping back by. She’d had enough of Grover Road to last her a lifetime. Of course, she’d let the Fosters continue to live in her trailer. But someone else would have to check up on them. Someone like Faith or Hope. Someone who didn’t feel as if they’d been kicked in the stomach every time that sweet, little baby turned those big, blue eyes on them.
    “What do you know about their mama?”
    Bubba’s words filtered into her thoughts, and she turned to find him staring out at the water that glistened in the sun.
    “Not much,” she said. “I hear she holds down two jobs, which is probably why she’s never at home.” A trickle of sweat rolled down her brow, and she wiped it off with her wrist. Shooting a glance over at Bubba, she flipped open a couple buttons on her blouse.
    “You think she’s abusive?” he asked.
    “I don’t know, although neglect is just as abusive as physical brutality.”
    His gaze snapped over to her. And even though she couldn’t see his eyes in the shadow of the hat brim, she couldn’t help fidgeting.
    “But you’re right, something’s wrong,” she said.