Twice the Trouble by Sandra Dailey Page A

someone else take the lead, especially a kid, and most especially when the kid was Jerrod. The boy wasn’t old enough to have a hair on his ass, but he had a ton of bad attitude.
    Alex’s T-shirt and the bandana around his head were already soaked with sweat. It had been a long time since he’d done anything outdoors besides running a park trail or overseeing a development project. He hoped to make it back to Orlando before his muscles locked up. The last thing he wanted to do was wuss-out in front of Lacey, or even worse, Jerrod.
    As soon as the boy came back with the truck keys, they’d be on their own. He didn’t have a clue what he’d talk about with Jerrod. He didn’t know a single thing about kids.
    Leaning against the fender, he watched Lacey lead a chestnut mare from the barn. She looked so damned sexy in that yellow sundress, old cowboy boots, and beat-up cowboy hat. She was all woman with a little bit of a dirty side. She was fearless. He couldn’t imagine her backing down from any challenge. Yes, she’d lost the blush of youth, but it had been replaced by a fiery passion. Alex figured it was a good tradeoff. He just had to find a way to tap into some of that passion.
    “Are we gonna get to work, or do you plan to stay here and drool over my mom for a while longer?”
    Alex snatched the keys from Jerrod’s hand. “I’m not drooling, I’m admiring. When you get older you’ll understand the difference.” Jerrod’s age and size were his sore spots and couldn’t resist getting in a dig.
    “We’re wasting daylight. If we don’t get that fence fixed this weekend, we’ll start losing cattle. Of course, the bind that would put Mom in would make it easier for you to take this place away from her, wouldn’t it?”
    They slid into the truck seat and slammed their doors. Around Lacey, Jerrod seemed to be cooling his attitude, but obviously, that was just for her benefit. Alex decided to try a little psychology.
    He headed to the west side of the property. It wasn’t hard to find the part of the fence that needed repair. Already there were three cows hanging around, thinking about the grass on the other side. A couple beeps of the horn changed their minds and they lumbered away.
    “Okay, Jerrod, where do you want me to start?”
    Jerrod’s brows drew together. “What do you mean?”
    “Well, it’s your fence and your job.” Alex stepped out into the grassy pasture. “I guess that puts you in charge.”
    As they walked to the back of the truck, Alex could have sworn that Jerrod was walking a little taller.
    “You can use a set of side-cutters to snip the bad wire off where it’s still attached. Be careful that it doesn’t snap back at you. And leave enough tail to wrap around the post.” Jerrod puffed his chest out. “I’ve got five posts to replace in this section. I’ve been sinking the new ones in cement. I just about have them all replaced now.”
    That would definitely make the fence stronger. He had to admire the kid’s ingenuity.
    As fast as he could cut the wire, Jerrod had the ends wrapped and stapled down. When the five rotted posts were bare, Alex dug them out while Jerrod unloaded the new ones. Each hole was made larger to accommodate its share of cement mixed with water from a nearby trough. When the posts were set, they took a break to allow the cement to set.
    “Got anything to drink in this cooler?” Alex started toward the bed of the truck.
    Jerrod ran to reach the truck ahead of him. “Umm, I think I forgot to bring anything.” He seemed as nervous as a mouse in a lion cage.
    Something was up. What could the boy be hiding? He reached over Jerrod’s shoulder and flipped the top up on the cooler. Inside was a six-pack of sodas along with a few bottles of water.
    “Are you gonna tell my mom?”
    Alex helped himself to one of the cans. “Your mom must be pretty strict. What would happen if I did tell her?”
    “No dessert for a month, I bet.” Jerrod kicked a clump of